Read Colossians 3
You have been raised with Christ. You have died with Christ. Your life is hidden with Christ. You are chosen by Christ.
All the believers you attend church with are in the same boat. Think about tomorrow’s church service. Together you will stand before your Lord and Saviour. Together you will taste and see that the Lord is good. Together you will sing His glories and praises. Together you will seek His hand in various people’s lives and in certain events. Together you will get a fore taste of heaven.
Will you go tomorrow and stand before your Lord and Saviour with the characteristics of vs 5 in your heart? Will you go with hatred and unforgiveness? Will you stand before God with adulterous thoughts in your heart, with lusts and covetous desires? Or will you go as a dearly loved child of God with compassion and love? Will you go with kindness and compassion ready to give sacrificially? Will you be ready to bear another’s burden, to forgive any sin against yourself? Will you go with gentle and patient words that build up and edify others?
Today is a great time to prepare yourself for tomorrows meeting with the Lord God Almighty. What will that preparation today look like?
* Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
* Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
* And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray for this nation of ours. Tomorrow thousands of people will stand in God’s presence in the churches across the land. Pray that the characteristics of vs12-14 will be growing in believers. Pray that the gospel will be faithfully preached and that all who would pervert the gospel for their own ends would be silenced and removed. Pray that God’s Spirit would work powerfully bringing a wide spread and long term revival throughout this land.
ÿ Pray that those who teach our children tomorrow would be faithful and true to the Word of God. Pray that we would see this young generation of believers growing strong in the Word and putting their faith into practice even at their young ages.
Saturday 30 October 2010
Friday 29 October 2010
Friday October 29, 2010
Read Colossians 3:14
Whether we like it or not, or choose to believe it or not, our walk with the Lord is much like a staircase - it’s either going up or down, but it’s never stagnant! How’s your relationship with God? Is it going up or down? Now you may think that this is a strange question to ask in the midst of a passage that is talking mainly about my relationship with others. But read vs 14 slowly and carefully in context.
To love others, to be kind and compassionate towards others, to be gentle and patient with them and to forgive them and to put up with them is not something that I naturally possess within myself. I am by nature self centred and biased towards self gratification. As I grow closer to God, His love and His grace allows me to love others, to forgive and to share and to be kind and compassionate and so on. The more I receive from Him, the more I can give to others.
When the Word tells us to bind up all these other centred things, it’s calling us to bind them up and secure them with the love of Christ that has been poured into my heart. Love of God is the anchor that holds me near to God and allows me to continue serving, giving, forgiving etc without being hardened and embittered by sin’s deceitfulness. Love of God is the motivation and foundation that keeps me going in selfless service and sacrificial giving. Without that love I will naturally spiral downwards into “self.” Notice that the terms used in vs 5 are all things that seek to fulfil and meet my natural and earthly desires? Notice that none of these things leads to selfless service and sacrificial love?
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the individual Presbyterian Churches throughout your area will be united and bound together in love. Pray that they will work together for the cause of the gospel and to grow the kingdom. Pray that this will glorify Christ.
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Iran will be able to show the love of Christ to those who persecute them and who seek to remove them from the land. Pray that God’s love will melt hard hearts and bring many to Himself in repentance and faith in Christ.
Whether we like it or not, or choose to believe it or not, our walk with the Lord is much like a staircase - it’s either going up or down, but it’s never stagnant! How’s your relationship with God? Is it going up or down? Now you may think that this is a strange question to ask in the midst of a passage that is talking mainly about my relationship with others. But read vs 14 slowly and carefully in context.
To love others, to be kind and compassionate towards others, to be gentle and patient with them and to forgive them and to put up with them is not something that I naturally possess within myself. I am by nature self centred and biased towards self gratification. As I grow closer to God, His love and His grace allows me to love others, to forgive and to share and to be kind and compassionate and so on. The more I receive from Him, the more I can give to others.
When the Word tells us to bind up all these other centred things, it’s calling us to bind them up and secure them with the love of Christ that has been poured into my heart. Love of God is the anchor that holds me near to God and allows me to continue serving, giving, forgiving etc without being hardened and embittered by sin’s deceitfulness. Love of God is the motivation and foundation that keeps me going in selfless service and sacrificial giving. Without that love I will naturally spiral downwards into “self.” Notice that the terms used in vs 5 are all things that seek to fulfil and meet my natural and earthly desires? Notice that none of these things leads to selfless service and sacrificial love?
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the individual Presbyterian Churches throughout your area will be united and bound together in love. Pray that they will work together for the cause of the gospel and to grow the kingdom. Pray that this will glorify Christ.
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Iran will be able to show the love of Christ to those who persecute them and who seek to remove them from the land. Pray that God’s love will melt hard hearts and bring many to Himself in repentance and faith in Christ.
Thursday 28 October 2010
Thursday October 28, 2010
Read Colossians 3:12-14
We talked about the replacement principle earlier. To help fight off temptation and sinful habits we need to replace the sinful habits with godly and righteous ones. We need to proactively and consciously take
one out of our life and put in another.
Let me encourage you to work through the list in vs 12-14 and describe each term in practical words. Describe what each word would look like in your life, personally. Think about the people that these terms are directed at. Think about how they change your words, your thoughts and your actions. Think about specific examples.
All too often we read the Bible and skim over what it will look like as we apply that passage in our lives. Don’t make that mistake any longer. Take the time and put in the effort to think deeply about today’s passage and how it applies directly to you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Select 10 people from your congregation and pray vs 12-14 into their lives. Pray it for yourself.
We talked about the replacement principle earlier. To help fight off temptation and sinful habits we need to replace the sinful habits with godly and righteous ones. We need to proactively and consciously take
one out of our life and put in another.
Let me encourage you to work through the list in vs 12-14 and describe each term in practical words. Describe what each word would look like in your life, personally. Think about the people that these terms are directed at. Think about how they change your words, your thoughts and your actions. Think about specific examples.
All too often we read the Bible and skim over what it will look like as we apply that passage in our lives. Don’t make that mistake any longer. Take the time and put in the effort to think deeply about today’s passage and how it applies directly to you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Select 10 people from your congregation and pray vs 12-14 into their lives. Pray it for yourself.
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Wednesday October 27, 2010
Read Colossians 3:9-10
The picture of a Christian presented here is of a man who has changed his old dirty clothes and has put on new clean clothes. This newly dressed man is being renewed in the image of his creator. He is growing more and more like his creator.
To understand what’s happening, picture, if you will, a child playing in the mud. He’s dirty and messed up from head to toe. That’s the picture the Bible paints us in our old sinful condition. Our clothes were dirty. We were sinful from head to toe. But our Father has called the child in to get changed for the wedding feast that’s about to start. But before being changed into new clean clothes he has to be bathed. You and I are washed through the work of Jesus at the cross. His death and resurrection washes us completely clean. Then and only then can we put on the clothes of righteousness. How silly it would be for the child to be dressed in new clean wedding clothes before the mud and filth are washed off! Likewise with us. We must be cleansed by faith before we can adorn the new wedding clothes of righteousness.
As the child prepares for the wedding the father warns him against playing in the mud and dirt. He must strive to keep clean and to act in a way that
befits the occasion. Have not you and I been invited to the wedding supper of the lamb? Have we not been washed by the work of Lord at Calvary? And how, like that little child do we yearn to play again in the mud and dirt of the past! But it cannot be. We will soon participate in the wedding feast and dirty clothes are not appropriate. So the heavenly Father warns us against playing any further in the mud and dirt of our past life. Those clothes have been taken off. New clothes have been put on and we are called to act accordingly.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that God would convict those in your congregation who are wanting to play in the mud again. Pray that He will lovingly restore them and strengthen them so that they live appropriately. Pray for holiness to be pursued by everyone in your congregation.
Thursday October 28, 2010
Read Colossians 3:12-14
We talked about the replacement principle earlier. To help fight off temptation and sinful habits we need to replace the sinful habits with godly and righteous ones. We need to proactively and consciously take
one out of our life and put in another.
Let me encourage you to work through the list in vs 12-14 and describe each term in practical words. Describe what each word would look like in your life, personally. Think about the people that these terms are directed at. Think about how they change your words, your thoughts and your actions. Think about specific examples.
All too often we read the Bible and skim over what it will look like as we apply that passage in our lives. Don’t make that mistake any longer. Take the time and put in the effort to think deeply about today’s passage and how it applies directly to you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Select 10 people from your congregation and pray vs 12-14 into their lives. Pray it for yourself.
The picture of a Christian presented here is of a man who has changed his old dirty clothes and has put on new clean clothes. This newly dressed man is being renewed in the image of his creator. He is growing more and more like his creator.
To understand what’s happening, picture, if you will, a child playing in the mud. He’s dirty and messed up from head to toe. That’s the picture the Bible paints us in our old sinful condition. Our clothes were dirty. We were sinful from head to toe. But our Father has called the child in to get changed for the wedding feast that’s about to start. But before being changed into new clean clothes he has to be bathed. You and I are washed through the work of Jesus at the cross. His death and resurrection washes us completely clean. Then and only then can we put on the clothes of righteousness. How silly it would be for the child to be dressed in new clean wedding clothes before the mud and filth are washed off! Likewise with us. We must be cleansed by faith before we can adorn the new wedding clothes of righteousness.
As the child prepares for the wedding the father warns him against playing in the mud and dirt. He must strive to keep clean and to act in a way that
befits the occasion. Have not you and I been invited to the wedding supper of the lamb? Have we not been washed by the work of Lord at Calvary? And how, like that little child do we yearn to play again in the mud and dirt of the past! But it cannot be. We will soon participate in the wedding feast and dirty clothes are not appropriate. So the heavenly Father warns us against playing any further in the mud and dirt of our past life. Those clothes have been taken off. New clothes have been put on and we are called to act accordingly.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that God would convict those in your congregation who are wanting to play in the mud again. Pray that He will lovingly restore them and strengthen them so that they live appropriately. Pray for holiness to be pursued by everyone in your congregation.
Thursday October 28, 2010
Read Colossians 3:12-14
We talked about the replacement principle earlier. To help fight off temptation and sinful habits we need to replace the sinful habits with godly and righteous ones. We need to proactively and consciously take
one out of our life and put in another.
Let me encourage you to work through the list in vs 12-14 and describe each term in practical words. Describe what each word would look like in your life, personally. Think about the people that these terms are directed at. Think about how they change your words, your thoughts and your actions. Think about specific examples.
All too often we read the Bible and skim over what it will look like as we apply that passage in our lives. Don’t make that mistake any longer. Take the time and put in the effort to think deeply about today’s passage and how it applies directly to you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Select 10 people from your congregation and pray vs 12-14 into their lives. Pray it for yourself.
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Tuesday October 26, 2010
Read Colossians 3:1-10
It may seem as though we are going backwards in our reading but the issue of putting to death the earthly nature of the body (the lusts and desires of the flesh) is such an important topic that it needs further consideration.
Let me suggest several ways and strategies to move forward in this area of putting to death the misdeeds of the body:-
Firstly, you must want to change. Many people lament their sins only because they are caught. Deep down they have no desire to change. If this is true for you, you will always make excuses and find reasons
1. to indulge your sinful nature. Ask God to change you from the heart, from the inside out. Spend time pleading with Him to change you .
2. Learn and memorise the Word of God that relates to your temptation. You must know what the Word says about your particular temptation. Get searching for relevant verses and memorise them. When I am tempted, the Lord brings a relevant verse into my head/heart. It’s very hard to sin when the Word of God is uppermost in your head/heart.
3. Know, realise and understand that you will be called to account for your sinfulness. As you are struggling with temptation, ask yourself this question, “How will I explain this sin (be specific, eg adultery, idolatry, drunkenness etc) to the Lord?” Though you may forget this incident in a few days or weeks, God will not.
4. Have an accountability partner with whom you can share your struggles on a regular basis. If your computer or phone is the issue, get them to look at it regularly or install software that emails the sites you visited to the other person. Meet regularly and confess to each other and pray for each other. Make sure that you can ring this person the moment you are struggling with temptation.
5. Take note of the way in which temptation comes to you, the times it comes, and the areas in which it attacks you. As you realise the recurring pattern you can take proactive steps to ward off temptation. One fellow realised that watching TV late at night caused him to fall regularly because he channel surfed and was soon hooked on watching inappropriate shows. In his fight against temptation he refused to watch TV without his wife present and put a lock code on the TV that only his wife knew. The TV was locked from 8:30pm until the morning.
6. Listen and learn the way that your mind deals with temptation. Often we tend to flirt with it and skirt around its edges. We let a subtle form of temptation into our mind or heart and enjoy the sweet smell of it. It’s only a small step from here to indulge that temptation. As soon as we start smelling temptation we need to take immediate and drastic action.
