What are your thoughts about the Old Testament? Plan to read through at least one book of the Old Testament in October.
Read Mark 14:12-26
Have you ever realised that all of the gospel writers except John, who doesn’t really deal with the Last Supper, stress that it is the Pass Over meal that Jesus is eating as His Last Supper? There are many reason for this. Can you think of any before we move on?
Jesus chooses to have His last supper at this time because this meal with the disciples will be used to reinterpret the Pass Over. It will be fulfilled in Christ. That is why He is called the Passover Lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7. Jesus and the salvation wrought by Him at the cross is all that the Pass Over meal prefigured and looked forward to. On that day a lamb was to be sacrificed as a suitable substitute for the people. Jesus is the fulfilment of that sacrifice and is the true Passover meal. He is the one that brings freedom from sin as opposed to freedom from captivity in Egypt. Again, it’s a fulfilment motif. In the Old Testament a covenant began when God freed Egypt and now, through the blood of Christ a New Covenant is inaugurated. The Old Covenant allowed people to meet with God but required regular sacrifice for sin and the mediation of a High Priest. Now sin is dealt with once for all and The Great High Priest allows us to meet with God at any time. No earthly High Priest is needed because Jesus is our mediator before God. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence. The Old Covenant opened the door for the people to enter into the Promised Land. Jesus, through the New Covenant opens the door for the people to enter into the heavenly Promised Land. Again it’s a fulfilment motif. The Old is fulfilled. The New has begun.
In studying the Old Testament we see the character of God and we learn more of His eternal plan of salvation through Christ Jesus. Let no one ever tell you that the Old Testament is irrelevant. Turn to 2 Tim 3:16-17 and read what it says. If you can, make a poster of this verse and stick it somewhere prominent so that you'll never forget that all Scripture, all Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, is the inspired Word of God and is useful for us.
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving see if you can focus your prayers on the Lord’s Supper and what it really means.
How will you be praying today???
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that Straight Talk Ministries will be blessed with more open doors in schools to share the value of abstinence before marriage. Pray that many young children and students will not only understand this and commit to purity but also that we would see many come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Pray that Jim and Faye would be greatly blessed by the Lord for their service.
¨ Pray for the Reformed Bible College in Burma. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would be working powerfully in and among the students. Ask God to grow and mature the students in their faith, their knowledge and their desire to spread the Word. Pray that we would see a transformation in their society as more people come to Christ for salvation.
Saturday 29 September 2012
Friday 28 September 2012
Friday September 28, 2012
Write out a plan of your typical day. Find a spot where you can meet with God for about 30 minutes.
Read Exodus 12:14
It’s so easy to forget about God. With life running at such a hectic pace, God often just dissolves into the background. We don’t intentionally plan to forget about God but it just happens. He just dissolves. There’s the kids, the spouse, the shopping, the workload, the sports and on and on it goes. I often think that full time ministry is a recipe for forgetting God. We have all the above plus more concerns and worries that can often drive us away from God.
How often we look back longingly to the good old days when life was simpler. But let me share with you a typical day in the life of a Christian woman in my grandmother’s era. She would get up around 4:30am and spend an hour or two in prayer. Then she’d make breakfast for the entire family - 5-8 children plus a husband on average, not the average 2.3 kids of today. Breakfast was a cooked meal. Cardboard food in a box hadn’t been invented yet! Clean up was the mother’s duty. Then the house had to be cleaned from top to bottom. The shopping had to be done and the garden kept. Most things that we take for granted in the kitchen and think that they came from the supermarket aisle (bread, cakes etc) had to be baked. After all this, the children arrived home and washing, ironing etc had to be done. When “Father” came home dinner was on the table and ‘Mother’ diligently cleaned up. Before bed she had had an hour or two with God and had already taught the kids from the Word of God and sung several hymns with the family.
Christian ministers were equally busy but never complained. They spent hours in prayer early and late in the day. They visited the congregation regularly, travelled hours to preach in various villages and often wrote 2 or more sermons during the week as well as engaging in many civic duties throughout the town.
Truth be told, not many of us would really long for the good old days if we could experience just one day in their life.
Yet it seems that even in their business they had right and good priorities. They didn’t work 24/7.They didn't worship money and riches. They had no need for that have-it-all lifestyle. They made God a priority. They spent time with God. They spent time with God’s people. They kept and protected the Sabbath and they valued relationship. What they valued and prioritised is encapsulated in one single verse, Exodus 12:14.
Our problem today is not being overly busy. Our problem is not the great amount of stress in our lives. Our problem is not that we have so much to do in so little time. Our problem is that we fail to prioritise. We fail to put God as our number one priority. We fail to appoint time in our diaries with God. We fail to protect the idea of the Sabbath and we plan more and more and more into our week with out concern for God, for His Word and for relationship.
Perhaps if we put God first and refused to compromise on our time with Him then everything else would fall into place.
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on your busy lifestyle and ask God for wisdom, insight and the courage to make changes.
How will you be praying today???
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would be showing you and 20 other people in your congregation (pray for them by name) the beauty of resting in God and the necessity of prioritising time with Him.
¨ Pray for Shiloh Church ministries that God would be raising up workers and resources for them to continue feeding and caring for orphans, caring for widows, training up and skilling widows in sewing, supporting people with rick-shaws and so on.
Read Exodus 12:14
It’s so easy to forget about God. With life running at such a hectic pace, God often just dissolves into the background. We don’t intentionally plan to forget about God but it just happens. He just dissolves. There’s the kids, the spouse, the shopping, the workload, the sports and on and on it goes. I often think that full time ministry is a recipe for forgetting God. We have all the above plus more concerns and worries that can often drive us away from God.
How often we look back longingly to the good old days when life was simpler. But let me share with you a typical day in the life of a Christian woman in my grandmother’s era. She would get up around 4:30am and spend an hour or two in prayer. Then she’d make breakfast for the entire family - 5-8 children plus a husband on average, not the average 2.3 kids of today. Breakfast was a cooked meal. Cardboard food in a box hadn’t been invented yet! Clean up was the mother’s duty. Then the house had to be cleaned from top to bottom. The shopping had to be done and the garden kept. Most things that we take for granted in the kitchen and think that they came from the supermarket aisle (bread, cakes etc) had to be baked. After all this, the children arrived home and washing, ironing etc had to be done. When “Father” came home dinner was on the table and ‘Mother’ diligently cleaned up. Before bed she had had an hour or two with God and had already taught the kids from the Word of God and sung several hymns with the family.
Christian ministers were equally busy but never complained. They spent hours in prayer early and late in the day. They visited the congregation regularly, travelled hours to preach in various villages and often wrote 2 or more sermons during the week as well as engaging in many civic duties throughout the town.
Truth be told, not many of us would really long for the good old days if we could experience just one day in their life.
Yet it seems that even in their business they had right and good priorities. They didn’t work 24/7.They didn't worship money and riches. They had no need for that have-it-all lifestyle. They made God a priority. They spent time with God. They spent time with God’s people. They kept and protected the Sabbath and they valued relationship. What they valued and prioritised is encapsulated in one single verse, Exodus 12:14.
Our problem today is not being overly busy. Our problem is not the great amount of stress in our lives. Our problem is not that we have so much to do in so little time. Our problem is that we fail to prioritise. We fail to put God as our number one priority. We fail to appoint time in our diaries with God. We fail to protect the idea of the Sabbath and we plan more and more and more into our week with out concern for God, for His Word and for relationship.
Perhaps if we put God first and refused to compromise on our time with Him then everything else would fall into place.
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on your busy lifestyle and ask God for wisdom, insight and the courage to make changes.
How will you be praying today???
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would be showing you and 20 other people in your congregation (pray for them by name) the beauty of resting in God and the necessity of prioritising time with Him.
¨ Pray for Shiloh Church ministries that God would be raising up workers and resources for them to continue feeding and caring for orphans, caring for widows, training up and skilling widows in sewing, supporting people with rick-shaws and so on.
Thursday 27 September 2012
Thursday September 27, 2012
Do you understand the relationship between faith and works? See if you can write it out clearly and then seek to share it with someone who doesn't know.
Read Exodus 12:12-13
On the night of the original Pass Over the Israelites were to take the lamb that had been slaughtered and they were to put blood from the lamb on their door posts - both the sides and the tops. That very night God would come to Egypt and bring great judgement upon the people. The first born of every household would be struck down. But for every house with the blood of the lamb painted on the door frames, there would be a Passing Over of judgement, hence the name Pass Over.
Several things were happening here. Firstly, there was a real substitution happening. God would Pass Over each house with lamb’s blood on the door frames because the lamb was accepted as a substitute in place of the first born in that house. Secondly, faith was a necessary part of the entire operation. The household trusted that God would Pass Over their house and not bring judgement because the acceptable sacrifice had been slain on their behalf. Thirdly, God was dealing with entire households, not just individuals. The family slaughtered the lamb and painted their door frames together, Each individuals did not have to paint a door frame. Fourthly, faith for Israel was active, not dead. Simply giving mental assent to the truth that God would Pass Over the homes that killed the Paschal Lamb was not enough. One had to have true faith that resulted in fruit - the lamb had to be killed and the blood had to be painted on the door frames.
Now slap yourself in the forehead if you can’t see here a direct relationship to our own salvation through Christ Jesus. Just like the lamb, Jesus (who is called our Pass Over Lamb) is accepted as a suitable substitute in our place. And don’t we need faith? Didn’t the Israelites need faith? Doesn’t James 2 talk about real faith as opposed to dead faith being a faith that produces work? Real faith results in fruit, action and a new lifestyle. And if you read Acts 16 you’ll see that God still deals with entire households.
Far too many believe the ridiculous lie that Israel was saved by works but we are saved by grace. How absurd! Does the Bible say for nothing that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”? Think about it! Israel was enslaved by Pharaoh and cried out to God for salvation. God didn’t give them the Torah (Law) and say ‘Keep this and you will be free.” God graciously saved them from slavery and then gave them the Law as guide on how to live as God’s people. You and I are in the same boat aren’t we? God saves us from slavery to sin and then shows us how to live as His people. How blessed we are?
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on your salvation.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Spend time praying for the salvation of 3 other people you know. Ask God to grant them repentance and faith.
¨ Ask God to grow the ministry and outreach of Student life in Australia and Uni Impact in NZ. Pray that both of these groups will be able to make many disciples, winning many over to the Lord.
Read Exodus 12:12-13
On the night of the original Pass Over the Israelites were to take the lamb that had been slaughtered and they were to put blood from the lamb on their door posts - both the sides and the tops. That very night God would come to Egypt and bring great judgement upon the people. The first born of every household would be struck down. But for every house with the blood of the lamb painted on the door frames, there would be a Passing Over of judgement, hence the name Pass Over.
Several things were happening here. Firstly, there was a real substitution happening. God would Pass Over each house with lamb’s blood on the door frames because the lamb was accepted as a substitute in place of the first born in that house. Secondly, faith was a necessary part of the entire operation. The household trusted that God would Pass Over their house and not bring judgement because the acceptable sacrifice had been slain on their behalf. Thirdly, God was dealing with entire households, not just individuals. The family slaughtered the lamb and painted their door frames together, Each individuals did not have to paint a door frame. Fourthly, faith for Israel was active, not dead. Simply giving mental assent to the truth that God would Pass Over the homes that killed the Paschal Lamb was not enough. One had to have true faith that resulted in fruit - the lamb had to be killed and the blood had to be painted on the door frames.
Now slap yourself in the forehead if you can’t see here a direct relationship to our own salvation through Christ Jesus. Just like the lamb, Jesus (who is called our Pass Over Lamb) is accepted as a suitable substitute in our place. And don’t we need faith? Didn’t the Israelites need faith? Doesn’t James 2 talk about real faith as opposed to dead faith being a faith that produces work? Real faith results in fruit, action and a new lifestyle. And if you read Acts 16 you’ll see that God still deals with entire households.
Far too many believe the ridiculous lie that Israel was saved by works but we are saved by grace. How absurd! Does the Bible say for nothing that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”? Think about it! Israel was enslaved by Pharaoh and cried out to God for salvation. God didn’t give them the Torah (Law) and say ‘Keep this and you will be free.” God graciously saved them from slavery and then gave them the Law as guide on how to live as God’s people. You and I are in the same boat aren’t we? God saves us from slavery to sin and then shows us how to live as His people. How blessed we are?
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on your salvation.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Spend time praying for the salvation of 3 other people you know. Ask God to grant them repentance and faith.
