calven blog

by Calven CelliersI have a book on my shelf, that I open on a fairly regular basis, for the simple reason that the content is so gripping, so inspiring. In the opening lines of the introductory chapter, the author, Jeff Van der Stelt communicates the truth that God’s vision, for every man, woman, and child in every place is to have a daily encounter with Jesus through words spoken and deeds done through His people.“14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”(Habakkuk 2:14NIV) God accomplishes this vision through His Son, who works through His body, the Church. As the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Church at Ephesus, “22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1: 22 & 23NIV) This is Jesus saturation. Jesus is the head of His body, the Church, through which He intends to fill every place with His presence.“Can you imagine every city, every neighbourhood, every street, and every house saturated with Jesus’ presence through His people? What if, in every school, every classroom, and every extracurricular activity, students daily experienced the person and work of Jesus? Can you dream with me a day when no business office, retail center, or industrial hub can get away from the good news of Jesus proclaimed in words and expressed in gracious deeds? A day when every café, pub, restaurant, or bakery smells of the aroma of Christ? This is God’s intention for his world. And his plan is to do it through his people. He wants you to be part of it.” (Jeff Van der Stelt – Saturate)Many Christians have unwittingly embraced the idea that “church” is a once-a-week event rather than a 24/7 calling of all believers. Being part of God’s vision is not for the spiritually elite. If you know, trust, love, and follow Jesus you are part of it.“To every true Christian these two things may be said: You have need of Christ and Christ has need of you.” (William Arnot)What is it that God left you on earth to do? What is it that we can do on earth that we can’t do in heaven? Just before He returned to heaven, Jesus explained to His disciples what they were to do after His ascension. What He said to them, He also says to us. He left us on the earth that we might be His witnesses. Listen to the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8 as he imparts this truth to his followers: “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8NIV) These words emphasize two things that we as believers need to know: 1) The Holy Spirit empowers disciples, and 2) Spirit-filled disciples witness…

by Calven Celliers After the lovely rains last week, I noticed something in my garden that I hadn’t seen all winter – snail trails! Snails apparently hibernate during the dry autumn and winter months on the highveld, seeking shelter by creating viscous "slime tombs”, which harden and protect the snail until the Spring rains come and dissolve their temporary cocoon. The snail, having likely not eaten for some time, then ventures out to find food. Now normally, around my house, snails are only seen as enemies which must be destroyed lest they destroy my garden, but this week I found myself choosing a more benevolent stance as I considered the life lesson this slimy little creature has to offer. Snails remind me of where I often find myself on my faith journey. There are of course events in life that propel us forward very quickly, and when these things occur, we are forced to jump ahead. We rapidly come to new understandings about God and His plan for our lives through these experiences that cause our faith to grow in leaps and bounds. But, a lot of the time, I feel more like a snail, inching my way along, trading leaps and bounds for slow and steady. Between the peaks and valleys of life there are often plateaus – those times when I’m not necessarily experiencing extreme highs or lows, instead I’m just dealing with the day in and day out stuff of life. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t movement, though. Just like a snail, I creep along towards my destination… to be more like Christ! It may seem at times like I’m moving ever so slowly and yet in hindsight I can see just how far I’ve come in my walk with Jesus. I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in his letter to the Church at Philippi, where he said, “12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippi 3: 12 – 14NIV)  Charles Spurgeon wisely stated, “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” We can all learn a lesson from snails. By your persistence you’ll reach the destination to which God has called you. Keep on keeping on! Some days it feels like we’re progressing at a snail’s pace, pressing on through the plateaus of daily life inch by inch. Strain on my friend; press on toward the goal. On those days when it feels like you’re getting nowhere fast, fix your eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of your faith, and little by little grow in holiness, sanctification, and maturity in Christ.   God bless, Calven

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,…

by Calven Celliers As the Chairman of a local school council, I was called in to mediate a difficult and potentially explosive meeting, earlier this week. It was a very frustrating situation and I couldn’t help but feel that the issue at hand had the potential of spiralling out of control. I came home feeling totally exasperated. Have you ever been faced with a situation that you could not control? You feel like it may be difficult, or even impossible, to find a solution to the problem. When we face challenges in our lives, God wants us to know that we are not alone. Life is filled with ups and downs. But we have an Almighty Father, who will not give us more than we can bear. In all situations, God is always in control. “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.” (A.W.Tozer) When we’re in the middle of a trial, it’s hard to resist crying out, “God, why is this happening?” Sometimes we get an answer and sometimes we don’t. But we can be absolutely sure that nothing happens by accident. We have the promise of Romans 8:28 that “28 …in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Our limited human perspective often doesn’t allow us to grasp His greater plan. Seeing in advance how God will work all things for our benefit can be very difficult, if not impossible. However, our heavenly Father’s handiwork is in everything — even our pain, hardships, and losses. He turns mourning into gladness and provides bountiful blessings and benefits from our darkest hours. Even King David testified to this glorious promise – “11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:11 & 12NLT) As believers, we must accept that things won’t always make sense to us – “8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,  so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8 & 9NLT) God sees the beautifully completed big picture. We can rely on the fact that He is in control, no matter how wildly off-kilter our world seems to be. When things around you seem dark, and maybe even a little scary, hold onto the promises of God. Remember all the mighty deeds that He has performed in the past – both in your life and throughout the ages – and continue in confidence and with certain knowledge that He is wholly in control at all times.  God bless you, Calven