7. Take note of the way that you justify giving into temptation and indulging your sinful nature. You need to stop this justifying reasoning. You need to realise that in God’s eyes there is no justification for your sinfulness. In God’s eyes what you did or are doing is an abomination and He hates it, no matter what circumstance you are in and no matter what justification you give.
8. Replace sinful behaviours with righteous ones. If you read Philippians 4:6-8, Ephesians 4:28 etc you’ll see that to successfully stop a sinful habit, you need to replace it with a godly habit. The man who steals must do something productive with his hands so that he can give to the needy. What godly, righteous things can you start doing to replace the evil and wicked habits in your life?
9. Realise that every thing you do either feeds your habits and addictions or mortifies them. There is no safe ground when it comes to sinfulness. You cannot and should not flirt with sin, thinking that you can slightly peer over the edge and have just a little look. You will be hooked and dragged into full blown sin very quickly. Run, flee from temptation as soon as it knocks at your door.
Prayer:-
ÿ If you struggle with a particular sin then spend time confessing it to God. Tell Him about it and ask Him to change you from the inside out. Ask for wisdom to know how to move forward in godliness and righteousness. Plead with God to strengthen you and make you more and more holy and more like Jesus.
It may seem as though we are going backwards in our reading but the issue of putting to death the earthly nature of the body (the lusts and desires of the flesh) is such an important topic that it needs further consideration.
Let me suggest several ways and strategies to move forward in this area of putting to death the misdeeds of the body:-
Firstly, you must want to change. Many people lament their sins only because they are caught. Deep down they have no desire to change. If this is true for you, you will always make excuses and find reasons
1. to indulge your sinful nature. Ask God to change you from the heart, from the inside out. Spend time pleading with Him to change you .
2. Learn and memorise the Word of God that relates to your temptation. You must know what the Word says about your particular temptation. Get searching for relevant verses and memorise them. When I am tempted, the Lord brings a relevant verse into my head/heart. It’s very hard to sin when the Word of God is uppermost in your head/heart.
3. Know, realise and understand that you will be called to account for your sinfulness. As you are struggling with temptation, ask yourself this question, “How will I explain this sin (be specific, eg adultery, idolatry, drunkenness etc) to the Lord?” Though you may forget this incident in a few days or weeks, God will not.
4. Have an accountability partner with whom you can share your struggles on a regular basis. If your computer or phone is the issue, get them to look at it regularly or install software that emails the sites you visited to the other person. Meet regularly and confess to each other and pray for each other. Make sure that you can ring this person the moment you are struggling with temptation.
5. Take note of the way in which temptation comes to you, the times it comes, and the areas in which it attacks you. As you realise the recurring pattern you can take proactive steps to ward off temptation. One fellow realised that watching TV late at night caused him to fall regularly because he channel surfed and was soon hooked on watching inappropriate shows. In his fight against temptation he refused to watch TV without his wife present and put a lock code on the TV that only his wife knew. The TV was locked from 8:30pm until the morning.
6. Listen and learn the way that your mind deals with temptation. Often we tend to flirt with it and skirt around its edges. We let a subtle form of temptation into our mind or heart and enjoy the sweet smell of it. It’s only a small step from here to indulge that temptation. As soon as we start smelling temptation we need to take immediate and drastic action.
7. Take note of the way that you justify giving into temptation and indulging your sinful nature. You need to stop this justifying reasoning. You need to realise that in God’s eyes there is no justification for your sinfulness. In God’s eyes what you did or are doing is an abomination and He hates it, no matter what circumstance you are in and no matter what justification you give.
8. Replace sinful behaviours with righteous ones. If you read Philippians 4:6-8, Ephesians 4:28 etc you’ll see that to successfully stop a sinful habit, you need to replace it with a godly habit. The man who steals must do something productive with his hands so that he can give to the needy. What godly, righteous things can you start doing to replace the evil and wicked habits in your life?
9. Realise that every thing you do either feeds your habits and addictions or mortifies them. There is no safe ground when it comes to sinfulness. You cannot and should not flirt with sin, thinking that you can slightly peer over the edge and have just a little look. You will be hooked and dragged into full blown sin very quickly. Run, flee from temptation as soon as it knocks at your door.
Prayer:-
ÿ If you struggle with a particular sin then spend time confessing it to God. Tell Him about it and ask Him to change you from the inside out. Ask for wisdom to know how to move forward in godliness and righteousness. Plead with God to strengthen you and make you more and more holy and more like Jesus.
Monday 25 October 2010
Monday October 25, 2010
Read Colossians 3:5-10
John Owen, the great Puritan wrote about what it means to put to death or mortify the sins of the flesh. He captured the essence of today’s verses. He wrote: Suppose a man to be a true believer, and yet finds in himself a powerful indwelling sin, leading him captive to the law of it, consuming his heart with trouble, perplexing his thoughts, weakening his soul as to duties of communion with God, disquieting him as to peace, and perhaps defiling his conscience, and exposing him to hardening through the deceitfulness of sin… To mortify the sin does not mean to kill it completely because that, though we pursue it, is not possible in this life. He is to bring it to the point where it has no fruit or root in his life. Even Paul said he had not attained perfection…. Mortification of sin is not putting on a hypocritical face. It must be a change of heart. It does not consist in the improvement of a quiet sedate nature... A sin is not mortified when it is simply diverted. It will break out in another way... Occasional conquests of sin are not mortifications of it. A man may think he has mortified sins when there is a sad eruption of it – when his conscience is struck, his peace is disturbed etc. It may appear dead but arises again when the going is safe to cause havoc. He may think he has mortified it when there is judgement, affliction or calamity. Psalm 78:32-37. This is not the putting to death of the lusts of the body.
The mortification of a lust is an habitual weakening of it. The heart is bent towards evil. Lusts will darken the mind, extinguish conviction, and remove reason. By mortifying the flesh it will not rise up as regularly or as powerfully… We must contend and fight continually against sin. To know that a man hath such an enemy to deal with, to take notice of it, to consider it as an enemy indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible, is required hereunto. To labour to know the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions of its success, is the beginning of this warfare. The godly man seeks to wound the lusts, kill it, load it up with things that are grievous each and every day.
Regular success over sin – bringing it in line with God’s law and condemning it – is another example of mortifying the sins of the flesh.
John Owen captured beautifully what it meant to mortify the sins of the flesh. Put positively it is a proactive pursuit of holiness, choosing at every turn or step to do and think and react in ways that please God. It means doing everything in my God given power not to give in to the lusts of the flesh.
Prayer:-
ÿ There are many people in churches struggling with sin and temptation. Spend time praying for the people in your congregation - namely that they would be free in Christ from the power and mastery of sin in their lives. Pray that those who are struggling will be strengthened and equipped to fight the good fight, to stand in the face of temptation and to choose that which pleases God.
ÿ
John Owen, the great Puritan wrote about what it means to put to death or mortify the sins of the flesh. He captured the essence of today’s verses. He wrote: Suppose a man to be a true believer, and yet finds in himself a powerful indwelling sin, leading him captive to the law of it, consuming his heart with trouble, perplexing his thoughts, weakening his soul as to duties of communion with God, disquieting him as to peace, and perhaps defiling his conscience, and exposing him to hardening through the deceitfulness of sin… To mortify the sin does not mean to kill it completely because that, though we pursue it, is not possible in this life. He is to bring it to the point where it has no fruit or root in his life. Even Paul said he had not attained perfection…. Mortification of sin is not putting on a hypocritical face. It must be a change of heart. It does not consist in the improvement of a quiet sedate nature... A sin is not mortified when it is simply diverted. It will break out in another way... Occasional conquests of sin are not mortifications of it. A man may think he has mortified sins when there is a sad eruption of it – when his conscience is struck, his peace is disturbed etc. It may appear dead but arises again when the going is safe to cause havoc. He may think he has mortified it when there is judgement, affliction or calamity. Psalm 78:32-37. This is not the putting to death of the lusts of the body.
The mortification of a lust is an habitual weakening of it. The heart is bent towards evil. Lusts will darken the mind, extinguish conviction, and remove reason. By mortifying the flesh it will not rise up as regularly or as powerfully… We must contend and fight continually against sin. To know that a man hath such an enemy to deal with, to take notice of it, to consider it as an enemy indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible, is required hereunto. To labour to know the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions of its success, is the beginning of this warfare. The godly man seeks to wound the lusts, kill it, load it up with things that are grievous each and every day.
Regular success over sin – bringing it in line with God’s law and condemning it – is another example of mortifying the sins of the flesh.
John Owen captured beautifully what it meant to mortify the sins of the flesh. Put positively it is a proactive pursuit of holiness, choosing at every turn or step to do and think and react in ways that please God. It means doing everything in my God given power not to give in to the lusts of the flesh.
Prayer:-
ÿ There are many people in churches struggling with sin and temptation. Spend time praying for the people in your congregation - namely that they would be free in Christ from the power and mastery of sin in their lives. Pray that those who are struggling will be strengthened and equipped to fight the good fight, to stand in the face of temptation and to choose that which pleases God.
ÿ
Saturday 23 October 2010
Saturday October 23, 2010
Read Galatians 5:13-26. Romans 6
My heart broke as a fellow believer stood before me and declared that in Christ he is free to watch pornography and read similar magazines. He went on to talk about the judgement being averted in Christ and his complete lack of a guilty conscience in doing these things. My heart broke because this believer, as you are well aware, had absolutely no idea what the freedom of Christ was about. I doubt that he had any freedom in Christ. I suspect he was chained to lusts of the flesh.
In Christ we are indeed free. We are freed from the mastery and slavery of sin. We are freed from the condemnation of the law. We are free to follow Jesus and to live lives worthy of our calling. We are not free to indulge our passions and to do as our sinful nature pleases. Indeed, we died to sin. How can we live in it any longer. We are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. We are beloved Children of God and spurning anything unrighteous or evil or wicked or contrary to the sound doctrine of our Lord should be a regular habit that we cultivate.
As you think about gathering for your church service tomorrow, realise that in Christ you are free to serve your brothers and sisters. How will you serve them tomorrow? How will you bless others in your congregation? How will you give of yourself so that others are edified? What can you do tomorrow to be building others up?
But notice the qualifier? We are called to serve in love, not in anger or bitterness or with a negative spirit. We are to serve in love.
If anyone deserved to be bitter or angry in the midst of service, it was Christ Himself. As He was being tried and judged and nailed to the cross He could have been bitter. He could have been angry. He could have been exceedingly negative. It was grossly unfair. He had no sin that deserved punishment. He was there because you and I deserved that punishment. He was there to serve us, to bless us and to edify us. And yet we see no anger or bitterness. We see no negativity. But we do see love - as Jesus was being nailed to the cross, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing’. My Lord and Saviour has served me in love and wants me, urges me, beckons me to serve others in love as well.
And hallelujah. God not only calls me to serve in love, He equips me to serve in love. As I walk in step with the Holy Spirit, as I am led by Him, He strengthens me and allows me to kill or mortify the desires of the flesh. He allows me and equips me to put my needs on the bottom and to lovingly serve the needs of the others. Even more so, the Holy Spirit grows in me great and more abundant fruit that bears forth even greater heights of loving service.
Prayer:-
ÿ Ask God to give you a servant heart. Ask Him to bless you with a deep understanding and experience of the freedom in Christ to serve others in love. If you are negative, hurt or angry or bitter, ask God to forgive you and to heal you so that you can serve in love.
ÿ Pray that the work of Shiloh Church ministries in India will continue as they seek to love and serve orphans, widows and others displaced by the violence in Orissa state. Pray that God would bless them with the funds, materials and man power they need to continue serving.
Prayerfully consider one way that you can show loving service tomorrow to your congregational members. You can choose a particular individual or a group or the entire congregation.
My heart broke as a fellow believer stood before me and declared that in Christ he is free to watch pornography and read similar magazines. He went on to talk about the judgement being averted in Christ and his complete lack of a guilty conscience in doing these things. My heart broke because this believer, as you are well aware, had absolutely no idea what the freedom of Christ was about. I doubt that he had any freedom in Christ. I suspect he was chained to lusts of the flesh.
In Christ we are indeed free. We are freed from the mastery and slavery of sin. We are freed from the condemnation of the law. We are free to follow Jesus and to live lives worthy of our calling. We are not free to indulge our passions and to do as our sinful nature pleases. Indeed, we died to sin. How can we live in it any longer. We are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. We are beloved Children of God and spurning anything unrighteous or evil or wicked or contrary to the sound doctrine of our Lord should be a regular habit that we cultivate.
As you think about gathering for your church service tomorrow, realise that in Christ you are free to serve your brothers and sisters. How will you serve them tomorrow? How will you bless others in your congregation? How will you give of yourself so that others are edified? What can you do tomorrow to be building others up?
But notice the qualifier? We are called to serve in love, not in anger or bitterness or with a negative spirit. We are to serve in love.
