Read 2 Peter 1:1-2. Romans 5:1-11
As Christians we tend to throw around the jargon of Christianity. Sometimes the words become so secondary to our nature that we don’t stop to think about what those words mean and what they are communicating to us. Grace and peace are two such words. Imagine a non Christian reading 2 Peter 1:1-2 and then asking you what grace and peace are all about. How would you answer?
When we talk about peace with God we are talking about the complete removal of God’s anger and wrath and hostility towards us. It took the death of God’s one and only Son to bring about peace between you and God. Peace is the outcome of your justification. When you put your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God wiped your record clean and wrote over it, ‘Fully Pardoned’. God didn’t just ignore your sinful record but chose to pour out His wrath and indignation upon His very own Son, Christ Jesus. Instead of punishing you, God punished a substitute. He now chooses to love you freely. He chooses to love you freely as a son. He chooses to freely write your name on Jesus’ last will and testament so that you are a son and an heir. In loving you freely God pours out heavens treasures upon you and lavishes you with His blessings.
This is what it means to be at peace with God. God doesn’t hate you! God isn’t waiting for you to slip up again so He can wallop you. God isn’t skulking around trying to catch you out. God isn’t storing up a mental note of all your sins and short comings. God loves you. Read that again. God loves you. You and God are at peace with one another.
Every time you choose to sin you are throwing mud in God’s face. Each time you entertain sin in your heart or mind you are pushing away this God who loves you immensely. Is that what you really want to be doing? Is that how you really want to treat the God who has entered into a peace arrangement with you? Is that how I want to respond to the greatest act of love you’ve ever received? Of course you don’t. When you are tempted, think and meditate upon what you are saying to God, the God who has saved you, by indulging in your passions and lusts. How do you want to treat the great God Almighty, who gave His Son Jesus to be punished in my place?’ Personally, I’ve found it’s very hard to sin wilfully when you’re meditating on what God has given you and done for you.
Prayer:-
V Pray that the children we are sponsoring through Compassion will grow and mature into a strong faith that changes the world they live in. Pray that God would bring great blessing to the local community through the partner church we are working with.
Pray daily that God would help you understand what it means to have his grace and peace in your life.
V Pray that God would be binding the India Mission Team and the Burma Mission team. Ask God to prepare the way for both teams to have valuable input into the lives of the orphanage and college where they’ll be working.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Saturday May 7, 2011
Read Hebrews 11
While on mission in Vanuatu I had the immense non pleasure of eating for dinner the chickens that we saw running around that day. They were nothing like the fat plump juicy chickens here in Australia. They were skinny, tough chickens with meat that was strong and chewy and that had obviously worked hard. These Vanuatu chickens are a poor example of culinary quality but a great example of faith in action.
Faith has often been compared to muscle. Muscle that is not used and exercised atrophies very quickly. It becomes soft and weak and pretty much useless. Faith that is not worked turns into fat - great for the dinner plate but not much else. But faith that is worked and exercised toughens up and grows. It really is like our muscles. When we exercise and put our muscles under strain they grow bigger and stronger. The more you put your faith to work, stepping out in faith, the more your trust in God and the more you will grow and the more you will step out in faith. It is a wonderful increasing, positive cycle to be in. As you see God work in small circles, you will step out and see Him work in ever increasing circles. Your faith will grow because you will have seen God at work in various areas of your life. You will grow to want to see God at work in other areas of your life.
Are you exercising your faith? Are you stepping out in faith moment by moment. Are you venturing beyond the comfort zones and safety zones currently in your life? Are you looking for areas to serve and to strengthen your faith? Each and every Sonday you have ample opportunities to step out in faith. What will your faith look like tomorrow? How will your faith express itself? What acts of service and ministry will well up from your faith tomorrow?
What often happens in believers’ lives is that we choose not to step out in faith (for various reasons usually founded on fear or desire for self gratification). The time and the void left in our lives is then filled with something else - usually something sinful to remove the guilt of not stepping out in faith. That sin will grow and take over our lives as we continue to sit in faith-lessness. The solution is to seek God’s forgiveness and to start talking small steps of faith. The solution is to start walking forward in faith, refusing to sit and be idle or self indulgent. Why not make a list of things you can be doing by faith on Sondays with your Christian brethren. Why not prayerfully ask God what He wants you to be faithfully involved in at your local church? Why not ask God to forgive you for not stepping out in faith and start taking small steps?
