raphael mnkandhla
My story captured in two Videos

Hear my story

My story captured in two Videos
Pastoring
raphael mnkandhla
The Paradox of Grief and Joy in Ministry
The Paradox of Grief and Joy in Ministry
Pastoring
raphael mnkandhla
A song for every church planter.
A song for every church planter.
raphael mnkandhla
Beginning a New Year with Gratitude
Beginning a New Year with Gratitude
raphael mnkandhla
Family Health
Family Health

Psalm 16 Devotion

Key Points:

Overview: This is a psalm about attaining true joy. What it shows us is that true joy follows trust - trust in the one True God! Joy is not just happiness. Rather, it is a joy that “is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.” (John Piper). We have this joy because He never leaves us or forsakes us. This joy is attainable only through commitment to God, contentment from God, and confidence in God.

Commitment to God - v.1-3 (Part 1: Trust in God)

Right away we see how David seeks refuge in God. He is trusting his life to God. Not only this, but all the good we have is from God. Fellow believers (“excellent ones”) who share this joy are a delight. Discussion: David finds strength in God and from his fellow believers. Take a moment and encourage one another by sharing a moment or experience where your faith was definitely impacted by a fellow believer.

Commitment to God - v.4 (Part 2: Trust in Idols)

Running after false gods leads to sorrow. This misery can be multiplied in usually one of two places: (1) The lie of attainment (materialism, self-improvement, physical pleasure). These are not bad things in and of themselves, but they are never meant to take the place of God. (2) The lie of overindulgence (this is where we pursue meaning in what we do, meaning in what we possess, and looking for meaning in who we are). These are like drinking saltwater, the pleasures of this world only make us thirstier.

Discussion: Henry Scougal sums up this conflict between trusting the true God and following false gods in the statement, “The love of the world the love of God are like scales of a balance - as the one fails, the other rises.” Joy coms in following God, sorrow from following false gods. Can you give any examples of experiencing this in your own life? What did you learn from the experience? 

Contentment from God - v.5-8

Commitment to Jesus leads to contentment from God. Commitment comes first, this is in the ‘head.’ Contentment is in the ‘heart.’ The head and the heart intersect. It is often difficult to trust God when we face difficult circumstances (e.g. difficult boss, poor grades in school, struggles in marriage, ill health, abuse, pain, heartbreak, loss, etc.) . It comes back to finding satisfaction in Jesus. This is the key (v.8). David sets the Lord always before him. The pursuit of joy begins with commitment to God, and then contentment from God follows. Once there is commitment and contentment — the head and the heart are in the same place, and confidence follows.

Discussion: There are Christians who put the primary focus on ‘heart.’ Their emphasis is on feelings. What do these passages say about this?

Confidence in God - v.9-11

David has a reason for his confidence in God: commitment + contentment = confidence. This is summed up nicely in v.9, “therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” But v.10 transitions into a Messianic promise about the “Holy One” who will never suffer decay (used by Paul to describe Jesus in Acts 13:35). It is because of Christ’s love shown to us at the cross that we can have confidence. How can we reconcile God’s goodness to our circumstances? How can we trust God in difficulties? “Because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

FINAL THOUGHTS: —— The last verse is a summary verse of the entire psalm, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The commitment to God is the path, the contentment from God comes from His presence, and the confidence we have in God leads to ‘pleasures’ forevermore. This truth has been a foundational truth in Reformed circles for nearly 500 years. The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “ 

Psalm 15 Devotion

Key points:

- A person who enjoys friendship with God pursues holiness in his conversation, company, commitments and dealings. The promise is that he will not be shaken.

- True worship is not an event it’s an everyday life lived before God. A life lived Coramdeo.

- True worship affects every aspect of your life, thinking about loving God and loving neighbor.

- The promise of the righteous not being shaken is because they have God as their stability.

- There are many opportunities to get shaken when we face hard circumstances but we are to remember God is our rock.

- Jesus enables our relationship with God, bears fruits of righteousness in us and ground our lives in times of trouble.

My response to George Floyd's Murder

People used to wait for a back story to justify senseless murder but lately it's becoming blatantly clear that some lives are worth less to other individuals. 

“Racism / injustice is not getting worse it’s being filmed ”
— Will Smith

The composure of these officers have while sentencing a man to death is maddening. 

What do see here: 

I see George Floyd an image-bearer trampled on the ground because someone else assigned him a lower value than his God-endowed value. 

I see a man who was given by God to his family as a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3) but yet someone thought he was a worth less gift.

I see a man fearfully and wonderfully made, who God has wonderful thought towards but another deemed him a a feared creature that deserves to be trampled and suffocated. 

I see a man who was worth the Son of God being trampled so he can be treated as royalty but yet another deemed his crown of glory smaller than his and didn’t even flinch when he took his last breath 

I see my father in George Floyd 

I see my brother in George Floyd

I see my neighbor in George Floyd 

I see my son in George Floyd 

I see myself in George Floyd 

 I think about George Floyd today and know that like many of us  he watched Ahmaud Arbery’s murder and wondered if he, his brothers or someone he knew would be next. And he was. 

Now the wonder is ours... 

- if it’s not your wonder you might be one of the lucky ones

......but yet I implore you to share in the wonder that it could be one of your closest people to experience this barbaric injustice. 

And I implore you to get outraged by this . 

_______

Now please officer this is larger than drawing lines between blue lives and black lives 

  • It’s about human dignity so please can we hear your outrage so that we know that’s not what we should expect from you. 

  • it’s about protect and serve not serving an instant death penalty so let’s hear your outrage so that we know this is not what we should expect from you. 

  • it’s about wielding power in a responsible manner than abusing it to be an instrument of taking lives instead of protecting them. Let’s hear your outrage so we can know that’s not what to expect from you.

  • it’s about the fact that I should be glad to see you instead of freaking out even when I’m the one who has called you. So please let’s hear your outrage so that we can know that’s not what to expect from you. 

We want to hear you adress your fellow officers in outrage Saying this is not what we signed up for 

Now my white brothers 

  • Let me hear your outrage 

  • Church let me hear your outrage because you stand on God's side on this issue 

Read Psalm 10 with me :

Psalm 10:1–18 (CSB) — 1 Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble? 2 In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. 3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord. 4 In all his scheming, the wicked person arrogantly thinks, “There’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” 5 His ways are always secure; your lofty judgments have no effect on him; he scoffs at all his adversaries. 6 He says to himself, “I will never be moved— from generation to generation without calamity.” 7 Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. 8 He waits in ambush near settlements; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless; 9 he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize a victim; he seizes a victim and drags him in his net. 10 So he is oppressed and beaten down; helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength. 11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he hides his face and will never see.” 12 Rise up, LordGod! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed. 13 Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.” 14 But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found. 16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, 18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.

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