If anyone deserved to be bitter or angry in the midst of service, it was Christ Himself. As He was being tried and judged and nailed to the cross He could have been bitter. He could have been angry. He could have been exceedingly negative. It was grossly unfair. He had no sin that deserved punishment. He was there because you and I deserved that punishment. He was there to serve us, to bless us and to edify us. And yet we see no anger or bitterness. We see no negativity. But we do see love - as Jesus was being nailed to the cross, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing’. My Lord and Saviour has served me in love and wants me, urges me, beckons me to serve others in love as well.
And hallelujah. God not only calls me to serve in love, He equips me to serve in love. As I walk in step with the Holy Spirit, as I am led by Him, He strengthens me and allows me to kill or mortify the desires of the flesh. He allows me and equips me to put my needs on the bottom and to lovingly serve the needs of the others. Even more so, the Holy Spirit grows in me great and more abundant fruit that bears forth even greater heights of loving service.
Prayer:-
ÿ Ask God to give you a servant heart. Ask Him to bless you with a deep understanding and experience of the freedom in Christ to serve others in love. If you are negative, hurt or angry or bitter, ask God to forgive you and to heal you so that you can serve in love.
ÿ Pray that the work of Shiloh Church ministries in India will continue as they seek to love and serve orphans, widows and others displaced by the violence in Orissa state. Pray that God would bless them with the funds, materials and man power they need to continue serving.
Prayerfully consider one way that you can show loving service tomorrow to your congregational members. You can choose a particular individual or a group or the entire congregation.
Friday 22 October 2010
Friday October 22, 2010
Read 1 Corinthians 1:10-25
The church at Corinth was a deeply divided church. On almost every issue there was dissension and disagreement. They valued their individual opinion and their liberty to believe what ever they wanted. They were free to follow whoever they wanted. They were free to do whatever they wanted and the end result was a fractured and divided church.
Look carefully at vs 10 and consider what the bolded words mean and imply:-
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Let me run through each term one by one.
appeal: Paul pleads with the Christians in Corinth. He’s not asking them. He’s not commanding them. He’s pleading or begging them to be united. What is at stake is so important that he has to plead with them. Paul is not pleading for a pretend unified front but for deep unity based on the Word of God.
the name: Notice that Paul doesn’t say something like, ‘As an apostle I command you..’ or ‘by the power invested in me…’ He goes straight to the top, to the name above all names. Paul is so concerned about the divisions in the church that he appeals directly to the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord
and Saviour. Paul goes directly to the high court because, as we said, this issue of unity is vitally and supremely important.
all of you: notice that Paul’s appeal is directed, not to a part of the church and certainly not to those who disagree on the essentials of the faith (like the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus). It’s directed to every single believer in the church. Paul is appealing that every believer be unified - not just those who have major theological differences.
no divisions: This last point is reiterated as Paul calls for absolutely no divisions in the body of Christ. That’s a hard call. That’s a tough ask. But Paul, read it very carefully, is not saying ‘Here’s a list of things you can disagree about’. He’s calling the church to mature and grow to a point where there are no divisions. Interestingly, the grey areas of Scripture are elsewhere clearly spelt out.
perfectly united: These are again high intentions. This is not milk but mature. The Word of God is calling for perfect union.
mind and thought: This perfect union is to be at the root level of what we think and the conclusions we reach.
It’s not about my interpretation and your interpretation of the Word of God. It’s not about what I think or what you think. It’s about finding out what God says to us in the Word. It’s about giving the Word of God ultimate authority and submitting to the Word. It’s about searching the Word together and together studying the Word to find out what it is really saying to us.
Perfect unity! It’s a tough call. It’s a hard goal to aim for. But every congregation should be aiming to come to a unified understanding on the Word of God.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that your congregation would be growing in unity and agreement with each other. Pray that the issues causing division or barriers (if there are any) would be worked through in a Christ-honouring way.
ÿ Pray that the underground church in China would be unified and walking in perfect agreement. Pray that the leaders would be able to come to agreement about the issues that are causing division. Pray that the work of the evil one in causing division would be bound and removed by the power and splendour of our Lord and Saviour.
The church at Corinth was a deeply divided church. On almost every issue there was dissension and disagreement. They valued their individual opinion and their liberty to believe what ever they wanted. They were free to follow whoever they wanted. They were free to do whatever they wanted and the end result was a fractured and divided church.
Look carefully at vs 10 and consider what the bolded words mean and imply:-
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Let me run through each term one by one.
appeal: Paul pleads with the Christians in Corinth. He’s not asking them. He’s not commanding them. He’s pleading or begging them to be united. What is at stake is so important that he has to plead with them. Paul is not pleading for a pretend unified front but for deep unity based on the Word of God.
the name: Notice that Paul doesn’t say something like, ‘As an apostle I command you..’ or ‘by the power invested in me…’ He goes straight to the top, to the name above all names. Paul is so concerned about the divisions in the church that he appeals directly to the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord
and Saviour. Paul goes directly to the high court because, as we said, this issue of unity is vitally and supremely important.
all of you: notice that Paul’s appeal is directed, not to a part of the church and certainly not to those who disagree on the essentials of the faith (like the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus). It’s directed to every single believer in the church. Paul is appealing that every believer be unified - not just those who have major theological differences.
no divisions: This last point is reiterated as Paul calls for absolutely no divisions in the body of Christ. That’s a hard call. That’s a tough ask. But Paul, read it very carefully, is not saying ‘Here’s a list of things you can disagree about’. He’s calling the church to mature and grow to a point where there are no divisions. Interestingly, the grey areas of Scripture are elsewhere clearly spelt out.
perfectly united: These are again high intentions. This is not milk but mature. The Word of God is calling for perfect union.
mind and thought: This perfect union is to be at the root level of what we think and the conclusions we reach.
It’s not about my interpretation and your interpretation of the Word of God. It’s not about what I think or what you think. It’s about finding out what God says to us in the Word. It’s about giving the Word of God ultimate authority and submitting to the Word. It’s about searching the Word together and together studying the Word to find out what it is really saying to us.
Perfect unity! It’s a tough call. It’s a hard goal to aim for. But every congregation should be aiming to come to a unified understanding on the Word of God.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that your congregation would be growing in unity and agreement with each other. Pray that the issues causing division or barriers (if there are any) would be worked through in a Christ-honouring way.
ÿ Pray that the underground church in China would be unified and walking in perfect agreement. Pray that the leaders would be able to come to agreement about the issues that are causing division. Pray that the work of the evil one in causing division would be bound and removed by the power and splendour of our Lord and Saviour.
Thursday 21 October 2010
Thursday October 21, 2010
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Hebrews 3:13
Though encouragement is a gift and some believers are particularly good at it, we are all called to be encouraging to one another.
Every time you meet another believer or talk to another Christian you have a God given opportunity to build him up and/or to encourage him. But the converse is also true. You have the opportunity to discourage and to tear someone down. Have you ever realised that there is a third option as well? Each meeting could also be a complete neutral where you have no affect what so ever! I personally think that this last option is the worst of all!
Make it your personal goal to encourage and build up each and every believer you speak or relate to. Make it your goal to be positive and to speak words of encouragement, that it may benefit those who listen. Make it your goal to do anything necessary at any meeting so that the other person is edified.
Don’t settle for mediocrity. Don’t settle for being a negative person or someone who pulls others down. You can choose to be an encourager and an edifier, even if it’s not your spiritual gift. God never commands us to do that which He doesn’t or won’t enable us to do. Spend time committing this plan to the Lord and ask His empowering to be an encourager and an edifier.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the Lord Himself will encourage and build up the church in North Korea. As these believers meet in secret and are small because of intense persecution, they need daily strength and encouragement from our Lord. Pray that He will provide.
ÿ Ask God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to show you what in your life (words, deeds, posture, habits etc) is discouraging to others. Pray for the strength and ability to repent.
Encouragement can be as simple or as complicated as you like.
Choose three people you can encourage today and the means by which you can encourage them.
Though encouragement is a gift and some believers are particularly good at it, we are all called to be encouraging to one another.
Every time you meet another believer or talk to another Christian you have a God given opportunity to build him up and/or to encourage him. But the converse is also true. You have the opportunity to discourage and to tear someone down. Have you ever realised that there is a third option as well? Each meeting could also be a complete neutral where you have no affect what so ever! I personally think that this last option is the worst of all!
Make it your personal goal to encourage and build up each and every believer you speak or relate to. Make it your goal to be positive and to speak words of encouragement, that it may benefit those who listen. Make it your goal to do anything necessary at any meeting so that the other person is edified.
Don’t settle for mediocrity. Don’t settle for being a negative person or someone who pulls others down. You can choose to be an encourager and an edifier, even if it’s not your spiritual gift. God never commands us to do that which He doesn’t or won’t enable us to do. Spend time committing this plan to the Lord and ask His empowering to be an encourager and an edifier.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the Lord Himself will encourage and build up the church in North Korea. As these believers meet in secret and are small because of intense persecution, they need daily strength and encouragement from our Lord. Pray that He will provide.
ÿ Ask God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to show you what in your life (words, deeds, posture, habits etc) is discouraging to others. Pray for the strength and ability to repent.
Encouragement can be as simple or as complicated as you like.
Choose three people you can encourage today and the means by which you can encourage them.
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Wednesday October 20, 2010
Read Colossians 3:14-17. 2 Tim 3:16-17
A rich and successful business man who was recently divorced was asked in an interview why he was unsuccessful in marriage. He replied, ‘I work hard all day at work. I don’t want to come home and have to work’. No wonder the marriage fell apart so quickly. Relationships are hard work. They take a lot to maintain and to keep going in a positive direction. It’s much easier to destroy a relationship than to keep it going smoothly. That’s why the Bible has so much to say about relationships!
To have positive and meaningful relationships we are to keep the peace of Christ in our hearts. This is basically enjoying and living in the peace that we have with God through the work of Jesus at the cross. We are to consciously walk in the positive relationship we have with God. That positiveness and peace with God will naturally flow into our walk with others. It will affect our relationship with others because it will affect how we treat them. Interestingly, the most mature believers I know that have the best relationships are those who are closest to God.
Added to this, we are to keep the Word of God in our hearts. It is to tabernacle within us. As Jesus taught us, (John 15:7-8):-
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
With God’s Word foremost in our heart, our motives will be pure. Our desires will be sincere. Our heart will yearn to have the best relationship possible with everyone in our world. You simply cannot hold hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness etc in a heart where the Word of God (and where Christ Himself) is given supremacy. When the two are co-mingled it’s often the Word of God that gets shunned or kicked out.
As the Word of God (that’s the Bible, if you weren't aware) dwells within you, you will be qualified to teach others because you’ll be teaching them the Word of God, not what you interpret the Word to mean or what you think it says. You’ll be qualified to admonish and correct others, because you’re heart will be filled with love and the true standard of God rather than your own standard or your own thoughts.
And as the Word dwells in you, thankfulness will overflow from within you. People will not see a bitter person out to seek revenge or a hurt person getting his own back. They’ll see a soul so deeply in love with God that songs of praise usher out from his heart somewhat uncontrollably. They’ll see a person so in love with God that they can’t stand to see sin in another believer and are reacting out of love, not anger, not bitterness, not hatred and certainly not self interest.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray for the work of Creation Ministries as they seek to bring the Word of God to bear in the lives of both believers and non believers. Pray that God would convict and grant repentance to those believers who choose the bits of the Bible they want to believe and those that they don’t. Pray that we will be a people of God who believe and cherish the Word of God from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation.
ÿ As we think forward to this weekend’s church family camp, pray that we will be able to teach and admonish one another in love and wisdom. Pray that we will be able to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs together with gratitude in our hearts to God.
Get together with another Christian and talk about the ways in which you can allow or encourage the Word of God to dwell richly in you.
Write down some ideas.
1/.
2/.
3/.
4/.
5/.
6/.
A rich and successful business man who was recently divorced was asked in an interview why he was unsuccessful in marriage. He replied, ‘I work hard all day at work. I don’t want to come home and have to work’. No wonder the marriage fell apart so quickly. Relationships are hard work. They take a lot to maintain and to keep going in a positive direction. It’s much easier to destroy a relationship than to keep it going smoothly. That’s why the Bible has so much to say about relationships!
To have positive and meaningful relationships we are to keep the peace of Christ in our hearts. This is basically enjoying and living in the peace that we have with God through the work of Jesus at the cross. We are to consciously walk in the positive relationship we have with God. That positiveness and peace with God will naturally flow into our walk with others. It will affect our relationship with others because it will affect how we treat them. Interestingly, the most mature believers I know that have the best relationships are those who are closest to God.
