Read Mark 15:1-39
We’ve studied the genealogies all week, hopefully exciting you a little about the coming of the Son of God into our world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst! The reaction of the gentile centurion sums up the whole week - ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.’
Think about that from God’s perspective. The holy and righteous God sent His one and only Son into our world to save us from our sins. WE rejected God and turned our back on Him. We spat in His face and abandoned Him. We rebelled against our true and rightful King and sought to rule ourselves! And God, in turn, chooses not to condemn us, not to strike us with His wrath and vengeance but chooses to send his own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. God chooses to punish His own Son rather than punish you and I for our sinfulness and rebellion.
Think about it from Jesus’ perspective. The immortal one, the one who was and is and is to come, the one who cannot die chooses to willingly come into the world to suffer the wrath of God for you and I. The man who is God did not grasp at equality with God as Adam and Eve did. Rather, He humbled himself and was obedient, again, unlike our first parents. He was obedient even unto death - willingly suffering death on a cross to bring us back to the Father.
Where Adam and all humanity failed, Jesus succeeded. He did what no other man could do - He obeyed God perfectly and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and rebellion.
The Son of God came into the world to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to call the sick, sinners to repentance and life.
If you can understand anything of what has been said today, turn to God and praise Him.
Prayer:-
> Praise God, adore God for the coming of the Saviour into the world. Praise God for your salvation and thank him profusely for all that Jesus suffered on your behalf.
> Plead and petition God that more people would understand the coming of Christ this Christmas and that you personally would be a messenger of the Christmas good news.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Saturday November 20, 2010
Read Revelation 20-21
Can you think of a way to describe the colour blue to a man born blind? Can you think of a way to describe music to a woman who has been deaf all her life? How do you describe the joy of human touch to a leper who has no feeling or senses in their skin?
That’s the inherent problem with heaven. It’s so foreign to our world that it’s incredibly difficult to describe. Heaven is so far beyond our experience and comprehension that it’s difficult to talk about or to dream about. But on several occasions, heaven is described for us.
How would you describe heaven to a non believer? The traditional picture of an angel on a cloud playing a harp is, in the eyes of the world, relatively BORING. No wonder we see depictions or cartoons of parties, booze ups and bbqs in hell! No wonder the world is saying ‘Hey, I’d rather be in hell with my mates than sitting on a boring old cloud with a dull harp.’ Heaven is hard to describe.
How often do you find yourself day dreaming of heaven? How often do you find yourself talking about heaven and longing to be there. We long and dream of that annual vacation by the beach. We dream of bodily fulfilment. We daydream about the pleasures of the flesh but heaven is so hard to dream about because it’s so foreign to our experience.
How often do you encourage your brothers and sisters with talk of heaven? How often do you spur one another on with talk of our final destination? How often do we lift each other up out of the mud and mire of life by recalling the joys we’ll share in that perfect paradise?
How often do you praise God that He has opened the door way to heaven for you personally through the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus? How often do you sing adoration to Christ for taking your sins, the guilt and the shame, and nailing them to the cross? How often do you reflect that Jesus has perfected you for heaven, for God’s presence?
It’s time to refocus. It’s time to set our heart and mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. It’s time to get our head into the clouds and meditate on heaven so that we can be of great earthly use!
Prayer:-
> Spend time praising God for the hope you have in heaven.
> Spend time thanking God that Jesus has equipped your for heaven.
> Pray that this hope we have in heaven will spur our Sudanese brothers and sisters onwards as they struggle and seek to live in a hostile land. Pray that they would be courageously sharing their hope.
Can you think of a way to describe the colour blue to a man born blind? Can you think of a way to describe music to a woman who has been deaf all her life? How do you describe the joy of human touch to a leper who has no feeling or senses in their skin?
That’s the inherent problem with heaven. It’s so foreign to our world that it’s incredibly difficult to describe. Heaven is so far beyond our experience and comprehension that it’s difficult to talk about or to dream about. But on several occasions, heaven is described for us.
How would you describe heaven to a non believer? The traditional picture of an angel on a cloud playing a harp is, in the eyes of the world, relatively BORING. No wonder we see depictions or cartoons of parties, booze ups and bbqs in hell! No wonder the world is saying ‘Hey, I’d rather be in hell with my mates than sitting on a boring old cloud with a dull harp.’ Heaven is hard to describe.
