The flip side to the cutting edge.

Part 2

This blog can read as a continuation to the previous one I wrote. To my utter surprise last Sunday  my husband Colin preached almost the same thing that I have blogged here . You can read that  by clickinghere. I guess the Holy Spirit is indeed putting His finger on something , so I thought I’d blog this any way.

Doing the daily stuff deliberately while staying on the cutting edge is the flip side of the coin. Not neglecting the boring basics is what helps build consistency and character.

It’s the stuff that no one sees you doing but affects you inside out. It’s the stuff that a good soldier, sportsperson, musician is made up of. It’s the routine stuff, the drill for a soldier, the scales for a musician, and the laps round the field for a sports person.

So what it’s for me a Christian follower? It’s the simple basic “Quiet Time” spent alone with God each day, reading and mediating upon His Word, prayer, listening to the Holy Spirit- in short the unseen Spiritual Disciplines. Then it’s learning to put the Word into practice, being an obedient disciple of Jesus and then in turn passing in these values to the next disciple and the next, slowly and deliberately. We allow the roots to go deep down- we put foundations really deep till we hit the rock.

This helps put steel into the structure and keeps us steady in the midst of storms , trails and troubles. When we pass on these disciplines to a new believer we are giving him or her tools for survival for the long haul. We are helping them to run the long marathon of life and finish strong.

There is a view that thinks anything to do with “discipline” is legalism and lacks grace. How far from the truth!! the Word of God encourages us not to dwell carelessly , to live quiet and self controlled lives. Jesus who is Grace himself practice the above i.e. He got up very early in the morning to pray, He studied the scripture, He waited on the Holy Spirit, He was obedient to the Father to the point of death on a cross.

So if we are Christ followers we need to model our lives after Him. We do not practice these disciples to gain acceptance or brownie points with God. We can never merit His love. We do it because we are already accepted completely but make it our aim to please Him in every way just as was Jesus’ aim : to bring glory to the Father.

So as we move along in life, keep pace with change, there are some things that do not change at all i.e our Lord Jesus, His Word, what He expects from us as his disciples. When we do this we will put strong roots down, we are less likely to loose our passion and vision/ so let’s doggedly do the deliberate stuff daily.

I want to end with one of my favorite verses from the Bible:

 Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Navaz D Cruz

March 2013

The Cutting Edge - going wide and deep !

One morning Colin and I had an interesting conversation that got me thinking . We were discussing how it is important to stay on the cutting edge of things. I could hear  the heart of a pioneer once again beating ahead its time ! That's where pioneers live, at the cutting edge of what they do. 

We were talking about the cell phone market of how the once leading brand,  has now given ground to a then lesser know brand simply because they did not get in on the Smart Phone market quickly enough. The other brand was a dark horse that  sneaked up behind them and today are the world leaders leaving the others in their trail of dust. Who would have thought that the giant leader could be shaken?

This is true for our lives as well,  in our places of work, and as leaders of churches.

Staying on the cutting edge is not easy. It requires that you to be alert be informed, have your ear to the ground and keep pace with the changing times. There is no room for complacency or getting cozy and comfortable. You may be ahead of the game today but staying ahead is not guaranteed, nor can one take it for granted. We need to constantly adjust and set out sails to the winds of change. We need to read the signs of the times and adapt our methods without compromising our values or goal.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8 . Nobody knows when where it will go are but we need to set our sails to it .

I know that on the business front we have had to adapt change and learn new skills all the time to stay on top of what we are doing. The markets have been shaky and we have had to adapt to survive. We thank God for the Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding.

The same is true for the church. What worked twenty years ago may not hold true today. The Gospel is indeed eternal and unchanging. The End does not change but the means needs to adapt to the changing times. In the 1960’s and 70s standing in the market square preaching and distributing leaflets was probably and effective way of sharing your faith. But to do that today would be at the risk of one’s life in some countries.

At one time the big stadium crusade had an appeal, an anointing and many came to faith through them viz. Billy Graham meetings, Bill Lorry etc. Today, a lot of these crusades are filled with already Christ Followers and very few seekers. The results are poor, and leave very little impact on the local church and community.

So what is the Spirit saying to us today? Where is the wind blowing? How do we need to set out sails? We need to be a people full of the Word and the Spirit.