¨ Ask God to grow the ministry and outreach of Student life in Australia and Uni Impact in NZ. Pray that both of these groups will be able to make many disciples, winning many over to the Lord.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Wednesday September 26, 2012
List 50 things that you are thankful to God for. Now praise the Lord for each one.
Read Exodus 12:7-11
There’s something special about a roast meal together with family. Each and every year when Israel celebrated her New Year she was to eat roast lamb in a very special way. The meal was symbolic of all that the Lord had done for them. Families were to celebrate together, in gratitude for the Lord’s Salvation.
The meat was to be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and yeast-free bread. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of slavery. The unleavened bread reminded them that on that first Pass Over night the Israelites did not have time to let the bread dough rise before baking it. God acted speedily that night. Added to this, they were to eat the meal dressed and ready to head out for the night. Their cloaks were to be tucked into their belts and their sandals were to be tied and ready. Their staff was to be at the ready. They were to be ready to run out of the door. It
was a special meal for generations to come that pictured in graphic detail what God had done for them that very first Pass Over night.
Have you ever wondered why we eat the Lord’s Supper together in churches? Like the Passover meal, it would be very easy to allow this meal to become a ritual that we just sit through and endure. But like the Pass Over, the Lord’s Supper meal reminds us of something. When Jesus took the bread and broke it, he said, ‘This is my body, do this in remembrance of me’. When you eat the Lord’s Supper you are remembering that Jesus died on the cross wearing the wrath of God that you deserved. You are effectively praising Him and thanking Him for that sacrifice. The way you approach that supper is really between you and God. You can sit idly by and roll your eyes and grimace about everything. You can be uninvolved or disengaged. Or you can engage with God and pour out your heartfelt thanks to Him. You can reflect deeply on what Jesus did for you personally on that night. You can allow the broken bread to draw you closer to God through Christ. It’s really the same with every blessing the Lord gives us isn’t it? We can open our arms wide and be blessed or we can stand by hard hearted and remain at arm’s length. Choose today how you will approach God and His blessings.
Prayer:
Think about Jesus’ last week on this planet, up to and including his death and resurrection. How does that lead you to adoration, confession and thanks? Jot down some thoughts and get praying.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Spend time praying for the salvation of 3 other people you know. Ask God to grant them repentance and faith.
¨ Spend time praying for an open heart and caring heart towards the poor and needy in your town. Pray that this attitude would be granted to others in your church as well.
Read Exodus 12:7-11
There’s something special about a roast meal together with family. Each and every year when Israel celebrated her New Year she was to eat roast lamb in a very special way. The meal was symbolic of all that the Lord had done for them. Families were to celebrate together, in gratitude for the Lord’s Salvation.
The meat was to be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and yeast-free bread. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of slavery. The unleavened bread reminded them that on that first Pass Over night the Israelites did not have time to let the bread dough rise before baking it. God acted speedily that night. Added to this, they were to eat the meal dressed and ready to head out for the night. Their cloaks were to be tucked into their belts and their sandals were to be tied and ready. Their staff was to be at the ready. They were to be ready to run out of the door. It
was a special meal for generations to come that pictured in graphic detail what God had done for them that very first Pass Over night.
Have you ever wondered why we eat the Lord’s Supper together in churches? Like the Passover meal, it would be very easy to allow this meal to become a ritual that we just sit through and endure. But like the Pass Over, the Lord’s Supper meal reminds us of something. When Jesus took the bread and broke it, he said, ‘This is my body, do this in remembrance of me’. When you eat the Lord’s Supper you are remembering that Jesus died on the cross wearing the wrath of God that you deserved. You are effectively praising Him and thanking Him for that sacrifice. The way you approach that supper is really between you and God. You can sit idly by and roll your eyes and grimace about everything. You can be uninvolved or disengaged. Or you can engage with God and pour out your heartfelt thanks to Him. You can reflect deeply on what Jesus did for you personally on that night. You can allow the broken bread to draw you closer to God through Christ. It’s really the same with every blessing the Lord gives us isn’t it? We can open our arms wide and be blessed or we can stand by hard hearted and remain at arm’s length. Choose today how you will approach God and His blessings.
Prayer:
Think about Jesus’ last week on this planet, up to and including his death and resurrection. How does that lead you to adoration, confession and thanks? Jot down some thoughts and get praying.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Spend time praying for the salvation of 3 other people you know. Ask God to grant them repentance and faith.
¨ Spend time praying for an open heart and caring heart towards the poor and needy in your town. Pray that this attitude would be granted to others in your church as well.
Tuesday 25 September 2012
Tuesday September 25, 2012
Do you have a recurring sin in your life?
Ring a mature Christian today and talk about it over coffee.
Read Exodus 12:3-6
My children get upset every time I suggest we have chicken for dinner - not just any chicken but one of the four fat hens out back that give us eggs each day. It’s not that they like eggs. I‘m the only egg eater in this household. They simply don’t want to eat their pets. I totally understand - but I still have fun teasing them.
The Paschal Lamb that was chosen and offered as a sacrifice to God was to function in the same way. That lamb was to be a part of the family from the 10th day of the month until the 14th day. The family was to feed it, care for it and tend to it in a special way. It was not to be among the other sheep, aimlessly wandering around the paddock.
The Paschal Lamb allowed each family to realise that there was a real cost to their redemption. It took the death of the beloved lamb to be freed. I wonder if you and I have come to that same point with our own redemption from sin. Do we realise the real cost for Jesus to redeem us from evil and sin? Can we genuinely weep knowing that it was our sin that drove the one we love, Jesus, to the cross to die in our place. Does our heart ache as we contemplate the price Jesus paid for us to be set free from the power of sin?
It’s only when we can truly experience the pain of knowing that Jesus, the one we love, has paid the price in full that we will willingly and joyously lay down the sin in our lives. When we internalise that truth and receive it by faith and love then and only then will our passions and longings strive for holiness and push sin and sinful desires away.
If you have recurring sin in your life (which most of us do) the answer is not in trying harder. Neither is it in giving up and simply accepting that sin as normal and unescapable. We need to spend time in the Word, meditating deeply and constantly on the price that Jesus paid for us. We need to feel the pain of Jesus’ suffering and His immense love for us deep in our bowels so that this love washes over us and changes us from the inside out. We need to open ourselves to Christ and let Him bring the deep motivation to change.
Are you open to Christ? Do you experience His love daily? Do you sit in His presence regularly and thank Him deeply for that love?
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on what God has done for you through Christ Jesus at Calvary.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for those churches in your area in which the Gospel seems to take a low priority. Ask God to motivate them to put the Word of God and the gospel as the number one priority. Pray that we would see more and more congregations getting excited about the gospel and going to great lengths to get it out into the local community, the nation and the world.
¨ Pray that our cell leaders would be equipped to lead, to teach and to pastorally care for the people in their cell. Pray that more people in the congregation would enter in a cell group.
Ring a mature Christian today and talk about it over coffee.
Read Exodus 12:3-6
My children get upset every time I suggest we have chicken for dinner - not just any chicken but one of the four fat hens out back that give us eggs each day. It’s not that they like eggs. I‘m the only egg eater in this household. They simply don’t want to eat their pets. I totally understand - but I still have fun teasing them.
The Paschal Lamb that was chosen and offered as a sacrifice to God was to function in the same way. That lamb was to be a part of the family from the 10th day of the month until the 14th day. The family was to feed it, care for it and tend to it in a special way. It was not to be among the other sheep, aimlessly wandering around the paddock.
The Paschal Lamb allowed each family to realise that there was a real cost to their redemption. It took the death of the beloved lamb to be freed. I wonder if you and I have come to that same point with our own redemption from sin. Do we realise the real cost for Jesus to redeem us from evil and sin? Can we genuinely weep knowing that it was our sin that drove the one we love, Jesus, to the cross to die in our place. Does our heart ache as we contemplate the price Jesus paid for us to be set free from the power of sin?
It’s only when we can truly experience the pain of knowing that Jesus, the one we love, has paid the price in full that we will willingly and joyously lay down the sin in our lives. When we internalise that truth and receive it by faith and love then and only then will our passions and longings strive for holiness and push sin and sinful desires away.
If you have recurring sin in your life (which most of us do) the answer is not in trying harder. Neither is it in giving up and simply accepting that sin as normal and unescapable. We need to spend time in the Word, meditating deeply and constantly on the price that Jesus paid for us. We need to feel the pain of Jesus’ suffering and His immense love for us deep in our bowels so that this love washes over us and changes us from the inside out. We need to open ourselves to Christ and let Him bring the deep motivation to change.
Are you open to Christ? Do you experience His love daily? Do you sit in His presence regularly and thank Him deeply for that love?
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on what God has done for you through Christ Jesus at Calvary.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for those churches in your area in which the Gospel seems to take a low priority. Ask God to motivate them to put the Word of God and the gospel as the number one priority. Pray that we would see more and more congregations getting excited about the gospel and going to great lengths to get it out into the local community, the nation and the world.
¨ Pray that our cell leaders would be equipped to lead, to teach and to pastorally care for the people in their cell. Pray that more people in the congregation would enter in a cell group.
Monday 24 September 2012
Monday September 24, 2012
What are your plans for New Year’s Eve this year?
Plan something more godly than drunken revelry.
Read Exodus 12:1-2
Aussies love to party. Any excuse is a good excuse to party. And perhaps the biggest partying is reserved for New Year’s Eve, especially the ones with special meaning like the bicentennial New Year. Several hundred thousand people gathered around Sydney Harbour that year to celebrate and to watch the fire works and to party, drink and celebrate.
Though God hates drunkenness and alcohol fuelled violence, He called His people to celebrate, especially every new year. Israel was called to rejoice and celebrate each and every single year in remembrance of what God had done. Over 400 years ago God made a promise to Abram (later called Abraham) and entered into a covenant with Him. A covenant is a special relational bond that is sealed in blood and with certain legal and life threatening conditions for its breach. Over the next 400 years Abraham’s descendants ended up in Egypt (that’s the story of Genesis 12-50). They increased in number and eventually became slaves of Pharaoh. For centuries they cried out to God and now He heard them. As you read Exodus 1-11 you see how God powerfully and miraculously defeated Pharaoh, Ra on Earth, and brought Israel out of Egypt. God knocked Pharaoh to the canvas in a 10 round fight.
Each year Israel was to celebrate her freedom, her formation as a nation and pay homage to the God who had freed them and formed them.
We still have a party hard mentality in Australia and in some ways Christians are no different. But wouldn’t it be great if Christians used times like the New Year to remember what God has done in their lives, to pay homage to Him and to give Him the glory. Rather than waking up with a hangover, a headache and blurred vision, we might wake up with a smile, with driving passion and irremovable joy in our hearts. Hmm, is it worth trading in in partying for remembering God? You try it and you decide!
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on what God has done in you through Christ Jesus.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Ask the Lord to bring great blessing to the Reformed Bible College in Myanmar. Pray that they would have the resources needed to continue teaching students and equipping them to minister the gospel. Pray that we would continue to hear of God’s good work and grace poured out to many.
¨ Pray that Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar would also be equipped and stocked with enough resources to continue helping, supporting and training up orphans, widows and disabled people in their distress. Pray that God would be glorified through their ministry.
Plan something more godly than drunken revelry.
Read Exodus 12:1-2
Aussies love to party. Any excuse is a good excuse to party. And perhaps the biggest partying is reserved for New Year’s Eve, especially the ones with special meaning like the bicentennial New Year. Several hundred thousand people gathered around Sydney Harbour that year to celebrate and to watch the fire works and to party, drink and celebrate.
Though God hates drunkenness and alcohol fuelled violence, He called His people to celebrate, especially every new year. Israel was called to rejoice and celebrate each and every single year in remembrance of what God had done. Over 400 years ago God made a promise to Abram (later called Abraham) and entered into a covenant with Him. A covenant is a special relational bond that is sealed in blood and with certain legal and life threatening conditions for its breach. Over the next 400 years Abraham’s descendants ended up in Egypt (that’s the story of Genesis 12-50). They increased in number and eventually became slaves of Pharaoh. For centuries they cried out to God and now He heard them. As you read Exodus 1-11 you see how God powerfully and miraculously defeated Pharaoh, Ra on Earth, and brought Israel out of Egypt. God knocked Pharaoh to the canvas in a 10 round fight.
Each year Israel was to celebrate her freedom, her formation as a nation and pay homage to the God who had freed them and formed them.
