Saturday March 31, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 10:14-22. Romans 2:29, Col 2:11

 

Shows like, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, and other “win lots of money” type shows are popular because most people crave money. Almost everyone wants to be free from the daily concerns of bills, needs and basic wants. Watching the show lets them dream of the impossible. Just imagine if a multi billionaire rang you out of the blue and said something along these lines, ’l’d like to be your friend, your really good friend.’ You’d be beside yourself!

 

God is the owner (and Creator) of the heavens, the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Even so God chose Israel and set His love and affection upon them. He rang them and offered to be their friend, their very good friend.

God, when He chose Israel, was under no compulsion whatsoever.

 

Such friendship with God obviously has implications. Israel was called to circumcise her heart. But as her history shows us, only the Spirit of God can bring true and lasting circumcision of the heart. What Israel needed has come to us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. God Himself has done what no man could do alone - change the very nature of that person by changing his heart.

 

But not only is God described as a billionaire in this passage. He is also called the God of Gods, the Lord of Lords. He is the Great God Almighty. He is the one who defends the fatherless, the widows and the aliens. He is the one to be feared and He is our praise.

 

This is the God we love and serve. In Christ Jesus He has given us every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:4).  He has set His love and affection upon us. He will protect us. He will guide us. He will never forsake us nor leave us. He will provide for us. He will bring us home to our heavenly abode and lavish us with His inheritance. Since we have such an awesome God, we can take our eyes off our world, our concerns, our needs, our desires, even our struggles and we can focus on God. We can set our heart and mind on Christ in the heavenlies and we can worship in Spirit and in truth. We can adore God, love God and serve God no matter what is happening in our lives.

 

Tomorrow we will gather together as the body of Christ to express and to celebrate the love that God has for us. We will come together to focus on the God who has set His affection upon us. Will you come before the Lord with your heart and mind filled with financial woes, concerns of work, worry and anxiety over decisions you have to make? Or will you come before God focusing on Him, basking in His love towards you and praising Him for His character and goodness? Will you leave your woes and worries in His hands and let your heart be filled with adoration and praise to the Great God Almighty?

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for our service tomorrow. Pray that God would take our hearts to Himself and cause us to focus on Him, His character and His love for us. Pray that our hearts would melt in His presence and that He would do great things among us and through us.

¥ Pray that as our brothers and sisters meet in Myanmar tomorrow there would be great joy and rejoicing. Ask God to grow the church in that land and to use the believers to shine the light of Jesus far and wide.

¥ Pray that God would grow our church by allowing each one of us to make disciples, to share our testimony and to lead people into the Kingdom of God.

 

Friday March 30, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 10:10-13

 

Having spent an arduous and trying 21 days recently in prayer and fasting, I take my hat off to Moses who spent 40 days in prayer and fasting, not just once, but twice! A gold medal is what Moses deserves for his own perseverance. Having been up the mountain once, and having spent that time in God’s presence, he now has to do it all over again because of the sinfulness and rebellion of the people. And God in His perseverance and mercy, listened to Moses this second time as well.

 

God has proven faithful and loving and persevering time and time and time and time again. There can be no doubt that God loves the people He has chosen.  In response to such love God stipulates how the recipients are to conduct themselves.

 

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

 

Fearing God is a deep inner desire to want to NOT anger God. Walking in His ways means living in accord with His commands and His standards, not our own. Loving God means submitting to Him in everything. Serving God with your heart and soul means handing over everything we are to God and living for Him in everything. Observing the Lord’s commands means seeking to be obedient to the Word in all that we do.

 

Our obedience to the Lord stems from the same motivation as the Israelites’ - God’s love and perseverance. God has proven His love for us at the cross of Calvary.  He’s shown His perseverance with us by His continual forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 captures the heart of that forgiveness. It’s because God has loved us that we live in a certain way and act a certain way and think a certain way. That love that was shown to us moulds us and makes us. That love motivates

us, empowers us and changes us from the inside out.

 

Anything else is really a try-harder scheme that will ultimately fail and cause frustration. If you want to change from the inside out, if you want lasting and permanent change, get to know God better and dwell in His immeasurably great love.

 

Prayer:

¥ Spend time praising God for His love towards you and your congregation. Give specific examples to God about where and how you have seen His love.

¥ Pray that each and every person in your congregation would live in accord with vs 12-13. Pray that we would all be growing in love and appreciation for what the Lord has done for us and in us.

 

Thursday March 29, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 10:6-9. Exodus 32

 

The Levites stand in the midst of chapters 9-10 as an example, a living testimony, of faithfulness to God. When Moses came down the mountain, having spent 40 days before the Lord, he was astounded to see revelry and sacrifice being offered to a golden calf that the people had made. They had quickly replaced the one true living God with an imitation of a cow! They had rejected God Almighty and bowed down to a hand-fashioned bovine! They had broken the very first commandment!

 

Moses called those who would follow the Lord to himself. Only the Levites came and were willing to execute discipline and the Lord’s judgment upon their own brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. Their loyalty to God set them apart to be ministers of God’s temple. Only the Levites would have the extreme privilege of ministering before the Lord and being the go-between for the people of Israel and God.

 

The Levites were in the extremely privileged position to stand before the Lord and to pronounce blessings in His name. They were to be respected, provided for and honoured for their love for Yahweh.

 

First Thessalonians 5:12-13 reminds us that, though we are all priests, the Lord has set some people above us, giving them the extreme privilege of leading and guiding us. We are to hold these people (normally the elders and minsters of the church) in the highest regard. We are to adhere to and learn from their admonishment. We are to make their work a joy, not a burden and we are definitely to support them by praying for them.

 

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for our elders and leaders. Pray that their work in the Lord would be a great joy. Pray that God’s Spirit would fill them and grow them and grant them wisdom beyond their years. Pray that these leaders would love the Lord with their heart, soul, mind and strength.

¥ Pray that the leaders of the Presbyterian Church as a denomination would be Spirit filled men who are able to discern the truth and apply the Word of God to their own lives.

¥ Pray that the leaders of these churches in regional areas would be drawn near to the Lord, encouraged in their work and granted perseverance in their daily grind.

 

 

Wednesday March 28, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 10:1-5

 

There are many many times in my life when I have felt the urge to just give up with some people. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so frustrated that you just want to throw in the towel and walk away? God would have been completely justified if he walked away from the Israelites. In fact, He would have been completely justified if he blew them to smithereens with His heavenly bazooka.

 

But I’m amazed that God persevered with the people. He continued to love them and provide for them. When the Israelites had sinned by fashioning a golden calf and attributing to it the victory over Pharaoh and the deliverance from Egypt, God could have abandoned His people. Yet He continued to love them. Moses, in his anger broke the first two stone tablets but God, in His perseverance wrote on another two tablets. He sent Moses back down the mountain with the new tablets and they were put in the ark of the Testimony.