How often do you find yourself day dreaming of heaven? How often do you find yourself talking about heaven and longing to be there. We long and dream of that annual vacation by the beach. We dream of bodily fulfilment. We daydream about the pleasures of the flesh but heaven is so hard to dream about because it’s so foreign to our experience.
How often do you encourage your brothers and sisters with talk of heaven? How often do you spur one another on with talk of our final destination? How often do we lift each other up out of the mud and mire of life by recalling the joys we’ll share in that perfect paradise?
How often do you praise God that He has opened the door way to heaven for you personally through the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus? How often do you sing adoration to Christ for taking your sins, the guilt and the shame, and nailing them to the cross? How often do you reflect that Jesus has perfected you for heaven, for God’s presence?
It’s time to refocus. It’s time to set our heart and mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. It’s time to get our head into the clouds and meditate on heaven so that we can be of great earthly use!
Prayer:-
> Spend time praising God for the hope you have in heaven.
> Spend time thanking God that Jesus has equipped your for heaven.
> Pray that this hope we have in heaven will spur our Sudanese brothers and sisters onwards as they struggle and seek to live in a hostile land. Pray that they would be courageously sharing their hope.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Friday November 19, 2010
Read Luke 3:23-38, Read Matthew 1:1-17
Oh No! Not more genealogies! Yes more genealogies. But rather than be half hearted let’s look into these two genealogies and find out why and how they are different.
Just quickly glance at where the two genealogies occur in the respective gospels. Why does Matthew start his gospel with the genealogy while Luke puts it just before the commencement of ministry of Jesus? Maybe it’s because Matthew is writing to Jews and wants his gospel to be accepted as authoritative. Starting with Jesus’ link to Abraham would give great credibility to a group of people that saw Abraham as their founding Father. Luke on the other hand, is a Gentile, writing to a non Jewish audience. He wants them to see that Jesus, the Son of God is the one ministering grace to the world.
Why does Matthew take his genealogy from Abraham, effectively ignoring Genesis 1-11? Yet Luke, for his part, takes the genealogy back to Adam and then calls Adam the Son of God. Just note that if evolution were true this statement is ridiculously false and the entire history of Jesus is false which makes His claim to deity very sceptical. Rather than reading ‘...the Son of Adam, the Son of God’ at the end of Luke’s genealogy we should have ‘the son of Adam, the son of a monkey, the son of a... (lower life form and so on) ad nauseum until we get to ‘...son of lifeless protein, the son of God.’ Luke is very deliberately linking Adam with God at the creation because Jesus came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Luke is showing that God cares for the whole world while Matthew is writing to Jews about the Messiah. Amazing what a genealogy can tell you isn’t it?
Did you also notice that Luke doesn’t make mention of the women that Matthew does? It must have been a shock to the Jews to see the women in the genealogy especially prostitute women and adulterous women! But for Luke, writing to non Jews the shock value simply isn’t there. There’s nothing to be gained by mentioning these women so he omits them. Luke wants to link Jesus to God through Adam so he gets there as quickly as he can.
Finally look again at the names in the genealogy from Jesus onwards or downwards. Matthew says that Jacob was the father of Joseph who was the legal father of Jesus. Luke says it was Heli and the two names go off in different directions. Now before you go and throw your Bible in the bin declaring, “It’s totally full of contradictions and can’t be trusted” think about this! In Bible times the family unit was far wider than our small enclave of dad, mum and the 2.3 kids. Fathers often considered their son-in-law as their own sons. They were literally adopted into the family. Luke is sharing the genealogy from Mary’s side! And low and behold, you’ll see that they converge at the great King David. Jesus is the descendant of David (from both sides of the family line) who will sit for all eternity on the throne of God! There has been no compromise from God’s point of view.
Who’d have thought that a list of names could be so fascinating !
Prayer:-
> Spend time praising God for His salvation through the sending his son to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
> Pray that you will have opportunities to share the good news with people in your world that don’t yet have Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
> Pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam as they celebrate the birth of Jesus. Pray for courage & for open doors to share their faith.
Oh No! Not more genealogies! Yes more genealogies. But rather than be half hearted let’s look into these two genealogies and find out why and how they are different.
Just quickly glance at where the two genealogies occur in the respective gospels. Why does Matthew start his gospel with the genealogy while Luke puts it just before the commencement of ministry of Jesus? Maybe it’s because Matthew is writing to Jews and wants his gospel to be accepted as authoritative. Starting with Jesus’ link to Abraham would give great credibility to a group of people that saw Abraham as their founding Father. Luke on the other hand, is a Gentile, writing to a non Jewish audience. He wants them to see that Jesus, the Son of God is the one ministering grace to the world.