Added to this, we are to keep the Word of God in our hearts. It is to tabernacle within us. As Jesus taught us, (John 15:7-8):-
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
With God’s Word foremost in our heart, our motives will be pure. Our desires will be sincere. Our heart will yearn to have the best relationship possible with everyone in our world. You simply cannot hold hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness etc in a heart where the Word of God (and where Christ Himself) is given supremacy. When the two are co-mingled it’s often the Word of God that gets shunned or kicked out.
As the Word of God (that’s the Bible, if you weren't aware) dwells within you, you will be qualified to teach others because you’ll be teaching them the Word of God, not what you interpret the Word to mean or what you think it says. You’ll be qualified to admonish and correct others, because you’re heart will be filled with love and the true standard of God rather than your own standard or your own thoughts.
And as the Word dwells in you, thankfulness will overflow from within you. People will not see a bitter person out to seek revenge or a hurt person getting his own back. They’ll see a soul so deeply in love with God that songs of praise usher out from his heart somewhat uncontrollably. They’ll see a person so in love with God that they can’t stand to see sin in another believer and are reacting out of love, not anger, not bitterness, not hatred and certainly not self interest.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray for the work of Creation Ministries as they seek to bring the Word of God to bear in the lives of both believers and non believers. Pray that God would convict and grant repentance to those believers who choose the bits of the Bible they want to believe and those that they don’t. Pray that we will be a people of God who believe and cherish the Word of God from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation.
ÿ As we think forward to this weekend’s church family camp, pray that we will be able to teach and admonish one another in love and wisdom. Pray that we will be able to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs together with gratitude in our hearts to God.
Get together with another Christian and talk about the ways in which you can allow or encourage the Word of God to dwell richly in you.
Write down some ideas.
1/.
2/.
3/.
4/.
5/.
6/.
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Tuesday October 19, 2010
Read Hosea 14:1-4, Matthew 6:9-15, Matthew 18:21-35
My sin against God is far greater than all the combined sins committed against me by my fellow man. That’s a huge statement to make. But as you ponder the holiness of God and His majesty you’ll understand that sinning against an awesome God is a very serious thing indeed. As I stand before God, trusting in the work of Jesus on my behalf I come to the realisation that God has taken upon Himself the punishment and wrath meant for my sins against Himself. He has chosen to love me freely, to adopt me as His son, to share with me the inheritance fitting only for Jesus (His only begotten Son). God has chosen to not remember my sins and iniquities. God has chosen to lavish me with love, with grace, with mercy and with forgiveness. God has chosen to treat me as a beloved child that is perfectly right with Himself rather than as a sinner deserving of wrath and condemnation.
It is clear from Scripture that I am to treat others the way that God has treated me. I am to share with others that which God has given to me. If I have drunk freely and deeply from His well of forgiveness, I am to have a deep well of forgiveness for others.
But in reality I see so many hurt Christians. I see so many believers holding onto unforgiveness. I see so much pain and agony in the heart of too many believers. Joy is strangled as the algae of unforgiveness grows and pollutes every aspect of their life. How and where do I see this? In their posture and body language; in their speech and tone; in their lack of joy; in their words, their gossip and snide remarks; in their eyes that ache for love and acceptance.
My brother or sister in Christ, are you holding onto unforgiveness? Can you see bitterness in your heart? Can you hear words of hurt or tones of unforgiveness in your own speech? Can you sense that your joy is deflated and anger, bitterness and possibly even hatred are growing? Is your first reaction negative? Do you rarely have words of encouragement? Are you angry at many, many people? You need to come to Christ and let go of the hurt and the pain. You need to drink deeply from the well of His forgiveness. You need to be refreshed and renewed by His love for you, His unlimited and unbounded love for you personally. You need to be broken by His grace and mercy. You need to be transformed by His personal goodness towards you. You need to soak up the forgiveness of God through Christ so that you can reflect His love and share His forgiveness with others.
Prayer:-
ÿ There is a great need for Christ-imitating forgiveness to be offered and sought within the Christian community. Pray that our weekend away will allow people the opportunity to do just that. Pray that we’ll see the love of Jesus growing and maturing among us.
ÿ Pray for Dave and Kristy Richards as they settle into New Zealand. Pray that they will have a smooth transition and that God would show them quickly and clearly the work that He has for them to do in that country.
My sin against God is far greater than all the combined sins committed against me by my fellow man. That’s a huge statement to make. But as you ponder the holiness of God and His majesty you’ll understand that sinning against an awesome God is a very serious thing indeed. As I stand before God, trusting in the work of Jesus on my behalf I come to the realisation that God has taken upon Himself the punishment and wrath meant for my sins against Himself. He has chosen to love me freely, to adopt me as His son, to share with me the inheritance fitting only for Jesus (His only begotten Son). God has chosen to not remember my sins and iniquities. God has chosen to lavish me with love, with grace, with mercy and with forgiveness. God has chosen to treat me as a beloved child that is perfectly right with Himself rather than as a sinner deserving of wrath and condemnation.
It is clear from Scripture that I am to treat others the way that God has treated me. I am to share with others that which God has given to me. If I have drunk freely and deeply from His well of forgiveness, I am to have a deep well of forgiveness for others.
But in reality I see so many hurt Christians. I see so many believers holding onto unforgiveness. I see so much pain and agony in the heart of too many believers. Joy is strangled as the algae of unforgiveness grows and pollutes every aspect of their life. How and where do I see this? In their posture and body language; in their speech and tone; in their lack of joy; in their words, their gossip and snide remarks; in their eyes that ache for love and acceptance.
My brother or sister in Christ, are you holding onto unforgiveness? Can you see bitterness in your heart? Can you hear words of hurt or tones of unforgiveness in your own speech? Can you sense that your joy is deflated and anger, bitterness and possibly even hatred are growing? Is your first reaction negative? Do you rarely have words of encouragement? Are you angry at many, many people? You need to come to Christ and let go of the hurt and the pain. You need to drink deeply from the well of His forgiveness. You need to be refreshed and renewed by His love for you, His unlimited and unbounded love for you personally. You need to be broken by His grace and mercy. You need to be transformed by His personal goodness towards you. You need to soak up the forgiveness of God through Christ so that you can reflect His love and share His forgiveness with others.
Prayer:-
ÿ There is a great need for Christ-imitating forgiveness to be offered and sought within the Christian community. Pray that our weekend away will allow people the opportunity to do just that. Pray that we’ll see the love of Jesus growing and maturing among us.
ÿ Pray for Dave and Kristy Richards as they settle into New Zealand. Pray that they will have a smooth transition and that God would show them quickly and clearly the work that He has for them to do in that country.
Monday 18 October 2010
Monday October 18, 2010
Read Romans 12:9-10. John 13:34-34
As we prepare for our church family camp next weekend we need to realise that the theme for the weekend is spurring one another on in love. As the week rolls onwards we will spend time searching out the ‘one another’ passages in the New Testament and seeking to apply them to one another.
Perhaps the best place to start is our love for each other. This Christian to Christian love is to be modelled on and based on the love that Jesus has for us. We are basically imitating the love that we have received personally from Him. His love motivates me to love others, even those who are hard to love.
Our love for others in the church is to be sincere. The word used in the Greek original text is literally “unhypocritical”. God is saying our love is to be “unhypocritical”. It is not a Sonday face of niceness we put on and then take off as we leave the church building. Our love must not be tainted by rolling eyes, by critical remarks, by grudges or by unforgiveness. All these things, that really show the state of our heart, are evil and should be passionately hated. Rather, we are to cling to that which is good - the word used for ‘cling’ means to be glued to. That which is good is to be stuck to us so that we share it with everyone we meet, especially those who belong to the household of believers.
We are called to love one another with a brotherly affection. This is far from sibling rivalry but a genuine love and concern for each other, that is fitting for brothers or sisters to share. We are to have that familiar bond that unites us together under the headship of Christ.
Added to this, we are to outdo each other in showing one another honour. We are to consider others better than ourselves and show them the respect, honour and courtesy that they deserve.
Let me encourage you for a moment to dream about a church, your church, that takes this command seriously. What kind of church would it be? What would it look like on Sonday morning and evening? What effect would such a loving church have on the local community in which it is situated?
You, my beloved believer, can start the ball rolling. If you are going to love others with a brotherly love, if you are going to show honour to others then be reconciled, offer forgiveness, refuse to hold a grudge, be gracious and give others the benefit of the doubt. Serve others. Give sacrificially to them. Bless them and work for their benefit. You can be a mighty tide of change as you decide with Christ to love others as He has loved you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our weekend at Camp will be a time of learning to love one another and growing together in Christ-likeness. Pray that any broken relationships will be restored.
ÿ Ask that our brothers and sisters in Vietnam would be able to show the love of Jesus to those who are persecuting and attacking them. Believers can be forced out of their homes and villages, physically attacked, fined and jailed for believing in Jesus. Ask God to strengthen them and use them powerfully to spread the love of God further into the local communities.
Think of one person you haven’t shown love to recently.
Decide one way that you can apply Romans 12:9-20 with that person in mind and do it.
Jot down your thoughts below and get to it.
As we prepare for our church family camp next weekend we need to realise that the theme for the weekend is spurring one another on in love. As the week rolls onwards we will spend time searching out the ‘one another’ passages in the New Testament and seeking to apply them to one another.
Perhaps the best place to start is our love for each other. This Christian to Christian love is to be modelled on and based on the love that Jesus has for us. We are basically imitating the love that we have received personally from Him. His love motivates me to love others, even those who are hard to love.
Our love for others in the church is to be sincere. The word used in the Greek original text is literally “unhypocritical”. God is saying our love is to be “unhypocritical”. It is not a Sonday face of niceness we put on and then take off as we leave the church building. Our love must not be tainted by rolling eyes, by critical remarks, by grudges or by unforgiveness. All these things, that really show the state of our heart, are evil and should be passionately hated. Rather, we are to cling to that which is good - the word used for ‘cling’ means to be glued to. That which is good is to be stuck to us so that we share it with everyone we meet, especially those who belong to the household of believers.
We are called to love one another with a brotherly affection. This is far from sibling rivalry but a genuine love and concern for each other, that is fitting for brothers or sisters to share. We are to have that familiar bond that unites us together under the headship of Christ.
Added to this, we are to outdo each other in showing one another honour. We are to consider others better than ourselves and show them the respect, honour and courtesy that they deserve.
Let me encourage you for a moment to dream about a church, your church, that takes this command seriously. What kind of church would it be? What would it look like on Sonday morning and evening? What effect would such a loving church have on the local community in which it is situated?
You, my beloved believer, can start the ball rolling. If you are going to love others with a brotherly love, if you are going to show honour to others then be reconciled, offer forgiveness, refuse to hold a grudge, be gracious and give others the benefit of the doubt. Serve others. Give sacrificially to them. Bless them and work for their benefit. You can be a mighty tide of change as you decide with Christ to love others as He has loved you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our weekend at Camp will be a time of learning to love one another and growing together in Christ-likeness. Pray that any broken relationships will be restored.
ÿ Ask that our brothers and sisters in Vietnam would be able to show the love of Jesus to those who are persecuting and attacking them. Believers can be forced out of their homes and villages, physically attacked, fined and jailed for believing in Jesus. Ask God to strengthen them and use them powerfully to spread the love of God further into the local communities.
Think of one person you haven’t shown love to recently.
Decide one way that you can apply Romans 12:9-20 with that person in mind and do it.
Jot down your thoughts below and get to it.
Saturday 16 October 2010
Saturday October 16, 2010
Read Psalm 121
How often in life the burdens and weights of this world cause us to look down upon the rocky road beneath out feet. How often the storms and fogs of trouble cause us to see but scantly into the distance. How often the hurts and pains turn our hearts away from the Lord.
And yet, the Psalmist turns from the burdens and excesses of this world to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Only the creator can help us. Only the one who made us can watch over us without sleeping. Is there any better place to seek help? Why do we contend with plan A, plan B, Plan C and then after several more self devised and self deceived plans seek help from God. ‘My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth,’ our hearts should cry at the first, not the last! We should be quick to seek the Lord as our first calling. We should be drawing near to Him as the storms form far off on the horizon.
Our God will not let our foot slip. He will watch over us without sleeping or slumbering. The enemy will not catch Him unawares. The enemy can’t sneak around God or disguise Himself so that God is fooled. God is watching over us.
God is our shade, our refuge in the heat of the day or the cold of night. He is with us and takes care of us. He will keep us from harm and, as Paul declared, will deliver us safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Let your heart be filled with joy as you consider God’s abundant provision and protection over your life. Praise God and sing His glories as you consider the love and compassion that God has for you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that we will all come to God tomorrow and draw near to Him in full assurance of faith. Pray that the unrepentant would be drawn to Jesus’ love and mercy and that they would confess their sins and submit to Jesus’ Lordship.