 

This symbolic act represents God persevering with His covenant with the people. The Ten Commandments and hence the tablets, were a representation of the Covenant with the people. Deuteronomy 4:13, 5:2, 9:9 show that the tablets represent a formalisation of the covenant, much like a contract in our own day.  By placing the Ten Commandments among the people a second time, God is showing that He will not abandon His people. He is revealing His persevering nature, His graciousness and love.

 

I often marvel at how God can be so persevering. I understand His faithfulness to Israel but then I look in the mirror and wonder and marvel at God’s faithfulness and perseverance with myself. Even though I continue to sin, God continues to persevere, to love, to give, to bless and to be exceedingly gracious. Though I am filled with the Holy Spirit I regularly make choices that displease God. Yet He perseveres! He perseveres! Though I push Him away and seek to hide from Him, He perseveres.

 

We will never praise and adore God from the heart while we continue to stand at a distance and look at God’s dealing with Israel. It is possible that this will always remain somewhat academic or theological. But when we stare at the mirror and reflect on God’s character, God’s perseverance to the person standing before us, praise and adoration well up. It’s hard not to sing hallelujah’s to God, to shed a tear of joy, to praise His name from the depths of one’s heart when you see how much grace and mercy and perseverance God has shared with that person in the mirror.

 

Prayer:

 

¥ Praise the Lord for His mercy, grace and perseverance. Praise God for being there with us through thick and thin. Praise God for His willingness to love us despite our sinfulness.

Praise God for His work in China. Through persecution and

¥ hardship He has grown the church to phenomenal proportions. Praise Him that He can do whatever He pleases.

¥ Pray for the believers in China. Pray that they will grow in unity and faith. Pray that western divisions will not invade the Christian church there. Pray that the Spirit will continue to work powerfully, maturing believers and bringing many people into the faith.

 

Tuesday March 27, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 9:7-29. Romans 8:31-34

 

Israel had marched around the desert for 40 years. She could have walked out of Egypt and into the Promised Land but because

of her rebellion and hard heartedness, she caused forty years of hardness and grief for herself.

 

Now if that’s not enough, as Israel stand on the edge of the Jordan River about to pass into the Promised Land, God (through Moses) reminds then that they have been nothing but sinful and rebellious since the day they came up out of Egypt. He reminds them example after example of their sinfulness.

 

But Moses lay prostrate before the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights interceding on behalf of the people and pleading for them. God listened to Moses and spared the people.

 

You and I have an intercessor greater than Moses. We have the Son of God sitting in God’s presence, constantly interceding for us. We have the one who came down from heaven to save us constantly bringing us and our needs before God the Father.

 

This truth should humble us. It should drive away the desire to sin or to please ourselves. This truth should fill us with courage and confidence to do the Lord’s work, to march valiantly forward in His name, to strive to be our very best.  If Jesus is interceding for us constantly then nothing or no one can cause us to be defeated. March on in victory.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that the Lord would grow intercessory pray-ers among us. Ask God to put it on people’s hearts to be praying for us and to be upholding the congregation in prayer.

¥ Pray for the Presbyterian Churches in our country regions. These congregations are often doing it tough with limited resources, limited finances and personnel. Pray that the Lord would provide and bring blessing and growth to these churches.

¥ Pray for the youth in these towns. Ask God to raise up a concerted youth work from among the churches so that the gospel goes out to all the world. Pray that many youth would come to know Christ through the work of the churches.

 

Monday March 26, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 9:1-6. Ephesians 2:1-10

 

One of Spurgeon’s students climbed into a pulpit with every expression of confidence in himself.  Unfortunately, he had an extremely difficult time. He came down distressed, almost broken-hearted, and he went to Spurgeon about it. The words of Spurgeon to him were these, “If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.”

 

Like that young man, Israel would be tempted with pride. Israel would be tempted to believe that it was her own righteousness that caused the Lord to open the Promised Land for her. In response God tells the Israelites some very sobering truths. Three times He tells the people that it is NOT because of their righteousness or integrity that they are entering the land. Twice He tells them that it is because of the sin of the people currently in the land that they are entering the land. Five mentions in just a few verses! Such intensity can only mean that Israel was highly likely to fall to the sin of pride.

 

Like that young man in the pulpit and like Israel, it’s very easy for believers to give way to pride. Ephesians 2 works in much the same way as vs 1-6 of Deuteronomy. God repeatedly tells us that we were dead in our sins and transgressions. He tells us that He is the one who saved us, and that by grace, not because of our good works. God knows that pride can work its way into our life very easily.

 

To comprehend our position before God. Picture a broken down, totally wrecked sports car. Before God came into our life we were like that sports car. But God took hold of us and just as He did with Israel, He persevered. He re-worked us and rebuilt us into a beautiful, shiny, flawless sports car. For me to boast in my abilities is utterly ridiculous. It’s all from God. It’s all by God. If I am to boast, let me boast in what the Lord has done.

 

Prayer:

¥ Ask the Lord to weed out pride from among us where ever it may be hiding. Pray that all our leaders would be humble and ready to serve. Pray that we would all willingly jettison any pride from our individual lives.

¥ Pray for the work of the Bible colleges we support in Myanmar. Pray for the Lord’s provision for each college - Grace college, FRBC and Mustard Seed. Pray that the staff would be wise and discerning and able to teach the full counsel of God. Pray that the students would grow and mature and be ready for the Lord’s work.

¥ Pray for the believers in Sudan as they face incredible struggles and persecution. Pray that God would bring strength and courage. Pray for the ability to continue shining the Jesus light.  Pray for peace of mind and heart as they live for God day by day.

 

Saturday March 24, 2012

Read Ephesians 6:1-4

 

Parenting in our world is left to mothers, if at all to anyone. Father’s are leaving their parenting responsibility behind as they abandon their families. In the United Kingdom there is now an unprecedented number of children living in homes without their fathers. Crime, violence, delinquency and anti-social behaviour are at an all time high.

 

Parenting is vital. It is the most important job in the world. But as we read the Bible we are prone to read out any gender specific language, opting for neutral language instead. Our society has brainwashed us to think like this. As we read vs 4 we are tempted to interpret the word ‘fathers’ as parents, including mothers as well.

 

In some sense that is ok at this point. However, the word is ‘fathers’ not parents. The verse is particularly written to the man of the house, the dad! It is dad’s who are more likely to be rough handed and to exasperate their children.

It is the dad who God is calling to take a lead role in teaching and rearing the children. God wants dads to be actively, even proactively involved in their parenting.

 

Statistics have proven time and time again that children with their own mum

and dad at home fare best in all avenues. Children with actively involved fathers are more confident, perform better and have a better self image. As we would expect there is no substitute for God’s way. There is no better way than the manufacturer’s way.