Why does Matthew take his genealogy from Abraham, effectively ignoring Genesis 1-11? Yet Luke, for his part, takes the genealogy back to Adam and then calls Adam the Son of God. Just note that if evolution were true this statement is ridiculously false and the entire history of Jesus is false which makes His claim to deity very sceptical. Rather than reading ‘...the Son of Adam, the Son of God’ at the end of Luke’s genealogy we should have ‘the son of Adam, the son of a monkey, the son of a... (lower life form and so on) ad nauseum until we get to ‘...son of lifeless protein, the son of God.’ Luke is very deliberately linking Adam with God at the creation because Jesus came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Luke is showing that God cares for the whole world while Matthew is writing to Jews about the Messiah. Amazing what a genealogy can tell you isn’t it?
Did you also notice that Luke doesn’t make mention of the women that Matthew does? It must have been a shock to the Jews to see the women in the genealogy especially prostitute women and adulterous women! But for Luke, writing to non Jews the shock value simply isn’t there. There’s nothing to be gained by mentioning these women so he omits them. Luke wants to link Jesus to God through Adam so he gets there as quickly as he can.
Finally look again at the names in the genealogy from Jesus onwards or downwards. Matthew says that Jacob was the father of Joseph who was the legal father of Jesus. Luke says it was Heli and the two names go off in different directions. Now before you go and throw your Bible in the bin declaring, “It’s totally full of contradictions and can’t be trusted” think about this! In Bible times the family unit was far wider than our small enclave of dad, mum and the 2.3 kids. Fathers often considered their son-in-law as their own sons. They were literally adopted into the family. Luke is sharing the genealogy from Mary’s side! And low and behold, you’ll see that they converge at the great King David. Jesus is the descendant of David (from both sides of the family line) who will sit for all eternity on the throne of God! There has been no compromise from God’s point of view.
Who’d have thought that a list of names could be so fascinating !
Prayer:-
> Spend time praising God for His salvation through the sending his son to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
> Pray that you will have opportunities to share the good news with people in your world that don’t yet have Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
> Pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam as they celebrate the birth of Jesus. Pray for courage & for open doors to share their faith.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Thursday November 18, 2010
Read Matthew 1:1-17
Genealogies (the long lists of names about who begat who and on and on they go) are often said by believers to be the most boring parts of the Bible. While I agree that they may be the hardest parts to read (try 1 Chronicles 1-9 for size) I don’t agree that they are boring. They are filled with intriguing facts and interesting bits that God has put there to titillate us. They really are amazing. Today, I hope to show you how amazing some of these genealogies can really be.
Let’s start with tradition. Traditionally, only men were put into begetting part of the genealogies. Daughters were regularly mentioned but mothers were not. This ensured that a record of the lineage was kept ‘pure’. But read the genealogy again in vv1-17 and note the women that are put into the genealogy. What do you know about these women? What did they do in the Scriptures? What role did they play? It’s becoming a bit of a detective story! And now ask yourself, why did God put these women into the genealogy of Christ Jesus? He could have left them out. He could have caused the writer to forget all about them. Why were these women included in a record of the birth of our Saviour? You can think through that one.
Secondly notice how the genealogy is summed up in vs 1. Two key Old Testament players are named.
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Why are they named? What role do they have? Why are they significant? The answer for Abraham is obvious. He is the patriarchal father of the nation. He is the one who started it all. He is the one through whom all blessings shall flow to the families of the earth. The very deliberate link from Abraham to Jesus shows us that Jesus is the one through whom families will be blessed. It’s no accident. It’s no genetic accident or natural selection wonder. It’s God bringing His Saviour into the world to bless family units - not just individuals as we are always tempted to think.
But what about King David? Why is he mentioned? Why is he listed in the summary verse with Abraham. If you read from 2 Samuel 7 onwards you’ll see that God promised David some pretty amazing things as well. God promised that a descendant of David would rule on the throne for all eternity. That’s right! One of King David’s descendants would have a never ending rule! And here in Matthew 1 we have a direct link to David. If the writer is telling us that all the promises to Abraham will be fulfilled in Christ, then he’s telling us that all the promises to David will be fulfilled in this Christ as well. Jesus is the one who rules for all eternity on God’s throne! He is the one that will bless the families of the earth.
