“You’re not Superman, you know”
When you arrive in South Africa, it doesn't feel like Africa at all. You feel
you are stranded in the Mediterranean, with its parched grass and shopping complexes. Part of me felt a little cheated. Where's the starvation? Where's the disease? Where are all the flies?
It was only as I was leaving Durban, the city in which our plane had landed, that I saw the townships, dotted across the hilltops. Houses smaller than my garage, crammed together, far away from the glamour and civilisation of Durban.
And I was torn. Durban, and Johannesburg earlier in the day, had felt false. I finally felt I was seeing 'the real Africa', this mythical place that is always accompanied by an appeal phone number running along the bottom of our screens. I was hooked now, looking out of the cars with an excitement that belied my jet lag. This is what I came to see.
But then I realised. The more townships I see, the more people there are that live like this. Behind every sighting, every gasp, every jolt of excitement, there are real people, living real lives, in real Africa.
Over my time in KwaZulu Natal, I have realised that South Africa is a country suffering with a similar split personality to me. We spent one morning in the township, painting a primary school for children who had nothing but the clothes they were wearing. By the afternoon, we were shopping at the luxurious Liberty Mall.
South Africa’s contradictions are such big problems that it will never be solved by a school trip. And that is something else I have had to accept. I’m not a super hero.
That may come as a shock to some of you – I’ve got a deep voice, great abs and I look AMAZING in Lycra. Why can’t I be a superhero?
Firstly, it is important to know that God wants to use every single one of us. If we don’t understand this, our opinions of ourselves won’t match up to God’s opinion of us. It actually takes courage to admit that God has a plan for your life, in order to help you make a difference to the kingdom of heaven.
Some people can’t quite grasp this. Isn’t that a bit arrogant? Why would God use me?
It’s because He sees you as a potential hero. That is the first thing we have to understand.
But He also knows our limits. He created us without wings, without X-Ray vision, without a tingling Spidey-sense. What He did give us was a heart that longs to have relationships with other ‘potential heroes’. He gave us His Word that humans are ‘many parts, but one body’. And he gave us a man from Israel who calls us to bring God’s kingdom onto Earth.
Doesn’t this give us a clue as to how God wants us to change the world?
You see, superheroes take everything on, generally all on their own. It makes great films, but it’s not what God needs from us. It is only by finally throwing away my dreams of pulling on a cape that I will fulfill God’s plans.
God has not called one person to save Nottingham. He really hasn’t. Not even Laurence.
But He has called you to make a difference to people’s lives, showing God’s love for them through the relationships you have and the people you meet on your journey. The cape you wear is shared by every other Christian in the world.
I know I can’t save South Africa. What I can do is make small differences to people’s lives. So I have painted schools, sanded playgrounds, and played a lot of duck-duck-goose.
I haven’t stabilised any economies, I haven’t saved any lives, I haven’t cured any diseases.
But I have made real differences, to real people, in real Africa.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Jordan Prance
Some people may recognise me for my rosy red cheeks, (completely masculine of course!) and it is something that i have come to associate with myself... therefore you can understand the confusion it put me through, at the sudden thought that they are possibly so rosy red due to lack of oxygen to my brain, as i stumble breathlessly about my day, holding my breath, puffing out my chest, in an aim to look "bigger", simply because i wasn't comfortable with the way i saw my body, or perhaps the way the world had me convinced my body appeared.
How often do we conform to what the world will have us believe about ourselves?
How often as men, do we try and puff out our chests, put on a slightly deeper voice, sleep with as many girls as possible, in the aim of looking "more masculine"? or perhaps "stronger"?
What difference would it make if only we could come to the realization that we already are blessed with the ever-enduring strength of God? (Should we choose to call on him).
As women, how often do we seek validation from the world, perhaps from a boyfriend, maybe about our bodies, the way we look.
What difference would it make if every woman suddenly realised that God's creation of the world and everything in it, was incomplete without her very being, that women are true beauty in it's rawest essence.
As Christians or not, we all have an identity, we all conform to someone's views or opinions of us, it affects the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we act in a crowd, the way we act when we're alone... it affects the way we live. Do we justify our actions with Gods view of us, or indeed the way the world views us?
And it's this that gets me thinking, just how different could it be?
As Christians we are taught repeatedly our identity in Christ. That our God has our identities planned for us before we were even born. We have the knowledge that God made us in his image, and that he loves us with all his very being, that he gave his only son, to not only die, but to be crucified on a cross so that we may have eternal life with him.
Yet lately something within me has stirred, as i myself have realised that although i live in the knowledge of the identity God has already bestowed within me, that i question whether i truly live in the embodiment of that.
Do I go about every insignificant action of my day, knowing that i am loved beyond anything my mind can yet comprehend, that I live for a God, who is in constant adoration of my very soul.
How different would my life be if everything within me embraced the true identity i was created to have, how much more will i have stepped out for Jesus? How much easier would i find it to live a life of Love? If the image of God, in which he created me, shone out through every word, every look, every action that i ever rendered.
As these thoughts swim through my mind, i will make a decision, to live day by day, moment by moment, thought by thought, in not only the knowledge, but the empowerment that the identity Christ has blessed me with brings.