Prayer:-
V Pray that God would grow the faith of each and every believer gathered in your congregation. Pray that the whole day will be a faith filled day where God works powerfully among you all. Pray that the word of God would be powerful and active among your congregation, with each person sitting under its authority.
V Pray that the gospel will be clearly preached tomorrow throughout this land.
While on mission in Vanuatu I had the immense non pleasure of eating for dinner the chickens that we saw running around that day. They were nothing like the fat plump juicy chickens here in Australia. They were skinny, tough chickens with meat that was strong and chewy and that had obviously worked hard. These Vanuatu chickens are a poor example of culinary quality but a great example of faith in action.
Faith has often been compared to muscle. Muscle that is not used and exercised atrophies very quickly. It becomes soft and weak and pretty much useless. Faith that is not worked turns into fat - great for the dinner plate but not much else. But faith that is worked and exercised toughens up and grows. It really is like our muscles. When we exercise and put our muscles under strain they grow bigger and stronger. The more you put your faith to work, stepping out in faith, the more your trust in God and the more you will grow and the more you will step out in faith. It is a wonderful increasing, positive cycle to be in. As you see God work in small circles, you will step out and see Him work in ever increasing circles. Your faith will grow because you will have seen God at work in various areas of your life. You will grow to want to see God at work in other areas of your life.
Are you exercising your faith? Are you stepping out in faith moment by moment. Are you venturing beyond the comfort zones and safety zones currently in your life? Are you looking for areas to serve and to strengthen your faith? Each and every Sonday you have ample opportunities to step out in faith. What will your faith look like tomorrow? How will your faith express itself? What acts of service and ministry will well up from your faith tomorrow?
What often happens in believers’ lives is that we choose not to step out in faith (for various reasons usually founded on fear or desire for self gratification). The time and the void left in our lives is then filled with something else - usually something sinful to remove the guilt of not stepping out in faith. That sin will grow and take over our lives as we continue to sit in faith-lessness. The solution is to seek God’s forgiveness and to start talking small steps of faith. The solution is to start walking forward in faith, refusing to sit and be idle or self indulgent. Why not make a list of things you can be doing by faith on Sondays with your Christian brethren. Why not prayerfully ask God what He wants you to be faithfully involved in at your local church? Why not ask God to forgive you for not stepping out in faith and start taking small steps?
Prayer:-
V Pray that God would grow the faith of each and every believer gathered in your congregation. Pray that the whole day will be a faith filled day where God works powerfully among you all. Pray that the word of God would be powerful and active among your congregation, with each person sitting under its authority.
V Pray that the gospel will be clearly preached tomorrow throughout this land.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Friday May 6, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:1
When you think about the Apostle Peter what do you think about? What images come to mind? Maybe the brash disciple who rebuked Jesus when He started talking about His impending death. Maybe you think about the faithful Peter who stepped off the boat and walked to Jesus in faith. Maybe you think about the work of faith as he and John healed the cripple outside the beautiful gate. Maybe you recall the angel that led him out of prison, past the guards, out of the exit and into freedom. Even though I’m not a betting man, I can bet that you don’t think of Peter who had a faith like yours! When we think of Peter we don’t automatically think, ‘Hey he’s the guy that had a faith just like mine!’ Deep down we really believe his faith was different, probably better or greater than mine. But look at the last four words of vs 1 again.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Your faith is as precious or valuable or effective as Peter’s. There is no difference between his faith and the faith that you have received as a gift! WOW! Your faith is every bit the same as his! God did not grant Peter and the other apostles a different quality of faith and you a lesser quality. They are the same calibre.
The difference often can be attributed to the way we exercise our faith or spend it. Peter was willing to step out in faith at every turn. He was willing to trust God, to take Jesus at His word and to act on it. He was willing to jump out of the boat into stormy waters.