It’s all summed up in one neat little sentence that starts off a genealogy. Who said they were boring?
Prayer:-
> Pray for Shiloh Church ministries as they serve in India. Pray that God would provide all their needs in Christ. Pray for funds, food and shelter to be made available. Pray that God would use this team to grow the kingdom tremendously.
> Pray that as we approach Christmas people will be asking you about the meaning of Christmas and that doors of gospel sharing will open up. Pray for growth in your local church.
Genealogies (the long lists of names about who begat who and on and on they go) are often said by believers to be the most boring parts of the Bible. While I agree that they may be the hardest parts to read (try 1 Chronicles 1-9 for size) I don’t agree that they are boring. They are filled with intriguing facts and interesting bits that God has put there to titillate us. They really are amazing. Today, I hope to show you how amazing some of these genealogies can really be.
Let’s start with tradition. Traditionally, only men were put into begetting part of the genealogies. Daughters were regularly mentioned but mothers were not. This ensured that a record of the lineage was kept ‘pure’. But read the genealogy again in vv1-17 and note the women that are put into the genealogy. What do you know about these women? What did they do in the Scriptures? What role did they play? It’s becoming a bit of a detective story! And now ask yourself, why did God put these women into the genealogy of Christ Jesus? He could have left them out. He could have caused the writer to forget all about them. Why were these women included in a record of the birth of our Saviour? You can think through that one.
Secondly notice how the genealogy is summed up in vs 1. Two key Old Testament players are named.
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Why are they named? What role do they have? Why are they significant? The answer for Abraham is obvious. He is the patriarchal father of the nation. He is the one who started it all. He is the one through whom all blessings shall flow to the families of the earth. The very deliberate link from Abraham to Jesus shows us that Jesus is the one through whom families will be blessed. It’s no accident. It’s no genetic accident or natural selection wonder. It’s God bringing His Saviour into the world to bless family units - not just individuals as we are always tempted to think.
But what about King David? Why is he mentioned? Why is he listed in the summary verse with Abraham. If you read from 2 Samuel 7 onwards you’ll see that God promised David some pretty amazing things as well. God promised that a descendant of David would rule on the throne for all eternity. That’s right! One of King David’s descendants would have a never ending rule! And here in Matthew 1 we have a direct link to David. If the writer is telling us that all the promises to Abraham will be fulfilled in Christ, then he’s telling us that all the promises to David will be fulfilled in this Christ as well. Jesus is the one who rules for all eternity on God’s throne! He is the one that will bless the families of the earth.
It’s all summed up in one neat little sentence that starts off a genealogy. Who said they were boring?
Prayer:-
> Pray for Shiloh Church ministries as they serve in India. Pray that God would provide all their needs in Christ. Pray for funds, food and shelter to be made available. Pray that God would use this team to grow the kingdom tremendously.
> Pray that as we approach Christmas people will be asking you about the meaning of Christmas and that doors of gospel sharing will open up. Pray for growth in your local church.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Wednesday November 17, 2010
Read Genesis 12:1-3
When God called Abram He made great promises to the man. He promised to make Abraham into a great nation. He would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or as numerous as the grains of sand along the beach. God had commanded both Adam/Eve and Noah to populate the earth and to fill it. Neither one was willing to do that. So now God takes the initiative upon Himself and will fill the world with people that love and serve Him as God.
Abram will have a great land. The land of Eden was lost, closed off after the fall. Through Abraham and his descendants the Promised Land would be inhabited. God Himself would do what mankind had failed to do.
Others will be blessed and cursed in their attitude towards Abram. Those who bless Abram will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. God will treat others according to the way they treat His own people.
And finally God will bless all the families of the earth through Abram and his descendants. Unfortunately the NIV translates this verse as ’and all the people’s of the earth will be blessed through you’. The word ‘peoples’ fits nicely into our western individualistic culture. The Hebrew original more correctly reads, ‘and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed’. We simply cannot escape the fact that God has always dealt with family units. Noah was a righteous man and was called to build the ark. Who entered the ark with Noah? His wife and his children - even though there’s no mention of their righteousness! He called Abram and later commanded that his children be circumcised when they reach 8 days of age. They would still be far too young to believe in God or affirm their status as Israelites!!! The nation of Israel, when it celebrated the Pass Over and other celebrations would expressly involve children in the ceremonies and festivals.
