Posts Tagged With: Devotion

The Roundabout

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Pieter Stok

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

I remember standing in the centre of the roundabout, Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe stands. It was a busy part of the day (when isn’t it?) and cars were streaming from the 12 avenues that surround it into the maelstrom that sits at the heart of Paris. This vision reminded me why I had left the car at the station and taken the Metro.

Each car, scooter, truck and motorbike was on a mission, in the midst of this turbulence, that was only known to the driver. From the centre of the roundabout it looked chaotic: tooting, honking, cars weaving and narrowly missing each other. Each driver, though, had a plan and direction.

For God, His earth must look like a enormous roundabout with all of us trying to achieve our individual purposes. Each of us is busily heading in our own direction. The big difference is, however, that God knows each person, each direction and even each hair on each head. He knows those travelling for Him and those against Him; and even those who say one thing but travel in a totally different direction.

On this tempestuous journey we call life, the question needs to be asked, is your direction God inspired or ‘you” inspired? Life may seem mad and confusing at times but when God and His Word direct our journey it all starts to make sense.

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So You Think …

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Pieter Stok

“Nothing is impossible with God” Luke 1:37

So you think the virgin birth is “miraculous”
even impossible,
maybe ridiculous.
A lie
from a silly girl, who
should have known better one night.
You suppose walking on water,
feeding 5000,
is a stretch of the imagination.
You laugh at the blind man,
“Here’s mud in your eye!”
You scorn
the tale of the paralysed victim,
and the water into wine …
What vintage?
 
But wait,
your calloused 
“There is no God out there” 
heart,
Your snide aside,
the “omnipotent” God. Ha!
He’s dead!
can’t withstand the
scalpel onslaught of His Spirit
when He says,
“You’re mine.”
 

From the series: The Christmas Poems that I am working on at present.

Categories: Bible, christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, The Christmas Poems | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Meaningless Talk or a Time Tithe

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Pieter Stok

Pilgrim's Bridge Puente la Reina Spain

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.  1 Tim 1:5&6

When Paul urges Timothy to keep his eyes on the focus of God’s work, he encourages him to steer clear of those things that distract and are futile.

Maybe our churches are not struggling with the same myths and discussions of genealogies that some of the churches in Paul’s day were, ( although I know, even now, that is till a problem in places) there are many other ways we are distracted from God’s goal of proclaiming faith in Christ.

A while back two different colleagues were describing congregational meetings in their respective churches. One church had spent hours on the budget for the church kitchen and at the other church the members discussed Sunday School and when it should start. It was all about 15 minutes one way or the other. In the mean time, I thought, people are missing out on the message of grace through Christ.

Committed Christians are usually alert and stand up to the likes of  Richard Dawkins and his militant atheism, but often we are our own worst enemies when it comes to “meaningless talk”. Too often we don’t heed Paul’s message to focus on that which is at the heart of our faith – Christ. Rather we are distracted by irrelevant noise from within the church.

The church’s task is mission – proclaiming Christ and his Kingdom. Sadly our lack of effectiveness comes from not heeding Paul’s challenge to Timothy.

Speaking of effectiveness: (a segue) Church leaders are keen for followers to tithe ( a discussion for another day) but what if we conscientiously tithed our time? Just imagine, starting from a minimalist position, we tithed the equivalent of a working week. That is we gave a 10% contribution of time. The result would be that for every active adult church attender, they would give a minimum of 4 hours to the direct advancement of the Kingdom. For every 10 adults that would equal a full time worker. I know many people do more than this. But what if every church member did this? One hundred members would equal 10 full time workers. Just think of all the work we could do in all of our communities to make God’s name known!

Rather than “meaningless talk” constructive Kingdom building sounds a lot better.