 

God designed a family to include dad, mum and the children.  But society at large is attacking this idea of the family unit. The world will present many fine sounding arguments about the key ingredient being love and happiness, not mums and dads together.

 

In particular, the world is attacking the role of fathers. Fathers in the media are, by and large, incompetent, uninvolved, lazy bozos that make it only through their errors and goof-ups. There are very few positive father role models in the media. Given that our children are media saturated, seeing up to 5,000 ads a day and watching up of 6-8 hours of media a day, we need to go on the offensive. And the best offensive is to have a biblically functioning family at home for all to see.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that all the fathers among us would see the God given importance in their role as dad. Pray that these dads would be loving, caring and gentle with their families, actively involved and deliberately teaching the family about the love and fear of our Lord and Saviour.

¥ Pray that God would protect our families from the attacks of the evil one.

¥ Pray that Christians would rise united against the attacks of families in society. Pray for a Jesus - voice to be raised up in all areas where such attacks are aimed.

 

 

Friday March 23, 2012

Read Ephesians 5:25-33

 

There's been a lot of negative press over the last 75 years about the negative plight and bad treatment of women, especially in marriage. Some of that press is warranted. Some of it is purely hype and sensationalism. If Christian men were upholding their end of the marriage covenant as God deemed it, I suspect that no one would be complaining.

 

Even the most cursory reading of vs 25 is challenging and confronting. Husbands are called to love their wives as Jesus loved the church. And we’ve all read in the Bible how Jesus came down to earth after 7 hard days at work demanding to be served dinner, demanding sexual fulfilment and demanding to have free time in front of the TV!!!! Jesus loved the church with His very life. He suffered and died for the church. He gave His everything, His all, for the church. Jesus gave up His very life for the church. This is the mark or quality of love that husbands are called to have for their wives. If every Christian husband were to love their wife like this, the negative arm of the women’s liberation movement would be silenced almost immediately.

 

As we read further on, we see that husbands are called to create an environment where their wives can grow to be holy and blameless, pure and spotless.  A husband is to make sure that his wife grows and matures and reaches her full potential. She is far more than a glorified house keeper. A husband is to deny himself so that his wife can radiate and shine spiritually, emotionally and physically.

 

When you think about the suffering and trial that Jesus endured on earth you begin to realise the way that a husband is to treat his wife. Together a husband and wife have a beautiful opportunity to display the relationship between Jesus and His church. Marriage is a living parable of how much God loves the world.

 

 

Prayer:

¥ Marriage is under attack in our world. There are desires to change the definition of marriage so as to remove the condition of marriage being between ‘one man and one woman’. Once this boundary is gone, marriage to children (which is illegally practiced in many countries) and marriage to animals (hence bestiality) will quickly become legal and acceptable. Pray that the Lord will not let this change be passed. Pray that Christians will unite and stand together on this marriage issue. Pray for a loud and clear message to be sent to leaders across the world from Christians standing together.

¥ Pray that God would convict husbands to be loving their wives as Christ loved the church. Pray that we would see our marriages displaying the love of Christ to a broken and hurting world and that many would come to Christ as a result.

 

Thursday March 22, 2012

Read 1 Peter 3:1-6

 

While the Word of God seems to forbid Christian - Non Christian marriages, it does highlight the problem that arises when two non Christians marry and one of them becomes a Christian. 1 Peter 3 advises women how to act when they find themselves in such a situation.

 

It is the purity and reverence of the lives of wives that will win husbands over. When the Lord says ‘without words’ it means something like ‘without nagging’. Non believers are to see Christ in their wives so much that they are uncontrollably drawn to Jesus. When non Christian husbands look at their wives they are to see Jesus.  Now of course there have been many beautifully obedient women married to non Christians who have not seen their husbands come to the faith. 1 Peter 3 is not making a promise. It is showing the right way to conduct oneself in that particular situation. It is not the wife’s duty to convert the husband. It is not her burden to save him. That is the Lord’s work and He alone can save. A Christian woman who applies 1 Peter 3 should have a clear conscience.

 

Christian wives should make themselves beautiful inwardly. The verse about braided hair and gold jewellery is not a prohibition against looking gorgeous. Rather, it is referring to the dress of prostitutes of the day. A Christian woman should not be attractive because she’s easy or cheap  or because she dresses a certain way. She is not to imitate a prostitute but is to be beautiful on the inside. She is to have qualities that endear her to her husband and draws him to the Lord.

 

Prayer:

¥ Do you know of any Christians married to non Christians. Write a list and commit to pray for that marriage daily. Pray that the believer shines the light of Jesus brightly and that the non believer comes to know Christ personally.

¥ Pray that all the women (married, single or other) in our congregation would have the beauty described in these verses. Pray that we would see our women believers maturing and growing in closeness to the Lord.

¥ Pray that our governments (local, state and federal) would  uphold and protect the sanctity of marriage. Pray that the Christians in politics would be willing and courageous enough to cross party lines to support biblical principles and ethics as required.

 

Wednesday March 21, 2012

Read Ephesians 5:21-24

 

There are two words that feminists absolutely hate: ‘submit’ and ‘obey’. I honestly think that they have just cause for feeling the way the do. For too long too many men have used Bible verses to brow beat their wives into submission, to berate them into slavery and to use, and often abuse, their wives. Let me be clear. Using the Bible to manipulate another for your own benefit or pleasure is utterly sinful.

 

Submission is an attitude of the heart. It is a willingness to put one’s needs, one’s desires to the bottom of the pile and to willingly, even joyously, serve the other. Husbands and wives are called to submit to each other out of reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ. The submission works itself out in different ways for husband and wife.

 

Wives are called to be submissive to the headship of the husband in all things. Obviously, if the husband is calling his wife to do something sinful, the wife has a greater allegiance to the Lord. She cannot wilfully sin or allow her husband to sin.  She is not the judge on when to submit and when not to submit. The Lord alone is the judge.  She is not to submit to good decisions and rebel against bad or negative decisions. The wife’s submission to her husband mirrors her submission to the Lord Himself. Submission is a willing and joyous placing of oneself under the authority of another. Obedience flows out of a submissive heart. It is possible to be obedient but with a rebellious or non submissive heart. God calls wives  to be submissive with a positive, loving attitude in everything.

 

Our world is challenging this biblical concept of marriage, encouraging independence, rebellion and even lordship over husbands. The world is actively fighting against the biblical concept and practice of marriage.  Again, the best way to fight this attack is to show the world that biblical marriages work and that they are an attractive alternative to what the world offers.  I pray that this is what your marriage and my marriage is showing the world.

Prayer:

¥ Biblical marriages that are working according to God’s design really do show forth the love of God and the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. Pray that our marriages will be strengthened and will function as God intended. Pray that both husbands and wives would be growing in their knowledge of God, their love for the Lord and their love for each other.