After the coming of Jesus we continue to see this blessing to entire families. Read Acts 16 and note what is said about whole households.
God will deal with the sin and rebellion of mankind. He’ll do it through one of Abram’s descendants. He’ll work through Abram to bring blessing to all the families of the earth.
Christmas time is rightly a time of blessing. It’s rightly a time of family. It’s rightly a time to share together but not because a red suited, reindeer riding jolly old man comes along. The real man, the God-man has come and has opened the door way of blessing to all families. When we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s not forget Jesus - the reason for the season.
Prayer:-
> Pray that each one in your congregation would fully understand the meaning of Christmas.
> Pray that each family would have opportunity to bring many to church over Christmas to hear about Christ.
> Pray for growth in your congregation.
When God called Abram He made great promises to the man. He promised to make Abraham into a great nation. He would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or as numerous as the grains of sand along the beach. God had commanded both Adam/Eve and Noah to populate the earth and to fill it. Neither one was willing to do that. So now God takes the initiative upon Himself and will fill the world with people that love and serve Him as God.
Abram will have a great land. The land of Eden was lost, closed off after the fall. Through Abraham and his descendants the Promised Land would be inhabited. God Himself would do what mankind had failed to do.
Others will be blessed and cursed in their attitude towards Abram. Those who bless Abram will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. God will treat others according to the way they treat His own people.
And finally God will bless all the families of the earth through Abram and his descendants. Unfortunately the NIV translates this verse as ’and all the people’s of the earth will be blessed through you’. The word ‘peoples’ fits nicely into our western individualistic culture. The Hebrew original more correctly reads, ‘and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed’. We simply cannot escape the fact that God has always dealt with family units. Noah was a righteous man and was called to build the ark. Who entered the ark with Noah? His wife and his children - even though there’s no mention of their righteousness! He called Abram and later commanded that his children be circumcised when they reach 8 days of age. They would still be far too young to believe in God or affirm their status as Israelites!!! The nation of Israel, when it celebrated the Pass Over and other celebrations would expressly involve children in the ceremonies and festivals.
After the coming of Jesus we continue to see this blessing to entire families. Read Acts 16 and note what is said about whole households.
God will deal with the sin and rebellion of mankind. He’ll do it through one of Abram’s descendants. He’ll work through Abram to bring blessing to all the families of the earth.
Christmas time is rightly a time of blessing. It’s rightly a time of family. It’s rightly a time to share together but not because a red suited, reindeer riding jolly old man comes along. The real man, the God-man has come and has opened the door way of blessing to all families. When we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s not forget Jesus - the reason for the season.
Prayer:-
> Pray that each one in your congregation would fully understand the meaning of Christmas.
> Pray that each family would have opportunity to bring many to church over Christmas to hear about Christ.
> Pray for growth in your congregation.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Tuesday November 16, 2010
Read Genesis 1-12
(actually just glance over them to make sure you understand the history up to chapter 12).
Read Genesis 12:1-3
The world didn’t really get off to a great start did it? After God created the perfect world and gave mankind every possible blessing, even the blessing of being with Him in the Garden, our first parents decided to disobey God. The world has been spiralling downwards ever since. Evolution tells us that the world is getting better and working its way upwards by chance and natural selection. God tells us we are spiralling downwards in sin and depravity.
As Adam and Eve come out of the Garden they have many children. Read Genesis 5:1-5 to pick up what I mean. The history of the first two sons (Cain and Able) is recorded but the rest are not, except for that brief mention in Genesis 5. (BTW - that’s where Cain got his wife from, if anyone asks you!!). And it’s not a particularly bright record. Cain is jealous and kills his brother! Shortly after this, Lamech takes excessive revenge upon a man who injured him. By chapter 6 God is grieved at the sinfulness of mankind. By the end of the flood as human numbers are rising again, you would think that humanity would stay close to God and seek to obey Him. Yet what we see is the exact opposite. As chapter 11 starts we see that mankind have decided to congregate together rather than spread out and fill the earth - as commanded to Adam and Noah! They decide to build a monument to their own great name, effectively leaving God out of the picture. They decide to stand apart from God, united together under their own great name! God is grieved and spreads mankind over the face of the earth. He confuses their languages and makes communication all but impossible. The half-completed tower is left unattended as each new ethnic group struggles to make it on its own.
