FRIDAY DECEMBER 31, 2010

Read Nehemiah 1:

The Blessings of Fasting.

What does fasting achieve? Is it something I should be actively involved in? Can it help me in my walk with the Lord?

The Scriptures are adamant that fasting draws us nearer to the Lord and has benefits in our walk with Him.  But we must never seek to manipulate God through our fasting.

1/. Nehemiah 1:4-11

Nehemiah wept that the city of Jerusalem was in ruins. He fasted and mourned  and then prayed to God. His prayer request was heard and granted.

The link between fasting and answered prayer is clearly established. As we throw ourselves in complete dependence upon God, He hears and answers.

2/. Esther 4:16

Esther and the Jews fasted and prayed for 3 days before Esther was to approach the king. Her approach could have spelt immediate death but because the people humbled themselves before the Lord, He was gracious to them and protected them.

3/. Ezra 8:23

Ezra and the people fasted and petitioned the Lord to protect them as they journeyed to Jerusalem. The Lord heard their prayer and brought them safely back to the Promised Land.

4/. Isaiah 58:8-12

In Isaiah we read of direct promises related to fasting. Starting from Isaiah 58:6, we see the kind of fast that God has ordained and then we see the blessings of that fast.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched

land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

Notice what God promises when fasting is done in the true spirit of fasting:-

• our light will shine


• healing will appear


• our righteousness will go before us


• God will be our rear guard


• God will answer us and hear our cries for help


• our light will rise in the darkness


• our nights will become like noon day


• The Lord will guide us


• He will satisfy our needs


• He will strengthen us


• We will rebuild ancient ruins.

From this passage alone we can rest assured that God blesses fasting. While it is not a tool to manipulate God, it is a way that we can draw near to God, seek His guidance and involvement in our lives.

5/. Matthew 6:17-18

As Jesus discoursed on hypocrisy and leading a sincere life for Christ He spoke about fasting. Jesus said,

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

While we are not told what the reward of God will entail we are promised that God will reward sincere, humble fasting that is not for public show or for winning approval from men.

For Consideration:-

A/. Which of these blessings appeal to you personally? Why?

B/. What would you describe as the point of fasting?

C/. Should a Christian fast? Explain your answer.

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for the year that has past. Pray that 2011 will be a year of serving God wholeheartedly, of growing His Kingdom and doing the work that He has called us as a congregation and as individuals to do.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 30, 2010

Read Ezra 8

Other Issues To Consider

Don’t be afraid to be honest.

In studying fasting, we can be easily confused or somewhat apprehensive. If we were to be truly honest, we might say something like, ‘It bothers me that there is no command to fast in the NT. It is assumed and mentioned in background texts only’.  Or we might have to admit that our fasts in the past have achieved very little.

While we may never have fasted in the past, we need to be honest and we need to bring our concerns humbly before the Lord.

Context.

Closely related to this is the concept of honesty is the issue of context. As you read the various texts about a topic you must read each of those verses in the context of the larger chapter, then the larger book, then the testament and then the whole Bible. Any text without a context is a pretext to say whatever you want.

Eg: 2 Sam 12:22 David says, ‘While the child was alive I fasted and wept. I thought, Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’… Without context I could argue that you need to fast when someone you love is ill and if you fast well enough then God may be gracious to you and heal the sick one.

Contextually, the child was ill because David committed adultery. It was punishment for his sin.  David was fasting out of repentance and was told that the child would die 2 Sam 12:14. David’s house, as a consequence of his sin, would be bound with death and bloodshed.

For Consideration:-

A/. What issues do you have with fasting?

B/. What do you feel the Scripture is saying about fasting as a general picture?

Prayer:-

• Ask God to bless the singles in our congregation with a deep sense of closeness to the Lord, with deep friendships and the ability to serve and minister in powerful ways. Pray that God would meet all the needs of the singles so that they can focus on Him and serve Him wholeheartedly.


• Pray that God would bind us all together with strong cords of love and unity. Pray that our commitment to Christ would allow us to love and serve each other, to forgive when necessary and to walk patiently with each other.

When we fast we are stating with our entire being that man does not live by bread alone.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29, 2010

Read Mark 2:18-22

Direct New Testament Teachings.

There are several passages where Jesus talks about fasting:-

Matthew 9:14ff, Mark 2:18ff.

In these parables Jesus talks about the old age and the new age. We can assume that the old age is the age of the Law (OT) and the new age is the age of Jesus coming.  What Jesus says is clear.

Mark 2:20 ‘...But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast…’

If Jesus is the bridegroom then when He is taken away fasting will be appropriate. This is backed up in the book of Acts with the NT church fasting and praying etc.

Jesus follows the OT and tells us that Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4.

What God is saying is that true life, real life, comes not from food alone but from hearing (and doing - see the context of Deuteronomy 8:3) the word of our Lord. As we fast, we begin to see the reality of that promise/statement. Without fasting we will never know how true it really is.

When we fast we are stating with our entire being that the above is true. We are abstaining from food/water showing God that we believe that ‘Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2010

Read Zechariah 7:4-5

General Truths About Fasting

1. Fasting is For God.

Zechariah 7:4-5 makes it clear that our fasting is to be directed primarily towards God. It is not about us, other people or other things. It is something done in reverence and worship of God.

Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me:-

"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?’”

Romans 6:14 captures this same sentiment even though it doesn’t particularly mention fasting.

He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

2. Meeting with God.

When Moses met with God on the Mount of Sinai he fasted for 40 days. Exodus 24:18, 34:28, Deut 9:9, 9:18 should also be read.

King David, after committing adultery, fasted. While this was partly due to repentance, he did seek to meet with the Lord through his process of fasting. See 2 Samuel 12:19-22.

Ezra petitioned God and sought His favour through fasting.  Ezra 8:21-32.

Esther (4:16) sought the Lord’s favour and protection through fasting together with all the Jews.

We could at this stage extrapolate to conclude that when we are to meet with God for extended periods, fasting may be appropriate. We cannot, however, command this kind of fasting for all believers.

3. Fasting in Repentance.

Several other passages show that fasting was carried out when the people of God repented of their sinfulness. Deut 9:18, Judges 20:26, 1 Sam 7:6, 1 Kings 21:27-28, 2 Chronicles 20:3, Daniel 9:3, Joel 2:12, Jonah 3:5-8,.

4. In Mourning.

In the Scriptures there are several instances where people fast as a sign of their mourning loved ones who have died. 2 Samuel 12:16-17,  1 Chronicles 10:12. Ezra in Ezra 10:6 fasts in mourning over the Israelites sin. This kind of fasting as a

sign of mourning is probably more cultural than mandatory. There is no scriptural condemnation of our food filled wakes during mourning.

5. Seeking a Decision/Answer from the Lord.

Closely related to the second point, we see that many of the faithful men and women of the Bible sought the Lord’s decision or favour through fasting. Judges 20:26.

2 Samuel 12:16ff David seeks God’s healing for his son.

2 Chronicles 20:3 Jehoshaphat seeks the Lord’s will through a fast.

Ezra 8:22ff Ezra seeks the Lord’s protection through fasting.

Acts 13:2-3 the NT church fasted and prayed and learnt the will of God for Barnabas and Saul.

In Acts 14:23 they fasted and prayed and committed these men to God.

6. Fasting and Sin.

The Scriptures are exceptionally clear about the link between fasting and sin.

Isaiah 58:3 tells us that Israel sinned during her fast because she chose to do as she pleased, neglecting the law of the Lord.

Isaiah 58:4 tells us that the fasts of Israel ended with fighting and quarrelling. The outcome of this is that their prayers would not be heard by God.

Isaiah 58:5 shows that true fasting is humbling ourselves before the Lord. Obedience is the key to godly fasting.

Isaiah 58:6-7 shows that when we fast we should have compassion on the needy. Clearly God sees our fast as other centred and not as solely ‘me’ centred.

Jeremiah 14:12, The Lord will not accept the fast of the Israelites because of their sin and will bring judgement down upon the people.

Zechariah 7:5 confronts the people and challenges them. Was the fast really for God or for your own ends??

Matthew 6:16, Jesus shows that we can fast and be hypocritical by seeking praise from men. Luke 18:12ff shows the same point.

7. Fasting and Temptation.

When Jesus was led out to the desert to be tempted He fasted for 40 days and nights. Matt 4:1ff, and Luke 4:1ff link the temptation with fasting. Fasting can be a means of enduring temptation or conversely, it can lead be a source of temptation.

For Consideration:

A/. Which of the above 7 points apply to your own fasting directly?

B/. As you read the Scriptures what do you hope to gain from fasting?

Prayer:-

• Pray for those who have been preaching and teaching regularly throughout 2010 - children’s workers, youth leaders, elders and pastors. Pray for a deep rest and renewal in the Lord’s strength and mercy. Pray  for godly and biblical input into their lives so that they can be ready to preach and teach in 2011.


• Pray that God would raise up servants and workers for all the needed areas in 2011.

Monday December 27, 2010

Read Isaiah 58

Fasting is the process by which a believer abstains from food and/or drink for a period of time for a specific God directed purpose.

The incredible thing about fasting in the Bible is that it is never actually explained or detailed. It is assumed to be a regular part of the believer’s life band worship. To understand fasting we need to read the relevant Bible verses in context and draw out implications and/or mandates for us.

For Consideration:

A/. What is your current opinion on fasting?

B/. Have you fasted in the past? If ‘No’ What issues have stopped you?

C/. What do you feel was achieved by your fasting?

Prayer:-

• Pray that all those involved in ministry and service this year will have a refreshing break and be renewed in the Lord’s strength for 2011. Pray that God would continue to raise up more workers for the harvest field in 2011.