¥ Pray that our marriages would so shine the light of Jesus that many would come to know Christ personally as they interact with us and see us as families, individuals and couples.

 

Tuesday March 20, 2012

Read Matthew 19:1-12. 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

 

One of the hardest things in a Christian church is to be single. Most churches cater for families and most expect people to get married, have kids and to settle down. Being single has many challenges both with in the church and outside of it.

 

While it is not wrong to pray for a spouse or to want to be married our focus and our goal should not be marriage. Our focus, whether we are married or not, should be the Lord and His kingdom work that God has allocated for us to be doing. We should be setting our heart and mind on the Lord and not on a potential marriage partner. Unfortunately many a single person who has been  desperate to get married has latched onto the first person that comes along. Eventually they realise that in getting married, they’ve made a rather unwise choice.

 

Being single has many positives and negatives, as does being married. We should not dwell on the negatives but rather on the positives. Being single allows us to have a mindset dedicated to the Lord. While we are single we are able to give the Lord our undivided attention and perhaps do things that married people cannot do. Many times, for example, I have had the opportunity (and the great desire, too) to whizz off overseas to help brothers and sisters in desperate need. But having prayerfully considered my current family situation, I’ve felt it wise to stay and look after the family. If I were single I could have gone to help. It’s’ only a small example but it highlights that being single really does have benefits. Let’s focus on those benefits and let’s devote ourselves wholly to the Lord.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the singles in our congregation. There are many different temptations for singles. Pray that God would strengthen each one of the singles and grant them great integrity, wisdom and patience. Pray that God would use these people powerfully to build His kingdom. Pray for a blessing on each one of them.

 

Monday March 19, 2012

Read Genesis 2:18-25

 

As we head into next weekend, it is family camp weekend so our series in Deuteronomy will take a short recess and we’ll spend time looking at the concept of family throughout the Word of God.

 

An obvious place to start the journey is where God first created the relationship of marriage - Genesis 2. Interestingly, God never just created the woman for man. He went through a lengthy process which had an ultimate purpose. As God formed the creatures out of the ground and brought them to Adam, he was to name them. As he watched them he would have noticed that all the creatures were paired up - male and female. In vs18 we are told that God knows that it is not good for man to be alone but it’s only after Adam has seen and named all the animals that he himself comes to the realisation that it is not good for man to be alone. Only then does God cause Adam to fall into a deep sleep and create the woman. God takes a rib from Adam’s side and forms this into the woman, who would later be called Eve.

 

As Adam awakes from his divine surgery he sees the woman that God created for him. Having seen the animals paired off, he immediately knows that this creature, this strange, yet beautiful being, is his counterpart. This is the one that would fulfil him. In a total ‘love at first sight’ frenzy Adam blurts out the world’s first love poem. He is so enraptured by the ‘woman’ that he can do nothing but sing.

 

God then describes the elements of marriage as he designed it. There is a leaving of parents. Both the man and the woman’s allegiance changes from family to spouse. They are to still love and honour their parents but their primary allegiance is now to their spouse. There is a cleaving together between the man and the woman. There is a weaving together as they become one flesh. Such weaving and cleaving obviously includes the bringing forth of children in the world but it involves so much more. Husband and wife become one emotionally and spiritually as well as physically.

 

In today’s world it is very much up to all believers to make sure that we are fighting hard to protect the sanctity of marriage. In a world where marriages are falling apart at rapid rates and where the very fabric of marriage between a man and a woman is ridiculed and attacked, all believers must unite to fight this battle.

 

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that God would bless and protect Christian marriages. Pray that husbands and wives would learn to love each other, serve each other and submit to each other. Pray that the evil one would not be able to destroy Christian marriages.

¥ Pray that the Lord would bless the many singles in our congregation and draw them close to Himself. Pray that there would be a growing friendship among the singles as they support each other and serve the Lord.

 

Saturday March 17, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:19-20. Heb 2:1-3

 

Picture yourself driving along in your new Lamborghini Diablo.  As you cruise down the highway at unmentionably sinful speeds, you see a sign that reads, ‘Bridge out. Detour.’ Would you keep driving and avoid the sign? Would you just ignore the sign and plant your foot on the accelerator? Seriously? Of course you wouldn’t! To save both yourself and your ridiculously expensive new car you would observe the warning sign.

 

God’s threats about destruction and removal from the Promised Lands are literally warning signs to encourage the Children of God to change direction or to avoid a certain road. Just as we would be silly to ignore a ’bridge out’ sign, so Israel would be silly to forget her God. Israel would be silly to attribute her wealth, her success, her victories etc to herself rather than to God. Ignoring the warning signs would lead to a loss of blessing and great damage to both the land and the nation.

 

God still warns us today. He still holds up warning signs for us. But all too often our health, our wealth and our “be comfortable at all costs” mentality has blinded us to the signs. The signs whizz past us and we plant our foot on the accelerator of life thinking that we know better. Sickness, stillness and quietness from God, unproductive quiet times, hard and trying life situations, financial  stress etc can all be God’s warning signs to us.

 

Maybe it’s time to stop and listen. Maybe it’s time to look at the signs and to heed the Lord’s warning. Maybe it’s time to reassess our lives to see if it’s still on God’s path.

 

Prayer:

¥ Spend time praising God for 15 things that happened last week.

¥ Spend time praising God for 5 things that you really appreciate about God.

¥ Pray that we as a congregation would be faithful with the Word of God, the Bible, and diligent in applying it to our own lives. Pray that we would love the Word and the Lord who gave us the Word more than we love our own lives.

 

¥ Pray this for our brothers in Sudan and in Somalia where they face extreme persecution for believing in Jesus.  Pray that God would grant them courage and  strength to stand strong through the storm. Pray that they would brightly shine the light of Jesus.

 

Friday March 16, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:10-18

 

We said it before and we’ll probably say it again. God hates pride. But how can you and I fight off pride?

 

Verse 10 gives one way of dealing with potential pride - praise the Lord.

 

When we offer genuine praise to God we are putting both Him and ourselves in their proper perspective. Praise is a public acknowledgement that all that we have achieved or all that we have is from God. When we praise God we are reminding our selves and each other of God’s active involvement and provision in our lives. Praising God is an act of humility where we put God in His rightful place.

 

As vs 12-14 show, an absence of praise allows pride to grow and develop.  The glory and honour that should naturally go to the Lord will flow onto someone else, usually ourselves. If we are not praising God then we will be looking at our own power, our own strength, our own intelligence, our own ingenuity and we’ll lap up the praise and adoration.