We still have a party hard mentality in Australia and in some ways Christians are no different. But wouldn’t it be great if Christians used times like the New Year to remember what God has done in their lives, to pay homage to Him and to give Him the glory. Rather than waking up with a hangover, a headache and blurred vision, we might wake up with a smile, with driving passion and irremovable joy in our hearts. Hmm, is it worth trading in in partying for remembering God? You try it and you decide!
Prayer:
As you engage in adoration, confession and thanksgiving focus on what God has done in you through Christ Jesus.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Ask the Lord to bring great blessing to the Reformed Bible College in Myanmar. Pray that they would have the resources needed to continue teaching students and equipping them to minister the gospel. Pray that we would continue to hear of God’s good work and grace poured out to many.
¨ Pray that Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar would also be equipped and stocked with enough resources to continue helping, supporting and training up orphans, widows and disabled people in their distress. Pray that God would be glorified through their ministry.
Saturday 22 September 2012
Saturday September 22, 2012
How can you change from wishing to hoping as a biblical concept?
Read Exodus 31:12-18, Matt 11:28-30
What do you hope for? What do you hope in? We tend to use the word “hope” as a synonym for “wish”. We teach our children to wish upon a star or to blow a flower and to make a wish or to blow out the candles on the cake and make a wish. We say that we wish/hope that things work out, hoping and wishing that we might gain some fortuitous stroke of luck or we hope/wish to win lotto, knowing it probably won’t happen.
The Sabbath rest functions as a source of hope. It serves as an eternal sign showing us or pointing us to the ideal which is just ahead. The ideal rest (pictured by God in the unadulterated Garden of Eden) is the goal of God’s creation. All creation is headed towards that rest. Some will enter it and, unfortunately some won’t!
Our Sabbath rest is a foretaste of that rest. If we enjoy God’s Sabbath and rest in Him weekly we will be more apt to know the hope to which we are called. If we give God one hour a week and are distracted and concerned by other things throughout that hour then our hope will be whimsical and we’ll have nothing to hold onto. Without the hope of God to hold onto, everything else becomes more attractive. Of course I’ll play Lotto each week if I have no hope in God. Of course I’ll drown my anxieties in alcohol or perverted sexuality if I’ve never tasted or experienced the hope of God on a regular basis.
Jesus, the Messiah is the fulfilment of the Sabbath rest. All who are weary can come to him for rest, for shalom. Are you weary from the world? Are you weary from fighting the world? Are you tired and worn out from carrying financial burdens, responsibilities and heartache? Come to Christ and find rest for your soul. Come to Christ and exchange your burden for his light and easy yoke. Come to Him and taste his eternal rest.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Are you carrying some burden? Tell God about it. Pour your heart out to Him and let Him know about it. Spend time telling God about your burden and take His yoke in exchange. Cry out to Him. He will never turn you away!
¨ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Mexico who carry a daily burden. In a country run by drug cartels and drug lords believers live a tenuous life. Pray that God would take their burdens and carry them, as on wings like eagles. Pray that they would soar and be able to rise up sin, temptation and the evil and wickedness around them. Ask God to powerfully use their testimony to bring many to Christ.
Read Exodus 31:12-18, Matt 11:28-30
What do you hope for? What do you hope in? We tend to use the word “hope” as a synonym for “wish”. We teach our children to wish upon a star or to blow a flower and to make a wish or to blow out the candles on the cake and make a wish. We say that we wish/hope that things work out, hoping and wishing that we might gain some fortuitous stroke of luck or we hope/wish to win lotto, knowing it probably won’t happen.
The Sabbath rest functions as a source of hope. It serves as an eternal sign showing us or pointing us to the ideal which is just ahead. The ideal rest (pictured by God in the unadulterated Garden of Eden) is the goal of God’s creation. All creation is headed towards that rest. Some will enter it and, unfortunately some won’t!
Our Sabbath rest is a foretaste of that rest. If we enjoy God’s Sabbath and rest in Him weekly we will be more apt to know the hope to which we are called. If we give God one hour a week and are distracted and concerned by other things throughout that hour then our hope will be whimsical and we’ll have nothing to hold onto. Without the hope of God to hold onto, everything else becomes more attractive. Of course I’ll play Lotto each week if I have no hope in God. Of course I’ll drown my anxieties in alcohol or perverted sexuality if I’ve never tasted or experienced the hope of God on a regular basis.
Jesus, the Messiah is the fulfilment of the Sabbath rest. All who are weary can come to him for rest, for shalom. Are you weary from the world? Are you weary from fighting the world? Are you tired and worn out from carrying financial burdens, responsibilities and heartache? Come to Christ and find rest for your soul. Come to Christ and exchange your burden for his light and easy yoke. Come to Him and taste his eternal rest.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Are you carrying some burden? Tell God about it. Pour your heart out to Him and let Him know about it. Spend time telling God about your burden and take His yoke in exchange. Cry out to Him. He will never turn you away!
¨ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Mexico who carry a daily burden. In a country run by drug cartels and drug lords believers live a tenuous life. Pray that God would take their burdens and carry them, as on wings like eagles. Pray that they would soar and be able to rise up sin, temptation and the evil and wickedness around them. Ask God to powerfully use their testimony to bring many to Christ.
Friday 21 September 2012
Friday September 21, 2012
What are the things you are or have been making excuses for?
Confess them and stop using excuses.
Read Mark 2:23-28
We live in a world of excuse making. Ever since Adam and Eve started blame shifting, we’ve been playing along. If we are late to work, we blame the traffic or the buses or whatever. It’s never my fault. If my assignment isn’t done on time it’s not my fault. Something went wrong. If I miss a shot on the tennis court, my racquet wasn’t working properly. Excuses. We love excuses. Our brains are hard wired to make excuses.
Unfortunately many people have used today’s verse as an excuse to do as they please on the Lord’s Day. They can work or garden or go shopping or just remain super busy or even go fishing or white water rafting (non of these things are wrong in and of themselves) because the Sabbath was made for ME and not ME for the Sabbath. It really is a convenient excuse that allows me to replace myself where I truly belong - at the centre of my universe!!!
But I hope that you can see, having looked at the issue of Sabbath all week, that the Sabbath was created for us to bless us and to draw us nearer to our heavenly Daddy. The Sabbath rest is a heavenly blessing for us to keep our hearts and minds and bodies on the right track. It was never given to us as another day to work on, to do school assignments on or to just laze around being bored.
We were not made for the Sabbath in that it was never designed to be filled with laws and regulations about what constitutes worship or what constitutes work and so on. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees had a list of rules and regulations about the Sabbath that functioned as a fence around the Torah so that one of them might not even unconsciously break the Law. Over time these laws (which may have started with the greatest of intentions) became a burden and source of legalistic fervour.
True Sabbath is about relationship. It’s about being with God and with God’s people, our brothers and sisters. True Sabbath is about love in action. It’s about meeting and edifying and being with each other.
In our world we talk about working 24/7, studying 24/7, being hassled 24/7 and so on. But God doesn’t like 24/7. God’s plan is 24/6. We work, we study, we get hassled, we fuss and bother for 6 days not 7. The seventh day is holy to God. It’s different and because of this we are to be different!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would be moving within His Churches and bringing great blessing to His people so that there is a growing desire to know God better. Pray that this leads people in the church to be astir and that more people come in seeking to find what all the fuss is about. Pray that we would see a revival in this great Southern Land.
Pray that each Christian in your local church would be serious about his or her faith and that he or she would make a regular, weekly appointment with God that transcends all other appointments. Pray that this would so bless each person that others strain to come in to receive this blessing and find Christ Jesus.
Confess them and stop using excuses.
Read Mark 2:23-28
We live in a world of excuse making. Ever since Adam and Eve started blame shifting, we’ve been playing along. If we are late to work, we blame the traffic or the buses or whatever. It’s never my fault. If my assignment isn’t done on time it’s not my fault. Something went wrong. If I miss a shot on the tennis court, my racquet wasn’t working properly. Excuses. We love excuses. Our brains are hard wired to make excuses.
Unfortunately many people have used today’s verse as an excuse to do as they please on the Lord’s Day. They can work or garden or go shopping or just remain super busy or even go fishing or white water rafting (non of these things are wrong in and of themselves) because the Sabbath was made for ME and not ME for the Sabbath. It really is a convenient excuse that allows me to replace myself where I truly belong - at the centre of my universe!!!
But I hope that you can see, having looked at the issue of Sabbath all week, that the Sabbath was created for us to bless us and to draw us nearer to our heavenly Daddy. The Sabbath rest is a heavenly blessing for us to keep our hearts and minds and bodies on the right track. It was never given to us as another day to work on, to do school assignments on or to just laze around being bored.
We were not made for the Sabbath in that it was never designed to be filled with laws and regulations about what constitutes worship or what constitutes work and so on. In Jesus’ day the Pharisees had a list of rules and regulations about the Sabbath that functioned as a fence around the Torah so that one of them might not even unconsciously break the Law. Over time these laws (which may have started with the greatest of intentions) became a burden and source of legalistic fervour.
True Sabbath is about relationship. It’s about being with God and with God’s people, our brothers and sisters. True Sabbath is about love in action. It’s about meeting and edifying and being with each other.
In our world we talk about working 24/7, studying 24/7, being hassled 24/7 and so on. But God doesn’t like 24/7. God’s plan is 24/6. We work, we study, we get hassled, we fuss and bother for 6 days not 7. The seventh day is holy to God. It’s different and because of this we are to be different!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would be moving within His Churches and bringing great blessing to His people so that there is a growing desire to know God better. Pray that this leads people in the church to be astir and that more people come in seeking to find what all the fuss is about. Pray that we would see a revival in this great Southern Land.
Pray that each Christian in your local church would be serious about his or her faith and that he or she would make a regular, weekly appointment with God that transcends all other appointments. Pray that this would so bless each person that others strain to come in to receive this blessing and find Christ Jesus.
Thursday 20 September 2012
Thursday September 20, 2012
Think through this one. What does it mean for you personally that you are redeemed? Have coffee with another believer and ask them too.
Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Yesterday we read the 10 Commandments in the Book of Exodus. Today we read them in the Book of Deuteronomy. Why? So that you can compare the two and find the main difference! Feel like the little fellow in our photograph? Hint hint! We are studying the Sabbath. That should let you work it out.
Many commentators have no idea why the reason for the Sabbath changes between Exodus and Deuteronomy from a creation ordinance to a salvation ordinance. The reason is simple but then again so is nuclear physics when someone explains it to you.
When God created the world and placed mankind as His vice-regent over creation He wanted to have regular appointments to grow closer together and to make sure that the global company never became the main objective Relating to God and loving God was always to be the main motto, the chief item on the agenda. The regular weekly appointment was intended to help that blossom.
After the vice regents tried to take over the CEO’s job by utter and pointed disobedience , God still wanted to meet regularly with mankind. But because of sin, such a meeting was deadly dangerous. Sin proved to be lethal for humanity and had to be dealt with before such meetings could happen. Otherwise it could be like trying to kiss an active nuclear bomb.
After God’s work at creation, God rested. But this rest was quickly interrupted by the need for the work of redemption. Through redemption God makes it possible for you and I to meet with Him, to come into His presence and to enjoy His blessed salvation for all eternity. God makes it possible for us to stand in His presence with our sin and rebellion completely and utterly dealt with.
Even more so, God allows us to call Him, the holy and majestic creator God, “Father”, “Abba” or even “Daddy”! And here’s the incredible bit. God loves you so much, so intensely that He gave Jesus, His only Son, as a sacrifice to pay the debt that you owed to God. God did that willingly. Imagine if the little fellow in our photograph was your son. Would you give him up as a payment to free your enemies? Of course you wouldn’t. I wouldn't! But God would and did. Jesus came into our world and lived as a man for our sakes. He lived the perfect life and even so, died on the cross for our sins. He died as a ransom to set us free form the power of sin so that we can stand in the presence of our heavenly Daddy.
That’s the kind of love God wants to share with you each and every Sonday. Of course He will share it with you every day but Sonday is a family day where all God’s children gather around Him and praise and thank Him for His love. Would you rather play sport or join in that kind of love? Would you rather spend time with friends telling rude and crude jokes or share in your Heavenly Dad’s love? Would you rather dig the garden or draw near to your Father and be blessed by Him? Would you rather finish your work or assignments or be blessed by His love? Tough choice, huh?