And i write this with nothing but a simple question.... do you live without any knowledge whatsoever of the true you, the person you were initially created to be?
Or perhaps you do live in the knowledge of the oneness you were made to share with Jesus Christ, but maybe it's time to question whether you've openly embraced it?
I think it's worth a thought.
Finally, i'm thankful and relieved to say that my rosy red cheeks are not due to lack of oxygen; i've grown ever so slightly fond of them. (Completely Godly of course!)
Jordan
xx
How often do we conform to what the world will have us believe about ourselves?
How often as men, do we try and puff out our chests, put on a slightly deeper voice, sleep with as many girls as possible, in the aim of looking "more masculine"? or perhaps "stronger"?
What difference would it make if only we could come to the realization that we already are blessed with the ever-enduring strength of God? (Should we choose to call on him).
As women, how often do we seek validation from the world, perhaps from a boyfriend, maybe about our bodies, the way we look.
What difference would it make if every woman suddenly realised that God's creation of the world and everything in it, was incomplete without her very being, that women are true beauty in it's rawest essence.
As Christians or not, we all have an identity, we all conform to someone's views or opinions of us, it affects the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we act in a crowd, the way we act when we're alone... it affects the way we live. Do we justify our actions with Gods view of us, or indeed the way the world views us?
And it's this that gets me thinking, just how different could it be?
As Christians we are taught repeatedly our identity in Christ. That our God has our identities planned for us before we were even born. We have the knowledge that God made us in his image, and that he loves us with all his very being, that he gave his only son, to not only die, but to be crucified on a cross so that we may have eternal life with him.
Yet lately something within me has stirred, as i myself have realised that although i live in the knowledge of the identity God has already bestowed within me, that i question whether i truly live in the embodiment of that.
Do I go about every insignificant action of my day, knowing that i am loved beyond anything my mind can yet comprehend, that I live for a God, who is in constant adoration of my very soul.
How different would my life be if everything within me embraced the true identity i was created to have, how much more will i have stepped out for Jesus? How much easier would i find it to live a life of Love? If the image of God, in which he created me, shone out through every word, every look, every action that i ever rendered.
As these thoughts swim through my mind, i will make a decision, to live day by day, moment by moment, thought by thought, in not only the knowledge, but the empowerment that the identity Christ has blessed me with brings.
And i write this with nothing but a simple question.... do you live without any knowledge whatsoever of the true you, the person you were initially created to be?
Or perhaps you do live in the knowledge of the oneness you were made to share with Jesus Christ, but maybe it's time to question whether you've openly embraced it?
I think it's worth a thought.
Finally, i'm thankful and relieved to say that my rosy red cheeks are not due to lack of oxygen; i've grown ever so slightly fond of them. (Completely Godly of course!)
Jordan
xx
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
John McCallum
Okay, I’m going to start with a quick question.
Have you ever experienced the love of God? Do you know about it? Or better yet, do you believe in it?
Okay this is what I love about God, no matter how long or how short you have been a Christian. No matter where you have been, what you have done, or what you will ever do, can separate you from the love of God. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The apostle Paul was probably a bit more poetic in saying this. [Romans 8: 38-39]
So I’ll start there. Nothing in this world or the supernatural world can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Hopefully you have all read or heard about Psalm 1.
Psalm 1: 1-3 (NLT, my italics) reads,
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Sounds good.
Okay, verse 2 says that they delight in the law, but let’s go back a few thousand years. When David wrote this, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the law was all they had. It’s called the Torah which comprises basically of the first five books of the Bible. The law was basically God’s commands to the people of Israel.
Jesus did a lot through coming and dying and then rising. But what he did allowed the free gift of grace to abound and overflow for the benefit of many [Romans 5:15]. I found a really good description of grace.
God’s Reward At Christ’s Expense.
Grace has succeeded the law and we now live under grace and not the law. [Romans 6:14]
Thank God.
If you still need some convincing then Paul sums it up neatly by saying that all the commandments are summed up in one single command, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. [Romans 13:9]
And then he says that love fulfills and meets all the requirements of the Law. [Romans 13:10]
So God’s new law is simply this; love.
So Psalm 1: 2
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
So if God’s law is now love you get,
'But they delight in the love of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.'
Imagine if you did that. God’s love changes us. The way we act and talk and feel. Imagine the people around you. Imagine if they noticed that change. Then surely your prayer times and when you read the Bible, those times would be different, deeper. Surely you would be different. You might even become like what it says in Psalm 1:3. It would change something in you and your relationship with God. It would lead you into intimacy. The amazing thing about it is that it’s there for you, right now, just as you are.
I realise that this might be a pretty basic thing in Christianity and some of you probably have heard this all before, but it is such a crucial thing. Just read 1 Corinthians 13.
I encourage you to come to God separately and ask Him to show you the truth of His love. I can guarantee you will be amazed. I also pray that you will enter into a deeper relationship with God this holiday and realise that He is holding you in His hand.
Have you ever experienced the love of God? Do you know about it? Or better yet, do you believe in it?