ÿ Pray for the trainee students in Myanmar Reformed College as they preach and serve in different congregations. Pray that God would use each one to grow His Kingdom, to faithfully preach the Word and to make many disciples.
Write down 5 ways that you can draw near to God today.
1/
2/
3/
4/
5/
How often in life the burdens and weights of this world cause us to look down upon the rocky road beneath out feet. How often the storms and fogs of trouble cause us to see but scantly into the distance. How often the hurts and pains turn our hearts away from the Lord.
And yet, the Psalmist turns from the burdens and excesses of this world to the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Only the creator can help us. Only the one who made us can watch over us without sleeping. Is there any better place to seek help? Why do we contend with plan A, plan B, Plan C and then after several more self devised and self deceived plans seek help from God. ‘My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth,’ our hearts should cry at the first, not the last! We should be quick to seek the Lord as our first calling. We should be drawing near to Him as the storms form far off on the horizon.
Our God will not let our foot slip. He will watch over us without sleeping or slumbering. The enemy will not catch Him unawares. The enemy can’t sneak around God or disguise Himself so that God is fooled. God is watching over us.
God is our shade, our refuge in the heat of the day or the cold of night. He is with us and takes care of us. He will keep us from harm and, as Paul declared, will deliver us safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Let your heart be filled with joy as you consider God’s abundant provision and protection over your life. Praise God and sing His glories as you consider the love and compassion that God has for you.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that we will all come to God tomorrow and draw near to Him in full assurance of faith. Pray that the unrepentant would be drawn to Jesus’ love and mercy and that they would confess their sins and submit to Jesus’ Lordship.
ÿ Pray for the trainee students in Myanmar Reformed College as they preach and serve in different congregations. Pray that God would use each one to grow His Kingdom, to faithfully preach the Word and to make many disciples.
Write down 5 ways that you can draw near to God today.
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Friday 15 October 2010
Friday October 15, 2010
Read Colossians 1-3:4. Think carefully about the prayer in 1:9-11.
Consider the following diagram, taken from The Teacher’s Commentary.
The Colossian prayer provides important background for our understanding of Paul’s pathway to spiritual fullness. In Colossians 1:9-11 Paul asks God to:-
Fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
The first element, a “knowledge of God’s will,” is literally a knowledge of “what God has willed.” That is, the apostle has not looked to personal experiences of leading, but to revelation. God has made Himself and His will known to us in the Word. Personal experience of God begins with this revelation of Himself through the Prophets and Apostles.
But we are to hold this knowledge with “all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Each of the terms here focuses our attention not on
intellectual knowledge or information. Each speaks of practical knowledge: of ability to apply what is known to daily life, and see its implications for our choices and actions. As we apply what God has willed to our everyday lives, wisely letting God’s Word guide our choices, we will live lives that are truly worthy of the Lord.
In this process God Himself will be actively at work within and through us, producing the Holy Spirit’s fruit in our personalities even as we are active in every good work.
Finally, we will be “growing in the knowledge of God.” This culminating thought is not of growth in knowledge about God, but growth in knowing Him personally. We will experience God in our lives, and find personal spiritual fulfilment, only in this way.
It is against this background that Paul in Colossians 3 now shows us how to grow in a spiritual—and holy—life here on earth. Paul also focused on the hiddenness of spiritual life. Experiencing fullness may not be the exciting, obvious, or supernatural thing we dream of! Paul pointed out, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (vs 3–4). The glory will be seen when Christ appears. Don’t look for it until then!
Godliness in human flesh lives a Jesus-kind of life. And this is exactly what the apostle wanted us to realize. Holiness is not being “different.” Holiness is not being “strange.” It is being the same kind of loving person Jesus was. True holiness is hidden in daily life, expressed in the ordinary, and revealed in our living relationships with other people. With this background, we can understand how jolting the teaching of Colossians 3 and 4 really was. Holy living, the fullness of living our relationship in Christ, is to be sought in the context of our ordinary lives in this world.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who teach us this Lord’s day will indeed live out the Words they preach. Ask God to teach our teachers before they teach us.
ÿ Pray that each of our youth grow strong and mighty in the Lord. Pray that they all have a faith founded on the truth of Jesus and His work at Calvary. Ask God to grow fruit in their lives.
Consider the following diagram, taken from The Teacher’s Commentary.
The Colossian prayer provides important background for our understanding of Paul’s pathway to spiritual fullness. In Colossians 1:9-11 Paul asks God to:-
Fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
The first element, a “knowledge of God’s will,” is literally a knowledge of “what God has willed.” That is, the apostle has not looked to personal experiences of leading, but to revelation. God has made Himself and His will known to us in the Word. Personal experience of God begins with this revelation of Himself through the Prophets and Apostles.
But we are to hold this knowledge with “all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Each of the terms here focuses our attention not on
intellectual knowledge or information. Each speaks of practical knowledge: of ability to apply what is known to daily life, and see its implications for our choices and actions. As we apply what God has willed to our everyday lives, wisely letting God’s Word guide our choices, we will live lives that are truly worthy of the Lord.
In this process God Himself will be actively at work within and through us, producing the Holy Spirit’s fruit in our personalities even as we are active in every good work.
Finally, we will be “growing in the knowledge of God.” This culminating thought is not of growth in knowledge about God, but growth in knowing Him personally. We will experience God in our lives, and find personal spiritual fulfilment, only in this way.
It is against this background that Paul in Colossians 3 now shows us how to grow in a spiritual—and holy—life here on earth. Paul also focused on the hiddenness of spiritual life. Experiencing fullness may not be the exciting, obvious, or supernatural thing we dream of! Paul pointed out, “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (vs 3–4). The glory will be seen when Christ appears. Don’t look for it until then!
Godliness in human flesh lives a Jesus-kind of life. And this is exactly what the apostle wanted us to realize. Holiness is not being “different.” Holiness is not being “strange.” It is being the same kind of loving person Jesus was. True holiness is hidden in daily life, expressed in the ordinary, and revealed in our living relationships with other people. With this background, we can understand how jolting the teaching of Colossians 3 and 4 really was. Holy living, the fullness of living our relationship in Christ, is to be sought in the context of our ordinary lives in this world.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who teach us this Lord’s day will indeed live out the Words they preach. Ask God to teach our teachers before they teach us.
ÿ Pray that each of our youth grow strong and mighty in the Lord. Pray that they all have a faith founded on the truth of Jesus and His work at Calvary. Ask God to grow fruit in their lives.
Thursday 14 October 2010
Thursday October 14, 2010
Read Colossians 3:1-4
The Christian life is backward to common logic and thinking. Wow! What do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked! Our entire life is built upon working towards something, striving to reach the goal and then enjoying the fruits of that success. If I want a new car, I save hard and then buy it. If I want straight A’s on my report card, I study hard and work hard all year. Then I reap the rewards. But as a Christian I am justified the moment I believe. In some sense I am sanctified and declared holy in Christ. I died with Christ. I am raised with Him and I sit in the heavenlies with Him. I have even been glorified in Him. Notice the past tense in Romans 8:30!!!
But during this life I strive to be all that Jesus has declared me to be. I wait with patience. I struggle with all His energy that so powerfully works within me. I work out my salvation with fear and trembling because He works in me.
And we know that when Christ appears then we will also appear with Him in glory. The full revelation of glory will appear on that blessed day. Until that day I keep my affection and my attention focused on Jesus because I live a hidden life. Full glory, unhindered by sin and rebellion, is coming but it comes only with our Lord and Saviour.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Iraq would be filled with the hope of glory as they live for Jesus in a war torn land filled with hatred of Christ. Pray that Jesus would be their strength, their joy, their source of life in this land. Ask God to bring many conversions through their witness to Christ.
ÿ Pray that the community around us here would see that our hope is in Jesus and not in wealth, status or the luxury comforts we take for granted. Pray that those believers who make idols out of these things would be granted repentance.
The Christian life is backward to common logic and thinking. Wow! What do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked! Our entire life is built upon working towards something, striving to reach the goal and then enjoying the fruits of that success. If I want a new car, I save hard and then buy it. If I want straight A’s on my report card, I study hard and work hard all year. Then I reap the rewards. But as a Christian I am justified the moment I believe. In some sense I am sanctified and declared holy in Christ. I died with Christ. I am raised with Him and I sit in the heavenlies with Him. I have even been glorified in Him. Notice the past tense in Romans 8:30!!!
But during this life I strive to be all that Jesus has declared me to be. I wait with patience. I struggle with all His energy that so powerfully works within me. I work out my salvation with fear and trembling because He works in me.
And we know that when Christ appears then we will also appear with Him in glory. The full revelation of glory will appear on that blessed day. Until that day I keep my affection and my attention focused on Jesus because I live a hidden life. Full glory, unhindered by sin and rebellion, is coming but it comes only with our Lord and Saviour.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Iraq would be filled with the hope of glory as they live for Jesus in a war torn land filled with hatred of Christ. Pray that Jesus would be their strength, their joy, their source of life in this land. Ask God to bring many conversions through their witness to Christ.
ÿ Pray that the community around us here would see that our hope is in Jesus and not in wealth, status or the luxury comforts we take for granted. Pray that those believers who make idols out of these things would be granted repentance.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Wednesday October 13, 2010
Read Colossians 3:1-3, Luke 9:22-27
As I look around the world I see the rich and the famous, the powerful and the pretty living life to the full. As the Psalmist said, they seem to have no cares, no worries and no problems in their lives. And as I look at my Christian brothers and sisters I see a very different story. Some are genuinely struggling. Others are being hunted down for their faith. Some are made sport of. Others are poor because they support the needy above and beyond the call of duty.
Is this unfair? Is this the way it should be? Is it right? Colossians 3:1-3 helps to answer that question. You and I are called to deny ourselves daily, to take up our cross and to follow Jesus. We are called to lose our life for the sake of Jesus. We are called to a willingness to die as Jesus died. We are not to chase the things, the joys, the pleasures of the world. We are not to love the things of the world or have them close to our heart.
Spirituality we have already died with Christ. This dying with Christ has implications in the here and now. Basically our life is hidden with Christ. We can’t and shouldn’t expect a “full” life as those in the world live a full life. Our excitement, our joy, our sphere of desire lies not in this world but in the next. This world has nothing to offer us. Hence the world may see us as boring. The world may see us as sad little creatures who don’t know how to have a good time.
But they cannot steal our life away from Christ, for we are hidden in Him. They cannot, by persecution ruin our fullness of life for we are hidden in Him. They cannot detract from the significance of our life for it is hidden in Jesus.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Pakistan will know that their life is hid with Christ as they suffer immense persecution. Pray that through this hidden life, the power and glory of Christ will shine.
ÿ Pray that we will have attentive and obedient hearts and minds as we sit under the Word this coming Lord’s day.
Read 1 John 2:15-17. Are there areas or ways in which you are loving the world? What needs to be done about it?
As I look around the world I see the rich and the famous, the powerful and the pretty living life to the full. As the Psalmist said, they seem to have no cares, no worries and no problems in their lives. And as I look at my Christian brothers and sisters I see a very different story. Some are genuinely struggling. Others are being hunted down for their faith. Some are made sport of. Others are poor because they support the needy above and beyond the call of duty.
Is this unfair? Is this the way it should be? Is it right? Colossians 3:1-3 helps to answer that question. You and I are called to deny ourselves daily, to take up our cross and to follow Jesus. We are called to lose our life for the sake of Jesus. We are called to a willingness to die as Jesus died. We are not to chase the things, the joys, the pleasures of the world. We are not to love the things of the world or have them close to our heart.
Spirituality we have already died with Christ. This dying with Christ has implications in the here and now. Basically our life is hidden with Christ. We can’t and shouldn’t expect a “full” life as those in the world live a full life. Our excitement, our joy, our sphere of desire lies not in this world but in the next. This world has nothing to offer us. Hence the world may see us as boring. The world may see us as sad little creatures who don’t know how to have a good time.
But they cannot steal our life away from Christ, for we are hidden in Him. They cannot, by persecution ruin our fullness of life for we are hidden in Him. They cannot detract from the significance of our life for it is hidden in Jesus.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters in Pakistan will know that their life is hid with Christ as they suffer immense persecution. Pray that through this hidden life, the power and glory of Christ will shine.
ÿ Pray that we will have attentive and obedient hearts and minds as we sit under the Word this coming Lord’s day.
Read 1 John 2:15-17. Are there areas or ways in which you are loving the world? What needs to be done about it?
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Tuesday October 12, 2010
Read Colossians 3:1-2, 1 Peter 1:13-14
It’s fascinating that one situation can cause such different reactions and outcomes for two or more different believers. I’ve seen many people go through similar situations and come out the other side in vastly different areas. Take the death of a friend for example. Two unrelated believers may sadly go through the death of a friend (in similar conditions) and while one
may come out sad and bitter, the other may come out with hope and joy in the Lord. Why is this so? How does this happen?