• Pray that 2011 will be a year of great work for the Lord, a year where we see God doing awesome things among us and through us. Pray for great growth in the Kingdom throughout 2011.

Friday December 24, 2010

Read Luke 2

It warms my heart to know that God always intended the good news of Jesus’ birth to be for all people, not just the well to do, the rich and the powerful.

We see this in so many ways throughout the gospel presentations. Joseph and Mary are relatively poor. As we see later in the chapter they offer pigeons for the appropriate sacrifice. These were the accepted sacrifices for those who couldn’t afford more expensive sacrifices.  They ended up having the baby in a manger. There are no plush hotels, no red carpet and no servants to wait upon them.

Out in the field the shepherds, while watching their flocks, see a host of angels. Shepherds were the paupers of society. They were the lowest of low. They were despised so much that their testimony was not often allowed in a court of law. To be a shepherd was to be a low and often rejected member of society. Yet to these nobodies came a host of angels proclaiming that a Saviour has been born in Bethlehem - the town of David. It was to these shepherds that the angels declared the glory of God, the promise of peace to all upon those whom God’s favour rests. To these shepherds God disclosed the identity and location of the new born King. These lowly shepherds were able to see Jesus with His mother and step-father in the manger. They were able to worship Him and spread the good news that the Saviour, the Messiah was born, on this very first Christmas Day!

A widow who lived in the temple, though poor, was able to see the Lord Jesus Christ and praise Him. She had no worldly assets, no fortune, no retirement fund. But she was privileged to be able to prophesy about that New Born King.

And yet at the other extreme we see that wise men, magi, came from the East. These were educated men. They were wealthy enough to bring hugely expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the new born king. They were educated enough to know that a star, a very unusual star marked the location of a new born King.

The new born King came for people from all walks of life, from all levels of society, from all nations and backgrounds. No one can claim exclusivity to the new born King. He came to take away the sins of the world. He came to bring people from every nation, tribe and tongue into the heavenly Kingdom of God.

Tomorrow as you celebrate Christmas why not take a small blessing to church and pass it on to someone who you wouldn’t normally mix with. Give them a blessing as Christ has given you a blessing.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the Kingdom of God would grow tomorrow as the gospel is faithfully preached. Ask God to grant faith and repentance to those who are visiting church.


• Pray that those serving as missionaries overseas would be comforted and kept close to God as they miss out on Christmas with family and friends. Ask God to grant them a special blessing this Christmas to compensate and make up for the losses they face in being so far away from family and friends.

Thursday December 23, 2010

Read Galatians 5:16-26

As most believers know there is a spiritual war raging. Often that battle is fought internally. Our flesh, our bodies wage a war against the Spirit within us. One wants to please Christ Jesus. The other wants to please the natural, carnal desires of humanity. The battle is intense and often we fall victim to the lusts and desires of the flesh.

The Word of God lists for us the acts or the fruit of the sinful nature so that we know what to look out for in our lives. By listing these things we know what to avoid and what the desires of the flesh look like. Knowing the enemy is half the battle in defeating the enemy.  But in contrast, to the fruits of the flesh, are the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control come from

The Word of God lists for us the acts or the fruit of the sinful nature so that we know what to look out for in our lives. By listing these things we know what to avoid and what the desires of the flesh look like. Knowing the enemy is half the battle in defeating the enemy.  But in contrast, to the fruits of the flesh, are the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control come from living in step with the Holy Spirit.

Each day we have a choice to feed the lusts of the flesh or the desires of the Spirit. That which we feed grows and matures while the other shrinks and slowly dies out.  You can understand what’s really happening if you picture a rich, sweet, juicy apple tree grafted onto a sour crab apple root stock. We are that root stock - by nature a sour small crab apple that is good for nothing and bound for the compost heap. But God grafted into us a rich, sweet juicy apple. The graft marks the point at which we came to Christ Jesus. Any branches below the graft will grow fruit from the old stock. That’s the small bitter crab apple. As we allow the lusts of the flesh into our lives and we chase those lusts or feed them (by indulging them) we are allowing the fruit below the graft to feed and to grow. Naturally the fruit above the graft will not grow and mature. It will slowly die and be reduced to nothing.  But if we break off the branches below the graft and refuse to feed them we allow the fruit above the graft (the fruit of the Spirit) to grow and thrive. As we fertilise the soil (by prayer, reading the Word, fellowship etc) and continue to break off new growth below the graft we are ensuring that the fruit of the Spirit grows and matures within us. Each day we have a choice to feed the lusts of the flesh or the desires of the Spirit.

Some days that choice will be easy. On other days that battle will rage violently and constantly within you. On those days you need to have a mature Christian friend you can get together with to pray, to read the word and to confess to. You need to have the loving support of a mature Christian believer who can walk with you, cry with you and support you through the toughest battles.

As we grow in Christ as a community sharing our struggles and victories we will individually crucify our passions and desires more and more. It was never meant to be a solo struggle, a fight behind closed doors. God has given us community to help us, to strengthen us and to edify us. God has given us each other so that we can fight together.

Prayer:-

• Pray that God will equip you and empower you to grow the fruit of the Spirit more in your life. Read through the list in Galatians 5:22-23 and ask particularly for the fruit that is missing in your life.


• Pray that a full and rich sense of community and support will grow up in your congregation. Pray that pride and self promotion will die out as individuals take up genuine love and concern for each other.

Wednesday December 22, 2010

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

A mechanic went to the local car yard dump site and picked out the worst bomb he could find. It was a rusty wreck that had no hope of ever functioning properly. It was a complete write-off!  But that mechanic took the car home and worked meticulously on it. He renewed it. He cut out the rust. He worked on the motor. He repainted it. He fixed the upholstery. He gave up everything to fix that car.

The life of that car describes somewhat the life that you and I have in Christ. We were on the scrap heap without hope in this world. Jesus came into our dump yard and through His death and resurrection renewed us. He worked on us and made us completely new again. Verses 1-3 describe our hopeless life without Christ Jesus. We are that broken, rusted wreck sitting helplessly in the junk yard.

But Jesus comes in and in vs 4-7 He picks us up and works on us. With great love, patience and mercy Jesus transforms us into His image. We are made into a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Now just imagine if that transformed wreck of a car could actually communicate with us. Would that car, in all its beauty and prestige, boast about itself and congratulate itself and brag about how good it is? Would it drive down the street and shout out ‘Look at me. Look at me!’ Of course it wouldn’t. It would, more than likely, give all praise, glory and honour to the mechanic. It would drive the mechanic around with pride - pride in him for he has done all the work.  Verses 8-10 summarise how you and I should live given that the eternal heavenly mechanic has worked on us. It is by His grace we are saved. We should not boast in ourselves or what we’ve done. We should boast in what our mechanic has done in our lives. People who once saw the wreck in the junk yard should see the work of our Saviour, His grace and mercy in our lives. They should see Jesus hand print all over our lives.

Also we should willingly, joyously do the work that God called us to do. God pulled us out of the junk yard and renewed us with a purpose in mind. He had a job for us to do and we should willingly, joyously and even eager do the work for which we have been recreated to do.

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for His grace and mercy in your life. Play a Christian praise song or 12 and sing praise, honour and glory to God.


• Pray that the Grace of God would be clearly communicated this Christmas throughout the churches in our land. Pray that God would bring new life to those who are visiting our churches. Pray that we see God powerfully at work in our churches this year.

Tuesday December 21, 2010

Ephesians 1:1-14

Trying to understand the gospel and the love of God is like standing in a room with many mirrors - the more you look the more you see. The images continue to reflect as far as your eye can see. As we study the love of God, His love reflects in our lives and hearts as far as we can see. The more we look, the more we see of His beauty and love. Older Christians (not age wise but those who have been Christian longer) should be the most joyous and praise filled believers as they’ve had more time to peer into the depths of God’s love. Ephesians 1:1-14 is a mine shaft of jewels of God’s love. It could take years to mine out all the jewels from this one passage let alone from the entire Bible. Rejoice!  Praise God!

Let me rattle off a few of the images of God’s love that appear in this passage. Firstly, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Not one spiritual blessing has been omitted in Christ. You have them all. Read that very carefully. In Christ Jesus you have every spiritual blessing; not one is missing; not one is held back

Let me rattle off a few of the images of God’s love that appear in this passage. Firstly, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Not one spiritual blessing has been omitted in Christ. You have them all. Read that very carefully. In Christ Jesus you have every spiritual blessing; not one is missing; not one is held back from you; you have them all. Secondly, God chose to lavish you with His love from the creation of the world. If you can picture God as an architect drawing up the plans for the world, you can see your picture in His drawing with a post it note reading, ‘Lavish __________ with my love.’ Your name is written in the blank. God’s riches, God’s grace, God’s forgiveness have been lavished upon you. He hasn’t got out His heavenly eye dropper and measured out a measly, miniscule amount. He has lavished you with His love and forgiveness. Instead of giving you a small drop of love, God has poured the entire ocean upon you. Your life in Christ will be to the praise and glory of Him who called you. On judgement day people will look at you, the angels and heavenly beings will look at you and sing praise and glory to God.

We could go on expanding and detailing more and more of God’s love  from this single passage. We could write entire volumes about God’s love - many people have. Go out and read them.  But notice vs 13-14! Read them slowly and carefully. God has sealed you with His Holy Spirit. God has put His mark on you so that nothing or no one in this world, or the next can take God’s love away from you. God has given you the perfect guarantee that He will walk you into His heavenly kingdom. Nothing can undo that promise or guarantee.  God has made a heavenly inheritance for you. He has made you for that heavenly inheritance. And God will bring the two together on the final day of judgment. All that belongs to Christ Jesus will be waiting for you.