We believe the Holy Spirit is drawing our attention to the original Blueprint that was set out in Matt 28:28-2- i.e.  make disciples of Jesus who will in turn make disciples of Jesus.

It’s simple, probably you might think too simplistic. But it is foundational, powerful and THE tool Jesus gave the 12 to change the whole world. It does not have any glamour and flash to it. It is slow, deliberate and effective. One only has to read  the book of Acts and the Epistles to see.

We believe the Holy Spirit is taking us back to the method employed in the book of Acts, where entire regions and even countries were changed by this. I am referring to the House Church model where they met in people’s homes  one on one.

As families were transformed, an entire community got affected which spilled over to a region and then an entire nation. Nothing has proved to be more effective over the centuries (even the Wesleyan revival was sustained by the house meetings). This method goes wide and deep producing lasting fruit over and over again through ordinary folk like you and I. It is not dependent on the Super Pastor model that is difficult to replicate. This can happen starting today as you reach out to a friend, a neighbor, a colleague and start a small group in your won living room. It can begin with you and just one more person and allow the Holy Spirit to breath upon it. As more of us do this, like yeast, it will work itself into the community and bring change.

This we believe is the new wine skin for a long season to come, this is where the wind is blowing and we need to set our sails to what the Spirit is doing. 

As we do this we will have the joy and privilege of participating in the greatest harvest our generation has seen.

Let’s be on the cutting edge of making History for eternity!!

To read more about how this can be worked out please click on the link below.

http://blog.wordofgracechurch.org/search/label/Vision%2013%2F30

Navaz D Cruz

Feb2013

New Year's Resolution - Grace or law?

A couple of months ago I heard a preacher say something that deeply challenged and convicted me .  It got me thinking , pondering and reflecting on my own life.

He said that in today's world it has become a norm not to commit . People fear commitment  that’s why they prefer things to hang loose. This is reflected in everyday life, relationships etc. Many people no longer marry in the West but just move in with a “lets see if this works, lets give it a shot” attitude leaving a back door to walk out wide open. Gone are the days when people carried a diary or a file o fax where dates and commitments were inked in and the intent to meet or do something was sealed.Today when friends want to meet up its more like “I call you, lets see how it goes and if ‘m free”, leaving the option to opt out. We see this even in spiritual matters. Many approach coming for the church meeting as an option saying “If I’m not doing anything else I’ll go to the meeting” Even God is treated with an open backed door!

Nothing of any significance has ever been achieved or built without sacrifice, cost, commitment and doggedness. Ask any sports person, scientist, businessman ; anyone who has achieved something of significance in their field, in their lifetime and they will tell you that it took hours and years of sacrifice and focus; study and practice to get to their goal. It often took saying “no” to many things, narrowing the options, closing the back door tight, putting the blinkers on and setting ones face like a flint ;pressing on toward the goal marked out. This is what men and woman of substance and character have looked like through the ages.

Most people who know me would question why I am reflecting on this as I am known to be quite disciplined. That’s mostly true but over the years I have lets things hang loose and have let things slide- that's why the conviction. One of the things I stopped doing was, writing a New Year’s Resolution. Therefore I achieved very little – and have not done the things I ought to have done in last few years. I have been the looser!

Am I going to beat myself on the head for this? No. I realize my loss, my folly and I repent. I know I belong to a gracious God who wants the best for me and helps me in my weakness. His grace is there for me to overcome and His grace is made perfect in my weakness.

This year I  have decided to restart writing a list of things I want to see happen in 2013. Lets call it a Faith List. Before you throw the Grace Card at me let me say this – Grace is not a license to hang loose, to sin or to live an undisciplined life. Grace helps me to overcome. Grace helps me in my weakness to make me strong. Grace helps me to say “no” to sin and unrighteousness.

We have many examples in scripture of people who were focused and committed therefore they accomplished all that God had wanted of them in their life time. Some such heroes are Noah, Nehemiah, King Solomon, Paul and Jesus Himself.

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;”(NIV) Other translations say “dwell carelessly or perish” This is good enough reason for me to plan, prepare and stay focused.

So I took my pen and book and began to write. Here is something that might help you if you’d like to make a list . It s called SMART goals

S – write down something SPECIFIC.

