Easter Video Resources
With the Easter weekend just a few days away here are some ideas for videos that you could play in either your Good Friday or Easter Sunday services.
God's Story
https://vimeo.com/39716113
10 Out Of 10 People Die
https://vimeo.com/117548263
Bread of Heaven
https://youtu.be/muygjHVdtUY
Easter
https://vimeo.com/4131995
Carly's Story
https://player.vimeo.com/video/50447960
The Fifth Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbd4Dt0OhZM
Healer
https://vimeo.com/4152629
Son of Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR3kLQXBntg
Voices of the Cross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uZ2q4mDsAw
Why I call it Good Friday
https://vimeo.com/39436009
Die for a Lie
https://youtu.be/FCdPQRaWuVA
The Power of Forgiveness
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14
One of the great joys and privileges of being a Christian is to know without a shadow of a doubt that our sins have indeed been fully and completely forgiven by God. The Bible teaches and our own experience confirms that “there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). None of us is by nature free from sin and each of us have in fact sinned against others and against God. And both our sinfulness and our sins stand as a massive barrier between us and a relationship with the God who is Holy Love. So how can we possibly be brought into right relationship with God and have the freedom to approach Him day by day as a heavenly Father? The answer that the Bible gives is both unequivocal and wonderful. We can only know God if our sins have been forgiven and that is precisely what God in love has done for us in the death of His Son Jesus upon the cross. At the cross the love and holiness of God meet. Though we are sinners by nature, we do indeed stand forgiven at the cross.
When we think and speak about forgiveness, we most often think about being set free from the penalty and the guilt of our sins with the result that we stand acquitted before the throne of God both now and on the Day of Judgement. And this is indeed a glorious reality for every believer in Jesus Christ. In the words of David in Psalm 32 it is indeed a blessed thing to know that the LORD does not count our sins against us because He has forgiven the guilt of our sin (see Psalm 32:2,5). It is this full and free forgiveness in Christ which cleanses our consciences and enables us to draw near to God with a sincere heart and in full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22). And it is this full and free forgiveness which is ours in Christ which enables us to come daily to God in repentance and faith, not destroyed by our failures, but encouraged by His all sufficient grace.
In Colossians 1:14 however, Paul reminds us of a second aspect of God’s forgiveness, namely that forgiveness is indeed a great liberating power. The word that Paul uses to describe this new freedom from the spiritual forces of darkness which dominated our lives outside of Christ is the word redemption. It is the word that was used to speak about the liberation of a slave on payment of the ransom price. It is a word that in Old Testament terms reminds us of the wonderful and powerful work of liberation that God undertook when He delivered Israel out of bondage in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land to live under His good and kind rule. Thus by using this word to describe what has happened to us in Jesus Christ, Paul is reminding us that we used to be slaves but now are free; we used to be compelled to serve the darkness, but now are free to serve Jesus the King of God’s Kingdom of light. Furthermore, and this is the key point of the passage, this freedom is ours because Jesus paid the price for our freedom in blood. At the cross, love ran red, and both the penalty and the power of sin were dealt with once and for all. At the cross and though Christ, we not only stand forgiven but also empowered to live new lives for God.
It is important to understand that what Paul is talking about is more than just the motivating power of a grateful heart. We should indeed be thankful to God for what He has done and it is true that gratitude to someone does motivate us in the way we act toward that person. But in Colossians 1:14, Paul is saying far more. At the cross, actual spiritual power was at work, power which dealt not only with the legal and moral consequences of sin, but with sin itself. Though believers still have a sinful nature, we truly do have a new power, by virtue of what Christ has done for us, to say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to what is pleasing to God. The call to live a new life in service of God rather than in service of self is carried out not merely in our own strength, but by the power of Christ, now at work within us by the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within us at the very moment that we trust in Christ and find that our sins have indeed been forgiven in His Name.
Written by Mervyn Eloff. Original article can be viewed here.
Resources for Palm Sunday
Sunday next before Easter (Palm Sunday) marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week that the Church calendar marked out for us to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Thomas Cranmer's Prayer Book directed us to read each of the Gospel accounts of the death of Jesus during the course of the daily readings of this week.
