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Bummer Lambs

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by Calven Celliers This week I received a lovely WhatsApp devotional from a friend about ‘bummer lambs’. This is not a term I was at all familiar with and so I read it with great interest and was so blessed with what I learnt. I thought I would share the crux of the message, and some pertaining thoughts, with all of you today. “Every now and then, an ewe will give birth to a lamb and immediately reject it. Sometimes the lamb is rejected because they are one of twins and the mother doesn’t have enough milk or she is old and frankly quite tired of the whole business. They call those lambs, bummer lambs. Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die. So, the shepherd will take that little lost one into his home and hand feed it from a bottle and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up warm and hold it close enough to hear a heartbeat. When the lamb is strong the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock.” In one article that I read about bummer lambs the author commented from experience saying that ‘the most beautiful sight to see is when the shepherd approaches his flock in the morning and calls them out. The first to run to him are the bummer lambs because they know his voice. It’s not that they are more loved — it’s just that they believe it because they have experienced it for themselves.’ I was immediately reminded of Christ’s words in the Gospel of John , where our Good Shepherd says, “27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10: 27 & 28NIV)  Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart so we can hear His heartbeat. We may be broken, for all have sinned and fallen short, but we are deeply loved by our Shepherd. That is the overarching theme of the Gospel – Jesus came for you. You matter to Him. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you’ve done, you are loved by the Good Shepherd. Scripture reminds us, “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16NIV) Don’t define your life by the worst moments of your past; learn from the past, be cognisant where you’ve stumbled, but never forget that Jesus loves you. He went to the cross for you, and He wants you to be part of His forever family.  Yes, “23 …the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23NIV), but praise God the Good Shepherd intervened and, “…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23NIV) And so, from one bummer lamb to another – know His joy, know His peace,…

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Leaving a Godly Heritage

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by John Doyle What does it mean ‘to leave a Godly heritage?’ Heritage can relate to many things, but for our purpose we will use the Oxford Dictionary definition which states; Heritage is “Valued qualities and cultural traditions that have been passed down from previous generations.” Psalm 127: 3 "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him" The 78th Psalm v 5-7 harmonises with many other scriptures. God’s word says ‘He established a law in Israel and commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children, even the children to be born, and they in turn will tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and not forget His deeds.’ A big question: Is this happening in your home and the homes of the people involved in the church? How do we treat, teach, protect and nurture our heritage and our rewards from God to continue into the future? The family home is the most crucial and important learning environment for our children. It is here, in their early formative years, where the child will be most influenced – for better or for worse. They will learn, or not learn how to bond with those around them. Children learn language, positive and negative behaviour and how to interact with others in the home from their Parents first and foremost . Modern research confirms that the first five years of a child’s life is the most crucial and vital time to instill good attitudes and create healthy habits, especially regarding their spiritual growth and understanding. To further explore what it means to leave a Godly heritage consider the instructions given to Moses before the Israelites went into the Promised Land. Consider how these instructions relate to us today. My conviction is that these Scriptures set out God’s plan for families and show how to impart their faith to their children. The home is the place where children should be introduced to the Lord of Creation and the Saviour of the World. Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, is known as the Shema (pronounced “Shem- ar”) and is worthy of our examination. These instructions for the family were given to Moses to be passed on. It is considered by devout Jews as the most critical and significant portion of the book of Deuteronomy. Jewish children are taught this as a prayer. Devout Jews recite it three times a day. Each Friday evening, as the Sabbath begins, in Jewish homes around the world, the father, and sometimes the mother, lay hands on the children’s heads and pray for them. Deuteronomy 6: 4 – 9 “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one” ‘You shall have no other gods before me’ states the First Commandment. The land into which the Jews were going was a land with a multitude of gods. Sadly this is the same as the society our children find themselves in today. We have the answers to help them make right decisions. “Love the Lord…

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Our Daily Bread

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by Graham MolIn Psalm 73:25-26 we find the following beautiful declaration to the Lord:Whom have I in heaven but You?    And earth has nothing I desire besides You.My flesh and my heart may fail,    but God is the strength of my heart    and my portion forever. The Lord is our portion. This is the key concept behind the worship song Daily Bread by P&W Collective. It is a beautiful song that reminds me that we should always seek the Lord's presence first in our lives, before we look for what He provides us.[Verse 1]Waking up to mannaComing to my sensesYou meet me in my grumblingYou give me my portionThough flesh and heart may fail meYour strength is there to hold meKeeping my heart steadyYou are my portionYou are my portion[Chorus]You are our daily bread, You are our daily breadAnd we will seek Your face before we seek Your handYou are our daily bread, You are our daily breadAnd we desire You before the Promised Land[Verse 2]And whom have I in Heaven?There is none upon EarthThеre is none besidе YouYou give me my portionAnd my envy of the boastfulLed me to confusionUntil I realised JesusThat You are my portionOh, You are my portionI love the reminder in the chorus that Jesus is our daily bread, all that we have and need comes from His hand. But before we seek His hand we need to seek His face. In other words His presence in our lives is more important than anything we may receive. Any blessing pales in comparison to the blessing of His presence in our lives.Psalm 73, from which I quoted those beautiful lines at the beginning of the blog, and from which P&W Collective drew inspiration for their song, is a psalm that tells a story of a worshipper who nearly lost their way. When he saw the prosperity and abundance in the lives of the wicked, how they seemed to be healthy and strong despite their disdain for the Lord and His commands, he envied them. He began to wonder if he had been faithful to God in vain.The turnaround comes when he enters the sanctuary and beholds the truth. Although full of material blessings - the lives of such people are ultimately empty. They had chosen the temporary over the eternal. The fading over the unwavering glory of the Lord.The psalmist realises the true treasure that he possesses, the Lord is his portion.23 Yet I am always with You;You hold me by my right hand.24 You guide me with Your counsel,and afterward You will take me into glory.25 Whom have I in heaven but You?And earth has nothing I desire besides You.26 My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heartand my portion forever.27 Those who are far from You will perish;You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;I will tell of all your deeds.(Psalm 73:23-28)There are times in our lives where our focus becomes fixated on the things of…

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Delay is not Denial

https://youtu.be/ZYjG0gVyyG4?t=1861 Audio Recording Part of what it means to mature as a child of God is to surrender all of you to all of Him. Its dethroning yourself and enthroning Jesus Christ. It’s complete divestiture of all self-interest. It’s giving God veto power. And one way He helps us do this is to say, “Wait”. That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of delay is one of God’s most powerful tools to grow us up in Him. Sermon by Calven Celliers Download the Summary

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