What’s the appropriate response to such love? Why not pray about it and ask God?

Prayer:-

• Pray that God would show you the appropriate response to His love and mercy to you personally. Pray that your heart will be filled with joy and gratitude as you live in His love.


• Pray that the students at The Reformed Bible Institute and Grace College in Myanmar would be equipped to share the love of Christ throughout this predominantly Buddhist nation. Pray that many would come to know Jesus personally as the students preach faithfully and courageously.

Monday December 20, 2010

Read Luke 9:18-27

Who is Jesus? That may sound like a strange question and you may be able to rattle of an answer very quickly. But what if I were to ask, Who is Jesus to YOU?, it’s a whole new ball game.  The difference in the question is the difference between knowing Jesus

Who is Jesus? That may sound like a strange question and you may be able to rattle of an answer very quickly. But what if I were to ask, Who is Jesus to YOU?, it’s a whole new ball game.  The difference in the question is the difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus.  I know about our prime minister but I don’t know her personally. I can tell you things about her that I’ve read but I don’t really know her.

When it comes to Jesus there are many ways or types of knowing. We can know about Jesus. We can know some facts about Him, or we can know Him intimately like we know a friend or a family member. Hence, the question, Who Is Jesus To YOU?

Throughout the gospels (the histories written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we see that there were many people who knew Jesus at these different levels.

As Jesus poses the question to the disciples, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ we can be assured that many in the crowds were ignorant of Jesus. Some people had no idea of Jesus’ true identity and had no desire to find out. Many people rejected Jesus outright. Similarly today, many people are ignorant of Jesus and reject Him outright. They want nothing to do with Jesus and reject Him completely. However, I’ve found in practice that they reject Jesus without knowing who they’re rejecting or why they are rejecting him. If you are ignorant of Jesus and are rejecting Him, let me ask you this: Who are you really rejecting and why are you rejecting Him?

Still others in the crowd were inappropriately informed about Jesus.   They knew Jesus but thought that He was one of the prophets of old. Some thought He was a reincarnation or revisitation of Elijah or perhaps Moses or maybe even John the Baptist who had just recently been beheaded.  Even today many people are inappropriately informed about Jesus. Some see Him simply as the healer to call on when sickness comes or when life needs healing. Others see Him as the great psychologist to help themselves feel good about the image they see in the mirror each morning. Others see Him as a genie that gives, not three, but countless wishes to meet their every need and fantasy.

Still others are informed. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. He knew that Jesus was fulfilling many of the prophecies in the OT about the Messiah. Peter had nit the nail on the head in confessing Christ. He was informed. But he still had a lot to learn. Some people who are informed about Jesus think that the key to salvation is knowledge. As long as you know about Jesus you’ll be alright. As long as you can talk about Jesus and quote things about Him you’ll be fine. But knowledge of Jesus is useless in our salvation. It cannot and will not help us in finding eternal life and peace with God.  Peter, at this stage of his walk with Jesus, was informed but he was not an insider. Jesus immediately began to teach that He must die and be rejected. He stated it very clearly:-

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

But Peter and disciples couldn’t understand the real meaning of these words until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Only then could they become insiders. An insider is someone who knows Christ personally and intimately. An insider knows that Jesus had to die on the cross for his/her own sins personally and that Jesus was raised to eternal life. An insider worships Jesus because he/she loves Jesus from the depths of his/her heart. He/she is grateful, eternally grateful, for what Jesus has done for him/her. An insider is joyously willing to take up his/her cross to follow Jesus wherever He may lead.

Who is Jesus to YOU?

Prayer:-

• Pray that many people will become “insiders” this Christmas season as both you, your cell group and your church proclaim the good news. Pray that each group  will have many opportunities to share the love of God in both word and deed.


• Pray for the work of Creation Research as they seek to bring more people to believe in the historicity of the Scriptures. Pray for much needed finances and personnel resources to be provided by the Lord's generous hand.

As the down hill run to Christmas Day continues, prayerfully       consider ways you can be a blessing to others each day this week  to those in your congregation. Prayer cards,    letters, a phone call,      a small gift, a coffee date all communicate love and blessing.

Saturday December 18, 2010

Read Matthew 3:13-17

Westerners are so individualistic that we tend to miss out on the corporateness and community centeredness of the Bible. We read everything through the eyes of our rugged individuality. Though individuality has brought many blessings to our nation, it has also left us bereft of a great deal of understanding and knowledge. We are biblically poorer and less literate, because we refuse to see the corporate and community nature of the Scriptures.

Let’s put aside our individual tendencies and think corporately through today’s passage. Try to lay aside the urge to think in terms of ‘Me’, or ‘I’. Think about corporate Israel throughout the Old Testament. Israel was often called God’s Son. The nation was the beloved Son of God. It was only together, as a corporate body, that the Son of God existed. But that nation continued to rebel against God. The Son continued to spurn the Father’s love and to turn away with a stiff neck and hard heart. God put up with the nation’s rebellion for many centuries until He, in anger and wrath, sent them into exile.

From within that corporate body came a smaller group that would replace the Son image. The remnant from within exile and beyond it would be the Son of God. Together this smaller group would form the true Israel and would be loved and blessed by God as a father loves and blesses his son. But even this smaller group rejected God and spurned His love. Even this smaller group proved to be stiff necked and rebellious.

As Jesus comes to be baptised by John, we need to remember that Jesus has nothing to repent of. If we think in terms of rugged individualism we have a glaring problem - how can the Son of God, the perfect one, the one without sin, submit willing to a baptism of repentance when He has nothing to repent of?? Corporately, we make headway and can understand the situation. This baptism of repentance is effectively one man representing the true Israel. He is the one, the only one, that embodies all that God expected of His Son. As the corporate head of the nation He submits to a baptism of repentance on behalf of the nation, so that He can bring blessing to the nation and beyond them, to the entire world.  He submits to the baptism so that He can call true Israel to Himself, an Israel that consists of Jews and Gentiles throughout the entire world.

And of course God confirms the Sonship of Jesus. As He emerges from the Baptism, the heavens open up and a voice is heard proclaiming, ‘This is my Son whom I love. with Him I am well pleased.’ Christ is vindicated as the true Israel, the true son of God who will bring forth the blessings promised by God to all the families of the earth. He is the one who will put God’s plan of salvation into effect and allow people to come to the Lord in repentance and faith.

But for this to happen, Jesus must walk the path of those who deserve the wrath of God. Jesus must bear upon Himself, as the true Israel, the punishment that the nation deserved for rejecting God. He must wear the punishment of the Gentiles for turning their back on God if they too are to be included in the New Israel. Thus we see Jesus submitting humbly and obediently to death - even death on a cross! He willingly goes to Jerusalem knowing that He’ll be falsely tried and executed. He willingly prays to God, ‘Not my will but thine be done!’. He willingly, even joyously, offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for His once-for-all sacrifice. Put on some Christian praise music and sing praises to God.  Spend time thanking God for His salvation, Jesus for His work at Calvary and the Holy Spirit for bringing to the Good News to you.


• Pray that your church would have opportunity to preach to thousands this season the good news that Jesus is the one who saves us from our sins and opens the door to eternal life.

Friday December 17, 2010

Read Matthew 3:11-12

As John the Baptist preaches repentance and baptism for forgiveness, he fulfils his mission by pointing to the one he came to announce - the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This coming Lord will have a sifting ministry. He will come with His winnowing fork in His hand and He will separate the chaff (the useless outer covering) from the seed. He will separate the sheep from the goats. The chaff will be burnt with unquenchable fire!

The Messiah, the coming Lord, will separate people by the giving of the Holy Spirit. Those who have the Spirit will be sealed and redeemed for the day of judgement. They will be led and guided by the Spirit. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that includes you.

The Holy Spirit is God in us bringing us to be more like Jesus each and every day. As

The Holy Spirit is God in us bringing us to be more like Jesus each and every day. As we walk in step by the Spirit and live in the Spirit, as we put to death the misdeeds of the body by the power of the Spirit, we will grow closer to God through Christ. The Holy Spirit is God living with us and empowering us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. By the power of God in us we can say NO to sin. We can turn from the path of ungodliness. We can turn away from temptation. We can pursue righteousness and holiness. By Him and through Him we can do the work that God has called us to do.

As we live by the power of the Holy Spirit there will be a distinguishing mark about you. People around you will see Jesus in you. They will see an irresistible likeness between you and Jesus. This will offend some. They may persecute you and seek to get rid of you. Others will be drawn to Jesus and will seek out this God that you worship.

What a joy to think that this season God will use you to bring some to Christ. What a blessing to know that God’s plan to bring salvation to the ends of the earth includes you.

Prayer:-

• Praise God that He has included you in His eternal plan to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Pray that you will have opportunities to partake in that plan by sharing the gospel with someone today.


• Pray for the Mustard Seed Orphanage. Pray that God would provide them with funds, food and resources to make Christmas a  joyous time for  the orphans and widows that they support. Pray that many would hear of Jesus’ love and respond appropriately this season.

Thursday December 16, 2010

Read Matthew 3:7-10

As John the Baptist preached, his hearers would have gritted their teeth and flinched! They would have been squirming! Why?

Firstly, it’s hard to hear about sin and repentance. It’s hard to be told that we might not be walking on the right path, or that we might not be as good as we like to think we are. John’s audience was originally the religious leaders - Sadducees and Pharisees. These were men who prided themselves on their righteousness. But John cries out  that they must produce fruit in keeping with repentance. The axe is at the root of the tree. Judgement is about to be served on those who don’t repent.