We are encouraged in today’s passage to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. This is not a mandate to put our head so far in the clouds that we are of no earthly use. It’s an encouragement to put our heads even further into the clouds so that we see the risen Lord, the victorious Lord Jesus Christ and are exceedingly useful and gracious and loving here on earth. What we are encouraged to do is to seriously think about the ascended Jesus and how that affects everything we do and say. We are to act, speak and react in accord with the resurrection victory of our Lord and Saviour.
What does that look like? When my friend suffers, I comfort them with the comfort that I have received from the risen Christ. When they are troubled, I encourage them with the words and the plan of the risen Saviour. If they are mourning a loss, I can mourn with them without losing my eternal hope and focus. If they are dying, I can give them the only true hope that is in Christ Jesus. When my enemy needs help or love or compassion I can be there because the victorious Jesus has loved me and given me eternal hope.
Jesus’ heavenly dwelling is not a call for believers to bury their head in the sand like ostriches. It’s not a call to run and hide in caves and to meditate on the issues of life. Jesus’ heavenly dwelling is a call to prepare our minds for action, to be ready to engage the world, to be ready to defend our faith and to walk forward in love and sacrifice. It’s a call, not for licentious living, but for self controlled deliberate lives that reflect the glory, the hope, the eternity of our Saviour.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that everyone in your congregation will have their mind set on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Pray that those who proclaim the Word to us this Lord’s Day will also have this mindset and be able to preach to us from this mind set. Pray that the Word changes us from the inside out.
ÿ Pray for our World Changers body to be wise and heavenly focused as they deal with the mission funds. Pray that their united desire would be to further the Kingdom of God. Pray that more and more people would be supporting World Changers.
To set your heart and mind on Christ in the heavens means to deliberately focus on them and to make them the centre of your affection and attention. List 10 things you can be doing to daily fix your heart and mind on Christ Jesus. Share this list with your cell group.
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It’s fascinating that one situation can cause such different reactions and outcomes for two or more different believers. I’ve seen many people go through similar situations and come out the other side in vastly different areas. Take the death of a friend for example. Two unrelated believers may sadly go through the death of a friend (in similar conditions) and while one
may come out sad and bitter, the other may come out with hope and joy in the Lord. Why is this so? How does this happen?
We are encouraged in today’s passage to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. This is not a mandate to put our head so far in the clouds that we are of no earthly use. It’s an encouragement to put our heads even further into the clouds so that we see the risen Lord, the victorious Lord Jesus Christ and are exceedingly useful and gracious and loving here on earth. What we are encouraged to do is to seriously think about the ascended Jesus and how that affects everything we do and say. We are to act, speak and react in accord with the resurrection victory of our Lord and Saviour.
What does that look like? When my friend suffers, I comfort them with the comfort that I have received from the risen Christ. When they are troubled, I encourage them with the words and the plan of the risen Saviour. If they are mourning a loss, I can mourn with them without losing my eternal hope and focus. If they are dying, I can give them the only true hope that is in Christ Jesus. When my enemy needs help or love or compassion I can be there because the victorious Jesus has loved me and given me eternal hope.
Jesus’ heavenly dwelling is not a call for believers to bury their head in the sand like ostriches. It’s not a call to run and hide in caves and to meditate on the issues of life. Jesus’ heavenly dwelling is a call to prepare our minds for action, to be ready to engage the world, to be ready to defend our faith and to walk forward in love and sacrifice. It’s a call, not for licentious living, but for self controlled deliberate lives that reflect the glory, the hope, the eternity of our Saviour.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that everyone in your congregation will have their mind set on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Pray that those who proclaim the Word to us this Lord’s Day will also have this mindset and be able to preach to us from this mind set. Pray that the Word changes us from the inside out.
ÿ Pray for our World Changers body to be wise and heavenly focused as they deal with the mission funds. Pray that their united desire would be to further the Kingdom of God. Pray that more and more people would be supporting World Changers.
To set your heart and mind on Christ in the heavens means to deliberately focus on them and to make them the centre of your affection and attention. List 10 things you can be doing to daily fix your heart and mind on Christ Jesus. Share this list with your cell group.
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Monday 11 October 2010
Monday October 11, 2010
Read Colossians 3:1, Ephesians 2:1-7
The Christian life is often a tension. We are prefect in Christ. We are justified in Christ. Yet here and now we see someone less than perfect. Here and now we see the sin and the natural humanity of ourselves. This reality has driven many to find relief from sin in human pursuits, self help programs and fix yourself strategies. But as we saw last week they rarely work.
As believers we are called to holiness and purity. We are called to strive to be all that we have been declared to be in Christ. That creates a tension and causes a heartache or soul ache as we see the difference between what we are and what we yearn to become in Christ.
The key is to live in Christ. We need to set our heart on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We need to find joy, peace and comfort in Jesus’ victory, His ensuing return and the coming glory. The burden of this world, the weight of sin, the pain of struggle is overcome as we set our hearts above to the heavenlies.
Indeed, through Christ we have been raised and seated with Christ in the heavens! He has done everything for our final victory. We soldier on now, looking not at the battle but at the final resting place for the victorious. As one grand old hymn put it, ‘This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.’ Onward Christian soldier. Onward.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who will teach us on the next Lord’s Day will have their heart in the heavenlies. Pray that they will be seeing all of life from the perspective of the risen and victorious Christ. Pray that God’s Word on the next Lord’s day will equip us, comfort us and mould us to be more like Jesus.
ÿ Pray for our up coming church camp. Pray that the weekend will be a time of relationship building, deep fellowship and a saturation and growth in love for each other and for our Lord. Pray that everyone will be blessed.
We often tend to view our life through a particular grid or set of lenses.
A Christian should see the world and everything that happens in it through the grid of Scripture and more particularly through the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. Is this your grid?
Think about what grid you are using to see the world and how it’s affecting your worship of God, your love for the brotherhood of Christians and your attitude towards non believers.
The Christian life is often a tension. We are prefect in Christ. We are justified in Christ. Yet here and now we see someone less than perfect. Here and now we see the sin and the natural humanity of ourselves. This reality has driven many to find relief from sin in human pursuits, self help programs and fix yourself strategies. But as we saw last week they rarely work.
As believers we are called to holiness and purity. We are called to strive to be all that we have been declared to be in Christ. That creates a tension and causes a heartache or soul ache as we see the difference between what we are and what we yearn to become in Christ.
The key is to live in Christ. We need to set our heart on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We need to find joy, peace and comfort in Jesus’ victory, His ensuing return and the coming glory. The burden of this world, the weight of sin, the pain of struggle is overcome as we set our hearts above to the heavenlies.
Indeed, through Christ we have been raised and seated with Christ in the heavens! He has done everything for our final victory. We soldier on now, looking not at the battle but at the final resting place for the victorious. As one grand old hymn put it, ‘This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.’ Onward Christian soldier. Onward.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who will teach us on the next Lord’s Day will have their heart in the heavenlies. Pray that they will be seeing all of life from the perspective of the risen and victorious Christ. Pray that God’s Word on the next Lord’s day will equip us, comfort us and mould us to be more like Jesus.
ÿ Pray for our up coming church camp. Pray that the weekend will be a time of relationship building, deep fellowship and a saturation and growth in love for each other and for our Lord. Pray that everyone will be blessed.
We often tend to view our life through a particular grid or set of lenses.
A Christian should see the world and everything that happens in it through the grid of Scripture and more particularly through the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. Is this your grid?
Think about what grid you are using to see the world and how it’s affecting your worship of God, your love for the brotherhood of Christians and your attitude towards non believers.
Saturday 9 October 2010
Saturday October 9, 2010
Read Psalm 139
As you prepare your heart for our church gathering tomorrow think through Psalm 139. What a joy to think that God knows you intimately. What a blessing to think that even if we were to go to the heights of creation or to depths, God would still be there. Even if we were to be in the darkest place,
God would still see us as though it were light.
How comforting to think that we can’t hide from God’s Spirit? He is with us. He is there through thick and thin. When storm clouds gather, when hurricanes howl, when the road beneath becomes rocky, God’s Spirit is there with us. How joyful to know that tomorrow we will stand together in the presence of God Almighty who will never forsake us, never abandon us. He will walk with us until we are home in heavenly glory.
How comforting to know that we don’t need to put on a false face with God. He knows us intimately because He knitts us together in the womb. He knows us because He designed us before the creation of the world.
How precious are God’s thoughts. How treasured His word. How perfect His law is. Like the Psalmist rejoice in God’s word. Praise Him and sing His glories. Turn to His word and be comforted. Like the Psalmist, ask God to search you and to know your heart.
Prayer:-
ÿ You can pray Psalm 139 as a prayer of your own. Read it and pray it to God.
ÿ Spend time praising God
ÿ Pray that our service tomorrow will bring glory and honour to God as we listen to Him through the Word, as we sing praises to Him and offer up our adorations and praise.
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters around the world who meet in persecuted lands will be filled with joy as they gather before the Lord. Pray that the persecutors would see this joy and be drawn to the Lord Jesus for salvation.
Ring another believer today and ask them how you can be praying for them in the light of today’s passage. Assure them you will pray and then spend time praying for them.
As you prepare your heart for our church gathering tomorrow think through Psalm 139. What a joy to think that God knows you intimately. What a blessing to think that even if we were to go to the heights of creation or to depths, God would still be there. Even if we were to be in the darkest place,
God would still see us as though it were light.
How comforting to think that we can’t hide from God’s Spirit? He is with us. He is there through thick and thin. When storm clouds gather, when hurricanes howl, when the road beneath becomes rocky, God’s Spirit is there with us. How joyful to know that tomorrow we will stand together in the presence of God Almighty who will never forsake us, never abandon us. He will walk with us until we are home in heavenly glory.
How comforting to know that we don’t need to put on a false face with God. He knows us intimately because He knitts us together in the womb. He knows us because He designed us before the creation of the world.
How precious are God’s thoughts. How treasured His word. How perfect His law is. Like the Psalmist rejoice in God’s word. Praise Him and sing His glories. Turn to His word and be comforted. Like the Psalmist, ask God to search you and to know your heart.
Prayer:-
ÿ You can pray Psalm 139 as a prayer of your own. Read it and pray it to God.
ÿ Spend time praising God
ÿ Pray that our service tomorrow will bring glory and honour to God as we listen to Him through the Word, as we sing praises to Him and offer up our adorations and praise.
ÿ Pray that our brothers and sisters around the world who meet in persecuted lands will be filled with joy as they gather before the Lord. Pray that the persecutors would see this joy and be drawn to the Lord Jesus for salvation.
Ring another believer today and ask them how you can be praying for them in the light of today’s passage. Assure them you will pray and then spend time praying for them.
Friday 8 October 2010
Friday October 8, 2010
Read Galatians 5:16-25
Someone once said that the Holy Spirit is very shy. That’s an interesting statement when you consider what it means to walk in the Spirit or to live by the Spirit. John Owen taught that the Holy Spirit mortifies our sins:-
* By causing our hearts to abound in grace and in the fruits of the Spirit that are contrary to the fruits of the flesh.
* By a real physical efficiency on the root of sin. Isaiah 4:4 by the spirit of judgement and fire.
* By bringing Christ into our hearts by faith and giving us fellowship in His sufferings, by which we die to the principles of this world.
He went on to say that the Holy Spirit “works in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure," Phil. 2:13; He works in such a way as to keep and preserve our liberty and obedience. He works in alignment with our understanding and emotions and affections. He works in us and with us, not with out us and against us.
As we engulf ourselves in the Word, the Spirit works in conjunction with the Word, bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit and a deep sense of freedom from the condemnation and guilt of the law. Through the power of the indwelling Spirit you and I can crucify the sinful nature. Sin shall no longer be our master because we are Spirit filled people, lovingly serving our new master - The Lord Himself!!!
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who preach on Sonday morning and evening will be in step with the Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in their own lives. Pray that all of us will also be bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
ÿ Pray that we will see many people come to the Lord through the preaching of the Word.
ÿ Pray that our cell groups grow in love, care and practical help for each other as the Spirit bears fruit in our lives.
Someone once said that the Holy Spirit is very shy. That’s an interesting statement when you consider what it means to walk in the Spirit or to live by the Spirit. John Owen taught that the Holy Spirit mortifies our sins:-
* By causing our hearts to abound in grace and in the fruits of the Spirit that are contrary to the fruits of the flesh.
* By a real physical efficiency on the root of sin. Isaiah 4:4 by the spirit of judgement and fire.
* By bringing Christ into our hearts by faith and giving us fellowship in His sufferings, by which we die to the principles of this world.
He went on to say that the Holy Spirit “works in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure," Phil. 2:13; He works in such a way as to keep and preserve our liberty and obedience. He works in alignment with our understanding and emotions and affections. He works in us and with us, not with out us and against us.
