by Dries Cronje on February 20, 2009
My buddy Dries Lombaard sent me an sms earlier – he’s attending a missions conference in Pretoria with Tony Campolo. Apparently Tony said the following…
I have three things to say today. 1st: While you were sleeping last night 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. 2nd: Most of you don’t give a shit. 3rd: What’s worse is that you are more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.
Shocking? Yes. Necessary to hear? Yes. True? Yes.
Meditate on this — read it again… Pray it. And then make a decision to get involved — Somewhere. Somehow.
by Dries Cronje on January 19, 2009
Consider this scenario. You are driving along the freeway, and (illegally!) sending a text message with your mobile phone at the same time. Then… as these things happen, you hit the guy in front of you. Not a big smash, but a smash.
It is rush hour, and both of you pull off to the side. There’s not much tension, since you both realize that these things happen. ID numbers, phone numbers, etc. are exchanged, and an arrangement about the accident is made. You were the party at fault, and you are going to pay the other party’s insurance excess.
Your car is not insured, but luckily the damage to your car is minimal, and you are happy to keep on driving it like that. What a bad morning! You were stupid, guilty, and even reckless not to have your car insured. Thankfully, you immediately arrange insurance for it. And… life goes on. [click to continue…]
by Dries Cronje on January 9, 2009
One of my friends and fellow followers of the Way, Pierre du Plessis, leads a community of Jesus disciples that do their best to be true to the Jesus way. See 3rd place. They have a motto (borrowed from Mother Theresa) that has always been helpful to me in remembering part of what we need to do as followers of Jesus.
They go out from their gatherings with the goal to “Feed One.” Mother Theresa said that, “If you can’t feed a hundred, then feed one.”
Simple right.
Yes. So… let’s go out and live like this. Let’s “Feed Jesus.” He says in Matthew 25 that if we feed marginalized people, it’s as good as feeding Him.
Find one person (can’t be that hard!) and feed them. If you live in Africa, where it’s really easy to find physically hungry and neglected people, then maybe feed someone by buying them food. Actually, I’m sure it isn’t that hard to find physically hungry people anywhere. If you do struggle, feed someone in another way.
Jesus suggests the hungry, but also the thirsty, homeless, shivering, sick, and imprisoned. No excuses.
Why postpone… Why not help someone today. Find marginal space, look around and “Feed Jesus.”
by Dries Cronje on January 2, 2009
Yesterday, as I was stopping at a McDonald’s drive-through, I was approached by a young man. He had clearly been in the hot, African sun for a bit too long, and looked desperate and ashamed. His voice confirmed his shame…
He told me that he and some friends were in Cape Town for new year’s eve, and they had run out of money, and now couldn’t get back home (about 80 km from Cape Town). He wanted help.
I immediately thought of about 5 (good?) reasons not to help him. The main one? They blew their money partying and now wanted some of my limited resources to get them out of trouble. A close number two would be that my resources are limited, especially at present. However, I was buying my family some McDonald’s. And… isn’t three square meals all we need to be sustained in our quest to follow Jesus? [click to continue…]
by Dries Cronje on December 27, 2008
John the Baptist, Baptizer or Immerser (whatever you prefer to call him) once explained what bearing fruit looks like.
He told religious folks coming to be baptized that “trees” that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
After being asked what is it then they should be doing, John told these people to share their extra clothes and food with those who have none.
And here we were… thinking that following Jesus and bearing fruit for God’s kingdom is difficult and complex.
by Dries Cronje on December 5, 2008
I have long been a firm believer that God leads us through our desires and passions. See, when I gave Jesus the commitment that He can ask me anything, and I’ll oblige, my desires started changing. No longer was drunken parties, late nights on town… wasting money, satisfying earthly lusts, materialism, etc. high on my agenda. My desires started changing.
And… I concluded that since I now want to do what the Bible teaches, these new passions must be a way that God leads me… through his Holy Spirit.
After meeting Mark Batterson at the r(e)formation event of echurch.co.za in Germany during October, I decided to pick up his latest book, entitled Wild Goose Chase. Mark says that the Holy Spirit is like a wild goose, but chasing him is not at all fruitless or pointless — the type of pursuit we have been using the term ‘wild goose chase’ for. Actually, quite the contrary. In the book he shares something that is very helpful in our quest of following Jesus and God through the Holy Spirit.
“In the words of one psalmist, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, NIV). When we delight ourselves in the Lord, new desires are conceived within us. God literally downloads new desires. And those divine desires becomes an internal compass that guides us as we embark on a Wild Goose chase.” – Mark Batterson, Wild Goose Chase, p. 25.
So… delight yourself in the Lord, love Him, and be guided by your desires. Simple right?
by Dries Cronje on December 2, 2008
As followers of Christ, we want to enter the kingdom of God, right? This is similar to saying, we want to obtain eternal life, or “be saved”…
In his teaching DVD Everything is Spiritual, Rob Bell talks at length about the existence of this further dimension, this invisible spiritual world, which some people admit to experiencing, and others, well, don’t.
When talking to Nicodemus about entering the kingdom of God, Jesus refers to this spiritual side of life. He warns that unless we submit to this, we cannot enter God’s kingdom… [click to continue…]
by Dries Cronje on November 17, 2008
Are you trustworthy or untrustworthy? This can have a big impact on your relationship with Jesus. See, Jesus likes trustworthy people.
In John 2 (near the end) it is written, “During the time he (Jesus) was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn’t entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn’t need any help in seeing right through them” (The Message).
[click to continue…]
by Dries Cronje on November 15, 2008
Good news… I have finished Following Jesus 101 – A Crash Course to Help Anyone Follow Jesus Better. It is live and available for (free!) download at TheJesusFeed.com/FollowingJesus101.pdf.
Be sure to let me know what you think!
Today also marks the official launch of The Jesus Feed. So… please subscribe to make sure you don’t miss anything. The conversations, challenges, blog posts and newsletter will kick-off in full swing on Monday.
Take care,
Dries Cronje
by Dries Cronje on November 13, 2008
The first of many miracles Jesus performed is a surprising one. Even still—I think we sometimes misunderstand it. Read it below, and allow me to explain.
Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held approximately twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.
“Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.
When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings out the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!” – John 2, The Message.
Some of us might have wondered what the point of this miracle is. Drinking too much wine is clearly not a biblical principle.
What if the message underlying this miracle, is that we should sometimes trade in rituals (the pots were used for ritual washings) for some authentic community? Could it be that Jesus wants us to realize that spending time with friends, relatives, and strangers, even partying and having a good time with them, is more important than our rituals, the very rituals that we sometimes use to point an accusing finger to these people?