The Collect for this Sunday directs our prayer toward following Jesus' example of suffering and ultimately sharing in his resurrection. Cranmer knew that we can never deserve anything but are saved only by grace. No religious performance could ever make us acceptable to God. We do not enter into the Easter experience by re-enacting the events but by accepting with gratitude and faith the benefits that he has won for us.
Below are some resources that could be used in Sunday Services, Sunday School, Youth or Children's Ministry over this coming weekend.
Videos
God's Story: Palm Sunday
https://vimeo.com/59691514
Palm Sunday Music Video
https://vimeo.com/24012724
Palm Sunday: Jesus and human expectations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ23ryYK8ac
Collects and Readings
Almighty and everlasting God, in tender love towards mankind you sent your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to become man and to suffer death on the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: grant that we may follow the example of his suffering, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 27:1-54
Prayers
| Almighty God, we praise you for your creation, and all you richly provide. Enable us to live in such a way that your majesty and mercy are seen by all. Father hear our prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord.All governments rule under your authority. May they work for the good of those they rule, seeking your justice and peace in every law and action. Father hear our prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Enable those who are engaged in industry and commerce, the media and education, sport and the arts, to fulfil their responsibilities with integrity and an attitude of service. Father hear our prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Comfort and strengthen those who are gripped by poverty, Inspire your church here on earth to proclaim the gospel of your love Help your people to display your compassion to all those in need. |
Calls to Worship
Call to Worship I (based on Psalm 118:19-24)
One: The Lord be with you!
All: And also with you!
One: Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter, and give thanks to the Lord.
All: We will give You thanks, for You have answered us;
You have become our salvation.
One: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
All: This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
One: This is the day that the Lord has made;
All: We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Call to Worship 2 (based on Revelation 7:9-12)
One: And I looked,
and there was a great crowd that no one could number.
They were from every nation, tribe, people and language.
They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
And they cried out with a loud voice:
All: “Victory belongs to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
One: And the angels fell facedown before the throne
and worshipped God, saying:
All: “Amen!
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honour and power and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen!”
Call to Worship 3 (based on Zechariah 9:9 and Psalm 118:26, 28-29)
One: Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
even on a donkey’s colt.
All: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
One: You are our God, and we will praise You!
All: You are our God, and we will exalt You!
One: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
All: His faithful love endures forever!
Crossword Gauteng
Crossword Gauteng 2015 was held at Cyara YFC in Magaliesberg again this year and it was a very blessed week. We had an exceptionally good turn out of youth as well as a superb team of leaders for which we are thankful to the Lord.
We were privileged to have Kyle Barrow speaking on Genesis. He did an excellent job challenging the youth and his talks also generated some stimulating interaction during the Q&A sessions which was a tremendous blessing. Being out in the countryside allowed us to enjoy creation as we learnt about it and truly experience the beauty of all that God created and how we should respond. As the Word of God was taught we saw a wonderful response from the youth.
We had a fantastic group of leaders who worked tirelessly to share Christ with the teens in small groups and encourage them towards a relationship with Jesus. We also had a very strong team of functional assistants who worked behind the scenes to ensure that everything was organised and flowed so that the program ran smoothly. The activities team used much initiative and imagination to prepare some wonderful activities which the youth enjoyed immensely. We also had a leadership training strand which was introduced in 2014 and continued this year where junior leaders were given excellent training which they will now take back into their churches and youth groups across Gauteng and we trust the Lord to use it to strengthen the groups as they encourage each other to live for Christ. The training focussed on understanding the Bible and how to teach it in their groups.
Overall Crossword continues to develop well and we have been delighted to see how it has grown. We praise God for the continued growth in our camp over the last few years. We have seen Him at work to bring young people to Himself and countless others built up and strengthened in their faith growing spiritually every year and this year was no different. To Him be honour and glory forever.
Written by Bryan Haigh
Adoption as Sons
Julius Caesar was a great Roman General, with unmatched military ability. He lived from 100 BC to 44 BC and became Leader of the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar played a critical role in the Roman Republic, ruled largely by a Senate, becoming the Roman Empire, ruled largely by one man – the Emperor.
What is less know about Julius Caesar is that he adopted a son.
In Roman times, adoption was viewed with high honour and was not uncommon. Frequently, affluent but childless couples looked to adopt, as in the case today. Conversely, families with numerous children viewed adoption as a way to make money. Roman adoption usually involved parents giving up teenagers for adoption. Perhaps the most famous Roman adoption was when Julius Caesar adopted the 19-year-old Octavian.