M- It should be MEASURABLE.  Eg) I’ll have my neighbors over for tea (x). I’ll have 3 families over for tea ( an you name them and put dates in your diary)

A-      ACHIEVABLE- don’t have unrealistic  goals. Eg: I will run for 5 miles everyday.( you can’t do that if you've never done it. Start with half a mile and build it up)

R- REPEATABLE – It can be repeated to someone who asks you what your goal is. Eg) I am going run half a mile everyday day.

T- TIME BOUND At the end of the year you can see whether you have accomplished  this or not.

Write down specific goals for specific areas of your life viz PERSONAL: marriage, kids, home care. Your  WORK/career. Your SPIRITUAL Life ( personal, in relation to your Church etc).

Soak these in prayer, work at them diligently, review them from time to time, share them with a friend who can ask you how you are doing and encourage you  in keeping focus. I am sure you and I will slip sometime during this year- but don't let that stop you. Pick yourself up and move on. Lets see how much we accomplish at the end of year 2013. I believe this is a year of great favor and whatever we put our hands to God will bless. Lets go get those goals down in black and white for starters! Have a great year.

Navaz D Cruz
Jan 2013

To be or not to be - battling for your dream.

‎"To be or not to be. That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them" ( Hamlet- W. Shakespeare)

As Christians we often have a very passive and ‘peaceful’ outlook to things that happen in our lives  and can be fooled into thinking we are to accept everything that is flung at us without fighting back.I have heard a great man of God say “the Christian life is not like a battle but it is a battle”. Whatever happened then to this peaceful person called a Christian? That statement does not seem to have room for ‘peace’ or passivity.

Anybody who has been a Christian long enough can identify with the above quote. We know how we struggle within and without. Being kind, forgiving, patient and forbearing is not easy. It is a battle. When tempted to sin in thought, word or deed there is battle at hand to resist the force of the flesh and surrender to the way of the cross which is dying to self.

How do we “take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them”? I have been thinking about this.  I have been reflecting on area where we do this. I think the first place is in the mind- that’s where most battles are fought and won.” For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” ( Eph 6:12).

I have found that it is here that the fiercest battles are fought. For years, I had to fight to keep a God given dream alive .The battle against crippling discouragement  demanded that I rise above it and look to God for my strength and enabling. The battle against my own negative thoughts meant I had to learn to put no confidence in the flesh but to confess that “His power is made perfect in my weakness”. The battle against  lack of help and outside support  meant I had to learn to forgive and move on saying He is my sufficiency ( 2Cor 12:9) and my competence comes from Him ( 2 Cor 3:5).He is able to give me everything I need for life and godliness ( 2 Peter 1:3). IT WAS A BATTLE! If I had continued to stay passive, I would have stayed unfruitful, become despondent and depressed and not gone on to fulfill God’s plans for my life.

Is the battle over? Has it ended? I wish I could say a resounding “Yes”, but the truth is far from it. The good news is that I am gaining victory over the toughest battle – that is my own mind ( where the battle continues to rage but I am better equipped now), my own  lack of faith and  wanting to giving up. To maintain the ground I have won, I need to keep fighting . And this fight is not won on a bloody battle field but at the foot of the cross where every battle was fought , won and proclaimed to all of history with the biggest most confident  victory cry of all :”It is finished”.

I have decided that I will be the one who  takes arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them  thus fulfilling those God given dreams  for the glory of God!

Navaz D Cruz

Oct 2012

Looks can be....

Over the past few weeks I have found myself mulling over the lives of two people .There have also been several things that keep drawing my attention back to the lessons I have picked out from my reflections on these two lives. Both were famous in their own right, both were leaders and anointed by God. But one made it till the end and the other did not. Both had the same heritage of being part of a great nation; not just any nation, but the best, the chosen one, the beloved of God! Both had the same mighty man of God anoint them and be around if they needed him. What then set them both apart?

The other day, my son posted a picture that he liked, on my Facebook wall; knowing it’s the kind of stuff his mum would appreciate. That is the picture you see. Things like this convinced me through the week that these private reflections need to be penned.

 My daily Bible readings have been in the books of Samuel and Kings. You may have guessed by now that I am talking about King Saul and King David.

I felt the Lord draw my attention to their lives and nudge me in my spirit saying, “ I want a generation of people who will be like David, who was a man after my own heart. David longed and hungered for the presence of God. He said that the presence of God was better than any love, better than the choicest of wine. He yearned and fainted for the presence of God as a parched deer pants for water.”