Okay this is what I love about God, no matter how long or how short you have been a Christian. No matter where you have been, what you have done, or what you will ever do, can separate you from the love of God. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The apostle Paul was probably a bit more poetic in saying this. [Romans 8: 38-39]
So I’ll start there. Nothing in this world or the supernatural world can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Hopefully you have all read or heard about Psalm 1.
Psalm 1: 1-3 (NLT, my italics) reads,
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Sounds good.
Okay, verse 2 says that they delight in the law, but let’s go back a few thousand years. When David wrote this, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the law was all they had. It’s called the Torah which comprises basically of the first five books of the Bible. The law was basically God’s commands to the people of Israel.
Jesus did a lot through coming and dying and then rising. But what he did allowed the free gift of grace to abound and overflow for the benefit of many [Romans 5:15]. I found a really good description of grace.
God’s Reward At Christ’s Expense.
Grace has succeeded the law and we now live under grace and not the law. [Romans 6:14]
Thank God.
If you still need some convincing then Paul sums it up neatly by saying that all the commandments are summed up in one single command, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. [Romans 13:9]
And then he says that love fulfills and meets all the requirements of the Law. [Romans 13:10]
So God’s new law is simply this; love.
So Psalm 1: 2
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
So if God’s law is now love you get,
'But they delight in the love of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.'
Imagine if you did that. God’s love changes us. The way we act and talk and feel. Imagine the people around you. Imagine if they noticed that change. Then surely your prayer times and when you read the Bible, those times would be different, deeper. Surely you would be different. You might even become like what it says in Psalm 1:3. It would change something in you and your relationship with God. It would lead you into intimacy. The amazing thing about it is that it’s there for you, right now, just as you are.
I realise that this might be a pretty basic thing in Christianity and some of you probably have heard this all before, but it is such a crucial thing. Just read 1 Corinthians 13.
I encourage you to come to God separately and ask Him to show you the truth of His love. I can guarantee you will be amazed. I also pray that you will enter into a deeper relationship with God this holiday and realise that He is holding you in His hand.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Beth Langford
I was reading up on the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which can be found in Galations 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 12:7, when I realised that God desires to shower us with so many gifts.
The Bible says: “ask and it shall be given unto you” and we can use these gifts to help us in our everyday lives such as goodness or self-control. However He gives us these Fruits and Gifts with a purpose; a purpose He has entrusted in our hearts for the glory of His name. For example, to the one He gives joy, he must use it to convey to others the joy of God.
Some gifts are more visible than others like the Gift of healing and others are more subtle like the Fruit of gentleness. Each gift is just as equal and necessary as the others because we are all a part of one body and each part must fulfil its purpose otherwise the whole body won’t work. One person must never be jealous of another ones gifts and should never ask for them with the wrong intentions for it says in James 4:2-3 “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even if you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are wrong.” So you must ask for gift with a sincere heart and be prepared for the future tasks God has in store for you. Remember “be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” Philippians 1:6. So God’s work isn’t done when gives you gifts, it’s only just begun.
When God gives someone the gift of patience, what’s the first thing He’s gonna do? Try it out of course! In the film Evan Almighty, Joan (Evan's wife) asked God for opportunities for her family to grow closer together and that’s what she received but not in the way she expected.
When God blesses us with these presents it doesn’t change us or who we are. Instead it makes us more like the person He made us to be.
Im sure you have come across this poem before:
When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face.
When I Asked God for Brain & Brawn
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People.
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard.
When I Asked God for Favours
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard.
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others.
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed.
- Swami Vivekananda
So anyway it’s summer and armed with our gifts we can make God known to others even without our Fridays nights to drag our friends to.
The Bible says: “ask and it shall be given unto you” and we can use these gifts to help us in our everyday lives such as goodness or self-control. However He gives us these Fruits and Gifts with a purpose; a purpose He has entrusted in our hearts for the glory of His name. For example, to the one He gives joy, he must use it to convey to others the joy of God.
Some gifts are more visible than others like the Gift of healing and others are more subtle like the Fruit of gentleness. Each gift is just as equal and necessary as the others because we are all a part of one body and each part must fulfil its purpose otherwise the whole body won’t work. One person must never be jealous of another ones gifts and should never ask for them with the wrong intentions for it says in James 4:2-3 “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even if you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are wrong.” So you must ask for gift with a sincere heart and be prepared for the future tasks God has in store for you. Remember “be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” Philippians 1:6. So God’s work isn’t done when gives you gifts, it’s only just begun.
When God gives someone the gift of patience, what’s the first thing He’s gonna do? Try it out of course! In the film Evan Almighty, Joan (Evan's wife) asked God for opportunities for her family to grow closer together and that’s what she received but not in the way she expected.
When God blesses us with these presents it doesn’t change us or who we are. Instead it makes us more like the person He made us to be.
Im sure you have come across this poem before:
When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face.
When I Asked God for Brain & Brawn
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People.
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard.
When I Asked God for Favours
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard.
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others.
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed.
- Swami Vivekananda
So anyway it’s summer and armed with our gifts we can make God known to others even without our Fridays nights to drag our friends to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