When Julius Caesar was assassinated, Octavian was Son and Heir and thus became Emperor. He was later known as Caesar Augustus and it was he who reigned during the birth of Jesus.
Spiritual orphans
The Bible says that naturally we were all spiritual orphans with no hope and no spiritual home. We tried to cloth ourselves with good works, but the clothing was nothing but filthy rags. We were spiritually malnourished and destitute, with no hope of life. One day we were picked up off the streets and given a family – the family of God. God himself adopted us and we now call him Father. Adoption is a wonderful thing.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
We were destitute, far from God, condemned and under the wrath of God. But God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin (Romans 8:3) so that we can be declared righteous in his sight and no longer condemned. Now, because of the death of Christ, we who put our faith in Christ have been adopted into God’s family.
The “Spirit of adoption as sons” (v15) means that the Holy Spirit brings about our adoption, uniting believers with Christ, and making them sharers in Christ’s sonship.
Sons and daughters
You may think this is very chauvinistic. Why does it not say, “the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters”? The Word “adoption” is the combination of two words: “son” and “a placing”. Adoption in the first century Roman world involved putting someone in the position of a son. In that world, it was the son who inherited; it was the adopted son who was deliberately chosen by the father to perpetuate the family name and inherit the estate.
Today, men and women, are adopted as “sons” of God by faith in Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. As believers, we bear the family name and will inherit the family estate.
Heirs
Not only will we inherit the Father’s estate, but we will inherit God himself. V17 says we are “heirs of God”. In other words, we will share in all that God is for all eternity. In the words of a great hymn:
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendour,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
Adoption truly is a great thing. If you would like to know more about adoption in South Africa click here.
(The chapter on Adoption in Victor Kuligan’s book, “The Language of Salvation” was a great help in writing this post.)
Written by Andre Visagie. Original article can be found here.
The Christian Life is War
We hear a lot about war and the word often has very negative connotations for us. Did you know that the Christian life can be described as war and battle and struggle? Becoming a Christian may seem to some as the easy way out, but it’s certainly not. According to Romans 7, becoming a Christian is enlisting for war. This chapter is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible because it gives me great hope knowing that even the great apostle Paul struggled and battled with sin.
From Romans 7:14 we are faced with an interpretive challenge: who is Paul referring to?
In v14-25 Paul uses the first person sing, “I”. Is he speaking about himself as a Christian or non-Christian? Some think that he could not possibly be referring to himself as a Christian. They would argue that a Christian could never say the following:
- v14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
- V15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
- v18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
- v19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
- v24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Paul finally calls out to Jesus to save him)
However, I and many others, think that Paul is indeed referring to his Christian life and, by implication, the typical life of all Christians. He is referring to is the Christian’s continued war and struggle with sin.
Here’s why I think he is referring to the Christians life:
1. He uses the “I” in the present tense; most naturally taken to mean his present struggles
2. Only the regenerate person has an honest assessment of themselves (v14, “I am of the flesh, sold under sin”, v18 “wretched man that I am”).
3. Notice he says in v14 he is “of the flesh” or “fleshly” i.e. he is acting in a worldly way. In v5 he describes a non-Christian as “in the flesh” and there is a huge difference. Even as a Christian you can act in a way that is fleshly, worldly and ungodly; but that does not mean you are “in the flesh”.
4. Note v22. Paul “delights in the law of God in his inner being” i.e. he really and truly delights in God’s law. This is only true for Christians.
5. Note v18. Paul “desires to do what is right” i.e. he desires to obey God’s law. This is only true for Christians.
Paul knew very well that the Christian life is a lifelong battle with sin and the sinful nature, despite the fact that we’ve been set free from sin’s penalty and power. Even though we are no longer enslaved to sin, it’s very easy for us, if we allow sin to fester and grow, to come under sin’s bondage again.
5. Perhaps the biggest argument that Paul is referring to the typical Christian life is v24-25:
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord…
Is that not your cry as a Christian? We know that our only hope is the gospel of Jesus that is able to make us right with God. After crying out to God for help and deliverance, it’s very interesting what Paul says next:
So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:25b)
Even after crying out to Jesus, he still recognizes that with his mind he wants to serve God, but somehow he keeps sinning and serving the law (principle) of sin. The normal Christian life is not a life of victory, spiritual highs and sinless perfection; it is a life of war. Even our great Apostle Paul, author of the majority of the New Testament, saw life as war.