It’s in this rebellious world that the narrative of Abraham starts. The genealogy of Shem links us to Terah and then to Abram. He’s called by God to leave his family and to go to an as yet-unknown land. God makes great promises to Abram.
Let’s stop there and think in big picture images for a moment. God has called Abram after years of rebellion and sin. He’s made great promises to Abram. Why? What’s going on? What has all this to do with
Christmas? What God is effectively doing is calling Abram as a means of turning around the rebellion of humanity. What God is planning is a blessing to all the families of the earth through Abram and his descendants. What God is doing is blessing mankind amid the rejection and betrayal.
The birth of our Saviour on the first Christmas is not the start of that blessing. It’s the continuation of what began way back in Genesis. It’s the signal that God’s undeserved and totally gracious blessing is about to be poured out upon the earth. The first Christmas is God’s signal, God’s siren, telling the world that He is about to deal with mankind’s rebellion and rejection and open the way back to Eden that was closed off in Genesis 3.
Take time out today with your family to talk about the real meaning of Christmas.
Prayer:-
> Pray that this Christmas will see many people at church to hear about the salvation of Christ Jesus.
> Pray that you will have opportunities to talk of Christ’s birth with friends and relatives and neighbours.
> Pray that our brothers and sisters in Myanmar will have open doors to evangelise, to share their faith and to make disciples of nations.
(actually just glance over them to make sure you understand the history up to chapter 12).
Read Genesis 12:1-3
The world didn’t really get off to a great start did it? After God created the perfect world and gave mankind every possible blessing, even the blessing of being with Him in the Garden, our first parents decided to disobey God. The world has been spiralling downwards ever since. Evolution tells us that the world is getting better and working its way upwards by chance and natural selection. God tells us we are spiralling downwards in sin and depravity.
As Adam and Eve come out of the Garden they have many children. Read Genesis 5:1-5 to pick up what I mean. The history of the first two sons (Cain and Able) is recorded but the rest are not, except for that brief mention in Genesis 5. (BTW - that’s where Cain got his wife from, if anyone asks you!!). And it’s not a particularly bright record. Cain is jealous and kills his brother! Shortly after this, Lamech takes excessive revenge upon a man who injured him. By chapter 6 God is grieved at the sinfulness of mankind. By the end of the flood as human numbers are rising again, you would think that humanity would stay close to God and seek to obey Him. Yet what we see is the exact opposite. As chapter 11 starts we see that mankind have decided to congregate together rather than spread out and fill the earth - as commanded to Adam and Noah! They decide to build a monument to their own great name, effectively leaving God out of the picture. They decide to stand apart from God, united together under their own great name! God is grieved and spreads mankind over the face of the earth. He confuses their languages and makes communication all but impossible. The half-completed tower is left unattended as each new ethnic group struggles to make it on its own.
It’s in this rebellious world that the narrative of Abraham starts. The genealogy of Shem links us to Terah and then to Abram. He’s called by God to leave his family and to go to an as yet-unknown land. God makes great promises to Abram.
Let’s stop there and think in big picture images for a moment. God has called Abram after years of rebellion and sin. He’s made great promises to Abram. Why? What’s going on? What has all this to do with
Christmas? What God is effectively doing is calling Abram as a means of turning around the rebellion of humanity. What God is planning is a blessing to all the families of the earth through Abram and his descendants. What God is doing is blessing mankind amid the rejection and betrayal.
The birth of our Saviour on the first Christmas is not the start of that blessing. It’s the continuation of what began way back in Genesis. It’s the signal that God’s undeserved and totally gracious blessing is about to be poured out upon the earth. The first Christmas is God’s signal, God’s siren, telling the world that He is about to deal with mankind’s rebellion and rejection and open the way back to Eden that was closed off in Genesis 3.
Take time out today with your family to talk about the real meaning of Christmas.
Prayer:-
> Pray that this Christmas will see many people at church to hear about the salvation of Christ Jesus.
> Pray that you will have opportunities to talk of Christ’s birth with friends and relatives and neighbours.
> Pray that our brothers and sisters in Myanmar will have open doors to evangelise, to share their faith and to make disciples of nations.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Monday November 15
Read Ephesians 1:1-6. 1 Peter 1:18-21
As we move foreword rapidly to Christmas let me encourage you to slow down and to take time regularly (would daily be pushing my luck???) to think deeply about the meaning and the history of Christmas - it really is more than an old fat-man wearing a ridiculously red suit climbing down your non-existent chimney and leaving presents for you and the children.