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks
Supplication:
¨ Pray for the believers in North Korea who have to hide their faith and can’t meet openly for church. Pray that God would raise up a government in that land that allows freedom to worship Christ. Pray that the brothers and sisters there would persevere and remain faithful.
¨ Pick one missionary that your church supports and spend time praying for that missionary.
Read Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Yesterday we read the 10 Commandments in the Book of Exodus. Today we read them in the Book of Deuteronomy. Why? So that you can compare the two and find the main difference! Feel like the little fellow in our photograph? Hint hint! We are studying the Sabbath. That should let you work it out.
Many commentators have no idea why the reason for the Sabbath changes between Exodus and Deuteronomy from a creation ordinance to a salvation ordinance. The reason is simple but then again so is nuclear physics when someone explains it to you.
When God created the world and placed mankind as His vice-regent over creation He wanted to have regular appointments to grow closer together and to make sure that the global company never became the main objective Relating to God and loving God was always to be the main motto, the chief item on the agenda. The regular weekly appointment was intended to help that blossom.
After the vice regents tried to take over the CEO’s job by utter and pointed disobedience , God still wanted to meet regularly with mankind. But because of sin, such a meeting was deadly dangerous. Sin proved to be lethal for humanity and had to be dealt with before such meetings could happen. Otherwise it could be like trying to kiss an active nuclear bomb.
After God’s work at creation, God rested. But this rest was quickly interrupted by the need for the work of redemption. Through redemption God makes it possible for you and I to meet with Him, to come into His presence and to enjoy His blessed salvation for all eternity. God makes it possible for us to stand in His presence with our sin and rebellion completely and utterly dealt with.
Even more so, God allows us to call Him, the holy and majestic creator God, “Father”, “Abba” or even “Daddy”! And here’s the incredible bit. God loves you so much, so intensely that He gave Jesus, His only Son, as a sacrifice to pay the debt that you owed to God. God did that willingly. Imagine if the little fellow in our photograph was your son. Would you give him up as a payment to free your enemies? Of course you wouldn’t. I wouldn't! But God would and did. Jesus came into our world and lived as a man for our sakes. He lived the perfect life and even so, died on the cross for our sins. He died as a ransom to set us free form the power of sin so that we can stand in the presence of our heavenly Daddy.
That’s the kind of love God wants to share with you each and every Sonday. Of course He will share it with you every day but Sonday is a family day where all God’s children gather around Him and praise and thank Him for His love. Would you rather play sport or join in that kind of love? Would you rather spend time with friends telling rude and crude jokes or share in your Heavenly Dad’s love? Would you rather dig the garden or draw near to your Father and be blessed by Him? Would you rather finish your work or assignments or be blessed by His love? Tough choice, huh?
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks
Supplication:
¨ Pray for the believers in North Korea who have to hide their faith and can’t meet openly for church. Pray that God would raise up a government in that land that allows freedom to worship Christ. Pray that the brothers and sisters there would persevere and remain faithful.
¨ Pick one missionary that your church supports and spend time praying for that missionary.
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Wednesday September 19, 2012
What factors stop you from wanting to be at church each week. Write them down and pray about them.
Read Exodus 20:1-17. 1 Peter 2:16
Whenever we talk of Sabbath observance and the Ten Commandments we automatically think of people being legalistic. Our hearts seem to be inextricably drawn to our Lord’s words about being free in Christ. We seem to cling desperately to the idea that our freedom in Christ means that we can do all the “undone” things of the week on the Lord’s Day. Whether it’s the shopping or assignments or work or gardening or recovering from our Saturday night binge we are comfortable and happy to allow the Lord’s Day to be our 8th day of the week. We seem to cling to the notion we are the Lord of the Sabbath and have a free reign on the Lord’s Day. Heaven help anyone who tells us differently. But truly, our freedom is given to us to serve God and to serve others in Christ Jesus. What a better way to do that than being at church and worshipping God together.
To help you understand, picture God’s original intent with Adam in Garden. We know that Adam and God walked together in the cool of the evening. How awesome! Adam walked with God and spent time in the presence of His Majesty. Imagine spending time with God and being intimately close to Him. That’s what church is! It’s not religion or a going through a set of motions. Church is about meeting with the living God and being intimately close to Him!
When God gives us His commands, like make an appointment to meet with Me each and every Sabbath, then it behoves us to obey. God wants to bless us and draw near to us. God wants to lavish us with his love. I mean, think about it seriously. Would you rather fight the hordes at the shops, slave at work to earn a few measly extra dollars, sit with the in-laws and make small talk or stand in the presence of His Majesty, worshipping with your heart and soul and mind and strength? It really is a no-brainer.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that those who are regularly “working” or busy on the Lord’s day would find a Sabbath rest during the week. Pray a special blessing upon these people so that they continue to see their work as a joy and not a burden.
¨ Pray that those who teach us (right from Kings Kids to the sermon each week) would be well fed by God and close to Him. Pray that all of our teaching flows out of love for God and not from a bitter or legalistic heart.
Read Exodus 20:1-17. 1 Peter 2:16
Whenever we talk of Sabbath observance and the Ten Commandments we automatically think of people being legalistic. Our hearts seem to be inextricably drawn to our Lord’s words about being free in Christ. We seem to cling desperately to the idea that our freedom in Christ means that we can do all the “undone” things of the week on the Lord’s Day. Whether it’s the shopping or assignments or work or gardening or recovering from our Saturday night binge we are comfortable and happy to allow the Lord’s Day to be our 8th day of the week. We seem to cling to the notion we are the Lord of the Sabbath and have a free reign on the Lord’s Day. Heaven help anyone who tells us differently. But truly, our freedom is given to us to serve God and to serve others in Christ Jesus. What a better way to do that than being at church and worshipping God together.
To help you understand, picture God’s original intent with Adam in Garden. We know that Adam and God walked together in the cool of the evening. How awesome! Adam walked with God and spent time in the presence of His Majesty. Imagine spending time with God and being intimately close to Him. That’s what church is! It’s not religion or a going through a set of motions. Church is about meeting with the living God and being intimately close to Him!
When God gives us His commands, like make an appointment to meet with Me each and every Sabbath, then it behoves us to obey. God wants to bless us and draw near to us. God wants to lavish us with his love. I mean, think about it seriously. Would you rather fight the hordes at the shops, slave at work to earn a few measly extra dollars, sit with the in-laws and make small talk or stand in the presence of His Majesty, worshipping with your heart and soul and mind and strength? It really is a no-brainer.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that those who are regularly “working” or busy on the Lord’s day would find a Sabbath rest during the week. Pray a special blessing upon these people so that they continue to see their work as a joy and not a burden.
¨ Pray that those who teach us (right from Kings Kids to the sermon each week) would be well fed by God and close to Him. Pray that all of our teaching flows out of love for God and not from a bitter or legalistic heart.
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Tuesday September 18, 2012
Think ahead to next Sonday. What can you cut out of your day so that you enjoy a rest with your fellow Christians.
Read Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
There’s something special about a baby resting and sleeping isn’t there? It’s so tranquil and soothing to see a baby happily and peacefully asleep. But what has that to do with creation? Read Genesis 2:1-3 again and you’ll see.
When God created the world He always intended for mankind to enter into His rest. The plan was always for man and God to spend eternity together in a relationship and an environment more peaceful, more soothing, more pleasing that a sleeping baby.
But today, a Sabbath day’s rest is anything but peaceful for most of us. By the time we’ve rushed off to church, raced to lunch, had afternoon tea with friends and finished off everything we didn’t do throughout the week and possibly raced back to night church we are anything but rested. For the last several months I have been at church far too many times (the building that is,) at services and meetings and so on for over 10 hours each Sonday. Rest really hasn’t entered the equation. Even worse, we often make appointments with non-church family, sports teams, work and so on the Sabbath and deprive ourselves of rest. When we are challenged because of our actions we glibly quote Jesus’ Words about mankind not being made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man or we accuse those who challenge us with counter accusations of legalism.
But God’s Sabbath (let’s leave aside the argument about Sabbath vs Lord’s Day) was designed to bless us and restore us and renew us. That doesn’t mean we absent ourselves from doing anything and laze around like a sloth. It means we change the way we do things. It means we choose to make an appointment with God and spend the day worshipping and praising our Creator. It means we deliberately choose to say ‘No’ to external things and to say ‘Yes’ to the things of God.
The Sabbath was created to bless you not for you to do as you please and to run yourself even more ragged. If God blesses you why on earth would you go to great lengths to negate that blessing? Get to it. Make plans to be blessed by the Lord’s Sabbath.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ So many people in your congregation are tired. Pray that God would bring the blessing of rest to them through a regular weekly Sabbath. Pray that it will be a blessing rather than a burden to all.
¨ Pray that our brothers and sisters in China would be close to God and that they would have many opportunities to share their faith, to make disciples and to bring many into the kingdom. Pray that the house churches would be united in love and oneness. Pray that there would be cooperation and unity in their mission to reach all of China and to take the gospel further abroad.
Read Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
There’s something special about a baby resting and sleeping isn’t there? It’s so tranquil and soothing to see a baby happily and peacefully asleep. But what has that to do with creation? Read Genesis 2:1-3 again and you’ll see.
When God created the world He always intended for mankind to enter into His rest. The plan was always for man and God to spend eternity together in a relationship and an environment more peaceful, more soothing, more pleasing that a sleeping baby.
But today, a Sabbath day’s rest is anything but peaceful for most of us. By the time we’ve rushed off to church, raced to lunch, had afternoon tea with friends and finished off everything we didn’t do throughout the week and possibly raced back to night church we are anything but rested. For the last several months I have been at church far too many times (the building that is,) at services and meetings and so on for over 10 hours each Sonday. Rest really hasn’t entered the equation. Even worse, we often make appointments with non-church family, sports teams, work and so on the Sabbath and deprive ourselves of rest. When we are challenged because of our actions we glibly quote Jesus’ Words about mankind not being made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man or we accuse those who challenge us with counter accusations of legalism.
But God’s Sabbath (let’s leave aside the argument about Sabbath vs Lord’s Day) was designed to bless us and restore us and renew us. That doesn’t mean we absent ourselves from doing anything and laze around like a sloth. It means we change the way we do things. It means we choose to make an appointment with God and spend the day worshipping and praising our Creator. It means we deliberately choose to say ‘No’ to external things and to say ‘Yes’ to the things of God.
The Sabbath was created to bless you not for you to do as you please and to run yourself even more ragged. If God blesses you why on earth would you go to great lengths to negate that blessing? Get to it. Make plans to be blessed by the Lord’s Sabbath.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration and confession and thanks. See if you can focus your time on the concept of Sabbath.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ So many people in your congregation are tired. Pray that God would bring the blessing of rest to them through a regular weekly Sabbath. Pray that it will be a blessing rather than a burden to all.
¨ Pray that our brothers and sisters in China would be close to God and that they would have many opportunities to share their faith, to make disciples and to bring many into the kingdom. Pray that the house churches would be united in love and oneness. Pray that there would be cooperation and unity in their mission to reach all of China and to take the gospel further abroad.
Monday 17 September 2012
Monday September 17, 2012
Grab your diary or calendar and mark out a regular time to meet with God.
Read Leviticus 23:1-3
We often don’t put God and the word ‘appointment’ together in our minds do we? We don’t often think of God and our time with Him as an appointment? Appointments rule our lives and we stress ourselves seeking to run from appointment to appointment before the day is through. Yet we fail to make time in our calendars to sit with God - much to our detriment, dare I say?
God describes the feasts of Israel as appointments with Himself. He sees them as appointments, why don’t we? We seem to shy away and baulk at having regular appointments with God. Yet, if we were to paraphrase verse 1 and 2 we might translate it as, ‘Hey Moses, tell my people that I yearn to meet with them regularly at appointed times for a sacred assembly’.
Meeting with God at a regular appointment time each day does several things and conveys several blessings to us.
¥ It keeps our entire life in perspective and helps us to see where all things (money, work, family, promotions, TV, emails, social media etc) really fit
¥ It allows me to talk with God about the issues in my life that are worrying me or causing angst. Peace pervades my life rater than worry, panic and chaos.
¥ I can sit and listen to God as He speaks to me through the Word and it gives me the best possible input into my life, my state of heart/mind and so on.
¥ It allows me to de-stress and to unwind in a way that no other activity does.
¥ It broadens my horizon from the things of this world towards eternity.
