"Have you GOT IT?"

1”Sing a new song to the LORD!
Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
2Sing to the LORD; praise His name.
Each day proclaim the Good News that He saves.
3Publish His glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things He does.”
Ps 96: 1-3 (NLT)

Since our Hidden World team left SA in March, I am constantly aware of how privileged I am to do what I do, have what I have and go where I go. To think, it is all by His boundless grace over my life.
I did not earn it.
I did not work for it.
Just GRACE!

During our time in Cuba we started with a Bible study on the Gospel of John. It struck me again how simple yet simultaneously challenging it is.

On the one side it is pure love. Pure, unfailing, never ending, unconditional love for us from God the Father. He loves us the same as He loves Christ (John 17:23)… Wrap your mind around that!
This includes love for us from God and love from us to God and our fellow man. If the world would love one another as they love themselves, which is the summary of the entire law (Gal 5:14), then there would be no pain, sorrow, despair or anguish.
If we love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Mth 22:37), there would be no place for evil in our lives. We will live Spirit filled and guided lives within His will. Sounds perfect.

The flip side is that it is impossible for us as normal people to love unconditionally. I can assure you of this, coming from a man who is currently ‘married’ to 8 people that he has never met before! We are restricted by our old nature. While we are living in our old nature we live purely for ourselves. The result is that there is no room for compassion, kindness or humility. We function out of pride where the primary goal is to elevate ourselves, even if it is at the cost of others sometimes (Col 3).
Only through a life in Jesus Christ are we able to love unconditionally, both God and our fellow man (1 John 4: 16, 17). He enables us to cast away our sinful, self-centered desires and put others ahead of ourselves. He enables us to forgive, show mercy & compassion and live a life to bless others by whatever we do and whatever we have.
That is super-unnatural for anyone that has never heard about Jesus.

So people can only love, God and others, if they have met the true Savior, Jesus Christ. But how will they know if no one tells them (Rom 10:14).
I was once again made aware that as people that call ourselves ‘Christians’ we are witnesses (Acts 1: 8), ambassadors (2 Cor 5: 20) and representatives (Col 3: 17) of the living God. It is our duty to live a life where we point people to Jesus and introduce them to His everlasting source of love. Not only that they can experience the freedom of His love but also that they may share it with others. The beauty is that we don’t have to go away to distant (is)lands to share this hope. In every community and workplace where we live there are people waiting to hear/see the good news of Christ’s love and salvation.
Through our testimonial lives of God’s goodness we share that hope, knowing- and unknowingly. By the grace of God inside of us.
We just need to share what God did in our lives, the rest is in His hands.

Mrs. Wright, the pastor’s wife here in Kingston, leads prayer every Sunday morning before the service starts. Her theme for April is “Have you got it?”
Have you got the message of salvation?
Have you taken it to heart, that Jesus is the only true Savior of the world?
Have you received the life giving Spirit?
All of this is a gift!
We receive it by grace and it is available to everyone who believe (Eph 2: 8,9)! Aren’t we then obliged to share it with as many people as possible? After all, someone shared it with us…

This challenges me immensely. To step out of my comfort zone and go and speak in front of a bunch of foreign people in an English accent that would be at home in the 1960’s in rural South Africa.
Thing is, if that step of boldness is enough to introduce people to the love of Christ, isn’t it worthwhile to put my own comfort and security aside so that someone my actually experience love for the first time?

This year I will get ample opportunity to do just that, be a witness to people that is in need of our Savior. I trust that God will give me the ability and will to be a truthful and bold representative for Him wherever we go.
I also trust that God will use you wherever you are to be the same for Him there. To be His voice, speaking life and hope in a world where we desperately need it. God will certainly use you to change someone’s life, you just need to be available. “The harvest is plenty…”

As you are reading this we would have already entered South America through Guyana, by the grace of God. We have 6 months, 9 countries and more than 10 000kms of overland ahead of us. More than enough opportunity for God to come and glorify His own name by overcoming every obstacle that comes our way!
What a privilege!

Blessings

Tiaan Fӧlscher,
Hidden World 2014

1”Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim His greatness.
Let the whole world know what He has done.
2Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises.
Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.”
Ps 105: 1-2 (NLT)