As we engulf ourselves in the Word, the Spirit works in conjunction with the Word, bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit and a deep sense of freedom from the condemnation and guilt of the law. Through the power of the indwelling Spirit you and I can crucify the sinful nature. Sin shall no longer be our master because we are Spirit filled people, lovingly serving our new master - The Lord Himself!!!
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who preach on Sonday morning and evening will be in step with the Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in their own lives. Pray that all of us will also be bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
ÿ Pray that we will see many people come to the Lord through the preaching of the Word.
ÿ Pray that our cell groups grow in love, care and practical help for each other as the Spirit bears fruit in our lives.
Thursday 7 October 2010
Thursday October 7, 2010
Read Colossians 2:20-23
If I were to ask you if you struggle with temptation I know that you would say ‘Yes’. It’s not that I’m a prophet or super-spiritual, I know that you are human and that means we will struggle with temptation. If you’re not convinced read Galatians 5:17.
There are many man-made ways to over come temptation and to improve our own self condition. Self help schemes are actively promoted in the world, even in the Christian world - 3 steps to overcoming temptation. 7 steps to overcoming anger. 4 steps to overcoming lust and on and on it goes. Often as you read these self professed guru’s manuals you’ll quickly realise that they are simply self help manuals.
Paul’s conclusion in vs 23 needs to be borne in our minds continually.
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Self help schemes that appear wise in the way they deny the body and treat it harshly have …..(read it very carefully)... NO VALUE in restraining the sensual indulgence! These self help schemes are of no use, even though they look wise and appear to be worship focused.
The problem is that they are divorced from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word in our lives. Without the Spirit we cannot and will not put to death even the slightest sin in our bodies. That is why we are called to live by the Spirit and by the Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the body. That is why we are told to walk in step with the Spirit. That is why we are told to be filled with the Spirit and to let Him circumcise our hearts. The Holy Spirit works in accord with the Word and we should never seek to divorce the Word and the Spirit. He will work through the Word.
So let us immerse ourselves in the Word. Let us obey the Word of God and let it dwell richly in us. Let the Word remain in us as we remain in Jesus. Then and only then will we run the race marked out for us. Only then will we fight the good fight.
Prayer:-
ÿ As we come to the Word on Sonday, be praying that God’s Holy Spirit will be active in each of us, bringing us to repentance where needed, calling us back to the Word as necessary and filling our hearts with joy because of the Word. Pray that each of us would remain in step with the Spirit each and every day.
ÿ Pray for Shiloh Church Ministries in India as they seek to preach the Word and teach it to many. Pray that those who have taken refuge at Shiloh will be able to minister and serve boldly even though they have lost much for the kingdom. Ask God to turn their eyes heavenward as they serve and love.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and spend time praying over it. Ask God to show you
Ask God to show you the way out of this temptation and to strengthen you. Pray that God would bless you with an accountability partner.
If I were to ask you if you struggle with temptation I know that you would say ‘Yes’. It’s not that I’m a prophet or super-spiritual, I know that you are human and that means we will struggle with temptation. If you’re not convinced read Galatians 5:17.
There are many man-made ways to over come temptation and to improve our own self condition. Self help schemes are actively promoted in the world, even in the Christian world - 3 steps to overcoming temptation. 7 steps to overcoming anger. 4 steps to overcoming lust and on and on it goes. Often as you read these self professed guru’s manuals you’ll quickly realise that they are simply self help manuals.
Paul’s conclusion in vs 23 needs to be borne in our minds continually.
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Self help schemes that appear wise in the way they deny the body and treat it harshly have …..(read it very carefully)... NO VALUE in restraining the sensual indulgence! These self help schemes are of no use, even though they look wise and appear to be worship focused.
The problem is that they are divorced from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word in our lives. Without the Spirit we cannot and will not put to death even the slightest sin in our bodies. That is why we are called to live by the Spirit and by the Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the body. That is why we are told to walk in step with the Spirit. That is why we are told to be filled with the Spirit and to let Him circumcise our hearts. The Holy Spirit works in accord with the Word and we should never seek to divorce the Word and the Spirit. He will work through the Word.
So let us immerse ourselves in the Word. Let us obey the Word of God and let it dwell richly in us. Let the Word remain in us as we remain in Jesus. Then and only then will we run the race marked out for us. Only then will we fight the good fight.
Prayer:-
ÿ As we come to the Word on Sonday, be praying that God’s Holy Spirit will be active in each of us, bringing us to repentance where needed, calling us back to the Word as necessary and filling our hearts with joy because of the Word. Pray that each of us would remain in step with the Spirit each and every day.
ÿ Pray for Shiloh Church Ministries in India as they seek to preach the Word and teach it to many. Pray that those who have taken refuge at Shiloh will be able to minister and serve boldly even though they have lost much for the kingdom. Ask God to turn their eyes heavenward as they serve and love.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and spend time praying over it. Ask God to show you
- where you are most vulnerable to temptation,
- when you are most vulnerable to temptation,
- under what circumstances you are most vulnerable to temptation
Ask God to show you the way out of this temptation and to strengthen you. Pray that God would bless you with an accountability partner.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Wednesday October 6, 2010
Read Colossians 2:20-22. Romans 7:1-6
There are many religions, many philosophies, many ways of mankind that are a repackaged version of asceticism, which basically says that to prosper and move upward we have to give up things in this life. And so we see that some religions deny themselves food. Others whip themselves. Others stop talking (Hmm???). Still others hide away from society and contemplate the deeper mysteries of existence. Do not handle! Do not touch! These are some of the familiar catch cries in their seminaries and lecture halls and hiding caves. Humanly speaking they have an air of wisdom because of their self denial.
As believers in Christ we admit that physical training is of some value. We believe that controlling the body and the passions is a good thing but these things do not increase your spirituality. They do not move you closer to God.
Such teachings from the repackaged ascetics are simply rules and regulations invented by men of great imagination. But in their uselessness they are destined to perish. Not only will they perish and be shown to be utterly useless on the day of judgement, they will perish as their devotees find them useless and unprofitable in their journey towards God.
You and I, as faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are dead to the ways of the world. We have no compulsion to come under their rules and regulations and attempts at spirituality. But again, I warn you. Please do not see this as a command or injunction to be lawless, disobedient or to rebel against any particular authority. We are to be in the world and not of the world.
Every believer in Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians are truly spiritual people. What does spirituality look like? Obedience comes to mind as you read through the Scriptures. Spiritual men and women are close to God. They keep the Word close in their hearts and they obey the Word at every turn and even at great cost!
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would prepare us all for our church gatherings on Sonday, so that we can sit under the authority of the Word and apply it joyfully and obediently to our lives.
ÿ Pray for the work of Creation Research as they seek to bring believers and non believers to see the reality of Genesis 1-11. Praise God for their opportunities to preach the gospel, to make disciples and to witness to the truth of the entire Scriptures.
Pray Psalm 139:1, 23-24 as your own prayer to God. Ask Him to reveal to you any area of your life that has come under rules and regulations or legalism by which you are seeking to earn the love of God, make things right with him or prove yourself to Him.
There are many religions, many philosophies, many ways of mankind that are a repackaged version of asceticism, which basically says that to prosper and move upward we have to give up things in this life. And so we see that some religions deny themselves food. Others whip themselves. Others stop talking (Hmm???). Still others hide away from society and contemplate the deeper mysteries of existence. Do not handle! Do not touch! These are some of the familiar catch cries in their seminaries and lecture halls and hiding caves. Humanly speaking they have an air of wisdom because of their self denial.
As believers in Christ we admit that physical training is of some value. We believe that controlling the body and the passions is a good thing but these things do not increase your spirituality. They do not move you closer to God.
Such teachings from the repackaged ascetics are simply rules and regulations invented by men of great imagination. But in their uselessness they are destined to perish. Not only will they perish and be shown to be utterly useless on the day of judgement, they will perish as their devotees find them useless and unprofitable in their journey towards God.
You and I, as faithful believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are dead to the ways of the world. We have no compulsion to come under their rules and regulations and attempts at spirituality. But again, I warn you. Please do not see this as a command or injunction to be lawless, disobedient or to rebel against any particular authority. We are to be in the world and not of the world.
Every believer in Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians are truly spiritual people. What does spirituality look like? Obedience comes to mind as you read through the Scriptures. Spiritual men and women are close to God. They keep the Word close in their hearts and they obey the Word at every turn and even at great cost!
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would prepare us all for our church gatherings on Sonday, so that we can sit under the authority of the Word and apply it joyfully and obediently to our lives.
ÿ Pray for the work of Creation Research as they seek to bring believers and non believers to see the reality of Genesis 1-11. Praise God for their opportunities to preach the gospel, to make disciples and to witness to the truth of the entire Scriptures.
Pray Psalm 139:1, 23-24 as your own prayer to God. Ask Him to reveal to you any area of your life that has come under rules and regulations or legalism by which you are seeking to earn the love of God, make things right with him or prove yourself to Him.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Tuesday October 5, 2010
Read Colossians 2:18-19
If we combine human nature with heretical Bible teaching it’s easy to get led astray. Indeed, some in Colossae were apparently worshipping angels and were being led astray from the one true Gospel. You and I need to be assured that there is only one gospel, one way to be saved. There is only one Jesus. Paul was infuriated that the Galatians, for example, were being led astray by another gospel. Someone was perverting the truth and he writes in deep anger:-
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
False teachings are designed to lead you astray from the truth of the gospel. Satan will tell you 99 truths to get you to believe the 100th word that is a lie! Human nature is such that we want to add to the work of Jesus. Our pride stirs within us and we desire, even yearn at times, to add to what Jesus has done on our behalf at the cross. And when these two come together we have a powerful force seeking to move us away from the plain truth of the gospel. The Word of God urges, exhorts and compels us to let no one disqualify us for the prize, even if they talk of angels and spiritual beings. No matter how glorious or miraculous or supernatural a person may sound, they are to be rejected if they add anything to the work of Jesus or if they detract from it. Jesus did warn us to be on our guard, didn’t He?
These people are delighting in false humility. They are wanting to appear super spiritual in the eyes of mankind. They are wanting kudos in the eyes of man by what they do or what they have seen! Jesus wants you to accept and believe that by His death and resurrection He has done it all on your behalf. Jesus wants you to live the rest of your life in obedience and gratitude for His work at Calvary. He wants you to strive to become all that you have been declared to be in Christ Jesus. Make sure that no one deceives you by fine sounding arguments or super spiritual stories.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who are preparing their sermons for Sonday morning and Sonday night will be close to God, saturated in the Word and filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray that God applies the Word firstly to their lives, before they apply it to us. Pray that the Holy Spirit works powerfully among us, sanctifying us and drawing us nearer to Christ but also convicting non believers of their need to come to Christ for salvation.
ÿ Pray for the Grace Seminary in Myanmar as they seek to teach the truth to a nation of lost souls. Pray that this college will have enough funds to buy the house and land next door ($5,000US) to expand and be able to teach more students. Pray that these students have a powerful witness to Christ in their communities.
Get together with another believer and spend time praising God for your salvation. Include the work of Christ & the effects of that in your own life.
Think about the different aspects of your salvation - justification, atonement, expiation, forgiveness, adoption, cancellation of sin and so on.
Take time to thank God in detail for all that he has done for you in Christ
If we combine human nature with heretical Bible teaching it’s easy to get led astray. Indeed, some in Colossae were apparently worshipping angels and were being led astray from the one true Gospel. You and I need to be assured that there is only one gospel, one way to be saved. There is only one Jesus. Paul was infuriated that the Galatians, for example, were being led astray by another gospel. Someone was perverting the truth and he writes in deep anger:-
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
False teachings are designed to lead you astray from the truth of the gospel. Satan will tell you 99 truths to get you to believe the 100th word that is a lie! Human nature is such that we want to add to the work of Jesus. Our pride stirs within us and we desire, even yearn at times, to add to what Jesus has done on our behalf at the cross. And when these two come together we have a powerful force seeking to move us away from the plain truth of the gospel. The Word of God urges, exhorts and compels us to let no one disqualify us for the prize, even if they talk of angels and spiritual beings. No matter how glorious or miraculous or supernatural a person may sound, they are to be rejected if they add anything to the work of Jesus or if they detract from it. Jesus did warn us to be on our guard, didn’t He?
These people are delighting in false humility. They are wanting to appear super spiritual in the eyes of mankind. They are wanting kudos in the eyes of man by what they do or what they have seen! Jesus wants you to accept and believe that by His death and resurrection He has done it all on your behalf. Jesus wants you to live the rest of your life in obedience and gratitude for His work at Calvary. He wants you to strive to become all that you have been declared to be in Christ Jesus. Make sure that no one deceives you by fine sounding arguments or super spiritual stories.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that those who are preparing their sermons for Sonday morning and Sonday night will be close to God, saturated in the Word and filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray that God applies the Word firstly to their lives, before they apply it to us. Pray that the Holy Spirit works powerfully among us, sanctifying us and drawing us nearer to Christ but also convicting non believers of their need to come to Christ for salvation.
