2012

'Therefore, since we have this ministry... we do not give up... For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ'. 2 Cor. 4:1, 6. 


Do not give up in this new year, even though you may feel overwhelmed by the many unknowns you are facing. God will shine His light on 2012!

In the next couple of days, I will be posting further thoughts on the light that God provides for the path set before us.

His Gift

His Gift

Eternity rang

As God delivered His gift

From heaven’s splendor

To earth’s clay:

Demons trembled

Angels sang

A mother smiled

A baby cried out.

Eternity quaked

As God delivered His gift

From heaven’s mercy

To earth’s cross:

Angels trembled

Demons smiled

The Father turned away

A mother cried out. 

Eternity thundered

As God delivered His gift

From earth’s tomb

To heaven’s victory:

A mother trembled

The Father smiled

Angels sang

Demons cried out.

Eternity resounded

As God delivered His gift

From earth’s mortality

To heaven’s glory:

Demons trembled

Angels sang

The Son smiled

Man cried out.

God delivered man

Delivered

His gift.

© Words: Avril VanderMerwe 2004

Photograph: Avril VanderMerwe 2011

Glory

Glory

Easily captivated

By a Glory

Whose radiance washes

All other worlds sallow,

And swallows my sight,

And strikes a sound

That sets my heart

Afire with hunger,
And ravishes my breath

And rends my speech

With worship that words

Serve but wanly to express;

All Your own: I surrender –

But oh!

To be consumed!

© 2011 Avril VanderMerwe

In Season

     “What’s the point?” Have you ever asked this question in relation to experiences you’ve been through, or circumstances that have come your way – especially those that have felt like detours, distractions and disruptions in your life?

     Here in the northwestern United States, summer weather seemed painfully slow in arriving this year. We ached for warm weather after the prolonged winter, many of us wondering why winter lingered so long. It was therefore a relief that the first two weeks of September remained warm, blessing us with gorgeous weather and spectacular sunsets. Now, however, there is no doubt that autumn has taken center stage, edging summer back into the wings. In spite of summer’s late arrival this year, I have heard many Seattle natives express their readiness to embrace the season’s autumnal change.

     Seasons in our lives change also. Sometimes those changes are as startling as a sudden heat wave or cold snap. At other times the shift is more subtle, and it takes time for us to realize that a transition has taken place. There may be times when a hard season seems unduly prolonged, leaving us wondering as to the purpose of it all. Or perhaps we find ourselves in a transition that seems abrupt and painful, leaving us feeling dislocated and lost, longing for the return of a season that has past. At other times it is only when we have moved out of a season that we wonder what it was even for.

     “What’s the point of it all?” we ask. Was it a detour? A mistake? A misdirect? Sometimes we discard it as a fragment in our lives that was perhaps, after all, irrelevant to the rest.

       Yet no matter how it may feel sometimes, just like the seasons of the natural world, one season in our lives is not severed or disconnected from or unrelated to, another. Each is connected to those that came before, and those yet to come. It is all part of a continuous whole – a whole that God has designed in the pattern of our lives, each part completely necessary. 
     Have you ever seen a large mosaic, like the mosaic walls and floors that were built during the time of the Roman Empire? If you had to walk up to a mosaic design, and press your nose against just one mosaic tile until it was the only one you could see, it would seem meaningless and pointless: a small, bland tile with no bearing on anything.

     But viewed in the context of the whole picture, each piece of mosaic is essential to the whole – if any small piece was missing, the picture would be incomplete. 

       In the same way, each season of our lives is absolutely necessary to the next one, and to the whole design of our lives. Sometimes our view of life is so consumed by one season, or by even just a part of it, that we are unable to see its place and purpose in the whole scope of our lives. Yet from the perspective of the One who is the Creator of the detailed, intricate, exquisite picture, not a single piece of it is wasted or superfluous.

     Each season bears a “fullness” of its own – even those that, like winter, seem to be full only of waiting. It is in the seasons of waiting that we learn complete dependence on God, rather than reliance on our personal competency.

     In South Africa there lies a semi-arid region called the Namaqualand. For much of the year, the region is dry, and vegetation sparse. Then, once a year, for a very short period, a small amount of rain falls – and the land blooms with a riot of color in every direction as far as the eye can see. In all those months of waiting under the soil, those shriveled little seeds, so rich with potential, could not squeeze out a single flower by their own efforts. They have to wait for the rain upon which they are so dependent. Their “job” during that time, is… to wait!