An appointment with God is not like going to the dentist or speaking to a used car salesman. It’s time in the presence of the living God, the creator of the universe, the one who loves me enough to give His one and only Son for my salvation. Spending time with the One who loves me that much - that’s a great idea. Will you spend time with God regularly this week???
Prayer:
Take some time to think about adoration, confession and thanks. Adoration is praising God for His character and nature and attributes. Confession is telling God about your sins and asking for forgiveness. Thanks is praising God for what he has done.
Write down your prayer points.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that the love of God would motivate you and people in your congregation to spend time in His presence. Ask God to stretch you and motivate you in regular prayer.
¨ Pray for the brothers and sisters in Iraq and Iran who are being persecuted and sanctioned for their faith in Christ Jesus. Pray that these believers would remain firm and faithful to the Lord through tough times. Pray that they would see many conversions through their testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read Leviticus 23:1-3
We often don’t put God and the word ‘appointment’ together in our minds do we? We don’t often think of God and our time with Him as an appointment? Appointments rule our lives and we stress ourselves seeking to run from appointment to appointment before the day is through. Yet we fail to make time in our calendars to sit with God - much to our detriment, dare I say?
God describes the feasts of Israel as appointments with Himself. He sees them as appointments, why don’t we? We seem to shy away and baulk at having regular appointments with God. Yet, if we were to paraphrase verse 1 and 2 we might translate it as, ‘Hey Moses, tell my people that I yearn to meet with them regularly at appointed times for a sacred assembly’.
Meeting with God at a regular appointment time each day does several things and conveys several blessings to us.
¥ It keeps our entire life in perspective and helps us to see where all things (money, work, family, promotions, TV, emails, social media etc) really fit
¥ It allows me to talk with God about the issues in my life that are worrying me or causing angst. Peace pervades my life rater than worry, panic and chaos.
¥ I can sit and listen to God as He speaks to me through the Word and it gives me the best possible input into my life, my state of heart/mind and so on.
¥ It allows me to de-stress and to unwind in a way that no other activity does.
¥ It broadens my horizon from the things of this world towards eternity.
An appointment with God is not like going to the dentist or speaking to a used car salesman. It’s time in the presence of the living God, the creator of the universe, the one who loves me enough to give His one and only Son for my salvation. Spending time with the One who loves me that much - that’s a great idea. Will you spend time with God regularly this week???
Prayer:
Take some time to think about adoration, confession and thanks. Adoration is praising God for His character and nature and attributes. Confession is telling God about your sins and asking for forgiveness. Thanks is praising God for what he has done.
Write down your prayer points.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that the love of God would motivate you and people in your congregation to spend time in His presence. Ask God to stretch you and motivate you in regular prayer.
¨ Pray for the brothers and sisters in Iraq and Iran who are being persecuted and sanctioned for their faith in Christ Jesus. Pray that these believers would remain firm and faithful to the Lord through tough times. Pray that they would see many conversions through their testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saturday 15 September 2012
Saturday 15 September, 2012
Make a time today to meet or call another believer to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other.
Equipping and Discipline
Read: Ephesians 4:11-16, Matthew 18:15-20
Have you ever had a really dirty pot or pan in the kitchen and had to scrub and scrub to clean it off? Or have you ever had really get a lot of elbow grease into something to really clean it up?
In the same way that it takes effort to clean up dirt and grime on pots and pans it takes effort, time and work by the Holy Spirit to scrub off the sinful habits on our lives and to make us more like Jesus. This process is called Sanctification and is the process by which God works in our lives to transform us to be more like Him.
The Church participates in this process of sanctification by equipping the church members for God’s service and in discipline where required in order to encourage and promote holiness.
In Ephesians we see how Jesus has equipped us with gifts to use for His service. Last week we looked in detail at the spiritual gifts. Look back over last weeks studies if you need to. How can you use your spiritual giftings to serve, build up and equip the church?
In Matthew Jesus explains the process by which church discipline should occur. In this age of anti-authoritarian thinking it is easy to dismiss the idea of church discipline as antiquated. However, discipline is a vital element in the life of the church and a very important way that the church participates in the work of sanctification.
Take special note of the steps that Jesus outlines for church discipline. Keep these in mind for the next time that you have a dispute with a fellow believer or believe that a fellow believer is caught in sin.
Take a moment to think about how the Holy Spirit is working in your life to make you more like Jesus. If you are struggling with a persistent sin at the moment find a time today to meet with another believer or call another believer to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
Pray for the elders and leaders of the church for situations in the future where they will be required to participate in church
¨ discipline. Pray that God would give them wisdom and that they would be able to encourage those involved to live lives of holiness.
¨ Pray for the Sonday services at church tomorrow. Pray that as we examine the aspects of church life together that we would be encouraged to live differently as the church and to reflect Christ in all we do.
Equipping and Discipline
Read: Ephesians 4:11-16, Matthew 18:15-20
Have you ever had a really dirty pot or pan in the kitchen and had to scrub and scrub to clean it off? Or have you ever had really get a lot of elbow grease into something to really clean it up?
In the same way that it takes effort to clean up dirt and grime on pots and pans it takes effort, time and work by the Holy Spirit to scrub off the sinful habits on our lives and to make us more like Jesus. This process is called Sanctification and is the process by which God works in our lives to transform us to be more like Him.
The Church participates in this process of sanctification by equipping the church members for God’s service and in discipline where required in order to encourage and promote holiness.
In Ephesians we see how Jesus has equipped us with gifts to use for His service. Last week we looked in detail at the spiritual gifts. Look back over last weeks studies if you need to. How can you use your spiritual giftings to serve, build up and equip the church?
In Matthew Jesus explains the process by which church discipline should occur. In this age of anti-authoritarian thinking it is easy to dismiss the idea of church discipline as antiquated. However, discipline is a vital element in the life of the church and a very important way that the church participates in the work of sanctification.
Take special note of the steps that Jesus outlines for church discipline. Keep these in mind for the next time that you have a dispute with a fellow believer or believe that a fellow believer is caught in sin.
Take a moment to think about how the Holy Spirit is working in your life to make you more like Jesus. If you are struggling with a persistent sin at the moment find a time today to meet with another believer or call another believer to confess your sins to each other and to pray for each other.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
Pray for the elders and leaders of the church for situations in the future where they will be required to participate in church
¨ discipline. Pray that God would give them wisdom and that they would be able to encourage those involved to live lives of holiness.
¨ Pray for the Sonday services at church tomorrow. Pray that as we examine the aspects of church life together that we would be encouraged to live differently as the church and to reflect Christ in all we do.
Friday 14 September 2012
Friday 14 September, 2012
Choose someone you know who is suffering and offer them some practical support today.
Suffering
Read: John 16:31-33, Romans 8:18-30
One doesn’t have to do much more than turn on the radio to hear messages from popular Christian leaders about how Christians should live lives of happiness, health and prosperity. Messages like “be all you can be” and have “your best life now” are certainly attractive to Christians who are struggling or finding life difficult. One doesn’t have to look very far, however, to see a very different story told by Jesus and the apostles.
In our reading from John we see Jesus warn His disciples that they will have trouble. Think back over the stories of Jesus’ disciples after His death and resurrection. Of the twelve disciples ten died as martyrs and one died in exile after the Romans boiled him alive and he wouldn’t die. Even Jesus, the son of God, lived His life homeless, poor and persecuted. Finally, He suffered and died a horrific death on the cross.
In the same way that Jesus and His disciples were to expect suffering for their faith we are to expect suffering also. Suffering is part and parcel of the Christian faith. We live in a world that is hostile and opposed to Jesus and the gospel and even violently persecuting believers in certain countries. However, we are not without hope. Jesus reminds His disciples to take heart as He has overcome the world and Paul in Romans gives us amazing promises of how the spirit will help us in suffering. We may also remember that as Christians God wastes nothing (Romans 8:28). God recycles all suffering and all persecution in order to make us more like Jesus.
Suffering is a vital element of life together in the church. As the church we suffer together in a way which advances the gospel and we support each other in the midst of suffering. Who in your life is suffering at the moment? How can you support them?
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for believers around the world who are suffering severe persecution for their faith. Pray that God would strengthen them and comfort as they suffer and that God would use their suffering to advance His kingdom.
¨ Pray for anyone in the church who is suffering ridicule, financial hardship or facing difficulties as a result of their faith. Pray that God would strengthen them and allow them to remain faithful and to grow.
Suffering
Read: John 16:31-33, Romans 8:18-30
One doesn’t have to do much more than turn on the radio to hear messages from popular Christian leaders about how Christians should live lives of happiness, health and prosperity. Messages like “be all you can be” and have “your best life now” are certainly attractive to Christians who are struggling or finding life difficult. One doesn’t have to look very far, however, to see a very different story told by Jesus and the apostles.
In our reading from John we see Jesus warn His disciples that they will have trouble. Think back over the stories of Jesus’ disciples after His death and resurrection. Of the twelve disciples ten died as martyrs and one died in exile after the Romans boiled him alive and he wouldn’t die. Even Jesus, the son of God, lived His life homeless, poor and persecuted. Finally, He suffered and died a horrific death on the cross.
In the same way that Jesus and His disciples were to expect suffering for their faith we are to expect suffering also. Suffering is part and parcel of the Christian faith. We live in a world that is hostile and opposed to Jesus and the gospel and even violently persecuting believers in certain countries. However, we are not without hope. Jesus reminds His disciples to take heart as He has overcome the world and Paul in Romans gives us amazing promises of how the spirit will help us in suffering. We may also remember that as Christians God wastes nothing (Romans 8:28). God recycles all suffering and all persecution in order to make us more like Jesus.
Suffering is a vital element of life together in the church. As the church we suffer together in a way which advances the gospel and we support each other in the midst of suffering. Who in your life is suffering at the moment? How can you support them?
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for believers around the world who are suffering severe persecution for their faith. Pray that God would strengthen them and comfort as they suffer and that God would use their suffering to advance His kingdom.
¨ Pray for anyone in the church who is suffering ridicule, financial hardship or facing difficulties as a result of their faith. Pray that God would strengthen them and allow them to remain faithful and to grow.
Thursday 13 September 2012
Thursday 13 September, 2012
Pick one element of biblical community and practice it today.
Fellowship
Read: Hebrews 10:19-25, Colossians 3:12-17
To dwell above with saints we love,
That will be grace and glory.
To live below with saints we know;
That’s another story.
There is a lot of truth in that little verse. We have lofty ideals about what fellowship in the church should look like but when it comes down to it, when we have to deal with other people who have real lives, reals struggles and real problems just like us, it’s hard.
But fellowship is not an optional element of the life of the church. We can’t just choose to avoid other believers or slip out the back straight after church every week, dodging those looking to start a conversation, by doing so we actually rob ourselves and others of something truly significant.
Both of today’s passages shed light on what fellowship in the body of Christ should be like. In Hebrews we see that we should spur each other on towards love and good deeds and encouraging each other. In Colossians we see how we are to bear with each other, forgive each other and be unified in love. What other elements of fellowship can you observe in these passages? Write them down in the margin if you have room.
Over the past few weeks we have been looking at various images used of the church such as the body of Christ, the Building of God and the Kingdom of God. Many of these images bring particular attention to the way that we rely on each other as members of the church. In order to achieve this sort of fellowship requires the whole church to be involved and actively seeking, by the Holy Spirit to build this sort of community.
Look back over the list of elements of community you have noted. As you go about your day think about how you can seek to build this sort of fellowship. Pick one and actively practice it today with another believer.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that the Holy Spirit would illuminate how you can practice meaningful Christian fellowship this week with other believers. Pray by name for each of those who you normally fellowship with that they would be encouraged in their faith as they gather with other believers.
¨ Pray that this week as the church gathers together on Sonday that the church would be built up and encouraged by the fellowship. Pray that people would be stirred to stay for coffee after the service and share meaningful conversation about God’s work in their lives.
Fellowship
Read: Hebrews 10:19-25, Colossians 3:12-17
To dwell above with saints we love,
That will be grace and glory.
To live below with saints we know;
That’s another story.
There is a lot of truth in that little verse. We have lofty ideals about what fellowship in the church should look like but when it comes down to it, when we have to deal with other people who have real lives, reals struggles and real problems just like us, it’s hard.
But fellowship is not an optional element of the life of the church. We can’t just choose to avoid other believers or slip out the back straight after church every week, dodging those looking to start a conversation, by doing so we actually rob ourselves and others of something truly significant.