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Joseph – the Unsung Hero

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Pieter Stok

A Detail from the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Reflections on Matt 1:18-23 continued

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matt 1:24
 

Joseph is, in many ways, an unsung hero in the Christmas story. His quiet grace and gentleness, in what was an extraordinary revelation, is an inspiration and challenge to us all. Imagine the facts, details and emotions he had to assimilate in a short period of time after the angel’s revelation. There would have been shock and the initial disappointment to overcome. Yet his response to God’s revelation and will, is a lesson for anyone who claims to be a follower of God.

Joseph’s desire to treat Mary with respect right from the beginning is a testament to his character. When all the details were made clear to him, his complete and willing obedience leaves most of us in the shade.

Joseph’s attitude is a lesson for me, and possibly you too. As a child of God our life and our life’s purpose are in God’s hands. Our willing obedience is used by God to advance His Kingdom. In Joseph’s case, this purpose of God involved the crux of salvation history. In own individual cases it won’t be that dramatic, and yet, our lives and obedience are still important. Like Joseph, God has made us for His purposes too.

P.S. The short poem “What lord?” was inspired by this passage too.

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What Lord?

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Pieter Stok

A short poetic reflection on Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph:
What Lord?
I can’t believe it!
She is a good girl,
an honourable girl.
She would never betray me!
 
What Lord?
I must still marry her!
What Lord?
Your Spirit!
How can that be?
 
Yes Lord.
“I will”
Yes Lord,
His name
will be Saviour.
 
Yes Lord,
I will.
 

From the series: The Christmas Poems that I am working on at present.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, The Christmas Poems | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

To Give All

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Pieter Stok

Safe Home Coming

To give all,
To forego all,
To deny all,
… for You.
The call is so vast
that
the will stumbles and seeks
other ways.
Broadways.
Highways.
Not narrow by the seat of your pants pathways.
 
To turn from
self
to You
a battles rages.
“What about me?”
Yes, “What about you?”
Your quiet Word (of life)
entangles with
my self – ishness.
But your grace
Your all giving – ness
Your cross shaped love
Swamps the corners
of my rambling soul.
 
Kneelingly I stutter, 
“Not me.
You.”
Categories: Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Discipline – Discipling

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Pieter Stok

 “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, 
  and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 
 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 
 and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12: 5b-6

This passage from Hebrews (a paraphrase of Proverbs 3: 11&12) is not one that resonates

Detail of the Altar in a Church. Eidfjord Norway

with people today. We avoid pain, correction and discipline. We are more likely to find someone to blame than ask, “What is this teaching me? How can I change?”

In Philip Yancey’s book “Where is God When it Hurts” he explores the importance of physical pain. He reminds us that pain is an alarm for action on health issues facing our body. Discipline and correction can have the same impact for our spiritual health. They can alert us to spiritual issues in our lives – areas where we need to take notice.

Discipline and correction come in two main ways. It can occur through those things that are out of our control, such as illness, accidents or events. They are circumstances which shape us. Then we can have the consequences of our own, often foolish, actions that come back to haunt us.

The great thing is that God uses both of these sets of events to mould, shape and direct His children. God doesn’t waste any circumstances to develop the image of His son in His adopted children. Daily, His aim is to recreate the perfection of His son in us.

The other word that needs to be highlighted is “discipline”. The Greek word is ‘paidiea’ – which means to train and educate, but also to correct errors.  In English the word is translated as discipline, which comes from the word to tutor and disciple: in other words, to make a follower of. On the surface these definitions sound a bit a cold. Put in Christian terms, however, it means to be formed into a loved son or daughter of God.

To be disciplined is a sign of God’s love. Tough love that prepares us for an eternity with the Maker.

P.S. This devotion was the catalyst for yesterday’s poem “But You Did”

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But You Did

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Pieter Stok

The Stocks at Aldbury UK

Discipline

Disciplining

Disciple – ing

Disciple

I don’t like the pain

Of choices I’ve made;

The scars of mistakes past.

I don’t like to be reminded

Of poor judgements, wilfulness

and closed eyed running

away,

crying, “You can’t catch me!”

like a naughty child.