     It is the waiting that produces the fruitfulness of the season to come. The fullness of the next season is a consequence of the season before. Through our own seasons of waiting, we are positioned to give God full access to our lives: to His reign over our lives, and to the life-giving rain of His Spirit poured out in His season – for the purpose of great fruitfulness.

Isaiah 45:8
“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.”

Ezekiel 34:26
“I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.”

Leaping Up Mountains



Several months have passed since I last posted on this blog. Life in the intervening time seems to have been consumed with negotiating hazards, overcoming obstacles and recovering from the resulting exhaustion!

Have you ever felt thwarted and bewildered by life’s circumstances? Sorrow at lost opportunity and the seeming death of your dreams? Confused as to what God is saying and what His purposes are in the midst of it all? You are not alone! The book of Habakkuk records one man’s conversation with God, as he struggles to understand life’s events and God’s role and purposes in them. All Habakkuk could see was the prevailing devastation around him, and the seeming triumph of the enemy. Discouragement and bewilderment had seized his heart and depleted his emotional, mental, spiritual and physical energies. Surely you and I can relate!

Now Habakkuk waits for God to answer for Himself – and God graciously does so! In the second interchange between them, God begins with these words to Habakkuk: “Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. Look, his (the enemy’s) ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith” (Hab. 2:2-4 – Holman Christian Standard Bible).

What has happened to your God-given vision? Has it been grounded on the sandbar of adversity, seemingly broken and lost and forgotten there? God has not abandoned His vision for you and I. Have you, like God encouraged Habakkuk to do, written down your God-given vision as a reminder? It is neither lost nor delayed, but is biding His time – His absolutely, unfailingly perfect time! As His people, we do not live on the basis of what we see in the natural, but rather on the basis of what we know by faith! And we know this: our faith is not in the vision itself, but in the God who gave it in the first place!



Habakkuk was faced with a choice: he could either respond to this Divine word, or he could continue to be upset with life in general and God in particular! His response is recorded in Habakkuk 4:17-19: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights” (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

“Though I can’t see any visible means of sustaining life or any possible way of going another step further,” says Habakkuk, “Yet I will be triumphant through rejoicing in the God in whom I have absolute faith, the only One through whom I am saved and sustained through these circumstances. His strength so ignites and revitalizes me, that I can conquer the highest mountain!”

You and I too, can choose to either give up, fold our arms, and wait for something positive to come along to make us smile again - or we can choose to declare the Word of faith, and rejoice in the faithful One who has given it.

The vision is not lost – its Divinely appointed time is coming; faith is our victory; joy is our strength!

The take-away for you and I today is: Live by faith in the Giver of the vision; triumph through rejoicing in the midst of the circumstances!

Entitled!

We live in a generation dazzled by “star power” and impressed by title, status and position. Being the ambitious, self-aggrandizing creatures we are, we are also often driven to grasp at title and position for ourselves, perhaps feeling that these enhance our status in the world. And if we cannot garner these for ourselves, then we try to maneuver ourselves alongside somebody who we perceive to be in a position of power, in order to boost our own sense of importance and bask in their reflected glory.

How does this human tendency correspond with Scripture? The apostle Paul, in his many letters to churches and individuals, frequently referred to himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ”. The sanitized English word “servant” does not quite do the original language justice. Paul originally wrote in Koine Greek, and in this language called himself a doulos, meaning a common “bond-slave” belonging to his master, Jesus Christ. This was the most abject term the Greeks used for a slave who was bound to his master until death, and served his master’s interests at the cost of his own.

Yet Paul went even further than that in describing his role in God’s kingdom. He also called himself a “minister of Jesus Christ”. Aha! we may exclaim, is “minister” not a title? Not in the language Paul spoke and wrote! Rather it is the Greek word huperetes, meaning a third-level under-rower, a galley-slave on a ship. These were the lowest class of slaves, chained to extremely grueling work, rowing to the beat of the slave-driver’s drum.

Having established that this man who wrote the bulk of our New Testament and who had such powerful influence and spiritual authority, called himself nothing more than a “slave”, we then pounce on the word “apostle” and claim, “But Paul did have a title! He was the Apostle Paul!”

However, yet again we misconstrue the meaning of the term “apostle”. This is the Greek word apostolos, which has been transliterated into the English “apostle”. However, the original word means one who was sent on a commission to represent another person. It is not a title at all, but a function whereby one lays down the right to self in order to serve the interests of another. Similarly, the word “pastor” is the Greek word poimen, meaning one who takes care of sheep belonging to another master. The job of shepherd was regarded as the lowliest of all. Again “pastor” is not a title, but a function involving servitude. It was a job that was lonely, harsh, and often involved danger from predators.