Both of today’s passages shed light on what fellowship in the body of Christ should be like. In Hebrews we see that we should spur each other on towards love and good deeds and encouraging each other. In Colossians we see how we are to bear with each other, forgive each other and be unified in love. What other elements of fellowship can you observe in these passages? Write them down in the margin if you have room.
Over the past few weeks we have been looking at various images used of the church such as the body of Christ, the Building of God and the Kingdom of God. Many of these images bring particular attention to the way that we rely on each other as members of the church. In order to achieve this sort of fellowship requires the whole church to be involved and actively seeking, by the Holy Spirit to build this sort of community.
Look back over the list of elements of community you have noted. As you go about your day think about how you can seek to build this sort of fellowship. Pick one and actively practice it today with another believer.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that the Holy Spirit would illuminate how you can practice meaningful Christian fellowship this week with other believers. Pray by name for each of those who you normally fellowship with that they would be encouraged in their faith as they gather with other believers.
¨ Pray that this week as the church gathers together on Sonday that the church would be built up and encouraged by the fellowship. Pray that people would be stirred to stay for coffee after the service and share meaningful conversation about God’s work in their lives.
Wednesday 12 September 2012
Wednesday 12 September, 2012
Call up someone in the church and ask how you can pray for them today. Pray for them over the phone!
Prayer
Read: Acts 12:1-19
“We have a 24-hour hotline to the throne room of the universe.” Chuck Missler
Have you ever seen those movies where the important leaders have a red phone to directly contact the President? Have you ever wished that you had a phone like that? Imagine having a phone that links you directly to the office of the president (or the prime minister). What would you do with a direct line to someone in power?
As Chuck Missler so nicely articulates, as Christians we actually have something far greater. It’s not just the ruler of the country that we can speak to at any time, it is the ruler of the universe. Yet how little do we appreciate prayer? Look again at Acts 2:42. The early church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Today’s passage, an amazing story of God’s power at work when people pray, also shows how the early church was committed to and involved with prayer especially in a time of crisis (verses 5 and 12 especially).
How are we committed to prayer both individually and corporately as a church? How can you be praying for those in your cell group and those in the church? Would you be willing to go to a prayer meeting one morning a week, or to gather before the Sonday service to pray with other believers?
Today’s study is quite short. Use the extra time to pray for those around you in the church and to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you can be more involved with prayer in the church. Call up someone close to you in the church and ask how you can pray for them today. Don’t wait until later to pray! Pray with them over the phone.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for each member of your cell group and each person close to you in the church by name. Pray that God would burden their hearts about prayer and that they might grow closer to God as they pray throughout the day.
¨ Pray that as cell groups meet together this week to study God’s word and to discuss their role in the church that they would be praying for one another and encouraging one another to grow in applying their faith.
Prayer
Read: Acts 12:1-19
“We have a 24-hour hotline to the throne room of the universe.” Chuck Missler
Have you ever seen those movies where the important leaders have a red phone to directly contact the President? Have you ever wished that you had a phone like that? Imagine having a phone that links you directly to the office of the president (or the prime minister). What would you do with a direct line to someone in power?
As Chuck Missler so nicely articulates, as Christians we actually have something far greater. It’s not just the ruler of the country that we can speak to at any time, it is the ruler of the universe. Yet how little do we appreciate prayer? Look again at Acts 2:42. The early church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Today’s passage, an amazing story of God’s power at work when people pray, also shows how the early church was committed to and involved with prayer especially in a time of crisis (verses 5 and 12 especially).
How are we committed to prayer both individually and corporately as a church? How can you be praying for those in your cell group and those in the church? Would you be willing to go to a prayer meeting one morning a week, or to gather before the Sonday service to pray with other believers?
Today’s study is quite short. Use the extra time to pray for those around you in the church and to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you can be more involved with prayer in the church. Call up someone close to you in the church and ask how you can pray for them today. Don’t wait until later to pray! Pray with them over the phone.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for each member of your cell group and each person close to you in the church by name. Pray that God would burden their hearts about prayer and that they might grow closer to God as they pray throughout the day.
¨ Pray that as cell groups meet together this week to study God’s word and to discuss their role in the church that they would be praying for one another and encouraging one another to grow in applying their faith.
Tuesday 11 September 2012
Tuesday 11 September, 2012
Pray today that God would help you to be united with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Sacraments
There are few things that have caused such division in the church as the proper administration of Communion and Baptism. Christian’s have argued for centuries about grape juice or wine, how communion actually works and whether we should baptise adults or children. Why is this so important? Are we just nit-picking or is there something important to be understood here.
The administration of the sacraments is a vital role of the church and one that should be fulfilled properly and with appropriate unity and respect. The Corinthians that Paul is writing to in today’s passage are using their gatherings for communion as a status symbol and to bolster the attitude of class division between the rich and the poor in the church. Paul makes it clear that by sharing in communion when there are divisions in the body does more harm than good.
We see here from Paul that the main idea behind sharing communion together is not about ritual, but about remembering Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf together in unity. The sacraments should not divide the body of Christ, rather they should be about unity in the body and the edification of the church.
This doesn’t mean the details of communion and baptism aren’t important. We must however remember that, first and foremost, these sacraments are meant to unite us together as a church rather than divide us.
What are you allowing to separate and divide you from other believers in the church? Pray today that God would help you to resolve any issues you may have and be united with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for a sense of unity and singular purpose within the church. Pray that those in the church who have disputes with other church members would resolve them for the sake of the Gospel.
¨ Pray for the various cell groups which are meeting together during the week. Pray that members of the cells would be united together with the common purpose of sharing the Gospel and encouraging and building each other up.
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Sacraments
There are few things that have caused such division in the church as the proper administration of Communion and Baptism. Christian’s have argued for centuries about grape juice or wine, how communion actually works and whether we should baptise adults or children. Why is this so important? Are we just nit-picking or is there something important to be understood here.
The administration of the sacraments is a vital role of the church and one that should be fulfilled properly and with appropriate unity and respect. The Corinthians that Paul is writing to in today’s passage are using their gatherings for communion as a status symbol and to bolster the attitude of class division between the rich and the poor in the church. Paul makes it clear that by sharing in communion when there are divisions in the body does more harm than good.
We see here from Paul that the main idea behind sharing communion together is not about ritual, but about remembering Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf together in unity. The sacraments should not divide the body of Christ, rather they should be about unity in the body and the edification of the church.
This doesn’t mean the details of communion and baptism aren’t important. We must however remember that, first and foremost, these sacraments are meant to unite us together as a church rather than divide us.
What are you allowing to separate and divide you from other believers in the church? Pray today that God would help you to resolve any issues you may have and be united with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for a sense of unity and singular purpose within the church. Pray that those in the church who have disputes with other church members would resolve them for the sake of the Gospel.
¨ Pray for the various cell groups which are meeting together during the week. Pray that members of the cells would be united together with the common purpose of sharing the Gospel and encouraging and building each other up.
Monday 10 September 2012
Monday 10 September, 2012
Ring a Christian friend today to encourage each him/her to apply what you have learnt from the Word.
Examining the Word of God
Read: Acts 2
In 1957, in an old, beat-up, blue Volkswagen Beetle, Brother Andrew crossed the border into the Soviet Union risking his own freedom, health and potentially his life with the mission to smuggle Bibles into Communist Europe. God’s provision and miraculous protection to Brother Andrew and others whom he has worked with has resulted in a ministry which continues to this day and has delivered millions of Bibles to believers in need. (www.opendoors.org.au). Why would Brother Andrew risk so much to get the Bible to Christians? We see the answer right here in Acts 2: The Word of God is vital for the strengthening, building up, enabling and equipping of God’s church.
Have another look at Acts 2. Here, at the very birth of the church, how does the church begin? With the Holy Spirit enabled, God inspired preaching of the word of God by Peter. Right at the beginning of the church we see the word of God being preached and people responding by coming to know Jesus. This isn’t just a once off. See in Acts 2:42 that the church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching. Throughout history the true church has devoted itself to the preaching, the teaching and the application of God’s word.
Studying and applying the word of God is not just for Sonday though. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that all Scripture is used by God for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. How can you apply what you have learnt about the church in Acts 2 today?
Spend 5 minutes and ring another Christian friend today to share what you have learnt from Acts 2 and encourage each other to apply the word.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving about God’s word and how it changes our lives before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that you and others in the church would be stirred to study, understand and apply God’s word this week. Pray that as people in the Church study this week that the Holy Spirit would reveal how His word applies to their lives and how they might be transformed to be more like Jesus.
¨ Pray that the Word of God is taught faithfully in the church throughout the week in Cell Groups, Youth Group, Children’s ministries and on Sunday at church. Pray that the cell leaders and the leaders associated with the various ministries would be guided by the Holy Spirit as they prepare.
Examining the Word of God
Read: Acts 2
In 1957, in an old, beat-up, blue Volkswagen Beetle, Brother Andrew crossed the border into the Soviet Union risking his own freedom, health and potentially his life with the mission to smuggle Bibles into Communist Europe. God’s provision and miraculous protection to Brother Andrew and others whom he has worked with has resulted in a ministry which continues to this day and has delivered millions of Bibles to believers in need. (www.opendoors.org.au). Why would Brother Andrew risk so much to get the Bible to Christians? We see the answer right here in Acts 2: The Word of God is vital for the strengthening, building up, enabling and equipping of God’s church.
Have another look at Acts 2. Here, at the very birth of the church, how does the church begin? With the Holy Spirit enabled, God inspired preaching of the word of God by Peter. Right at the beginning of the church we see the word of God being preached and people responding by coming to know Jesus. This isn’t just a once off. See in Acts 2:42 that the church devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching. Throughout history the true church has devoted itself to the preaching, the teaching and the application of God’s word.
Studying and applying the word of God is not just for Sonday though. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that all Scripture is used by God for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. How can you apply what you have learnt about the church in Acts 2 today?
Spend 5 minutes and ring another Christian friend today to share what you have learnt from Acts 2 and encourage each other to apply the word.
Prayer:
Spend a few moments in adoration, confession and thanksgiving about God’s word and how it changes our lives before praying these and other prayer points. Write down what you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that you and others in the church would be stirred to study, understand and apply God’s word this week. Pray that as people in the Church study this week that the Holy Spirit would reveal how His word applies to their lives and how they might be transformed to be more like Jesus.
¨ Pray that the Word of God is taught faithfully in the church throughout the week in Cell Groups, Youth Group, Children’s ministries and on Sunday at church. Pray that the cell leaders and the leaders associated with the various ministries would be guided by the Holy Spirit as they prepare.
Saturday 8 September 2012
Saturday September 8, 2012
Think of one way you can share at church tomorrow and prepare yourself to serve.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-31
The flip side of what we learnt yesterday occurs, not when one person opts out of the body, but when one person tries to push another person out of the body.
Now of course no respectable church or church goer would do that openly and blatantly. But when we put human standards on our services and works we are pushing people out. I’ve actually heard of churches saying that you have to dress a certain way to serve in this ministry, or you have to have a certain level of income to be involved in this ministry, or your education levels have to be so high before you can come on board here. Is not the eye saying to the hand, ’I don’t need you’? When individuals grizzle behind the scenes or make fun of someone’s ministry and service we are again, being like that eye!
God has designed the church to work in perfect harmony like the body does. He wants us to have equal concern for all the parts and to care for each other equally. We are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep and so on. We are to love each other as Christ has loved us.
Also, we are not to strive to be like someone else. That is tacitly saying that other people are more important. We are also devaluing others by putting someone on a pedestal. Rather let us strive to be all that Christ created us to be and let us serve Him with passion and vigour.
Tomorrow you will be at church and you will be with the body that Christ created you to be with. That alone is awesome. But what is more awesome is that Christ created you to have a role in that body. He created you to be a vital link in that chain. To God and to others you are important. You can and will make a difference to others and to the entire body as you worship God and serve wholeheartedly tomorrow in the Body of Christ.
Prayer:
As you think about the church in general and your own local church spend time in adoration, confession and thanksgiving.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would honoured tomorrow at your local church service in word, in song, in prayer and in deed. Pray that each believer would come ready to serve and to give wholeheartedly to God. Pray that you would see God powerfully at work during and through the service.
¨ Pray that church would grow tomorrow and that more and more people would be joyously bending the knee to confess Jesus as Lord.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-31
The flip side of what we learnt yesterday occurs, not when one person opts out of the body, but when one person tries to push another person out of the body.