We are not in heaven yet; we still live in a fallen world, with fallen bodies. We live in the “now/ not yet”. We are saved now, but not yet in all its fullness; we still war with sin. The mark of a Christian is that they don’t love sin, or dabble in sin, or excuse sin, but that they war against sin:
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (Romans 7:21-23)
This is why we have a time of corporate confession of sin at all our church services. We know the congregation struggles with sin because we struggle with sin. We know that sin dishonours God and though we, as Christians, can never lose our right standing with God, we must still acknowledge and confess our sins. We must say sorry to God. We constantly also need to be reminded that God certainly does forgive the sins of all those who truly repent and believe the gospel. Every Sunday we therefore remind ourselves of the gospel, for it is the gospel that saves us, grows us, encourages us, comforts us, and assures us of God’s forgiveness.
Article written by Andrew Visage. Original article can be found here.
Perspective - Our ever present help
“God is our strength and refuge, an ever present help in trouble …” Psalm 46:1
For many of us, the past year has been a particularly unsettling one. Of course we have had our fair share of joys and blessings and it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge this fact or to forget to give grateful thanks to God. We do thank God for our creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life, and especially for His immeasurable love shown in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. And yet the events in our beautiful yet troubled country and the events on the world stage leave us unsettled. Power cuts, failure of basic services, civil and political unrest, crime, unemployment, financial uncertainty, terror perpetrated in the name of religion – the list goes on and wherever we turn it seems to us that the world is in turmoil with no apparent hope of a solution! In the graphic language of Psalm 46, we live in a world in which the very foundations are being overthrown – the earth giving way, the mountains falling into the sea, the waters roaring and foaming (Psalm 46:2-3). In such a world, a world full of trouble and turmoil, how are we as the people of God to stand firm, to sustain our faith, to live with hope?
Psalm 46 answers these very real questions in a deeply challenging and encouraging way. It begins with an acknowledgement that in this world there will be “times of trouble” (vs1), that in this world it will sometimes seem as if the very foundations are about to give way. It sees creation in turmoil (vs2-3), the nations in uproar, kingdoms rising and falling (vs6). Like the rest of the Bible, Psalm 46 does not have a make-believe view of the world.
But alongside of this realistic view of the world, the Psalm also has a true view of God. And it is this which makes all the difference for the psalmist. Though there are times of trouble, though the foundations seem to be giving way, though the nations are in uproar, there are some key things that remain wonderfully true.
First, the psalmist reminds God’s people that their God is indeed the LORD Almighty (see vs7,11), the Creator, Sustainer and Judge of the world, the One who rules over all things now and who will rule over them forever. Second, the psalmist reminds us that this same God, the LORD Almighty is with His people at all times, including times of trouble. Twice the psalmist says “the LORD Almighty is with us” (vs7,11) and in verse 1 he declares that the LORD is “an ever-present help”. There is thus no time or circumstance when the LORD is not with His people to help them and strengthen them. It is when we put these two truths together that we arrive at the central declaration of the Psalm, namely that the LORD God Almighty is a refuge, a strength and a fortress for His people. In all times of trouble we can turn to this LORD and He will never let us down.
Third, having affirmed God’s power, presence and grace in times of trouble, the psalmist then lifts his eyes beyond the troubled world to the city of God (vs4). And what a city it is – a city where God Himself dwells, a holy place, a place of safety, joy and of life (vs4-5). Although the city is not yet a reality in the psalmist’s experience, it is the very substance of his hope. The city is real – real because God is real – and it will appear, for the God whose city it is works His judgements and desolations upon the earth (vs8) and He will be “exalted among the nations and in the earth” (vs10). And when He is, wars will cease, the weapons of war will be destroyed and the earth will become the dwelling of God, a place where His people will finally be at peace and will serve Him with joy. Though trouble is all around, there is hope for the future, sure and certain hope in the God who is present as a gracious help now and who will be present forever as a glorious King. It is with this in mind that the psalmist can call upon God’s people, even in the midst of trouble to “be still and know that He is indeed God” (vs10).