Secondly, pride stops us from wanting to hear about sin. As we look at the state of the world and the sinful and awful things that have occurred we can easily conclude, ‘Hey, I’m not that bad. I’m ok!’  But this is a false notion. God never calls us to be comparing ourselves to other people. He never wants us to measure up to mankind’s standards. The bench mark for us is God’s own Word. God has set a standard and that standard is absolute perfection. In the depths of my heart, I yearn to look at others so I can at least pretend to be better than I am. But looking at God’s own standard forces us to the cross to find forgiveness. As we come to the cross daily for forgiveness we grow in grace. We grow in love.  We grow in humility and we grow in Christ-likeness.

Thirdly, we have swallowed the lie that people will not come to Christ if we talk about sin. But people need to know what they have been saved from. People need to understand their real condition before God. If we preach a half gospel message of God loves you, we will see an Exodus from the church as soon the sun rises and it gets a bit hot for Jesus’ sake. Half hearted gospel messages produce fickle followers that run off as soon as they don’t get what they want.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the preachers across this land will not hesitate to preach the full gospel this Christmas. Pray that we’d see many of the once-a-year Christians come to Christ in repentance and faith. Pray that God would use our churches powerfully this season to communicate the love of Christ.


• Pray for the Student Life members who’ll be ministering and serving on Christmas missions. Pray that God would use these men and women to bring hope and light and life to the schoolies. Pray for those going to Turkey. Ask God to use them to bring many to Christ in repentance and faith. Pray that all the finances required for each person will be raised and that all resources will be provided.

Wednesday December 15, 2010

Read Matthew 3:4-6

I love the description of Elijah throughout the Bible. He’s a man of God. He’s passionate. He’s powerfully used by God. But he’s real. He’s human and he struggles like you and I do. He has bouts of depression and doubt. He cries out to God and even questions God. He walks honestly with God and never plays pretend.  We’re even told in James 5 that he was a man just like you and I.

But Elijah the prophet was only second to Moses the prophet of God. He was greatly revered and the Jews stood in awe and wonder. They even waited for an Elijah type figure to inaugurate the age of the Messiah. The Elijah figure would lead the way for Messiah.

Given that John the Baptist has already been preparing the way for Yahweh, it’s no wonder that we immediately read of Mark 1:6:-

John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

While this may seem confusing and irrelevant at first, the writer is simply equating John with the Elijah figure of the past who also wore such clothing and ate similar food.  2 Kings 1:8 describes the former prophet:-

They replied, "He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite."

Also like Elijah (see 1 Kings 19) John the Baptist lived in the desert or more correctly, the wilderness. And so the wilderness became a symbol and expected place of God’s redemption and salvation.

And so the people had a living symbol that the Lord Himself was about to come in fulfilment of the Lord’s own prophecy:-

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.”

An Elijah figure would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord. This figure head would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and would make the nation ready for Him.

The Elijah has come and has prepared our hearts for the coming of Yahweh in the person of Christ Jesus. Let us worship the Lord and bring Him glory with every aspect of our lives.

Prayer:-

• As Christmas draws near pray for the opportunity to invite friends and family to our church Christmas day service. Pray for opportunities to shine the light of Jesus brightly as Christmas Day approaches.


• Pray for the orphan program and widows program in Shiloh Church ministries. Ask the Lord to bless this Christian organisation with enough resources and funds to give gifts and blessings to the many widows and orphans that they support.


• Continue to pray for our preparations to send a team to build the orphanage second storey, to teach pastors and to reach out to the local indigenous people. Ask God to raise up a team, to provide the much needed finances and to bring great blessing through this team.

Tuesday December 14, 2010

Read Matthew 3:3. Isaiah 40

As John the Baptist preaches in the desert he quotes Isaiah 40. John is consciously preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our world. As we study carefully Isaiah 40:3 we see that it’s the Lord (Yahweh - note the capitals in your NIV Bible) who is coming. Jesus is coming in the NT and Yahweh is coming in the OT. What does it say about Jesus, except that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty and comes in His name.

This coming one will bring comfort. The repetition of ‘comfort’ in Isaiah 40:1 suggests that it’s a deep deep comfort from God Himself. He will speak tenderly and lovingly to the people telling them that their sins are paid for, their hard service has come to an end. Blessing and restitution are coming. The sovereign Lord is coming to tend and shepherd His flock. He is coming to lead them to green pastures. The creator God is coming to bring strength and vitality back to His people. There’s no more need to complain. There’s no more need to cry out and writhe in agony because Yahweh is coming to help His people.

You and I have a great message of comfort to take to the people of this world. To those who are burdened by their sins, to those chained in captivity, to those under the power of  the evil one,  we have deeply comforting good news - news that Jesus has paid for their sin. Jesus has set them free. Jesus has defeated the evil one and will free them from captivity. Surely, everyone who turns to the Lord will never be driven away. Everyone who comes to Him will never be snatched away. Good news! Comforting News! How beautiful are even the feet of Him who brings such wonderfully good news.

You my brother and sister in Christ have beautiful feet to take this good news to those around you who desperately need to hear it. You are a messenger of comfort to the needy and dying. You are a light of hope, a beacon of salvation to those drowning in the sea of sin.

God has a great rescue plan to save the world. You and I are lifesavers in that rescue plan. He has sent us out in the life raft to gather in those drowning in the sea of sin. We go out with confidence that all who grab the life buoy will be saved.

Prayer:-

• Pray for the work of OMF as they continue to take the message of salvation and good news to various regions around the world. Pray that they would be well equipped and resourced to do the work God has called them to do.


• Pray that God would continue to bless the World Changers Group at ChristLife Presbyterian Church with the funds they need to continue supporting missionaries and to continue planning missions for 2011.

Monday December 13, 2010

Read Matthew 3:1-2

Matthew, unlike, Luke, skips over almost 30 years of history and begins in chapter 3 at the start of Jesus’ ministry as John the Baptist comes on the scene.  John, as you know through reading Luke’s gospel, was Jesus’ cousin. (As they say, Jesus was a Presbyterian. His cousin was the Baptist!)  John had spent many years living in the wilderness, somewhat in exile, preparing for and being prepared for his ministry to pave the way for the coming of Jesus.

As John comes onto the scene he preaches repentance. Repentance is a change in heart and attitude towards the Lord God Almighty. Rather than living our life with ourselves as lord and king, we willingly bow the knee and confess Jesus as our Lord and King. We defer to Him and allow Him to sit upon the throne of our heart. When a person truly repents they are genuinely sorry for rejecting Jesus all their life and they willingly, lovingly and consciously submit their life to Jesus’ kingship. Every area is consciously given over to Jesus in obedience - thought life, affections, emotions, actions, words, finances, work etc etc.

John also preached that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Jews would not say the personal name of God, Yahweh, out of respect and fear of the Lord.  They would use Adonai or Lord. In our English NIV Bibles Yahweh (sometimes translated in some versions as Jehovah) is written as Lord (with capitals) to show that it is the personal name of God being referred to in the Hebrew. At other times, as in Matthew’s gospel, the Jews would use “heaven” when appropriate. The Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of God. When John the Baptist says the Kingdom of Heaven is near, he means the Kingdom of God is near.

But in what way is it near? Does John mean that the return of Jesus is imminent and the new heaven and earth is about to be created? I think not! By saying that the Kingdom of God is near John is testifying that Jesus, the bringer of the Kingdom of God has come. The Kingdom of God is near because the Son of God is here. That is cause for great joy or great alarm, depending on where you sit. If the police come, for example, it’s a cause of fear for those who have done something wrong. If you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s a cause of joy for you know the thief will be caught. The coming of the Kingdom of God would be a great source of joy and elation for those waiting for its coming. It would bring hope and light to those who are close to God and watching to see what God would do. But to those who trusted in their own righteousness and thought that God owed them something it would be a great reason to fear and tremble.

The coming of the Kingdom of God would be either good news or bad news. Which is it for you? Which is it for those around you? Which is it for your family and friends? What about your work mates, your neighbours and your relatives?

Jesus has committed to us the same message of repentance and forgiveness that John (and Jesus!) preached. When He was about to ascend to heaven after His death and resurrection He said these words:-

"This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

From 2000-2005 throughout the world there were about 140 million conversions. That amounts to about 77,000 conversions per day. This figure was possible because men, women and children obeyed the Lord and went out preaching repentance and forgiveness. You too can join the army of the obedient and make disciples. Ask God to lead you and to bring people to you that will repent and believe. Ask God to open doors of opportunity for you. Ask God to use you to bring eternity into someone else’s life. Ask God to save those in your world that are currently headed to eternal destruction.

Prayer:-

• Pray for opportunities to share your faith, to talk of Jesus and to lead people into the Kingdom through repentance and faith. Pray that God would allow you to serve others and through that service, to open doors of gospel sharing.


• Pray that our brothers studying for the ministry at the Reformed Bible College and Grace College in Myanmar would be equipped to preach the gospel and to make disciples. Pray that the college would have all the resources it needs to teach the students. Pray that the students, who work in churches on the weekend, would be effective and powerful preachers of repentance and forgiveness.

Sit over coffee or herbal tea with a mature Christian friend and ask them what needs repenting of in your own life. Trust them enough to carefully pray about what they say. Scary? For Sure!

Saturday December 11, 2010

Read Isaiah 11

The first 40 chapters of Isaiah are not a pretty picture. They are by and large, a word of judgement against the faithless and adulterous Israel. The prophet has harsh words to say as he seeks to bring God’s people back to Himself. But scattered throughout the first 40 chapters are glimpses of hope and salvation. Chapter 11 is one such oasis of hope.