 

Let us develop an attitude of gratitude. Let us work at giving genuine praise to God at every possible opportunity. After meals or before them, it’s easy to praise God for His provision.  When we are blessed with wealth, we can praise God. When things things go well we can sing God’s praises.  But we need to develop this ability to include even the rough times, the slippery slopes of life and the trials and temptations.  At all times our praises and adorations need to be genuine and from the heart. As a general rule, don’t praise God for anything that you’re not genuinely thankful for. There is nothing more insulting and off putting than half hearted praises. Initially it may seem contrived and fake but pretty soon you’ll be praising God and singing His glories in everything. Like any new skill or ability it requires practice and work. Why not practice today. Start praising God.
Prayer:

¥ Think of 10 things that you can praise God for since yesterday. Spend a few minutes thanking and praising God for each one.

¥ Praise God for 10 believers in your congregation. Tell God why you are praising Him for these believers.

¥ Pray for our elders. Ask God to bless these men with wisdom and a deep love and understanding of the Word of God. Pray that these men will apply the Word firstly to themselves and then that they would help us apply it to our own lives.

¥ Pray too that all our cell leaders would be equipped to lead cell and to pastor/shepherd the people in their cell. Pray that they would be wise in managing and juggling time, family commitments etc.

 

 

 

Thursday March 15, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:6-9. Hebrews 12:22-29

 

As you read the Bible, pay attention to two things. Firstly consider the connector words at  the start of each sentence where these kinds of words occur. Words like ’and’, ’for’, ‘since’, and ‘therefore’ are key indicators to the flow and meaning of the passage. These words help us to correctly interpret the passage.

 

Secondly pay attention to the tense of the Word. What does that mean? Think of past tense, present tense and future tense. Is the word depicting something that happened in the past, in the present or is it looking into the future?

Can you see any of these connector words in vs 6-9? In vs 7 the word ‘for’ joins or connects the Promised Land with the required obedience. If the word ‘for’ were not there we could easily read into the passage a theology of salvation by works. Obey the Lord and He will bring you into the Promised Land. Such an abomination is removed by the presence of the connecting word ‘for’.

 

So what is the passage saying? There is clearly a command to obey God and  to walk in His way and to fear or revere Him. The connector word builds the logic for us. We are to act like this because God is giving the people the Promised Land. Notice the tense of vs 7. God is “bringing” (a present tense) into the Promised Land.

 

If we pay attention to the tense of words and the connectors we can correctly interpret the passage. God’s people are called to obey God and to walk in His paths because He is working among them to bring them into the Promised Land. With such a reading, the passage cannot be made to speak of salvation by works.

 

New Testament believers (including you and I) are in the same boat. Notice what God tells us in Hebrews 12:28-29? We are receiving (note the present tense) a kingdom that is eternal. Since this kingdom cannot be shaken we should be worshipping God in reverence and awe. We should be standing before God with adoration and praise. We should be living lives that show the world the kingdom we are currently inheriting.

 

And did you notice the connector word in Hebrews 12:28? Let me ask you, ‘What’s it there for?’ How does it help you interpret the passage? Why don’t you spend a bit of time reflecting on the wider passage, seeing if you can correctly interpret the passage.

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise the Lord that you are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Tell God what you are looking forward to most in that kingdom.

¥ Praise the Lord that He was willing to send His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross and to be raised so that you can enter that kingdom.  Praise God that He has done everything necessary for you to enter that kingdom.

¥ Pray that you’ll have opportunity to share with others what it means for you to be a part of God’s kingdom and what it means for you to believe in Jesus.

 

 

Wednesday March 14, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:4-5, Hebrews 12:5-13

 

Verse 4 and 5 of Deuteronomy 8 may seem a rather odd couplet but the presence of vs 4 really does give comfort. This verse negates any claim or complaint that God is a mean, uncaring God who left his people in the desert because of their sinfulness. Rather, God walked with them through the wilderness and provided for them each and every step of the way. God watched over them so that their feet did not swell

and their shoes did not wear out.

 

Verse 5 has to be read in a totally positive light. God disciplines His children. He disciplines those He loves. The image we have of negative discipline, of angry parents abusively smacking their children, of harsh and cruel discipline, has to be removed. God loves His children and lovingly disciplines His children.

 

You and I can confidently see all hardship (life, finances, uni or school, work, relational and so on) as God’s hand of discipline in our lives. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve sinned or angered God. It means that God loves us and is working in us to produce something positive and Jesus-like. Every year I prune my fruit trees and not because I hate them! It’s not because they’ve done something against me or caused me anger or harm. The pruning, as painful as it is, is so that they grow much more fruit. Through painful and trying times, God is pruning you and causing you to bear much more fruit.

 

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah!

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise God and thank Him for being a loving God who is willing and ready to discipline us for our good. Thank God that during the tough times in your life He has disciplined you.

¥ Praise the Lord that He is a God of love who doesn’t let us wallow or drown in our sins. Praise God that He disciplines us for our good, for our eternal welfare! Praise God that He loves us enough not to leave us alone.

¥ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar who are experiencing persecution for their faith. Pray especially for the Karen people. Ask God to equip these believers and to make them bright lights for Jesus’ love

 

Tuesday March 13, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:3

 

I don’t think I ever realised the depth of meaning in Deuteronomy 8:3 until the Lord called me to fast and pray for an entire week. When you have passed the point of hunger, when you have given up worrying or thinking about food, you begin to realise that God and having a relationship with Him far exceeds anything else, even the food we need to survive. We need every word that comes from the mouth of God. It is our spiritual diet, our spiritual nourishment and absolutely vital for life, true Jesus-centred life.

 

God led Israel through the wilderness for 40 years. It must have been unimaginably difficult at times. It must have been frightening and nerve wracking. But God was bringing the people to realise that His Word was far more important and far more valuable than our daily food.

 

If only the children of God would hunger after the Word of God more than our daily food needs and desires. If only the people of God would crave the Word like we crave chocolate and sweets. If only we would hunger after God’s Word and spend as much time, if not more, in the Word than we do in preparing food and eating food. If only we would know the value and benefit of feeding on the Word of God. If only we snacked on the Word as much and as often as we snacked on food.

 

Let me encourage you to re-capture the love of God’s Word. Perhaps you could think through fasting and praying, say once a week or once a fortnight. Perhaps you could set a program to read through the Bible in a year. Perhaps you could read together one chapter each night as a family. Do whatever it takes to fall in love with God’s Word all over again!

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for those in your congregation (pray for them by name) who are ill or suffering. Pray that the Lord would have His gracious hand upon them and bring healing and relief. Pray that these people would trust God and look to Him for strength.

¥ Pray that God would grow trust and faith within each of us and that together we would be equipping and spurring each other onto love and good deeds.

¥ Pray that we would see many people come to the Lord in faith and repentance. Ask God to open doors of opportunity for each of us to share our faith in Christ.

 

 

Monday March 12, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:1-2.