But You did.

At times your love hurt,

Your unasked for care

Tasted vinegar bitter.

But you loved

Loved enough to hurt me

Loved enough to open my heart’s eyes

Loved enough

To take all the pain forever

And to make me whole.

Loved enough

To call me your child.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, poetry, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

Patterns versus Transformation

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Pieter Stok

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:1&2

St Martin-in-the-Fields

There are passages in Scripture that mesmerise me. Romans 12: 1&2 is such a passage. It speaks of the radical (from the root up) difference of the genuinely Christian worldview in contrast to the patterns and habits formed in and by the world. A while back I wrote about God’s Audit. This time I want consider just one phrase.

The phrase that stands out more than the others for me is “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The reason this challenges me is that too often I see the “patterns” rather than the “transformation” in my own life. I see values and attitudes that are not that much different from the world around me, rather than the traits of Jesus.

How does this renewing of the mind take place? What is this renewal?

Sanctification describes the work of the Holy Spirit as God slowly shapes and moulds us into the people He already sees us as, in Christ. Through His Word, Spirit, life experiences, the church and a myriad of other ways God teaches and leads us in His ways. This shaping is a life long process; this shaping is the “transformation” being written about by Paul. It is a heart and mind that seeks more of God and less of themselves. It makes sense that if that is the way we are growing in God, His will then becomes more obvious as we mature and and develop in Him.

There is a responsibility we have and that is to be open and available to that work of God. It nearly sounds cliched but we do need to explore His Word, we ought to be passionate about prayer, our hearts should be open to the leading and nudges of the Holy Spirit and we should be humble enough to accept correction, advice and teaching from those who are mature and firm in their faith. This is all part of the transformative process.

The exciting promise in this verse is the last phrase. The more we are transformed, then the more we are drawn into, and led by, the will of God. The strong implication being, the more we will see Christlikeness in our lives and less of our old selves.

Paul continues in Romans 12 to show what this life looks like. It is a life of grace, sacrifice, blessing, service and forgiveness. Now when the world sees me, if  I am to be effective for God, they need to see Christ, not just someone else who looks like them.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Romans | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

Tasmania – Beauty and Retreat

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Pieter Stok

Strahan

One of my favorite places in the world to visit and revisit is Tasmania. It isn’t just that we lived there for three years many years ago that pulls us back. There is something unique about the island that makes each return a special treat.

Cataract Gorge in Flood

It is hard to put your finger on the magical quality it has. In one sense it is just like most other western societies with consumerism and supermarkets, graffiti and all the usual social problems. In that regard it is not that much different from home. Yet, at another level, its separation from the rest of the  Australian rat race, its many places of retreat, its huge variety of scenery all within easy driving distance, makes it very appealing. If you are an elderly couple or a thrill seeker there is space and there are places for you.

Because I love European history, it is that aspect of Tasmania that appeals to me

Richmond Bridge

most. The early European settlements, the connections with Convict History, the visual reminders of the past are all present and accessible. The bridges at Richmond and Ross are worth the trip alone.

And then there is the stunning visual beauty from rugged mountains, spectacular waterfalls to the secluded inlets and coves. Being campers we have often stayed in places that would other wise be impossible. There was a night in the Tahune State Forest, another near Hell’s Gates on the west coast that are etched in my memory. And pitching a tent on the Freycinet Peninsula is obligatory.

Cradle Mountain

The aspect of Tasmania that thrills me most is that it refreshes my faith in the creator God. It reminds me that this place wasn’t an accident or a freak offshoot of chance but an glimpse of an intentional God who has a sense of beauty and magnificence. Tassie is a reminder that I need to keep my eyes and heart open for glimpses of God, not just in places, but in people and circumstances. God refreshes our soul through his Word and Spirit but there are times when He does it through what he has made.

The Infamous Port Arthur

Categories: christian, Devotional, History, Travel, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

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