The shoot that comes from the stump of Jesse, the Nazarene as we’ve seen, will grow and judge the world in righteousness. He will slay the wicked and open up a paradise for the chosen of God. He will lead them into a perfect world that makes the current promised land pale into insignificance.

Just picture what this new promised land, this heavenly land, will be like. The wolf and the lamb will play together and they won’t play “come to dinner at my house”.  They will play peacefully, frolicking like two innocent children in the fields. The lamb and the cheetah will lie down together without roast lamb on the menu. The bear and the cow will eat together side by side and even the lion, the great ferocious lion, will eat straw like an ox. Even a child will play with a deadly snake and suffer no harm. They will neither harm nor destroy on the holy mountain of God.

It’s a beautiful picture of paradise and perfection, one that we can only dream about. But it’s no dream.  As you read more of Isaiah you begin to realise that this shoot of Jesse, Christ Jesus, is the one who will call Israel back to Himself, back to this perfect paradise, but the nations will also stream to Him. Nations, other than Jerusalem, will be invited in. In fact, anyone who believes in Christ and loves Him, has entry into this perfect paradise.

But to open the gates to this perfect paradise, Jesus must die on the cross and suffer for the sins committed against God. He does not have to suffer for His own sins but for the sins of the world—for you and I who rebelled against God and broke His law. Jesus pays the penalty for our sins so that we can enter into that perfect paradise for all eternity.

Not only should we be constantly praising God, we should be inviting everyone we meet to join us in that kingdom. We need to be sharing with friends and family, neighbours and strangers, the good news that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Prayer:-

• Pray for the people in your world who are currently distant from Jesus - ie unbelievers. Pray that God would open their eyes to the truth and grant them faith and repentance in Christ Jesus. Pray that they will come to church tomorrow and respond to the good news. Pray for each one by name.

Friday December 10, 2010

Read Matthew 2:19-23

God kept baby Jesus safe by keeping Him in hiding in Egypt. When Herod had died God sent word to the family that all was safe. They were allowed to return to their homeland. But as they came to the land of Israel ungodly Archelaus, son of  Herod the Great, was ruling. He was a viciously cruel man who killed up to 3,000 Pharisees that resisted him.  He deposed three High Priests for monetary gain and is known for his incest and licentiousness.  So God, in His providence warned Joseph , again in a dream, to live in the region of Galilee - one of the cities of which was Nazareth. The whole region to the west of the Jordan river was divided into 3 portions - Galilee in the North, Judea in the South and Samaria in the centre.  As such, the child king could be legitimately called a Nazarene in fulfilment of prophecy.

It’s difficult  to work out where the prophecy came from. No single text matches it well. If however, we trace the Hebrew root word we come to Isaiah 11:1 -

• A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

A netzer is a small twig or sprout, a shoot, that comes up from the stump of a tree. This Nazarene came up from the stump of Jesse - King David’s father. The Netzer would grow and bear fruit and thrive in the presence of the Lord. Even more amazingly, Galilee was inhabited by many Gentiles (non Jews) and was deprecated in the eyes of the Jews and in particular, the leaders. They literally believed that nothing good could come out of Galilee/Nazareth (Jn 1:46, Jn 7:52) because it had been spoiled and defiled by foreign blood.  From humble beginnings would come a tree so grand, so immense that it will rule over the entire world. Everything about the origins of the King of Kings  was humble. Yet He rose, through suffering and death, to sit at the right hand of God Almighty. Through His humility and obedience to God the Father, He was given the name above all names, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

There’s a lesson there for you and I. Jesus spells it our for us in Matthew 23:-

• For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Don’t spend your life seeking your will and enforcing your will upon others. Be humble and seek God’s will. Seek out His plan for your life. Seek to find His purpose for your days and live for Him. Take yourself off the throne and allow God to sit upon the throne in your heart.

Prayer:-

• Pray for the Student Life teams on mission. Pray that God would open up doors for gospel sharing in Byron Bay among schoolies week. Pray that many would come to Christ for salvation and be linked to churches in their own local areas. Pray that God would bring many muslim people to faith through the Turkey Mission as well. Pray for protection for the team and for open doors to speak of the love of Christ as they work in a foreign culture.


• Pray that God would use the students in student life that are graduating to start workplace “Jesus” movements in their respective fields of employment. Pray that we’d see Christianity take hold in many workplaces and bring great glory to our God.

Thursday December 9, 2010

Read Jeremiah 31

There is always hope for the believer. There is always hope. Comforting words when we feel hope and meaning slipping away. As Herod rages against God and seeks to destroy the one born King of the Jews, we know that there is always hope.

Jeremiah 31 captures that hope amidst tragedy for us. God will be the God of His nation and they will be His people. He will shepherd them and care for them.  He will enter into a covenant with them, a new covenant of forgiveness and eternity. He will end the exile and restore them, even beyond their former glory. There is always hope.

Even as we hear great weeping in Ramah and Rachel refusing to be comforted because her children are no more, there is always hope for the believer. There is a future for the people of God. There is a new covenant. There is a new city that will be built.  There is anew day dawning. There is a new family being made. There is always hope.

As believers we need to know deep within ourselves, deep in our spirit, that there is always hope. Regardless of the road we tread on, there is always hope. God works all things for the good of those who love Him - even the bad and negative things that happen. See Romans 8:28. Since this is true there is always hope.  Sickness, a thwarting of our plans, the negativity and persecutions of others, even angels and demons cannot remove the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus. None of these things can thwart the plans of God. There is always hope.

A new city is being built. A heavenly Jerusalem is

under construction. Jesus, the chief architect, will return one day soon to take you and I home. He will come and invite us to the paradise-city where there is no crying or mourning or pain. We will, one day soon, enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise. There is always hope.

The baby born in a manger grew up and having lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the sins of the world.  He dealt with our rebellion against God and allowed us to be reconciled to Him. He made our forgiveness possible. And having been raised to eternal life and having ascended to the right hand of God the Father, He sent the promised Holy Spirit to seal and mark all those who believe in Christ. That seal is God’s protection, God’s stamp of ownership so that you will never go astray and never be lost again. There is always hope.

Prayer:-

• Pray that Teen Challenge both here in Toowoomba and in Tassie will be able to share the hope they have in Christ with the residents on site. Pray that these needy men and women, who are without hope, will come to Christ for salvation. Pray that they would gain that eternal hope that all believers have. Pray that Teen Challenge would be provided with all the resources it needs to continue ministering and serving effectively.


• Pray that Shiloh Church Ministries will continue to minister hope to displaced Christians, persecuted Christians and orphans. Pray that they will boldly and fearlessly shine the light of Jesus in the regions where they are situated. Pray that many would come to the Lord in repentance and faith. Pray for the provision of financial, physical and human resources to allow this ministry to continue.

Think of the people you’ve hurt over the last year with your words or your reactions. Write a list and over the rest of the week, write each one a letter/note asking for     forgiveness.

Wednesday December 8, 2010

Read Matthew 2:16-18

Herod had been outwitted by the Magi and, from a human perspective, Joseph and Mary as they fled to Egypt to hide. Herod flew into a rage and ordered that all males under  two years of age be killed. It must have been an horrific sight. It must have been terrifying and heart wrenching for the families that lost their loved ones.  The great ruler of the area was livid. He wanted blood. He wanted the contender to his throne completely annihilated.  And so he ordered the death of all boys aged 2 and under.

But even against such a blood thirsty ruler God was completely sovereign and totally victorious. The magi were warned by God not to return to Herod and so left the land, escaping quietly into the night. Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt and stayed there until told by God that the land was safe again. Baby Jesus was safe. God’s providence kept Him unharmed through the tyrannical rage of Herod.

God’s sovereignty is present and consistent even when life around us seems to be a chaotic mess. Even great rulers and their efforts to keep their own throne cannot thwart God’s plans. Job realised this and confessed with his mouth, ‘No plan of yours can be thwarted’.  When our life seems to spiral out of control and we don’t know what’s going on and why, we can rest secure and content in God’s sovereign control. We can rest secure under His mighty wings, firm in His grasp, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.  We can be secure and calm as the cyclone rages about us because God is sovereign, because God is in control and is working all things to His appointed ends.

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for His sovereignty and control.  Put on a Christian song about His sovereignty or love for you and sing praises to God.


• Pray that Creation Ministries will have adequate funds to continue teaching the truth of the Word and to show the historicity of Genesis. Pray that more and more believers will come to see and believe the Bible as God’s truth in Genesis 1-11.

Tuesday December 7, 2010

Read Hosea 11

Matthew uses an interesting quote from the OT to talk about the birth of Jesus. Hosea is reflecting back on the great Exodus from Egypt. Back then, the nation of Israel was enslaved by the Pharaoh of Egypt. He would not let the people go. What ensued was a battle of the gods - Ra (Sun god on earth) versus Yahweh - the God of the Hebrews. A mighty battle arose and God struck Egypt with nine great plagues that all but destroyed the nation. Even so, Pharaoh would not yield his heart. He would not let the people go. So God knocked Pharaoh to the canvas in the knockout punch. The first born of all Egypt died that Pass Over night while the Hebrews were kept safe. Pharaoh relented and drove the foreigners out of the land. They were free! God had called His son to Himself and out of that formed the nation of Israel and planted them in their own land - promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

As Matthew quotes this calling out of Egypt, we see Jesus coming out of Egypt with His parents to return to the promised land. But unlike Israel that strayed from her Father in the desert - the more He called, the more they strayed - Jesus would walk in

true and complete obedience. Jesus would succeed where Israel failed. Jesus would humble Himself in obedience, even to death on a cross! As the perfect God-man, Jesus could offer Himself up as the perfect sacrifice to pay ransom for the sins mankind. He could pay for your sins and my sins because He had none of His own to pay for.