 

A Christian friend of mine spent many years raising a then wayward son. He went through hell on earth and suffered immensely at the hands of that boy. But he managed to praise God through it all. Years later, in reflecting on those years of parenting he was able to reflect, ‘God taught me so much through my son. He showed me how much sin and rebellion was still in my heart’. When questioned even further he explained, ‘My son treated me the way I treated God. He taught me how God feels when I rebel against the Lord. I grew more than my son in those years’.

 

Often we see the word discipline as negative, except if we are in training for a sporting event or match. For some reason we tend to look down upon any discipline that builds character or promotes goodness, righteousness and holiness. Yet we accept, even promote, any discipline that builds sporting prowess, ability and fitness. Physical fitness, says Paul the Apostle, has some value but godliness has value in all things both in this life and the next! And yet discipline continues to get a bad rap. Personally, I can’t remember the last time I praised God for disciplining me.

 

As Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years, she was being disciplined by the Lord. God was disciplining Israel, humbling her and showing forth what was really in her heart. God didn’t need to know or discover it, because He knows all things, but Israel did. Through the pain and trial of 40 years she would learn many things about herself, her stubbornness and faithlessness, her penchant for disobedience and her desperate need for the Lord to be gracious.

 

God disciplines those He loves. It is not that God is being malicious or hard hearted. He is not being cruel. Through tough situations, through painful life experiences God is teaching you, revealing your heart and showing you where you need to grow and improve. When the coach points out these things, we praise him for it. Let’s do the same with God. Let’s praise Him for working on us, for not giving up on us and for not leaving us behind. Through the thick and thin of life God is polishing you and preparing you for heaven. Surely that deserves at least a ‘Thank you Lord’.

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise the Lord for those in your congregation who have a strong and growing faith. Thank God that He has grown them and is working powerfully in your congregation.

¥ Praise the Lord for those who do behind the scenes admin and support. Thank God that this valuable ministry continues week in, week out. Pray that God would bring blessing to these servants.

 

Saturday March 10, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:26

 

As Israel entered the Promised Land she was commanded to destroy all the idols and images of false gods and the people that worshipped them. Now that may seem harsh but imagine if a father came home to find a syringe and small packet of white powder in his daughter’s school bag. Would he not destroy it? Would he not remove the influence completely? Love and (positive) jealousy necessitate the removal of things that harm those we love. When God commands the people to remove all idols and images and forms, He is doing so out of love and positive jealousy. He is doing so for our welfare and for our benefit.

 

The final command not to bring any detestable thing into one’s house is along the same vein. God absolutely hates idols and false gods. He will destroy these icons as well as those who bow down to them. It is for our benefit that God says, ‘Don’t go there!’.

 

As Christians we need to realise that this is still a valuable command to uphold. Think about your own house and what you have inside your house. Do you have hidden away any detestable things? These could include pornography, movies with illicit sex (& other) scenes, phones with inappropriate songs or pictures  or videos on them, drugs, stolen goods, things that we worship and bow down to and so on. God doesn’t want them in our homes, not because He’s a kill-joy God, but because it’s for our good. God wants to lavish us with His love and goodness. These detestable things that we cling to and hide away to use when no one’s looking anger God, sadden God and bring judgement/discipline upon ourselves.

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise the Lord for those who prepare men’s ministry events and women’s ministry events regularly. Thank God for their faithful and consistent service. Pray that they would be overwhelmed by God’s love.

¥ Praise God for those who help out with Sonday Church rosters. Praise God that these selfless acts of service benefit all of us. Pray that God would reward each one for their sacrificial service.

¥ Praise the Lord for each individual and family unit that supports the church financially. Praise God for their faithfulness in this area.

 

 

Friday March 9, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:11-25

 

As a father I love to bless my children and to give to them. If you can understand that love and if you have experienced it with your own children or your friends, then you are starting to understand how God feels towards His children.

 

God loves to bless, to give to His children. He loves to lavish His children with His goodness, His mercy and His grace. But that love is never in a vacuum. It is always in the context of a covenant relationship. God will not bless and give generously to His people if (or while) they walk in disobedience.  God’s fatherly love is lavished upon His children as they walk in love and obedience. His fatherly discipline and chastisement awaits those who continue to walk in disobedience.

 

It’s a lesson we need to learn and apply to our own lives. We cannot and should not expect to be blessed by God and lavished by Him if we walk in disobedience. God is holy and righteous and He will not tolerate sin among His people. He will discipline us and chastise us as necessary. And if we are prone to stubbornness like the Israelites, we need to remember that God has a lot more time on His hands than we do. He can sit and wait patiently for us to come around!

 

But as God’s people love Him and serve Him they can expect God to be powerfully at work among them, even fighting for them and preparing the way for them to enter the Promised Land.  Verses 15-25 remind me of a young boy, about 4 years old, who was too scared to play in the park where the older boys were playing loudly and roughly. Israel is that little boy sitting on the edge of the Jordan looking at the park across the river and wanting desperately to go and play but being very much afraid. When that little boy saw his dad come to sit and watch, his countenance changed. He became courageous and ran off with glee to play and frolic in the park. Our heavenly Father promises to do more than to sit and watch us. He promises to hold our hand, to watch out for us and to be with us through all trials. Knowing that God is with us and for us should make us courageous and fearless. We can tackle anything because God has promised to be with us. Israel could march confidently into the Promised Land because God was with them. You can march confidently into all of life because God is with you.

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise God for the various cell leaders among us. Praise God that they are willing to prepare and lead week by week. Pray that God would make their work a joy and that he would be close to them, granting them wisdom and insight into the Word each week.

¥ Praise God for our Extreme Team who are willing to reach out to non Church families each month. Praise the Lord that this ministry has born fruit. Pray that God would bless and encourage and strengthen each and every single worker.

¥ Praise God for those who preach and teach the congregation each week. Pray that these men would be granted wisdom,  & insight and that they would see the fruit of their labours.

 

 

Thursday March 8, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:9-10

 

Like you and I God loves to be loved and hates to be hated. But unlike you and I God truly deserves to be loved and no one, not one single person, has any justifiable reason to hate God.

 

God reciprocates what He gets from us. If we love God and obey His commands, God lavishes us with love, even to a thousand generations. But to those who hate God and reject Him God will confront them with judgment and destruction.

 

One of the fascinating things about judgement day is that God will give people what they really desired from God. If someone has spent their life rejecting God then on that day He will give them their hearts desire - they will be rejected by God for all eternity. If someone seeks God and loves Him they will be rewarded with eternal life in that heavenly paradise.

 

But God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked. In Ezekiel 18:23 we read

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

 

God wants to lavish people, entire generations, with His love, His mercy and His goodness. The great blessing that you and I have is that we can be agents or vehicles through which God shares that love with the world. You and I can be the person that God uses to turn someone around from hating Him to loving Him. What an extreme pleasure and joy.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the musicians and singers and tech people that serve us each week as they prepare and perform. Praise God for their willing and joyful service. Pray that God would bless these people and reward them for their blessing to us.