Where did he develop this desire, where did he learn this? He came from an ordinary family, whose livelihood was probably rearing sheep. I think this is where he learned this. He learned this while he was tending the sheep where he was all alone, where no one was watching, where no one could come to his rescue when the wild animals came. It is here he developed a quite walk with God. He cultivated a trust and a relationship with God. He realized that in the day of trouble, God alone is his refuge and ever present help. He learned to inquire of the Lord and seek His face. Tending sheep must have been pretty boring and lonely business. But it’s here that he got to know the heart and character of God. It was in the “dailyness” of life, in the mundane and not in some fancy school for the Prophets, or in some dramatic public ministry. He did not just know about God but he got to KNOW God. This comes through so strongly in the Psalms.

This set him apart from his predecessor. Nowhere does scripture record that Saul had a private deep devotion to God. David even as a fugitive, while running away from an insecure leader that was baying for his life, realized that only God could save him. He inquired after God and was dependent on the counsel and strength that God gave him.

When he became King, he did the same. He always inquired after God’s heart. He did respect and seek the counsel of the prophets but he had his own walk with God as well.

When I look at Saul what strikes me, is that he did not know God. He knew about the God of Israel but he had no personal relationship with him. He had the heritage of being an Israelite, he had the anointing, he had the counsel of Samuel when he wanted it, and he had the Law of Moses to guide him. Yet, he did not know what pleased God and what did not. He was casual about his dealings with God. He used God as a lucky charm. He wanted God for blessings and success. And when he did not get it, he abandoned God rather than come to him in deep repentance which in contrast is exactly what David did when he sinned against God.

Not only did Saul abandon his faith in God, but he began to consult with witches and mediums. The result we all know is that his reign was cut short and he lived a tormented soul.

There is so much to learn here. These are my reflections:

There is no substitute for a deep walk with God- deep roots, deep foundations built on obedience to the Word of God over a sustained long period of time, especially when no one is watching.  I need to ensure this in my life at all times. Then as leaders we are to ensure the same in our people: make every effort to help them put their roots deep down- character takes time to build and there are no short cuts. Beware the ones that seem to be growing very fast – got a lot of flare, lots to show. The test is when the storms come; will they stand or be uprooted in a jiffy?

People tend to judge by outward appearances and scorn the little leaves that they see above the soil while praising the “little carrot with big bushy green leaves”. Don’t get flustered. Remember God looks at the heart while man looks on the outside. Our 18 years in Christian ministry has taught us this over and over again.

Beware So(a)ulish advice – When David had to face Goliath, Saul was totally flustered as to how this young boy would tackle a giant. The kind of faith and confidence that David displayed in God was totally foreign to Saul. He just could not figure it out. So in his feeble attempts to advice David he tried to dress him in his armor. This was foreign to David! He knew what God had taught him in the secret place where he fought the lion and the bear. He knew that at the end of the day it was God who would give him victory – not his slingshot, not his sword.

What have I learned from this? – many well meaning people will give you all sorts or counsel and advice. At the end of the day, if you have a walk with God and have learned to trust His still small voice, do not abandon that for anything. Even men of God will come and say things to you with all good intent but they could be wrong. ( Read 1Kings 13:1-26).  Am I against the counsel of godly men? Far be it that I should go down that path! Over the years we have received some of the most invaluable advice from our mentors and other mighty men and women of God. Many big and small decisions in our lives have been guided by prophetic words we have received. So I am all for good counsel and prophecy.

However there is no substitute for knowing God, knowing His Word and hearing his voice for yourself and have a peace in your heart and spirit that you have obeyed him. And I know time does tell in the end. There have been times we were given well meaning advice that did not bear witness with our spirits nor were they in line with the prophetic words over our lives and we have had to stand in our convictions and gently but firmly resist. If we had followed through with that counsel our lives would have possibly have been rocked beyond imagination. This makes me shudder and bow down before a holy awesome God- the God of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps, who has and will continue to watch over our lives.

I would be wise to be a door keep in the house of my God for the rest of my days than anywhere else – no matter how attractive it may seem.