ÿ Pray for the Grace Seminary in Myanmar as they seek to teach the truth to a nation of lost souls. Pray that this college will have enough funds to buy the house and land next door ($5,000US) to expand and be able to teach more students. Pray that these students have a powerful witness to Christ in their communities.
Get together with another believer and spend time praising God for your salvation. Include the work of Christ & the effects of that in your own life.
Think about the different aspects of your salvation - justification, atonement, expiation, forgiveness, adoption, cancellation of sin and so on.
Take time to thank God in detail for all that he has done for you in Christ
Monday 4 October 2010
Monday October 4, 2010
Read Colossians 2:16-17
I often wonder how well people know (ie, in saying ‘know’ I don’t refer solely to a mental acknowledgement but to a personal comprehension and appropriation) the work that was done on the cross by Christ Jesus. As we read last week, He defeated satan and annulled any accusation or blemish that could be thrown at us. Jesus cancelled the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. He wore the weight of the covenantal curses (See Deuteronomy 28ff) so that we can wear the covenantal blessings.
What is the fruit of Jesus’ victory in my life? What effect does it have in my daily existence? This is what Paul turns to in chapter 2. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are free. But notice vs 16 carefully. The verse starts with the word ‘therefore’. We are freed because of the work that Jesus did on the cross. We are free because Jesus fulfilled the demands and the debt of the law. We are not to be judged according to what we eat or drink or to Sabbaths and so on. But please don’t read into this as a licence for immorality, sinfulness or a ‘what-pleases-me’ attitude. In 1 Corinthians 8-10 Paul shows that we are not to eat food sacrificed to idols (see 1 Cor 10:28-29). We are free from judgement & condemnation. Our freedom doesn’t mean we can work on the Sabbath and increase our profits. It doesn’t mean we can engage in ungodly practices and still stand before God on Sonday. We are free from the guilt of the law and the condemnation of the law. We are free from accusation. We are free to serve God and each other.
This is made clearer in Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Let me encourage you to serve one another & to serve God in your freedom. Let me exhort you to turn from indulging the sinful nature to indulge the Spirit that dwells in you so that Christ is glorified.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the Word of God proclaimed this Sonday will be powerful and effective to turn people from their sins, to comfort believers in their salvation and to strengthen them to fight the good fight.
ÿ Pray that David and Kristy Richards will have all they need materially and financially to settle into New Zealand. Pray that their transition is smooth. Ask God to guide them and lead them in their daily life so they can settle quickly and be used effectively for His kingdom.
Think of 2 Christians you would like to bless with service. Jot down their names and what you will do to bless them.
‘
1/.
2/.
I often wonder how well people know (ie, in saying ‘know’ I don’t refer solely to a mental acknowledgement but to a personal comprehension and appropriation) the work that was done on the cross by Christ Jesus. As we read last week, He defeated satan and annulled any accusation or blemish that could be thrown at us. Jesus cancelled the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. He wore the weight of the covenantal curses (See Deuteronomy 28ff) so that we can wear the covenantal blessings.
What is the fruit of Jesus’ victory in my life? What effect does it have in my daily existence? This is what Paul turns to in chapter 2. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are free. But notice vs 16 carefully. The verse starts with the word ‘therefore’. We are freed because of the work that Jesus did on the cross. We are free because Jesus fulfilled the demands and the debt of the law. We are not to be judged according to what we eat or drink or to Sabbaths and so on. But please don’t read into this as a licence for immorality, sinfulness or a ‘what-pleases-me’ attitude. In 1 Corinthians 8-10 Paul shows that we are not to eat food sacrificed to idols (see 1 Cor 10:28-29). We are free from judgement & condemnation. Our freedom doesn’t mean we can work on the Sabbath and increase our profits. It doesn’t mean we can engage in ungodly practices and still stand before God on Sonday. We are free from the guilt of the law and the condemnation of the law. We are free from accusation. We are free to serve God and each other.
This is made clearer in Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Let me encourage you to serve one another & to serve God in your freedom. Let me exhort you to turn from indulging the sinful nature to indulge the Spirit that dwells in you so that Christ is glorified.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that the Word of God proclaimed this Sonday will be powerful and effective to turn people from their sins, to comfort believers in their salvation and to strengthen them to fight the good fight.
ÿ Pray that David and Kristy Richards will have all they need materially and financially to settle into New Zealand. Pray that their transition is smooth. Ask God to guide them and lead them in their daily life so they can settle quickly and be used effectively for His kingdom.
Think of 2 Christians you would like to bless with service. Jot down their names and what you will do to bless them.
‘
1/.
2/.
Saturday 2 October 2010
Saturday October 2, 2010
Read Psalm 89:1-52
...I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,
Ethan was able to sing and to praise God because of what God had done in His nation, for his nation and through his anointed King. Ethan was able to look at God’s promises and covenant. Ethan was God focused and zooming in to look closely at God. If you read the Psalm carefully you would have noticed that a major shift happened in vs 38. This verse starts the presentation of the current situation. In no way is it rosy or ideal. Ethan and his people are suffering and are somewhat distant from the precious place that the nation held before exile. But he is still able to be God focused and filled with adoration and praise. He can still sing out the joys of the Lord from the depths of his heart.
I don’t know what situation you are currently in. Maybe there is ache in your heart. Maybe the dull pains of loneliness fire up in the quiet of the night. Maybe financial strains cause angst and worry. Maybe you’re being attacked by those you thought loved you and supported you. Maybe you’ve seen inside yourself and have come to hate yourself. The modern pop psychologist would cry out, ‘Who can praise God in such times? For what can we praise God? Where is God when it hurts? Why am I hurting?’
But take the approach of the Psalmist. In a dire situation, in a nation that has been set adrift from God, He looks intently at God. In your struggle, look intently at God. Seek Him. Read the Scriptures and find out afresh how faithful and loving He really is. Focus on God and let the praises ring forth. Pick an attribute of God and spend time telling God how wonderful He is. Read promises of God that relate to your situation and praise Him.
As you prepare to gather for church tomorrow this aspect is vital to understand. No one wants you to put on a veil and to pretend tomorrow. Praising God is not pretend. Praising God is not lying through our situation. Today, acknowledge your situation before God. Tell Him about your struggles. Cry out to Him from the depth of your heart. But don’t leave it at that. Do what the Psalmist did. Look for God. Seek Him. Find reasons to praise Him. Search the Scripture for reasons, for promises, for blessings to cry out ‘Hallelujah!’ Tomorrow as you gather for ‘worship’ don’t pretend! Honestly and openly and joyously seek God with your brothers and sisters.
Prayer:-
m Spend time praying for tomorrow’s service. Pray that everyone in your congregation will be able to attend. Pray that God would work powerfully among your congregation - bringing healing and wholeness, freedom and release. Pray that there will be great joy as you all focus on the Lord together.
m Pray for those who worship in secret in North Korea. Ask God to bring great joy to their worship. Pray that God would be near them and use them to powerfully grow their kingdom. Pray that fellowship will be able to take place in such a persecuted place.
Get Into It!
Think of 50 reasons why you can genuinely praise God right now.
When you have 50, spend time praising God.
...I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,
Ethan was able to sing and to praise God because of what God had done in His nation, for his nation and through his anointed King. Ethan was able to look at God’s promises and covenant. Ethan was God focused and zooming in to look closely at God. If you read the Psalm carefully you would have noticed that a major shift happened in vs 38. This verse starts the presentation of the current situation. In no way is it rosy or ideal. Ethan and his people are suffering and are somewhat distant from the precious place that the nation held before exile. But he is still able to be God focused and filled with adoration and praise. He can still sing out the joys of the Lord from the depths of his heart.
I don’t know what situation you are currently in. Maybe there is ache in your heart. Maybe the dull pains of loneliness fire up in the quiet of the night. Maybe financial strains cause angst and worry. Maybe you’re being attacked by those you thought loved you and supported you. Maybe you’ve seen inside yourself and have come to hate yourself. The modern pop psychologist would cry out, ‘Who can praise God in such times? For what can we praise God? Where is God when it hurts? Why am I hurting?’
But take the approach of the Psalmist. In a dire situation, in a nation that has been set adrift from God, He looks intently at God. In your struggle, look intently at God. Seek Him. Read the Scriptures and find out afresh how faithful and loving He really is. Focus on God and let the praises ring forth. Pick an attribute of God and spend time telling God how wonderful He is. Read promises of God that relate to your situation and praise Him.
As you prepare to gather for church tomorrow this aspect is vital to understand. No one wants you to put on a veil and to pretend tomorrow. Praising God is not pretend. Praising God is not lying through our situation. Today, acknowledge your situation before God. Tell Him about your struggles. Cry out to Him from the depth of your heart. But don’t leave it at that. Do what the Psalmist did. Look for God. Seek Him. Find reasons to praise Him. Search the Scripture for reasons, for promises, for blessings to cry out ‘Hallelujah!’ Tomorrow as you gather for ‘worship’ don’t pretend! Honestly and openly and joyously seek God with your brothers and sisters.
Prayer:-
m Spend time praying for tomorrow’s service. Pray that everyone in your congregation will be able to attend. Pray that God would work powerfully among your congregation - bringing healing and wholeness, freedom and release. Pray that there will be great joy as you all focus on the Lord together.
m Pray for those who worship in secret in North Korea. Ask God to bring great joy to their worship. Pray that God would be near them and use them to powerfully grow their kingdom. Pray that fellowship will be able to take place in such a persecuted place.
Get Into It!
Think of 50 reasons why you can genuinely praise God right now.
When you have 50, spend time praising God.
Friday 1 October 2010
Friday October 1, 2010
Read Hebrews 4:1-16
As Jesus died on the cross we are told that He made a mockery of the powers and authorities that were pitted against Him. He won victory over them through His death and resurrection. Biblically, that victory is ours in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 4:15-16 sums up wonderfully the help that Jesus gives us.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus has been tempted (in His earthly life) in many ways just like you and I are. He’s been tempted in ways and in degrees that you and I will never be. Just read the account of His desert temptation in Matthew 4, Mark 1, or Luke 4 and you’ll quickly realise that satan has never stood before me or you tempting us to prove our identity as the Son of God. Even so, with that immense amount of temptation, Jesus was without sin. He never once yielded to temptation. He never once gave in. He stood the test. He stood firm in the faith.
As the victor over all evil powers and authorities, Jesus is able to pass on to us the spoils of His victory. He can give us mercy and grace in our time of need. You and I can approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that mercy and grace flow out from there. We can come to Jesus knowing that He has been tempted, just like we have, but was without sin. We come confidently knowing that He will give us mercy and grace to help us when we are desperate.
Victory is ours as we come to Jesus.
Prayer:-
m Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ that in Him they will be strong and godly. Pray that all your congregation will be able to stand through temptation and to walk the way that God has provided. Pray that holiness will be the heartfelt desire of everyone in your congregation.
m Pray that our brothers and sisters in Pakistan will be strengthened to stand firm in the face of economic persecution, physical persecution and the threat of violence and death from others around them. Pray that the gospel light will shine brightly through these men, women and children of faith.
As Jesus died on the cross we are told that He made a mockery of the powers and authorities that were pitted against Him. He won victory over them through His death and resurrection. Biblically, that victory is ours in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 4:15-16 sums up wonderfully the help that Jesus gives us.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus has been tempted (in His earthly life) in many ways just like you and I are. He’s been tempted in ways and in degrees that you and I will never be. Just read the account of His desert temptation in Matthew 4, Mark 1, or Luke 4 and you’ll quickly realise that satan has never stood before me or you tempting us to prove our identity as the Son of God. Even so, with that immense amount of temptation, Jesus was without sin. He never once yielded to temptation. He never once gave in. He stood the test. He stood firm in the faith.
As the victor over all evil powers and authorities, Jesus is able to pass on to us the spoils of His victory. He can give us mercy and grace in our time of need. You and I can approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that mercy and grace flow out from there. We can come to Jesus knowing that He has been tempted, just like we have, but was without sin. We come confidently knowing that He will give us mercy and grace to help us when we are desperate.
Victory is ours as we come to Jesus.
Prayer:-
m Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ that in Him they will be strong and godly. Pray that all your congregation will be able to stand through temptation and to walk the way that God has provided. Pray that holiness will be the heartfelt desire of everyone in your congregation.
m Pray that our brothers and sisters in Pakistan will be strengthened to stand firm in the face of economic persecution, physical persecution and the threat of violence and death from others around them. Pray that the gospel light will shine brightly through these men, women and children of faith.
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