What Biblical basis then, do we have for taking to ourselves self-aggrandizing titles? The answer is, none at all! In fact after his conversion, Saul most commonly used his Gentile name Paulos or “Paul” – a name that means “little” or “the least”!

Where then, does the modern grasping for title, status and position come from? Much of it is borrowed from corporate culture, where people jostle for position and mercilessly step on others to gain their own advantage. However, the Bible, and the way it teaches us to conduct ourselves in life and ministry, is counter-culture. It reveals to us God’s way of doing things! Even more seriously, we see in its pages that the tendency towards self-aggrandizement originates with Lucifer, who then proceeded to tempt humanity to follow his example. The stories of the fall of Adam and Eve, and the Tower of Babel demonstrate this.

There are few who walked in greater spiritual authority than the apostle Paul. That authority stemmed not from a self-assumed pedestal, but flowed out of deep humility and recognition of his position in Christ Jesus. This is the only position we should aspire to! The Bible shows us a “new and living way” – that the way to spiritual authority is through humility.

Jesus has the final words on this. Speaking to His disciples, who later became the apostles, He said: “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” Matthew 23:8-12.



Common bond-slave, under-rower, galley-slave,
emissary, under-shepherd, of my Master,
Jesus Christ

Over and Under

Vacations already seem to have faded into the haze of summer past; children are back at school; churches and ministries are gearing up their Fall programs and new seasons of ministry; college classes have started; stores are already enticing us with goods for thanksgiving and Christmas…  All the activities and responsibilities of the new season can leave us feeling already overwhelmed!

    
How often do you use those words?
“I feel overwhelmed.”
“I am overloaded… over-burdened… over-exhausted… overanxious… overstressed…”
    
 Alternatively, because of all the circumstances of life that seem to be getting on top of us, we may feel as if we are under a great weight, or even under oppression or depression. Perhaps there is tension in a relationship, and it seems that there are undercurrents. Or maybe it seems that your reputation has been unfairly tarnished, and now you feel that you are under a cloud.

Do you catch yourself thinking or saying words like these?
“I’m under so much pressure…”
“I am understaffed… under-represented... underprivileged… underrated… underestimated… underemployed… undervalued… And all I need is for someone to understand!”
    
God does not intend for us to live overwhelmed, overstressed, under pressure lives. This is what Jesus said about it: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew11:28 – 30).
    
“Come to Me…” That is the first step towards freedom from feeling overwhelmed and under pressure. When we come to Him, we find a place of stillness and peace, a place of confidence and strength. We find the reality of His promise: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
    
He is the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God! He can certainly command peace in our lives and circumstances – if we submit ourselves to His sovereignty, rather than being governed by our circumstances.
    
When we come to Him, we also discover that the Bible promises that rather than being overwhelmed these things that are over us instead:
    
His banner over us is love! (Song of Solomon 2:4). A banner both signifies victory, and sends an announcement to the rest of the world as to who you are – the beloved of the Lord, under His protection and provision!
    
“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). “Oil” speaks of joy and anointing!
    
“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand” (Psalm 121:5). Nothing falls outside of His care, covering and protection.
    
These are just a few of the “over” scriptures in the Bible. Because of these promises to us, we are overcomers who overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13)!
    
The Bible also promises that instead of being under pressure, these things that are under us instead:
    
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27). He carries us through whatever circumstances we might be facing!
    
“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4). Peace, safety, comfort, strength!
    
“For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care” (Psalm 95:7).
    
“Because You are my help, I sing in (under) the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 63:7). Not only joyful, but carefree – free of care!
    
Perhaps instead of looking at the circumstances and declaring them overwhelming, we need to re-focus our attention on all that God is and all He has given us. He is far more overwhelming than any circumstance! He is capable of overwhelming any seemingly overwhelming circumstance with His power, His glory, His victory, His sovereignty, His magnificence, His radiance, His peace.
    
Instead of thinking and saying, “I am overwhelmed and under pressure” we will be singing, “The splendor of the King… How great is our God!” Instead of being harassed by our circumstances, we will become divine change-agents of the atmosphere and the world around us!

Repairer of Broken Walls Ministry

avril@repairerofbrokenwalls.com