The mission given to Israel was given to the New Israel - the perfect Israel and through Him to the new “nation” of believers.  Jesus, and by default, His followers, would now be the light to the nations. Jesus will send His followers into all the world  to make disciples of all nations. God would draw people from every nation, tribe and tongue to Himself through the life, death and resurrection of His true son, His truly obedient Son.

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for Jesus’ obedience and willingness to die on the cross for your sins and my sins. Praise God for the resurrection that proves that the sacrifice of Jesus was acceptable. Praise God that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.


• Pray for our World Changers Committee as we prepare for two missions in 2011. Pray for the Burma mission (to preach the gospel and to teach bible college students, possibly in three different colleges) and the Shiloh Church Ministries Mission (to build a second story addition to the orphanage, to evangelise locals and to train up pastors). Pray that God would raise up a team for both missions. Pray for needed finances and resources.

Monday December 6, 2010

Read Matthew 2:13-15

God’s provision and sovereignty is phenomenal isn’t it? As Daniel declares:-

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: "What have you done?"

God can do as He pleases. It pleased the Lord to protect Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. He called them to hide in Egypt while Herod raged against the Lord and against His anointed one.  While Herod sought to annihilate all children, all possible future heirs to the throne, God was working powerfully in the background.

Often in today’s world we see the likes of Herod raging against the Lord and His anointed one. We see anti-Jesus sentiment everywhere. Entire nations have been committed to removing, purging their land of Christians. Lobby groups have been set up in our own land to remove Christian influence (namely prayer and the Word) from public places, from schools and from parliament. Other groups seek to annihilate what they call narrow minded Christian fundamentalism. They want the freedom to kill their undelivered children, the freedom to exploit women as sexual beings and the freedom to indulge in unbiblical relationships. They shake their angry fist at God and attack Him by attacking the body of Christ on earth.

And quietly, yet so powerfully God is working in the back ground. Each and every day, more people turn to Christ in repentance and faith. Once hard hearted, fist shakers are bending the knee now, wilfully and joyfully, at the Lordship of Christ. Churches are sending out mission teams and aid to support the persecuted Christians across the world. The harmony of prayer rises up like incense before the Lord. The gospel is spreading out across the globe. Each and every day miracle stories of God’s providence and sovereignty are rising up to declare His praises.

Prayer:-

• Pray that God will use you powerfully to witness to Christ this Christmas season. Pray for opportunities and open doors for you to speak of Jesus. Ask God to put you in situations where you can speak of Jesus. Pray this too for your fellow Christians in your congregation.


• Pray that the Richards in New Zealand will have opportunity to make disciples over this Christmas season. Pray that God will open many doors of preaching for them and that they would proclaim the message fearlessly as they should.

Think of the non Christians in your life at   present. Pray that God would grant each one salvation through faith in Christ.

Pray for each one by name every day this week.

Invite them to church early this week and pray that God would call them to come along.

Saturday December 4, 2010

Read Micah 7

I often find it depressing to watch the evening news or even to read the news in papers, or on the internet. Sometimes, the state of the world overwhelms me and there’s nothing to do but weep before the Lord and to cry out to Him. That’s exactly what Micah does. He brings the world to the Lord and cries out before Him. He kneels in anguish, weeping at the state of the world, and in particular, God’s own people.

But it’s not all bad news. It’s not all gloom and doom. Micah cries out with us:-

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.

Tomorrow you and I will gather with the Lord and He will hear our prayers. I wonder if that gathering will be a fulfilment of all that we’ve longed for and waited for throughout the week. I wonder if, like Micah, we will realise our hopes and dreams as we gather in the Lord’s presence tomorrow.

God will shepherd His people. He will, as we’ve seen all week, lead them to greener pastures. He will watch over them with His staff and rod. He will show signs and wonders among them as in the days of coming out of Egypt. God will be our God and we will be His people. He will be compassionate among us. He will be forgiving and will delight to show mercy. All who come to Him with a penitent heart will find eternal forgiveness. All who have sinned and turn to Him in godly sorrow will find blessing, acceptance and forgiveness not wrath and anger. He will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea. And He will put up a sign that reads, ‘No Fishing Here’. Our sins will never be dredged up again. They have been utterly and completely dealt with.

Tomorrow as you gather together as the body of Christ, pray that God will be powerfully among us. Ask God to do signs and wonders among us so that the world sees the beauty and majesty of God. Pray that sinners and those with hard hearts will see our God and come to accept His forgiveness and offer of eternal peace. Pray that tomorrow will bring new life to many.

As we gather together tomorrow, pray that the joy of the Lord will overcome any negativity or depression that the world burdens us with.

Prayer:-

• Pray that tomorrow’s service will bring glory to God and edify His people. Pray that God will work powerfully among us, bringing healing, wholeness and faith/repentance to many. Pray that compassion, love, forgiveness and mercy well up among us so that relationships are restored, wounds healed and forgiveness offered/received where necessary. Pray that peace and joy rule our hearts.


• Pray that the chaplains at Glenvale and Harristown will have opportunity to share the real message of Christmas with students and staff. Ask God to open the ears and minds of many so that the kingdom will grow and expand. Pray that God will use these chaplains powerfully over this Christmas season.

Friday December 3, 2010

Read Micah 5-6, Matthew 3:1-12

It must have caused quite a stir among the Israelites as Micah prophesied the work of the Lord. How will it happen? What will be done? How will God achieve this peace and world tranquillity? How will He subdue the nations?

Out of little Bethlehem (which, incidentally, means House of Bread) will come a ruler over Israel. His origins will be from old or from eternity. This is no ordinary person.  He will be  tied to the Ancient of Days and will represent Him. He will be endowed with the wisdom that comes from being of old (in Hebrew times, old age was a symbol of blessing and deep wisdom, not senility and being decrepit)  This ruler will shepherd the flock in the strength of Yahweh Himself. He will stand in the majesty of the name of Yahweh. His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. This person born in Bethlehem will be their peace.  This is the Davidic figure that was promised long ago to the Great King David - the one who would rule on David’s throne for all generations.  This is the one that would bring blessings to all the families of the earth, through the lineage of Abraham. This is the one that would reverse the curses incurred in Genesis 3 after the rebellion.

What Micah is portraying is the first Christmas and its eternal effects. He’s picturing the coming of Jesus into the world.  From humble beginnings, from a humble town, in a humble manger the ruler of the world will arise.  From Bethlehem will come the Bread of Life who will give life for  the world . He will lay down His life for His sheep and call others who are not of this Israelite pen.  By dying, He will open the gate to green pasture for His sheep and through the power of the Lord Almighty, they will know His voice, follow Him and be gathered together by Him.

And He will rise victorious over death. He will ascend to the right hand of God and from there pour out His Spirit upon all who believe. Even sons and daughters (see Joel 2) will prophesy and see visions and be imbued with the Holy Spirit. This is the one who will activate the new age, the age of the Messiah which will precede His coming to gather the elect from the four corners of the earth.

And as we read in Matthew, 3 Magi from the east, from distant lands came and worshipped the one who was to be born King. They saw the sign in the stars and read the times. They understood that God was doing a great work and they reacted appropriately - they bowed in homage and presented suitable gifts to the King of Kings.

This Christmas season let us all bow in homage and give the great King the gifts that are worthy - the fruit of lips that confess His name and a life of obedient service.

Prayer:-

• Pray for those who are preaching this Christmas in your church. Pray that God would use them powerfully to proclaim the message of Christ Jesus, the Saviour, born into our world. Pray that we see many people come to Christ in repentance and faith.


• Pray for the work of Creation Ministries. Pray that God would bless them with all they need - finances, resources, human needs etc. Pray that their work would be effective and would bear much fruit.

Thursday December 2, 2010

Read Micah 4

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we have a wonderful hope, don’t we? But what do we mean by the word “hope”? The world uses the word “hope” in the sense of wish for something that has little or no chance of occurring. When a person says, ‘I hope I win Lotto’, he or she is saying, ‘I wish I could win’. When we say ‘I hope so, and so and so comes over today’ we are wishing that something distant may come to pass.  Be assured that this kind of ‘wish upon a star’ hope is not the Christian hope.

When we say that we have hope the Christian means that he has a certain future that will come to pass. Nothing or no one can take away that future and nothing or no one can make void the promise of God. No one can undo what the Lord has done. The picture painted in chapter four is one of peace and blessing. It’s a picture of tranquillity. It is a painting of victory and God’s sovereignty. Nothing can undo that which God has said He will do.

Christian hope goes even further. Since Jesus has died on the cross for our sins and since He has been raised to eternal life we know that nothing can take away our salvation. Read Romans 8:38-39. Nothing can snatch away the love of Christ that has been lavished upon us. Nothing can undo the merits of the death of Christ that have been reckoned to our account. Nothing can make God undo His ‘Not Guilty’ verdict delivered when Christ wore our sentence and punishment. You are eternally loved by God. That is the Christian hope.

The Christian hope that you and I have affects our day to day living, much like a billion dollar bank account would affect our day to day living. Are you spending your faith? Are you stepping out in faith and living out that hope you have in Christ?  Are you shining that hope you have to the world around you? The world actually wants to hear about Jesus during Christmas. They want to know the meaning behind the nativity scenes. You can bring hope to people this Christmas. You can fill the void in their life by loving them with the love of Christ, by serving them and speaking Jesus in to their lives. You can generously give to them out of the billion dollar faith account that Christ has set up for you.