¥ Praise God for those people who help out in Mops each fortnight. Praise God that this help is allowing more people to hear the gospel. Pray that God would draw near to each of these helpers and reveal to them the importance of their work.

¥ Praise the Lord that we have many willing to teach the children among us and our youth. Ask God to bless these teachers and to show them the fruit of their labours.

 

 

 

Wednesday March 7, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:7-8. Isaiah 14:12-15. Ezekiel 28:13-18

 

God hates pride! Let me say it again, GOD HATES PRIDE.

 

As we read Isaiah and Ezekiel we see that the root cause of sin in our world is pride. The angel Lucifer became proud in the heavenly abode and sought to sit upon God’s throne. He was cast down to earth and sought to attack God’s creation, namely mankind.

 

Pride. The Lord hates pride. As Israel was perched on the edge of the Promised Land, the Lord knew that it would be very easy for her to become proud. The Lord warns Israel to steer clear of pride. Throughout the New Testament, the Lord warns us as well. Pride does come before a fall because God hates pride.

 

We show our pride when we refuse to apologise for our sins against others. We display the pride that God hates when we refuse to help another person. We reveal the pride in our heart when we think we know everything and refuse to let others teach or admonish us. When we refuse to associate with people we think are below us we are acting with pride. When we boast in our humility, we are filled with pride, albeit covert pride.

 

God hates pride. I hope that you can see it clearly enough. That’s why we read in the Word of God, ‘The Lord gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud.’ What will your day look like today as you walk in humility? How will it differ from yesterday?

 

Prayer:

¥ Ask the Lord to increase our giving to its required level at the very least. Pray that God would raise up a Spirit of generosity among us. Pray that we would all be tithing sacrificially.

¥ Pray for the work of Creation Ministries and Creation Research. Pray that God would use these institutions and people to teach the truth, to share the Word and to make disciples from many nations.

¥ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam who face sanctions, expulsion from their villages and open hostility for their faith. Ask God to give them strength, courage and firmness in the face of the storm. Pray that these believers will brightly shine forth the love of Jesus and bring glory to our God.

 

Tuesday March 6, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:6. Exodus 19:1-6

 

It would be very easy to write an entire book or sermon series on this particular verse in Deuteronomy 7.  Why? Because the verse is filled with depth, with

insight and wisdom about the Lord our God.  The verse is filled with words that are pregnant with meaning and depth.

 

The word ‘holy’ means to be set apart. Generally, Christians think of something holy as being set apart from evil or sin. But the word originally simply meant to be set apart for something or someone. The thing or person you were set apart for was a determining characteristic. It was what you were set apart for that made the difference. You could never be just set apart, you had to be set apart for something or someone.

 

This is clearly seen in the verse. Israel is set apart to the Lord.  As we’ve seen, this is the personal name of God, representing His covenant keeping faithfulness. That name in and of itself warrants at the very least a full chapter in a book. Israel was set apart to God. She was to be distinct and different in the world so that she could represent God in the world. Israel was set apart to God so that she could be God’s special agent in the field. Israel was on a mission and only those set apart could engage in that mission.

 

On the other side of the equation, Israel was chosen by God. This word ‘chosen’ again, has a wealth of information throughout it. If you are courageous enough, read the genealogies of the Bible, starting at Genesis 5. You quickly realise that certain people and certain lines were a chosen line. Abel, not Cain, was chosen. Isaac, not Ishmael, was chosen. Esau would serve his younger brother Jacob and so on. When we get to the New Testament we see that God has chosen believers in Him (Christ) and has graciously granted them repentance.

 

Both the nation of Israel and New Testament believers are God’s treasured people. We are close to God’s heart. God has chosen to love us, to lavish us and bless us, to be our heavenly Father. To God, we are valuable and precious.  How amazing is that? How awesome is our God? How humbling to be loved by the one true loving God.

 

Have a quick read of today’s verse again. It’s choc-a-block filled with exciting truth, isn’t it? Yet, it’s all too easy to skim over a verse and think nothing about it. As you read the Word of God, get into the habit of reading a verse and thinking about what God is really saying. Don’t be afraid to think deeply, or to meditate upon just one verse, so that you can see the beauty of our Lord, the depth of His Word and the love that He has for you. Don’t be afraid to rediscover the beauty of our God.

 

 

 

Prayer:

¥ Uphold our brothers and sisters in the Bible colleges in Myanmar. Pray that God would equip the college with all it needs to faithfully teach the brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask God to use the students powerfully in reaching out to the people of Myanmar. Pray for the teachers to be strong in the Lord and wise in their teaching.

¥ Pray for the Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar. Pray that God would again provide it with all that is needed to raise the children and disabled people they support. Pray that God would be powerfully at work among those orphans and disabled people.

¥ Pray for the Compassion children we support in Minado. Ask the Lord to work among the children to bring hope, education and relief from poverty. Pray that many of these families and their wider families and contacts would come to Christ for salvation. Pray for a revival in that region and beyond.

 

 

Monday March 5, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 7:1-5. Romans 8

 

Just imagine. A daughter comes home with her new boyfriend and introduces him to mum and dad. After a few minutes of discussion it’s apparent that this young man is a drug dealer, a drug user and the manager of an illicit hotel. How would you feel as a father about your daughter wanting to date this young man? Would you be happy?  Would you allow it? Would you condone the relationship? Would you step in and stop the affair?

 

As we read the first 5 verses in Deuteronomy 7 we may be confronted by the harshness of God towards the other nations, but like our father above, our heavenly Father is concerned for the eternal welfare of His children. God can see the danger associated with the pagan nations and the great damage they could do to the Israelites.

 

Often in our own lives we desperately want something and we pray fervently for it but God says, ‘No!’. Sometimes we throw a spiritual hissy fit. Sometimes we brood and keep asking God. Sometimes we just can’t figure out why a loving God would say ‘No!’ and continue to say ‘No!’.

 

Our God is a holy and righteous God who cares for our eternal well being and will not let us walk down paths that are self-destructive or self-destroying. Like the father in the opening scenario God makes decisions and does things which are ultimately for our benefit. He can see around the corners that we can’t see around.

 

This is where trust and obedience are imperative. Rather than being pig-headed and stubborn and doing it my way anyway, I need to trust God and do things His way. I need to joyously walk down His path knowing that ’…. in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Rom 8:28).  God knows what’s best for me, even better than I do.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that each one of us in the congregation would so greatly shine the light of Christ that people around us would see our good deeds and give glory to the Father in heaven. Pray that we would unashamedly shine the light of Jesus.

¥ Pray that Creation Research would be greatly blessed in their work for the Lord. Ask God to bless them with all the resources they need to continue moving forward and that they would have more open doors to teach about the need for creation in the gospel.