As we hear the words of Psalm 46 in the wake of what has been an unsettling year and with no clear indication that the year ahead may be any better, we do well to take what the psalmist says to heart. And we remember the words of Peter who reminds us that in and through Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel, the words of the Old Testament Scriptures, such as those of Psalm 46, are made even more sure and that we will indeed do well to pay attention to them as to a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19).
Written by Mervyn Eloff
Ordination of Bheki Dikeni
On Sunday 31st January 2016, Bheki Dikeni was ordained as a deacon at Christ Church Khayelitsha. It was a great privilege to be part of the service (in the sweltering heat!) and be witness to the promises Bheki made before God to serve his people.
Bishop Alan Noble, the Cape Area Bishop of REACH SA, asked Bheki this question, among others:
Will you strive to live according to the teaching of Christ so that you and your family may be a good example to the flock of Christ?
Bheki's answer:
I will, the Lord being my helper.
Alan Noble then preached from 1 Corinthians 3:1-16 and reminded us that as gospel workers:
- We are responsible for planting and watering the gospel seed, but God gives the growth and thus we are entirely dependent on him.
- We don’t view ourselves as God’s gift to the church, but as servants (1 Cor. 3:5) and stewards (1 Cor. 4:1). We are like waiters in a restaurant faithfully delivering gospel meals.
- As servants and stewards we submit to the Word of God ourselves.
After the service, as is usual in Khayelitsha, we were served a delicious meal that caused us all to lick our fingers. We pray that God will raise up many workers for his harvest.
Article written by Andre Visagie.
The Colourless Cross
The “R” word is once again making headlines in our country. It is an unfortunate reality that our nation will continue to be plagued by prejudice and discrimination for generations to come. The problem of racism is obviously not just something endemic to our country. International news will regularly reveal the reality of race hate in many nations. It is true, however, that we have a sad history of organized racism in South Africa and we continue to live with the consequences.
While it may be true that some organizations and individuals are using the current racism platform for their own agendas we must not ignore or rubbish this ongoing issue. God's people ought to be at the forefront of declaring and demonstrating just what it means to be reconciled to God and each other. We know and proclaim that Jesus Christ offers forgiveness and reconciliation of sinners with God but we must also not forget that in Christ we have reconciliation with each other (Eph.2:14-18). This is not just between Jew and Gentile, but between all people of all colours and communities. The only distinction the Bible makes is between those who have faith in Christ and those who do not - from heaven's point of view there are only “sheep and goats” (Matt.25:31-33).
We will not make progress against racism without ongoing prayerful self examination and repentance of our own (often unconscious) prejudices. It is also right for us not to be passive on this issue but to intentionally demonstrate our unity in Christ to the often confused, divided and angry society around us. Peace with God and with each other is a precious gift in Christ and we would do well to show and tell it to our nation and to our neighbours. God has given us a timely opportunity to hold out Christ as we hold hands in Christ. Let us not let the hour pass us by.
“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28 ESV)
I am encouraged by a number of our churches who are tackling this issue from a Biblical perspective and I commend to you this recent series of interviews and Bible teaching from Christchurch Midrand.
Written by Glenn Lyons
Cross Word Cape Youth Camp 2015
2015 was a year of many new things for Cross Word Cape Youth Camp. For the first time in 15 years we were in a new venue, there were many new faces on the leadership team, some new leadership structures, a whole heap of new first time campers and lots of new logistics to juggle. But a few things remained the same. Cross Word 2015 was, as it always has been, rooted on the glorious Word of God.
The new along with the old made 2015 a year to remember. The new venue at Rhenish Girl’s High School worked wonderfully and their newly built multipurpose hall was a wonderful place to hear God speak as His Word was preached by Grant Retief and Quentin van Rooyen.
Grant worked through the first few champers of 1 Samuel, encouraging us to see that Jesus is the leader who we so desperately need.
Quentin took us through 2 Peter to show us that in Christ we have absolutely everything necessary to live God’s way in this world while we wait for Jesus to return.
The team of leaders worked incredibly hard in their groups, sharing their lives as well as the Gospel with their campers. It was thrilling to hear throughout the week of campers who had committed their lives to Christ as Lord and Saviour and King. It is our ongoing prayer that these new disciples of Jesus will get stuck into their local church families so that others can continue to disciple them towards maturity in Christ.
All Glory be to Christ.
Article written by David Hill