Now of course no respectable church or church goer would do that openly and blatantly. But when we put human standards on our services and works we are pushing people out. I’ve actually heard of churches saying that you have to dress a certain way to serve in this ministry, or you have to have a certain level of income to be involved in this ministry, or your education levels have to be so high before you can come on board here. Is not the eye saying to the hand, ’I don’t need you’? When individuals grizzle behind the scenes or make fun of someone’s ministry and service we are again, being like that eye!
God has designed the church to work in perfect harmony like the body does. He wants us to have equal concern for all the parts and to care for each other equally. We are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep and so on. We are to love each other as Christ has loved us.
Also, we are not to strive to be like someone else. That is tacitly saying that other people are more important. We are also devaluing others by putting someone on a pedestal. Rather let us strive to be all that Christ created us to be and let us serve Him with passion and vigour.
Tomorrow you will be at church and you will be with the body that Christ created you to be with. That alone is awesome. But what is more awesome is that Christ created you to have a role in that body. He created you to be a vital link in that chain. To God and to others you are important. You can and will make a difference to others and to the entire body as you worship God and serve wholeheartedly tomorrow in the Body of Christ.
Prayer:
As you think about the church in general and your own local church spend time in adoration, confession and thanksgiving.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would honoured tomorrow at your local church service in word, in song, in prayer and in deed. Pray that each believer would come ready to serve and to give wholeheartedly to God. Pray that you would see God powerfully at work during and through the service.
¨ Pray that church would grow tomorrow and that more and more people would be joyously bending the knee to confess Jesus as Lord.
Friday 7 September 2012
Friday September 7, 2012
Send a thank you card to at least one person today for their work in God’s Church.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20
How many times have you seen children throw a hissy fit during a game and stomp off and refuse to be involved? Maybe they couldn’t bat or have the main role. Maybe they didn’t score or maybe things went against them and they just couldn’t cope. The result? They stomp off in a huff and puff!
While we may laugh at such silly examples the Lord tells us that such hissy fits can and do happen in the church. There are many people that have opted out of the body of Christ because something didn’t go their way. Many have left their local congregation because they weren’t picked for this or that role. Many have opted out because they weren’t the best at something or because some decision was made contrary to their liking.
The Lord has made the church like a body. No one should opt out because they aren’t something else. No one should be leaving in a hissy fit because they are not like someone else or because they don’t have a ministry like someone else. There is only one body and God has arranged the body just as He saw fit. Whatever your role in the church be assured that God has put you there for a reason. Be assured that He wants you there to serve and to give and to bless others. You are a vital part of the body, just as a foot or hand or eye lid. Just as every part of the body has a role, so do you.
God reminds us over and over and over again that the body has many parts and that each part is vital for the effective functioning of the body. Without the various parts of the body, it would simply cease to be a body! You are vital to the effective functioning of the body. There are two ways that this impacts our life. Firstly, we can no longer think of ourselves as insignificant and unnecessary within the church. We must change the way we think and consciously see ourselves as important within the body of Christ. Secondly, we must affirm the value of others and encourage them in their role in the body. You can be a great encouragement to others simply by telling them what a great job they are doing and by thanking them for their service. Imagine if everyone in the church thanked just one other person each week for their love and service! What a church!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference. Focus your prayers here on others in your church and the roles that God has given them.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God will raise up continued support for Shiloh Church ministries in India. Pray that the orphans would have enough food, clothes etc to live off and that they would be amply cared for by the Lord and His chosen people.
¨ Pray for the work of Student Life as they seek to evangelise university students across the nation. Pray for a revival among students. Pray that God would provide the leadership and resources needed for this great task.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20
How many times have you seen children throw a hissy fit during a game and stomp off and refuse to be involved? Maybe they couldn’t bat or have the main role. Maybe they didn’t score or maybe things went against them and they just couldn’t cope. The result? They stomp off in a huff and puff!
While we may laugh at such silly examples the Lord tells us that such hissy fits can and do happen in the church. There are many people that have opted out of the body of Christ because something didn’t go their way. Many have left their local congregation because they weren’t picked for this or that role. Many have opted out because they weren’t the best at something or because some decision was made contrary to their liking.
The Lord has made the church like a body. No one should opt out because they aren’t something else. No one should be leaving in a hissy fit because they are not like someone else or because they don’t have a ministry like someone else. There is only one body and God has arranged the body just as He saw fit. Whatever your role in the church be assured that God has put you there for a reason. Be assured that He wants you there to serve and to give and to bless others. You are a vital part of the body, just as a foot or hand or eye lid. Just as every part of the body has a role, so do you.
God reminds us over and over and over again that the body has many parts and that each part is vital for the effective functioning of the body. Without the various parts of the body, it would simply cease to be a body! You are vital to the effective functioning of the body. There are two ways that this impacts our life. Firstly, we can no longer think of ourselves as insignificant and unnecessary within the church. We must change the way we think and consciously see ourselves as important within the body of Christ. Secondly, we must affirm the value of others and encourage them in their role in the body. You can be a great encouragement to others simply by telling them what a great job they are doing and by thanking them for their service. Imagine if everyone in the church thanked just one other person each week for their love and service! What a church!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference. Focus your prayers here on others in your church and the roles that God has given them.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God will raise up continued support for Shiloh Church ministries in India. Pray that the orphans would have enough food, clothes etc to live off and that they would be amply cared for by the Lord and His chosen people.
¨ Pray for the work of Student Life as they seek to evangelise university students across the nation. Pray for a revival among students. Pray that God would provide the leadership and resources needed for this great task.
Thursday 6 September 2012
Thursday September 6, 2012
Read today’s passage and get together with a mature believer and ask which of these gifts relate to you personally.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:8-11
What’s your role in the church? Can you summarise your purpose in God’s church in one clear definitive sentence? I bet most believers can’t! We live in a world where church is about coming and sitting and consuming and leaving. God’s church is about serving and giving and edifying others and blessing others. You are either a contributor or a consumer. If you don’t know your role in the church then you are probably the latter. But that can change very quickly and very easily.
But how can we find out our role in the church? It boils down to knowing how verse 7 (see yesterday’s study) is true for my own life. I need to know what spiritual gift God has given me. I need to start using that gift and blessing others with it. But that doesn’t answer the question does it? You’ll learn how to find your gift this weekend at church. You’d better be there!
Finding our spiritual gift and using it is vitally important because God Himself has given us certain roles to play. Imagine our friend in today’s photo being the welcomer for new comers in your church! Not many people would get out of their car would they? God outlines various roles in today’s passage but this list is by no means exhaustive. Look through the list and prayerfully consider each one. Which one raises passion in you? Which ones excite you or cause you to see great potential? As you start answering these kinds of questions you are well on the way to using you gift for the blessing and benefit of others. But more on Sonday. Don’t miss this one!!!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would be powerfully at work in you and in your congregation showing people their spiritual gifts and encouraging and leading them to use those gifts for the edification of others.
¨ Pray that people in your congregation would be walking in obedience to the Lord and doing His will and His work rather than their own will and their own work.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:8-11
What’s your role in the church? Can you summarise your purpose in God’s church in one clear definitive sentence? I bet most believers can’t! We live in a world where church is about coming and sitting and consuming and leaving. God’s church is about serving and giving and edifying others and blessing others. You are either a contributor or a consumer. If you don’t know your role in the church then you are probably the latter. But that can change very quickly and very easily.
But how can we find out our role in the church? It boils down to knowing how verse 7 (see yesterday’s study) is true for my own life. I need to know what spiritual gift God has given me. I need to start using that gift and blessing others with it. But that doesn’t answer the question does it? You’ll learn how to find your gift this weekend at church. You’d better be there!
Finding our spiritual gift and using it is vitally important because God Himself has given us certain roles to play. Imagine our friend in today’s photo being the welcomer for new comers in your church! Not many people would get out of their car would they? God outlines various roles in today’s passage but this list is by no means exhaustive. Look through the list and prayerfully consider each one. Which one raises passion in you? Which ones excite you or cause you to see great potential? As you start answering these kinds of questions you are well on the way to using you gift for the blessing and benefit of others. But more on Sonday. Don’t miss this one!!!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would be powerfully at work in you and in your congregation showing people their spiritual gifts and encouraging and leading them to use those gifts for the edification of others.
¨ Pray that people in your congregation would be walking in obedience to the Lord and doing His will and His work rather than their own will and their own work.
Wednesday 5 September 2012
Wednesday September 5, 2012
How will you bless people this week at church. Plan to do just one thing.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:7
Now to each one
the manifestation of the Spirit
is given
for the common good.
It may seem a little strange to have today’s one and only verse looming at you larger than life. But I want you to be shocked by it. Hear me clearly. I want you to be shocked by it. Why? because it is a shocking verse! It is a radical, life altering verse as soon as we begin to take it seriously.
What’s so shocking about this verse? Let’s go through it line by line. We read firstly that something is given to each one. Each and every single person in God’s church has this “something” from God to share. No one can sit back and say ‘there is nothing for me to do.’ No one can be idle in God’s church. You have a role to play. Why is that shocking? Throughout most churches we see only 30% of the people actively involved in serving and ministry. The same people volunteer time and time again. 70% are sitting back doing nothing! God’s plan is totally opposed to this. God wants every single person to be actively involved. You simply cannot maintain a laid back, stay out of it attitude in God’s church.
In the second line we read that each person in the church is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Put simply, God’s Holy Spirit has equipped you in some way, shape or form. You have everything you need to get involved. Why is that shocking? Most churches are very particular about who they let serve and often choose people with regard to worldly characteristics. God’s plan is that those who are gifted and equipped by His Spirit serve in that area.
In the 3rd line we read that this gift is given to you. You cannot earn it or buy it. You cannot work for or it pretend to have it. It is a gracious gift of God’s Holy Spirit given freely to you.
Finally, we read that it’s for the common good. You are to use your gifts for the enrichment, the betterment and increase of others. You are to serve selflessly. You are to take up your cross and follow Jesus using whatever gift you have to bless others with. Why is that shocking? I would estimate that over 90% of believers in this land put themselves and their needs first. If sports is on, church gets left behind. If I’m too busy at work, church gets knocked back. If I’ve had a busy week with the kids at school, sport and homework and stressful relationships, I just won’t go to church on Sonday. When ever one single believer misses church and refuses to bless others the entire church misses out. God is telling us to use our gifts and abilities for the welfare and blessing of others.
Read the verse for today again. Read it four or five times and ask God to show you what it really means and how it is going to apply to you from today onwards.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would be showing believers what manifestation they have been given so that they can serve and give for the blessing of others.
¨ Pray that your church would be leading the way in sacrificial love and service and that you would be instrumental in changing people’s attitude and mindset on serving by your life style and actions.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:7
Now to each one
the manifestation of the Spirit
is given
for the common good.
It may seem a little strange to have today’s one and only verse looming at you larger than life. But I want you to be shocked by it. Hear me clearly. I want you to be shocked by it. Why? because it is a shocking verse! It is a radical, life altering verse as soon as we begin to take it seriously.
What’s so shocking about this verse? Let’s go through it line by line. We read firstly that something is given to each one. Each and every single person in God’s church has this “something” from God to share. No one can sit back and say ‘there is nothing for me to do.’ No one can be idle in God’s church. You have a role to play. Why is that shocking? Throughout most churches we see only 30% of the people actively involved in serving and ministry. The same people volunteer time and time again. 70% are sitting back doing nothing! God’s plan is totally opposed to this. God wants every single person to be actively involved. You simply cannot maintain a laid back, stay out of it attitude in God’s church.
In the second line we read that each person in the church is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Put simply, God’s Holy Spirit has equipped you in some way, shape or form. You have everything you need to get involved. Why is that shocking? Most churches are very particular about who they let serve and often choose people with regard to worldly characteristics. God’s plan is that those who are gifted and equipped by His Spirit serve in that area.
In the 3rd line we read that this gift is given to you. You cannot earn it or buy it. You cannot work for or it pretend to have it. It is a gracious gift of God’s Holy Spirit given freely to you.
Finally, we read that it’s for the common good. You are to use your gifts for the enrichment, the betterment and increase of others. You are to serve selflessly. You are to take up your cross and follow Jesus using whatever gift you have to bless others with. Why is that shocking? I would estimate that over 90% of believers in this land put themselves and their needs first. If sports is on, church gets left behind. If I’m too busy at work, church gets knocked back. If I’ve had a busy week with the kids at school, sport and homework and stressful relationships, I just won’t go to church on Sonday. When ever one single believer misses church and refuses to bless others the entire church misses out. God is telling us to use our gifts and abilities for the welfare and blessing of others.