¥ Pray for the country parishes around Toowoomba. Many are struggling with finances, with attendance and with reaching the local community. Pray that the Lord would have His hand of grace upon these parishes and that He would bring great blessing to them. Ask God to be building His house in these country regions and that each parish would be able to minister and serve effectively in their town or region.

 

Saturday March 3, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 6:20-25

As you read both Old and New Testament a pattern emerges. God has always dealt with family units. When Noah entered the Ark he and his wife and his sons and their wives went with him. God was gracious and saved the entire family. When Abraham was called to leave Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 12:1-5ff) his entire family and even the servants went with him. God was gracious towards the entire family. When Israel entered the Promised Land God expected the entire family to participate in worship of Himself.

In the New Testament we see this pattern of God dealing with entire families continuing. Acts 16 portrays the conversion of several families. In each case, the entire household is baptised. God continues to deal with families.

This teaching by no means is advocating ritual salvation (for example, salvation through baptism or ceremony) nor are we denying the need for everyone to have faith in Christ. Rather it means that parents must think strategically and carefully about how they raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 shows that parents are to bring their children up in the teaching and fear of the Lord. Children are to be taught what God requires.

This pattern continues on from the original Exodus and teaching in Deuteronomy. Back then, parents were to teach their children about the mighty salvation from Egypt and the requirements the Lord laid down for His people as they entered the Promised Land. As you read beyond the chapters of Deuteronomy you quickly realise that children were to participate in the ceremonies and festivals. In the Pass Over festival, which is the chief and cornerstone festival, children had a major role to play.

In New Testament families, parents are to teach their children about the greater Exodus, the true Exodus through Christ Jesus. They are to teach their children the requirements of the Lord for a household of faith. Parents are to be actively growing their children in their faith and belief.

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the PIM (Presbyterian Inland Missionary) Service. Ask God to bless the padres with good relationships, fruitful visits to outback stations and the ability to communicate the truths of the gospel clearly. Ask God to comfort and to be near these padres (and their wives, where applicable) as they travel long, lonely distances.

¥ Ask the Lord to strengthen the families among us. Pray that God would be knitting families closer together in Him and using families to reach out to other families.

¥ Pray that our congregation would be an exceedingly generous congregation and that over and above meeting our costs we would be able to minister and serve the poor, the needy and the less fortunate. Pray that our congregation would grow and multiply.

Friday March 2, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 6:10-19

 

There are many reasons why we forget things. Sometimes, there are medical reasons for our forgetfulness.  At other times we simply don’t think that thing we had to remember was worth while so we let it slip from our minds. Still at other times we are distracted.

 

In our super comfy, super cosy western world the greatest issue that causes us to forget the Lord is distraction. Work, family, education, leisure and money, though they are not sinful or negative in themselves, they quickly form distractions that move us away from the Lord. When we are working long and tedious hours or when we are under a dead line, it becomes very easy to forget the Lord.  When our family life makes demands upon us and keeps us frantically busy running children to different events, keeping appointments and seeing every member regularly we are prone to forget the Lord. Study and learning have the same effect. In the few small hours each week that we have left, we are often keen to fill those hours with leisure time or me time. Such time again distracts us from the Lord because we want to wind down, relax, turn off and so on. And money keeps us distracted as well. We pour our energy into getting more of it, we try to balance it and keep it safe. We spend hours looking for the most economical way to use  it. And pretty soon, God is all but a distant memory. It’s no wonder that Jesus said that it is near impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Apart from anything else, there are so many more distractions!

 

As Israel sat poised on the edge of the Promised Land, God warned them about the distractions they would encounter. The ways of the nations, the false gods, the ceremonies and rituals would all be distractions that lead them away from God. Like the distractions in our own world, these foreign things would grab the heart and mind and attention of the Israelites. They would steal their allegiance away from God.

 

Israel, like us too, would need to be proactive and attentive to her relationship to God. She could not afford, as we cannot afford, to drift off into slumber. She could not afford to put God on the back burner, even for one iota. Israel was to work hard at building her relationship with God.

 

Sadly, over the centuries, nothing has changed. Let us work hard at building our relationship with God so that we do not forget Him. Let us keep our work, our money, our family, our education and all these other potential distractions in proper perspective so that we will not forget the Lord our God.

 

Prayer:

 

 

Thursday March 1, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 6:7-9

 

I love movies where the underdog comes up tops and wins. Even though there is always a familiar plot and the same old theme, they never fail to impress me. But why is it that the underdog wins and the top dog loses? It’s because the underdog trains hard, works hard, sets his or her sights on a goal and goes for it. The top dog bludges and keeps on with his or her comfortable life and inevitably loses the climatic battle or fight.

 

Being proactive, rather than reactive makes all the difference. In today’s passage God is telling parents and families (the principles apply to singles and couples as well) to be proactive. Parents are to teach and train their children in the love and fear of the Lord. They are to speak of the Lord and His greatness and His demands in every day life - as they walk along, as they eat, as they prepare for bed and so on. God is to be there among the people. How we can learn from these simple but powerful instructions. Instead of talking about idle things like the weather or the football (almost sacrilege!!) why not talk about how great the Lord has been, what the Lord’s been doing in your life and what God’s been teaching you. The Israelites were also to surround themselves with the Word of the Lord - writing it on walls and doors and lintels, even tying them to their hands and foreheads!

 

Imagine how our love for God and our knowledge of God would grow if we surrounded ourselves with the Word of God. I’m not suggesting you tape a verse to your forehead by any means. But imagine if you had inspirational posters with Bible verses around your house. Imagine if you and half a dozen friends decided to text each other a Bible verse each day. Imagine if you decided to memorise just one verse each week, or, dare I say, one verse a day. The love of God, the grace of God would overflow from within you like an inland tsunami.

 

God has never dealt with individuals in isolation. He has always been a covenant God that loves families. God expects, even demands, that parents

teach their children what it means to love the Lord and to serve Him. And the best teacher of all is our example, the model we set for the children. Words are needed. Bible reading time is needed. And all this needs to be cemented together and etched in our children’s heart’s by the life we live, the words we speak and the reactions we have. Not only do they need to hear Jesus from our lips, they need to see Him in our lives.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the children in your congregation. Ask God to grow their faith, to mature them in their belief and to draw these children nearer to Himself. Pray that all of our children will be wise and loving in all their parenting.

¥ Pray for our singles. Ask God to grant them a super blessing so that they can love Him with their entire heart and soul and mind and strength. Pray that God would provide deep friendships.

¥ Pray for our older couples. Pray that God would bless them immensely with purpose and direction. Pray that the fears and concerns of aging would be removed as they set their hearts and minds on Christ Jesus in the heavenlies. Pray for perseverance and patience and even healing where necessary.