Have you ever really taken time to think through the wonder of Christmas? Have you ever thought about where Christmas began and why it began?
Obviously, the first Christmas began with the birth of our Saviour - Jesus of Nazareth but the idea of Christmas began well before that. Read Ephesians 1:4 and 1 Peter 1:20. Christ was chosen from before the world’s creation to be our Saviour. Even more so, you and I were chosen to come to Christ for salvation before the creation of the world. The mind boggles as to the supreme wisdom of God who can choose us in Christ and still allow us to come freely to Christ by our own volition!
But let’s focus on Christ and not ourselves (that’s always a good idea, isn’t it??). Jesus was chosen from before the creation of the world to be our Saviour. That means the whole Old Testament is a preparation for his coming. That means we should be able to read through the former covenant and find traces and glimpses that point forward to His coming. That is exactly what we find in the Old Testament. Those who knew God and were close to God were watching intently, waiting for the true Saviour to be revealed.
And on the first Christmas, some 2,000 years ago our Saviour was born - not with trumpet blast and fanfare but humbly, in a stable with lowly shepherds and Eastern Star gazers giving Him glory. Such a small, seemingly insignificant event would grow to change the very fabric of society, the nature of the world and bring light and hope to millions upon millions of lost souls.
Daily Diary
Often our prayers reflect our immediate concerns and issues. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with praying through these issues. It’s even commanded in Scripture. However, we can have a more fulfilling, more rewarding time with God as we add a depth to our prayers and a quality to our time with God. Let me suggest that you journal for the duration of this sermon series and then re-evaluate your prayer time/ quiet time with our Lord. For journaling, you can use a note pad, an exercise book or even an electronic device like a phone or pda. I prefer to use my phone as it has music on it, a Bible and a place to take notes but use whatever suit your situation and level.
The following structure of prayer takes about an hour to work through and adds depth of prayer and biblical input into your life. The headings are listed with a short description what each entails.
Today: Use today’s Date as a heading for future reference.
Take a few minutes to think about the day you’ve had and jot down the pertinent points. Include feelings, reflections, leadings by God, good points, bad points etc.
This will help clear your mind and get you ready to focus on God. It will help you get a better perspective on what to pray about.
Forgiveness
Jot down what you’ve done today that displeased God. Ask for forgiveness and meditate upon some forgiveness passages.
Keep short accounts with God. Don’t let sin build up. Honestly seek His forgiveness each day.
Today’s Passage: Hezekiah 15:32
Read a passage of Scripture and jot down what happened or what is said. Note what you learn and what strikes you as amazing. Make a note of other relevant passages and the relationships you observe.
The more you do this, the easier it gets. Don’t worry if you can’t write a commentary the first time around!
Praise:
Given the passage you’ve just read, how can you praise God. Think about the day you’ve had and the passage you’ve read and spend time praising God.
Include only heart felt praises here not stuff you think you have to praise God for. Focus on what you’ve witnessed God doing.
Supplication:
This is where we pray the normal type of prayers asking God to intervene in our lives and others’ lives.
If you keep a mental list through the day you can jot them down here.
Keep space for answers.
Adoration:
This is where we thank God and declare God to be amazing. Focus on God and His characteristics, not on what He’s done. Read Psalm 29 to see an example or Romans 11:33-36. Here you can play a “worship” song and sing to God. You can sing your own favourite song to God in adoration.
By adoring God we grow in love for God. Don’t leave this out, even though it’s hard at first.
What’s God Saying to me?
Briefly read over all you’ve written today and think about What God is saying to you. Think about how today’s time with God will change your life and what God wants you to be doing.
What God is saying will never contradict Scripture. Think about your life and your own situation.
As you begin to diarise or journal with God, make sure that you are comfortable and free from interruption for about an hour. Make sure that you have everything you need at your fingertips - pens, paper, bible, CD for music if necessary.
Each day when you begin your time with God, spend a few moments to look back over where you and God have been so far. Take time to jot down answers to your prayers. Re-reading them will greatly encourage you. Don’t forget to share the answers with others.
Finally try to meet with God in the same place each and every day. It builds momentum, expectation and allows you to get into a routine that is helpful, beneficial and comfortable.