Read the verse for today again. Read it four or five times and ask God to show you what it really means and how it is going to apply to you from today onwards.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would be showing believers what manifestation they have been given so that they can serve and give for the blessing of others.
¨ Pray that your church would be leading the way in sacrificial love and service and that you would be instrumental in changing people’s attitude and mindset on serving by your life style and actions.
Tuesday 4 September 2012
Tuesday September 4, 2012
If there are issues for you that are making unity and love hard, deal with those today by talking to an elder or pastor at your church.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
What goes through a child’s mind when their parents argue? Without any doubt we can say that a child gets his/her security from their parents’ security and unity. When Dad and Mum are getting on well and are secure in their relationship the child is secure and more at peace.
The same truth applies to us as God’s children. Can you imagine how insecure life would be if the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) had a rift or an argument? Imagine being deep in prayer and having God say to you something like, ‘Come back later we’re arguing up here.’ It’s ludicrous. We get our security and peace from knowing that the Godhead is secure.
But also flowing out of that unity in the Godhead is the unity within the church. The church is unified because there is only one God and all three persons in that Godhead agree and live in constant & perfect unity. The world could not function if it were otherwise.
Notice how in these three verses Paul talks about the Trinity? There are different gifts, services and workings but there is only one God - God the Spirit. God the Son/Lord Jesus and God the Father.
And because there is one God, perfectly united, there can be no division in the Church. The Spirit that gives gifts agrees with the Son who gives us our service
who in turn agrees perfectly with the Father who gives us our works to do. Division in the church can NOT and does NOT come from God. It is from our sinful desires that wage war against us. It is from our pride and arrogance and our desire to be better or more important than others.
Are you unified with your church? Are you on board with your church’s direction and mission? Are you loving others in your church? Are you growing unity in your church? Get to it today!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for unity within your church but also across denomination boundaries. Pray that the churches throughout your region would be working together for the sake of the gospel.
¨ Pray that God would grow love in your church. Ask God to show you 1 thing you can do to grow love in your church.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
What goes through a child’s mind when their parents argue? Without any doubt we can say that a child gets his/her security from their parents’ security and unity. When Dad and Mum are getting on well and are secure in their relationship the child is secure and more at peace.
The same truth applies to us as God’s children. Can you imagine how insecure life would be if the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) had a rift or an argument? Imagine being deep in prayer and having God say to you something like, ‘Come back later we’re arguing up here.’ It’s ludicrous. We get our security and peace from knowing that the Godhead is secure.
But also flowing out of that unity in the Godhead is the unity within the church. The church is unified because there is only one God and all three persons in that Godhead agree and live in constant & perfect unity. The world could not function if it were otherwise.
Notice how in these three verses Paul talks about the Trinity? There are different gifts, services and workings but there is only one God - God the Spirit. God the Son/Lord Jesus and God the Father.
And because there is one God, perfectly united, there can be no division in the Church. The Spirit that gives gifts agrees with the Son who gives us our service
who in turn agrees perfectly with the Father who gives us our works to do. Division in the church can NOT and does NOT come from God. It is from our sinful desires that wage war against us. It is from our pride and arrogance and our desire to be better or more important than others.
Are you unified with your church? Are you on board with your church’s direction and mission? Are you loving others in your church? Are you growing unity in your church? Get to it today!
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray for unity within your church but also across denomination boundaries. Pray that the churches throughout your region would be working together for the sake of the gospel.
¨ Pray that God would grow love in your church. Ask God to show you 1 thing you can do to grow love in your church.
Monday 3 September 2012
Monday September 3, 2012
Write down what your role in the local church is.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
The Corinthian Church really was in a mess! But praise be to the Lord Paul doesn’t write them off. He teaches them and guides them through the minefield with patience and love. If only we learned to love like that.
The Corinthians were a divided bunch. They came to Christ and received various gifts of the Spirit and were, literally, astounded by the work of the Holy Spirit. This, unfortunately caused pride and arrogance and a fracturing of allegiances. Rather than pulling together to lift up the name of Jesus some were banding behind Apollos, the trained orator. Others were banding behind Peter, the zealous one. Others backed Paul and still some had the audacity to say they followed Jesus.
It was a broken fractured church where individuals and groups lifted up their own gifts and boasted and bragged in themselves and their abilities.
As Paul writes he beings with the phrase, “Now about Spiritual gifts”. The word ‘gifts’ is not in the Greek original. It literally reads, ‘Now about spirituals’. Paul wants to show them what true spirituality is really about. He wants to show them what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
In simple everyday English, it boils down to having Jesus as your Lord and living with Him as Lord. The person filled with the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is Lord” but it is more than just words. It is a declaration of one’s life showing Jesus to be Lord in everything. Jesus is Lord of work, the home, the finances, the sports, the free time, the late night viewing, the computer usage and so on. He is even Lord of my face book page. When we say ‘Jesus is Lord’ through the in-filling of the Holy Spirit we are stating what people can see - that Jesus really is Lord. If your life does not match your words then Jesus is NOT YOUR Lord.
On the other side no one living by the Spirit can say, ’Jesus be cursed.’ Again, it’s a whole-of-life thing. Divisions in the church, pride and arrogance, pushing others away, that “I’m better than you attitude” all speak out ‘Jesus be cursed’. These are all improper for God’s holy people.
Imagine if a football team ran onto the field and before the match started bickering and in-fighting among themselves. How disgraceful for the club! How dishonouring for the coach. How embarrassing for the team. And yet, that’s exactly what the Christians in Corinth were doing. Don’t make the same mistake. Confess “Jesus is Lord” with your mouth and show it with your life.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that your church would be filled with people who confess Jesus as Lord with their mouths and live it out in their lives. Pray that God would grant repentance to those who need it. Pray that the various people in leadership would be leading in this way by their example and their teaching.
¨ Pray that there would be a spirit of holiness sweep throughout the God’s earthly church. Pray that God would grant repentance to all who need it and that believers would be passionately seeking to grow in holiness
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
The Corinthian Church really was in a mess! But praise be to the Lord Paul doesn’t write them off. He teaches them and guides them through the minefield with patience and love. If only we learned to love like that.
The Corinthians were a divided bunch. They came to Christ and received various gifts of the Spirit and were, literally, astounded by the work of the Holy Spirit. This, unfortunately caused pride and arrogance and a fracturing of allegiances. Rather than pulling together to lift up the name of Jesus some were banding behind Apollos, the trained orator. Others were banding behind Peter, the zealous one. Others backed Paul and still some had the audacity to say they followed Jesus.
It was a broken fractured church where individuals and groups lifted up their own gifts and boasted and bragged in themselves and their abilities.
As Paul writes he beings with the phrase, “Now about Spiritual gifts”. The word ‘gifts’ is not in the Greek original. It literally reads, ‘Now about spirituals’. Paul wants to show them what true spirituality is really about. He wants to show them what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
In simple everyday English, it boils down to having Jesus as your Lord and living with Him as Lord. The person filled with the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is Lord” but it is more than just words. It is a declaration of one’s life showing Jesus to be Lord in everything. Jesus is Lord of work, the home, the finances, the sports, the free time, the late night viewing, the computer usage and so on. He is even Lord of my face book page. When we say ‘Jesus is Lord’ through the in-filling of the Holy Spirit we are stating what people can see - that Jesus really is Lord. If your life does not match your words then Jesus is NOT YOUR Lord.
On the other side no one living by the Spirit can say, ’Jesus be cursed.’ Again, it’s a whole-of-life thing. Divisions in the church, pride and arrogance, pushing others away, that “I’m better than you attitude” all speak out ‘Jesus be cursed’. These are all improper for God’s holy people.
Imagine if a football team ran onto the field and before the match started bickering and in-fighting among themselves. How disgraceful for the club! How dishonouring for the coach. How embarrassing for the team. And yet, that’s exactly what the Christians in Corinth were doing. Don’t make the same mistake. Confess “Jesus is Lord” with your mouth and show it with your life.
Prayer:
Spend time in adoration, confession and thanks. Write down your points for future reference.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that your church would be filled with people who confess Jesus as Lord with their mouths and live it out in their lives. Pray that God would grant repentance to those who need it. Pray that the various people in leadership would be leading in this way by their example and their teaching.
¨ Pray that there would be a spirit of holiness sweep throughout the God’s earthly church. Pray that God would grant repentance to all who need it and that believers would be passionately seeking to grow in holiness
Saturday 1 September 2012
Saturday September 1, 2012
Make a list of 50 things that you enjoy or can praise God for within your church.
Read Ephesians 3:1-12
I’ve really heard it all before. “I don’t do church lunches!”, or “I don’t do church programs!”, or “Church functions aren't for me”, or “I evangelise outside the church”, or “I do my thing for God on my own time. I simply don’t need the church!”
What these people have done, either consciously or unwittingly, is simply formed a type of syncretism with the standards of the world. They have taken the anti-authoritarian, anti-establishmentarian stance of the world and turned it against the church. Many people in society have turned against institutions, governments and centres of authority. Some people in the church are, unfortunately, following suite.
These people have set themselves up as judges over and against the church, which is the body of Christ. To sit in judgment of the church is to sit in judgement of its head, Christ Jesus. That is not a safe place to be.
Our Lord and Saviour has chosen the church to be the vehicle through which the manifest wisdom of God is displayed in the heavenlies and in this world. The church is the vehicle that God has chosen to use to show off His love, His grace, His mercy, His salvation. Rather than stepping back and going the solo train we need to step up and get actively involved. There are no lone ranger Christians in the Bible!
Tomorrow is “Church”. You need to make up your mind that it’s going to be fantastic. You need to commit the whole day to the Lord and be available for Him to use you where and when He wants. I remember a minister said to me in the early days of faith, ‘If you don’t like church then heaven is going to be a boring place.’ How true. Church is God’s vehicle. Get on board and have the ride of your life.
Prayer:
Spend time adoring God for his creation of the ‘church’ and if need be, confess any sinful attitudes and words you’ve had about the church. Give thanks to God for the things you like about your church.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that your church would have a bright light shining in the local community. Pray that there will be more and more opportunities to shine the light of Jesus by helping others, by getting involved in people’s lives and by giving sacrificially. Pray that each and every person in your congregation would be on board.
¨ Pray that your congregation would grow as people reach out and share their faith with family, friends and those around them. Ask God to give each person in your congregation a heart that yearns to see the lost saved and the courage to reach out to them.
Read Ephesians 3:1-12
I’ve really heard it all before. “I don’t do church lunches!”, or “I don’t do church programs!”, or “Church functions aren't for me”, or “I evangelise outside the church”, or “I do my thing for God on my own time. I simply don’t need the church!”
What these people have done, either consciously or unwittingly, is simply formed a type of syncretism with the standards of the world. They have taken the anti-authoritarian, anti-establishmentarian stance of the world and turned it against the church. Many people in society have turned against institutions, governments and centres of authority. Some people in the church are, unfortunately, following suite.
These people have set themselves up as judges over and against the church, which is the body of Christ. To sit in judgment of the church is to sit in judgement of its head, Christ Jesus. That is not a safe place to be.
Our Lord and Saviour has chosen the church to be the vehicle through which the manifest wisdom of God is displayed in the heavenlies and in this world. The church is the vehicle that God has chosen to use to show off His love, His grace, His mercy, His salvation. Rather than stepping back and going the solo train we need to step up and get actively involved. There are no lone ranger Christians in the Bible!
Tomorrow is “Church”. You need to make up your mind that it’s going to be fantastic. You need to commit the whole day to the Lord and be available for Him to use you where and when He wants. I remember a minister said to me in the early days of faith, ‘If you don’t like church then heaven is going to be a boring place.’ How true. Church is God’s vehicle. Get on board and have the ride of your life.
Prayer:
Spend time adoring God for his creation of the ‘church’ and if need be, confess any sinful attitudes and words you’ve had about the church. Give thanks to God for the things you like about your church.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that your church would have a bright light shining in the local community. Pray that there will be more and more opportunities to shine the light of Jesus by helping others, by getting involved in people’s lives and by giving sacrificially. Pray that each and every person in your congregation would be on board.
¨ Pray that your congregation would grow as people reach out and share their faith with family, friends and those around them. Ask God to give each person in your congregation a heart that yearns to see the lost saved and the courage to reach out to them.
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