If you have been drawn into this reflection with me then let us encourage ourselves that Jesus has not left us alone. He has given us the comforter, the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. He dwells inside us and guides us in the path of righteousness for His name sake. Lets us be ones who KNOW our God and like His sheep we recognize HIS voice over all the noisy banter we may hear even on the Christian sound waves. Let us resolve to dig deep into His word, dig our roots deeper still and when needed seek out Godly counsel from safe, tried and tested men of God. At the end of the day – we stand alone before God to give an account of what we have done and not done. There will be no finger pointing, blame shifting on that day. I want to be able to say, I heard your voice and obeyed it Lord. And I want to hear Him say “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Lets get to KNOW HIM better.

One Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!

Navaz D Cruz

Retired or Re-tyred?

Last evening during a lively discussion at our Life Group, we spoke about something that got my attention. It was this : every now and then at regular intervals there are several professions that require its people to undergo what they call “re certification”. This simply means they have to go through a set of tests, checks, exams on certain elements in their profession to ensure that they have not lost touch with some important skills. This process may even include an upgrading of their knowledge base to keep in touch with the changing times.

This got me thinking. What about our Christian life? Praise God that our salvation is secure from the word go. We are saved by grace and grace alone. But we are saved for good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. ( Eph2:9-10). Often one comes across these words spoken by Christians who have been around a long time:” When I was …. I used to do …… I used to go and help at….. I used to serve at……”.  I think we all recognize it and have sometimes said it ourselves. As older Christians ( and I qualify in these ranks !) we can have a "retired" mentality. 

We as Christians do not to retire but probably need to get "re-tyred" - maybe we have got worn out along the edges, lost our grip on the vision that God gave us, got a little deflated due to bumps in the road.  Its time for a pit stop and get systems overall-ed so we can be up and going with a new burst of energy .

I began to reflect on scripture that urges us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. The Lord knows, how with time we have a tendency to slacken off or rest on our “I used tos”. We have heard the adage “well begun is only half done”.  I remind myself of Paul who till the end labored hard to reach his goal, to finish the race and to fight the good fight of faith – what a champion!

As I reflected I did a mental check list – and maybe you would like to do it with me. I asked myself several questions and you could add to this if you like as the Holy Spirit nudges you .
I asked myself :

• How am I doing on the greatest commandment of all  i.e Loving God . How is this reflected in my personal devotions, meditation of scripture, prayer and worship of Him?
•  How am I doing in loving my brothers and sisters? Do I have any outstanding debt of love toward anyone? 
• How am I doing on serving my church community and in my neighbourhood? 
• How am I doing as a wife and mother? 
• How am I doing as a friend ? 
• How am I using my gifts to glorify God? 

I know the list can go on.. but  I thought to myself that this was a good place to start. This exercise is not designed to put a heavy yoke on our backs – we are to be motivated by grace – knowing how much God loves us and that He has great plans for us and wants us to go get it. He is for you and me 100%. His grace is indeed sufficient.

However while the Bible encourages me to stir and fan into flame the God given gifts in me, I am also urged and encouraged to spur my brothers and sisters on toward love and good deeds.(Heb10:24). 

As I reflect and check myself into that pit stop , can I spur you on as well? We have a great big destiny in God – much bigger than you can imagine and we have everything we need for life and godliness in Christ Jesus. Be blessed – keep running, keep fighting, keep loving.

Navaz
August 2012

In Him we move and have our God particle!

The headlines in this morning’s paper is about the great discovery of what has been nicknamed the “God particle”.

 It has taken a 10 billion dollar facility, 50 years of research and at the end of this, this is what scientist Heuer has to say, “As a layman I would say we have it, but as a scientist I have to say, ‘what do we have?’”

All I can do is shake my head and bemoan the fact that man has truly lost his way. I am reminded of Romans Chapter 1 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

What has taken 50 years and billions of dollars to find  ( something that they are not even sure of); thousands of years ago all it took the God Almighty was to say, “Let there be…” and BANG! There it was, all of creation in all its splendor, variety, and magnificence. God did not just create one particle, HE created the entire universe, entire galaxies.

Why don’t we just get it – HE is God the uncreated one  who created all things just by HIS word and no matter how intelligent mankind is, we are still finite in our thinking, our ability to grasp and understand certain things. When we conspire to bring God down we put ourselves in a dangerous place and you know what? He who sits in heaven laughs while we plot and study and research in vain ( Ps 2 :1-3).

The reason we don’t get it, is outlined in Romans Chapter 1 – our thinking becomes dark and we can no longer see, that “in Him we move “ ( Acts 17:28) and have our God particle! I have found my God particle - have you?

Navaz D Cruz

July2012