Christmas time is so much more than a fat man in a ridiculously red suit climbing down non existent chimneys.  Christmas is about hope because the one who will bring in the brave new world of hope has come into our world. The one who would open the gates to splendour has been born. No wonder the angels cried out, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests."

Prayer:-

• Pray for opportunities to share your hope with the world today. Pray that doors will open up for service, for loving acts and for speaking the gospel into people’s lives. Pray that you might lead people into the Kingdom today to the praise and glory of Him who called us.


• Pray for the trainee ministers in Myanmar as they too prepare for Christmas. In a largely Buddhist nation, pray that these men and women have opportunity to share Christ, to make disciples and to be used by God to bring repentance and faith to many. Pray that the message of Christ will draw many to God.

Wednesday December 1, 2010

Read Micah 3

The leaders of God’s people have a divine mandate to call evil for what it is and to declare that which is good. The point of reference for the leaders of God’s people is not the world, it’s not even the opinion of the wider church. It’s the Word of God.

When God’s people go astray or lose their way, God’s leaders are called to stand up and to be counted for what is good and right and pleasing to God. God’s leaders are called to shepherd their people back to the path of the Lord. Sometimes, this can be a perilous and hazard job. Sometimes, it can be a pathway that few wish to tread. Sometimes, it is the unpopular way, not the popular way.  Micah was filled with the Spirit of the Lord, with power, might and justice to bring God’s people back to Himself.

How about you? Do you support the leaders of God’s people? Do you uphold them in prayer and intercession? Do you pray that God would prepare them and use them powerfully to proclaim the truth of the Word each  and every Lord’s Day? Do you bless them and make their life a joy? Your church has many leaders at many levels. Those who lead the children’s ministry need you to bless them and work with them and to support them in prayer and in deed. So do the youth leaders and the young adult leaders. The leaders of the various ministries need your support. The pastor of the church needs your prayers and practical support. We rarely stop to think that these leaders give up precious family time each and every Lord’s day and during many evenings each week to serve us. We rarely consider the burden their service is on their families and friendships. We rarely stop to think about the financial burden they lovingly endure. We rarely consider the emotional burden they carry day by day.

So how can I help the leaders in my church?

ü Pray for them daily.

ü Give them verbal encouragement during the day.

ü Offer to baby sit couples who are leading together

ü Practical help around the home

ü Get involved in ministry and give practical, physical support.

Prayer:-

• Pray for the leaders of your church. Pray for each one by name. Pray that God would bless them and encourage them in their service. Ask God to allow them to see the fruit of their ministry and that they would be encouraged by this fruit. Pray that they would be revived and refreshed in their own quiet times with the Lord. For those who have families, pray for growing bonds of love in the family, strengthening ties and quality time together.


• Pray for the Mustard Seed Orphanage. Ask God to bring to the orphanage all the resources they need, be they financial, physical or personal. Pray that if it is God’s will, that He open a door for us to minister there next year.

Make a small list of leaders in your church and keep it in your prayer journal and pray for them daily.

Tuesday November 30, 2010

Read Micah 2

We live in a world where we almost expect things to go wrong. Violence is commonplace as is fraud, murder, deceit and lying. It’s so rampant that we are hardly ever surprised. But as you read through Micah chapter 2 you notice something very very surprising! The people that are plotting evil and perpetrating ungodly acts are God’s own people!!! The people that should be righteous are NOT!! The people were

seizing the land and property of others through cunning and deceit.  The poor were being robbed. The prophets were prophesying lies - God is love. He will not punish. He will not avenge. Go about your business because God is love!  It was like looking at the negative of a photo. Everything was back to front, reversed from the way God intended it to be.

And yet God screams out amid the violence and ungodliness, “Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?” (v7c).  He finishes the chapter by declaring, “I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head."

That promise is still alive and well today for those who love the Lord God Almighty. In fact it’s been fulfilled in Christ Jesus. He came as the King who would shepherd His people into the green pastures of the new heaven/earth. He will tend His flock with gentleness and love and compassion. He will go before us and be at our head. He will guide us and lead us victoriously home to those green pastures of eternity.

With Jesus as our King and Shepherd, you and I can face the world head on. We can take a stand against the injustices we see. We can petition for the rights of the poor and oppressed. We can make a noise for those who are down trodden and forgotten. We can lift up the needy and uphold their cause. In Christ Jesus, we can be the advocate for those who need an advocate. We can cry out for those who need a voice.

Our God will gather His people from the four corners of the earth. He will fill His house with a mass of people, there will be a ‘throng’ of people in the Lord’s place. You and I are fellow gatherers. God has given us the mission of gathering from the four corners of the world. Today, you can gather up the lost and bring sheep home to the Lord’s pen by sharing the good news, by making disciples. Think strategically about the day ahead. Which non Christians will you see today? What will you talk about? How can you turn the conversation to Christ? How can you slip in an invite to church this Sonday? How can you speak of the joys of Christmas, the coming of the Saviour into our world to rescue us and to bring us to the green pastures of eternity?

Prayer:-

¨ Pray for the Straight Talk Ministry that Jim and Faye run.  Ask God to bless them and refresh them over the Christmas break. Pray that God would continue to open doors for them to minister and serve in the schools.

¨ Pray for Kings Kids teachers, MOPS servants and PlayPals workers that they will have the endurance needed to finish the year and that they too will be refreshed and renewed over the Christmas break. Pray that God will bless each of these servants with great blessing as they have been giving out all year.

Monday November 29

Read Micah chapter 1

How much do you know about Micah? Like most of us you’ve probably heard of him and know that he’s in the section of the Bible called the Minor Prophets and that probably sums up as much as we think or know about him.

Micah prophesied, aside the greats like Isaiah and Amos, eight centuries before Christ was born. Israel was thriving economically and, from the world’s perspective, all looked well. But internally, there was deep and serious spiritual decay.  Canaanite religion had filtered into the land and was usurping the position of Yahweh, the one true living God.  The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.  Social injustice was rife.

If the opening chapters of Micah’s prophecy were a movie it would be a very negative and bleak opening. Words of judgement pour out from the mouth of the prophet because of the state of the nation. He appears on the scene prophesying doom and destruction.

But as we look forward to Christ we see that God will deal with the sin of the people. He will bring forth a shepherd, someone after His own heart that will lovingly and righteously lead the people into God’s glory and blessing. As the prophesy continues we learn more about who this shepherd deliverer will be.

Prayer:-

¨ Spend time praising God that He will deal with the sin of the people by sending a Shepherd. Thank God that He will open up an avenue of hope, a door of salvation for all who call on His name.

¨ Pray for the ministry of Student Life. Pray that the students and staff and volunteers will be refreshed over the break and ready for service in the new year. Pray that God will equip and bless those headed on mission through the holiday.

Take some time to consider the world that Micah lived in. What was it like? In what ways is it like your world? What does Micah’s Word mean for you in your world?

Saturday November 27, 2010

Read Matthew 1:18-25

Before you race off with today’s reading, take a few moments to glance back over the week you’ve spent with Isaiah. What have you learnt? What have you discovered? What truths have come to light?

Now as you read about the birth of Christ I pray that the depth and breadth of the history of Isaiah comes to the fore and that you understand more passionately what the coming of the Christ is all about.

The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God came into a world that was rebellious and rejecting God. He came to that which was His own but His own did not receive Him.  This Baby born in a manger was no ordinary Baby. He was the Immanuel.  He was God with us in a real and physical sense. God has come to us as a man.

And as Joseph is instructed to name the baby Jesus we see why Jesus, the God man, came into our world.  In vs 21 we read:-

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."

Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua - a Hebrew name that means Yahweh saves!  In and through Jesus Yahweh will save us from the condemnation that our sins deserve! The rebellion of the nation of Israel, the rebellion of the world, the rebellion of ‘me’ will be dealt with by a child coming into our world -  a child who brings God to us, a child who brings the salvation of God to us, a child who will suffer the wrath and anger of God as He dies upon a cross. God is with us in the most amazing and gracious way.

Prayer:-

> Spend time praising God for the coming of Immanuel into our world.

> Pray that the bible college students we support in Myanmar will be growing and maturing in their learning. Pray that their knowledge will lead to outreach and discipleship. Pray that we’d see growth in the Lord’s kingdom in this country.

Friday November 26, 2010

Read Isaiah 7

Most of us read the verse about the virgin being with child and jump immediately to the birth of Jesus.  But it’s fascinating to look at the original context to see how and why the prophecy arose. It’s always a blessing to read back in the Old Testament as to the circumstance and context of the original prophesy. Such a discipline helps us to understand the Bible more fully and more deeply. Such a discipline helps us to have a well rounded and more complete understanding of the history and theology of salvation. Such an approach helps us to know God better and more intimately.

As you read Isaiah 7, what do you see happening in and around the nation? Take some time to jot down your thoughts.

Ahaz the evil king was ruling over Israel. He had no regard for the Lord and was worshipping false gods, effectively leading the people astray.  Because of this rebellion, the  nation was under attack. The city was under siege.  The prophet Isaiah came to the king and offered him a word from the Lord,  ‘Ask the Lord for a sight, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights’ to prove that the attack would not succeed.  Ahaz puts on a false face of piety. He replies, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.’ It’s a false piety because when God offers you something it’s not a test to accept it. If God says ask for something, it’s arrogant and sinful not to ask for something!  The sign of the virgin is a sign against Ahab and Israel refusing to believe, trust or even turn to God in the hour of need. God Himself will provide a sign that shows His faithfulness, even in the face of sin and unbelief.