As we move foreword rapidly to Christmas let me encourage you to slow down and to take time regularly (would daily be pushing my luck???) to think deeply about the meaning and the history of Christmas - it really is more than an old fat-man wearing a ridiculously red suit climbing down your non-existent chimney and leaving presents for you and the children.
Have you ever really taken time to think through the wonder of Christmas? Have you ever thought about where Christmas began and why it began?
Obviously, the first Christmas began with the birth of our Saviour - Jesus of Nazareth but the idea of Christmas began well before that. Read Ephesians 1:4 and 1 Peter 1:20. Christ was chosen from before the world’s creation to be our Saviour. Even more so, you and I were chosen to come to Christ for salvation before the creation of the world. The mind boggles as to the supreme wisdom of God who can choose us in Christ and still allow us to come freely to Christ by our own volition!
But let’s focus on Christ and not ourselves (that’s always a good idea, isn’t it??). Jesus was chosen from before the creation of the world to be our Saviour. That means the whole Old Testament is a preparation for his coming. That means we should be able to read through the former covenant and find traces and glimpses that point forward to His coming. That is exactly what we find in the Old Testament. Those who knew God and were close to God were watching intently, waiting for the true Saviour to be revealed.
And on the first Christmas, some 2,000 years ago our Saviour was born - not with trumpet blast and fanfare but humbly, in a stable with lowly shepherds and Eastern Star gazers giving Him glory. Such a small, seemingly insignificant event would grow to change the very fabric of society, the nature of the world and bring light and hope to millions upon millions of lost souls.
Daily Diary
Often our prayers reflect our immediate concerns and issues. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with praying through these issues. It’s even commanded in Scripture. However, we can have a more fulfilling, more rewarding time with God as we add a depth to our prayers and a quality to our time with God. Let me suggest that you journal for the duration of this sermon series and then re-evaluate your prayer time/ quiet time with our Lord. For journaling, you can use a note pad, an exercise book or even an electronic device like a phone or pda. I prefer to use my phone as it has music on it, a Bible and a place to take notes but use whatever suit your situation and level.
The following structure of prayer takes about an hour to work through and adds depth of prayer and biblical input into your life. The headings are listed with a short description what each entails.
Today: Use today’s Date as a heading for future reference.
Take a few minutes to think about the day you’ve had and jot down the pertinent points. Include feelings, reflections, leadings by God, good points, bad points etc.
This will help clear your mind and get you ready to focus on God. It will help you get a better perspective on what to pray about.
Forgiveness
Jot down what you’ve done today that displeased God. Ask for forgiveness and meditate upon some forgiveness passages.
Keep short accounts with God. Don’t let sin build up. Honestly seek His forgiveness each day.
Today’s Passage: Hezekiah 15:32
Read a passage of Scripture and jot down what happened or what is said. Note what you learn and what strikes you as amazing. Make a note of other relevant passages and the relationships you observe.
The more you do this, the easier it gets. Don’t worry if you can’t write a commentary the first time around!
Praise:
Given the passage you’ve just read, how can you praise God. Think about the day you’ve had and the passage you’ve read and spend time praising God.
Include only heart felt praises here not stuff you think you have to praise God for. Focus on what you’ve witnessed God doing.
Supplication:
This is where we pray the normal type of prayers asking God to intervene in our lives and others’ lives.
If you keep a mental list through the day you can jot them down here.
Keep space for answers.
Adoration:
This is where we thank God and declare God to be amazing. Focus on God and His characteristics, not on what He’s done. Read Psalm 29 to see an example or Romans 11:33-36. Here you can play a “worship” song and sing to God. You can sing your own favourite song to God in adoration.
By adoring God we grow in love for God. Don’t leave this out, even though it’s hard at first.
What’s God Saying to me?
Briefly read over all you’ve written today and think about What God is saying to you. Think about how today’s time with God will change your life and what God wants you to be doing.
What God is saying will never contradict Scripture. Think about your life and your own situation.
As you begin to diarise or journal with God, make sure that you are comfortable and free from interruption for about an hour. Make sure that you have everything you need at your fingertips - pens, paper, bible, CD for music if necessary.
Each day when you begin your time with God, spend a few moments to look back over where you and God have been so far. Take time to jot down answers to your prayers. Re-reading them will greatly encourage you. Don’t forget to share the answers with others.
Finally try to meet with God in the same place each and every day. It builds momentum, expectation and allows you to get into a routine that is helpful, beneficial and comfortable.
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