The sign of the child is one of many child-signs that the king of the nation is given by the prophet Isaiah. In this sign, the name of the child is Immanuel which translates ‘God with us’.  Even in unbelief, even with a facade of holiness, even in rejection God is with us because he is a faithful God who keeps his covenant with his people.

What can we do but cry out, ‘Hallelujah! Thank you Lord’?

Prayer:-

> Pray that you and all in your church would have open doors to preach the coming of God into the world to save sinners.

> Pray that many people would repent and believe in Christ this Christmas season.

> Pray that churches across the nation would be preparing to preach Jesus unashamedly. Pray that those churches that wish to hide the Christmas truth would be silenced.

Thursday November 25, 2010

Read Isaiah 6

Having read Isaiah 6 and seen the prophet’s reaction, why do you think he reacted the way that he did? Jot down your thoughts.

Having read over Isaiah 1-6 this week, I pray that you are in a better position to really grasp the heart and mind of the prophet standing in the Lord’s presence. The big issue that we need to comprehend is sin and rebellion. The people of God have been sinful and rebellious from the very moment they entered the Promised Land. Indeed, they proved stiff necked and rebellious from the very day they left slavery in Egypt.

To understand   why sin is a problem think of God as a blazing inferno - a bon fire so big that you cannot stand within 10 Km of the fire. That’s a huge understatement of God’s burning holiness! But think of your sin as excessively dry wood. As you draw near to God with your dry wood sin upon your back, you know you are in deep trouble. Get to close and your dry wood sin is going to burn up.  As Isaiah draws near to God he is carrying on his back the dry wood sin of the entire nation. Isaiah cries out "Woe to me!" and  "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty," because the the burning holiness of Yahweh, El Shaddai (the Lord God Almighty) is about to burn up the sin of the nation.  You cannot stand in the presence of God with your sins undealt with. You cannot carry a national load of sin to the Lord and expect to be blessed. Isaiah rightly trembles in his sandals. He rightly fears for his life!!!

Isaiah is not blazé about his sin or the sin of his nation. He doesn’t brush it off as irrelevant and he doesn’t pretend it’s not there. He understands sin for what it is and, while standing before the Lord, knows exactly what that sin deserves.  Today’s believers need to re-grasp the nature of sin and weight of sin when compared to the burning holiness of our Lord. We need to see the gravity of sin and the punishment it really deserves. Our generation of believers needs to capture a fear of the Lord so that we willingly, even joyously, walk in the ways of the Lord. We need to experience that fear of God so that we consciously work at putting sin out of our hearts and minds, out of lives and out of our congregations. Far too many believers are deluding themselves with notions that Jesus accepted all people and didn’t judge them. Some even quote the occasion where an adulterous woman was caught in sin and brought before Jesus. They proudly boast that Jesus said to her,  ‘Neither do I condemn you’. Having quoted Jesus, they affirm everyone, even those who are continuing in sin. What they conveniently forget is that Jesus immediately said to her, ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’.

James 1:13-15 makes it very clear that if you and I don’t kill sin in our lives, it will kill us.

Prayer:-

> Pray that you and everyone in your congregation has a proper understanding of sin and God’s holiness.
Pray that God would grant repentance and penitence to those who are wilfully engaging in sin in your congregation.

> Pray that more preachers across the nation would be ready and willing to preach of the Lord’s holiness and his hatred of sin, even though it’s not popular.

Wednesday November 24, 2010

Read Isaiah 4:2-5:30

As I read chapter 5 I can’t help but picture the world we live in. The Lord is grieved because people replace good with evil and evil with good.  What God deemed good in marriage is now deemed bad and vice versa.  We see the world claiming to be wise in its own eyes, walking away from God and looking to its own wisdom to solve the world’s problems. We see that people who pour drinks and mix drinks as heroes, as people to emulate. The movie ‘Cocktail’ epitomises the love of the world for alcohol and bar tending.

We see justice denied again and again as murderers, child molesters, rapists etc are released early and sometimes not even punished because of diminished responsibility.  They drank too much or sniffed too much and were not in control. Their parents didn’t love them enough or they were teased as a child and are therefore not responsible for their actions.

While I see the Lord grieving that mankind has become so rebellious, I know that He will come again to judge the world. Verse 26-30 show the impending judgement against Israel as the Assyrian army is called by the Lord. It  reminds us that the final judgement is but a breath away. God will deal with the wicked. God will hold them accountable. No one will get away with their evil deeds, their deceit and their hiding of sin.

It’s both encouraging but very scary as well. For my part here and now I want to tell as many people about that coming judgement so that they can be prepared. I want them to know the full consequences of their actions and rebellions against God so that they can, God willingly, repent and believe in Christ before it’s too late. I want more and more people to turn to Christ now and walk in obedience. I know that God wants this too. I pray that it will be a grand desire on your heart as well.

Prayer:-

> Pray that David and Kristy Richards will have a powerful impact in their work in Dunedin Uni. Pray that many will come to the Lord through their witness and testimony.

> Pray the same for the work of Shiloh Church Ministries.

Tuesday November 23, 2010

Read Isaiah 2

Two very distinct pictures are presented in Isaiah 2. Take a moment to jot down what you see as those two distinct pictures.

In one picture we see the blessedness of the Lord’s mountain. The temple is established and in peace the nations flock to it. People from every nation, tribe and tongue come to the holy city to worship and praise the Lord God Almighty.  It’s a picture of light, of hope, of peace. It’s a picture of unity.

The other picture is a picture of judgement. As the Day of the Lord arrives it’s a terrible scene because the world has gone astray.  Even God’s own nation is found to be idolatrous and engulfed in sin. As the Lord comes, people hide in the rocks and the caves, knowing that their pride, their adultery, their idolatry and their sinfulness is about to be judged and condemned. Just as germs can’t live in boiling water, neither can sin and evil live in the presence of the boiling majesty of the Lord Almighty. When He appears all sin will be seen for what it is. All evil will be revealed and the secrets of our hearts will be laid bare. Our motives will be seen for what they are. Our hidden sins will be revealed and all evil, all wickedness will be judged.

If you are indulging in wilful sin, or if when you are tempted to sin remember this terrible and fearful day of the Lord. Remember that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Likewise  remember that there is a land of peace, of love, of God’s gracious goodness for those who live in the love of the Lord. There is a blessedness for those who really love God and walk in obedience, for obedience is the ultimate sign or outworking of my love for God. Be encouraged. Be motivated. Be spurred on to love and good deeds by the great things that God has in store for you.

Prayer:-

> As the day of the Lord draws near, pray for those people you love that are about to see the wrath of the Lord. Pray that God would grant them repentance and faith in Christ. Pray that you would be the one to share the good news with them.

Monday November 22 2010

Read Isaiah 1:1-31

What strikes you as amazing in reading Isaiah chapter 1? Take a few moments to jot down your thoughts.

God is talking to His own people, the nation He formed from the one man Abraham. The nation has turned its back on God and had fallen into religious trappings.  They were going through the motions of ‘worship’ (by worship, I mean their whole of life dedication to God, not temple worship) but they were living a lie. They were rejecting God, rebelling against Him in their private lives, in their treatment of each other and in the way that they approached God through the temple worship system. That alone is amazing - a people, an entire nation reject their God.

But it’s also amazing that God responds the way that He does. Read over Isaiah 1:18-20 again. What’s God saying? Take a moment to jot down your thoughts.

God is moving towards the people in reconciliation. He’s drawing near to them in love and grace. How often, when we are wronged, do we belligerently seek to destroy the person that hurt us. We attack them and demand apologies. We demand justice and restitution. If God had that attitude He would have wiped Israel from the face of the earth. If God had that attitude towards me, I’d be in hell a million times over!!! But God chooses not to be angry. He chooses to move forward towards the nation in love and grace. He makes them a wonderful offer.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

How wonderful would it be if the Christian church learnt to approach each other with this kind of grace and love? Generally, we do approach each other with kindness and love—when things are going well.  Remember Jesus’ words during the sermon on the mount?  “Even sinners love those who love them”.  Tax collectors, sinners and the ungodly all love each other when life is going well. That’s the easy part.

But it’s when something goes against my wishes or when I don’t get my way or when I’m hurt that the green monster comes out attacking, picking a fight and accusing anyone in my path. That’s exactly when I need to draw near to God and seek His grace in my own life. Man’s anger doesn’t produce the righteous life God requires. Attacking someone, and venting my anger and frustrations rarely produces a God honouring effect.  Take a moment to think about how you react when you are wronged. Jot down the typical response you have when you are hurt or wronged by another believer.  Please, be honest!

If you need to, take a moment to pray for forgiveness for your sinful way of reacting. Take a moment to ask God to change your heart so that you react to others (Yes, even when hurt or wronged) with the love and grace that are in Christ Jesus. Pray that God will allow you the grace to understand more of His love for you so that you can move in love towards others - especially when they hurt you or cause you pain.

When you have prayed read Isaiah 1:18-20 again and spend time in prayer, praising God.

Think of the people you’ve hurt over the last year with your words or your reactions. Write a list and over the rest of the week, write each one a letter/note asking for     forgiveness.

Prayer:-

> Pray for the healing of forgiveness to wash over you and all those in your congregation.

> Pray that any broken relationships or strained relationships in your congregation would be healed and made whole as forgiveness is offered and received.

> Ask God to allow our brethren in China to preach powerfully the message of the cross, the forgiveness of God in Christ. Pray that many would listen and     believe.