Often we fail to activate our faith because we are afraid. We tend to look at the wind and the waves of life before we jump out of the boat. The end result is that we are just too frightened to jump out in faith. We make excuses. We justify our inactivity. We busy ourselves with committees and non essential work that replaces the real and true calling of our faith. We pretend and lie to ourselves that we are ok. Faith was given to us to spend. It was given to us to enable us to step out of the boat. It was granted to us to allow us to walk in obedience. Our gift of faith was never meant to be put on the shelf as a display or icon that we just stare at. A set of new batteries are completely useless if they just sit on the shelf. The power will never be released until they are activated in or by something. Our faith is like those batteries. It needs to be worked, to be activated. It needs to be put into situations where it can thrive and grow.
Think back over this week. How has your faith been active? How has your faith shown itself? In what ways have you stepped out in faith? Take time to think of the opportunities you had to step out in faith. How could things have changed if you did step out in faith.
When you think about the Apostle Peter what do you think about? What images come to mind? Maybe the brash disciple who rebuked Jesus when He started talking about His impending death. Maybe you think about the faithful Peter who stepped off the boat and walked to Jesus in faith. Maybe you think about the work of faith as he and John healed the cripple outside the beautiful gate. Maybe you recall the angel that led him out of prison, past the guards, out of the exit and into freedom. Even though I’m not a betting man, I can bet that you don’t think of Peter who had a faith like yours! When we think of Peter we don’t automatically think, ‘Hey he’s the guy that had a faith just like mine!’ Deep down we really believe his faith was different, probably better or greater than mine. But look at the last four words of vs 1 again.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Your faith is as precious or valuable or effective as Peter’s. There is no difference between his faith and the faith that you have received as a gift! WOW! Your faith is every bit the same as his! God did not grant Peter and the other apostles a different quality of faith and you a lesser quality. They are the same calibre.
The difference often can be attributed to the way we exercise our faith or spend it. Peter was willing to step out in faith at every turn. He was willing to trust God, to take Jesus at His word and to act on it. He was willing to jump out of the boat into stormy waters.
Often we fail to activate our faith because we are afraid. We tend to look at the wind and the waves of life before we jump out of the boat. The end result is that we are just too frightened to jump out in faith. We make excuses. We justify our inactivity. We busy ourselves with committees and non essential work that replaces the real and true calling of our faith. We pretend and lie to ourselves that we are ok. Faith was given to us to spend. It was given to us to enable us to step out of the boat. It was granted to us to allow us to walk in obedience. Our gift of faith was never meant to be put on the shelf as a display or icon that we just stare at. A set of new batteries are completely useless if they just sit on the shelf. The power will never be released until they are activated in or by something. Our faith is like those batteries. It needs to be worked, to be activated. It needs to be put into situations where it can thrive and grow.
Think back over this week. How has your faith been active? How has your faith shown itself? In what ways have you stepped out in faith? Take time to think of the opportunities you had to step out in faith. How could things have changed if you did step out in faith.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Thursday May 5, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:1. Romans 4
Put yourself in these shoes. While you are shopping with your young son you catch him from the corner of your eye. As he walks past the lolly aisle he quickly reaches out, slips a chocolate bar in his pocket and pretends that nothing has happened. As you work through the issue of repentance and forgiveness, you offer him complete forgiveness and promise to love him freely. Of course you do. He’s your son! But as you shop with your son the very next time, he repeats his actions! He again slips a lolly into his pocket thinking that he’s fooled you and gotten away with it. When you talk to him he says bluntly, ‘But you’ll forgive me anyway!’.
If you can begin to feel that father’s pain for His son, you can probably feel some of the pain that God feels when we sin against Him and throw forgiveness into His face. When we deliberately sin, thinking that God will forgive me, we are causing infinitely more pain to God than the son caused His father.
Our forgiveness before God, our justification should not cause us to sin more but should motivate us to sin less. The love, the grace that saved a wretch like me, should be driving us and motivating us to live a life that pleases God, not one that hurts Him and causes deep anguish in His heart. In the movie Dangerous Minds, Michelle Pfeiffer stars as a renegade teacher who takes on the worst class in the worst school. But rather than condemn the students she gives them straight A’s. That one act of grace slowly but surely transforms the students and causes them to strive to be all that they can be. God, in justifying you, has given you a straight A. He has given you the perfect record of Christ Jesus. Rather than move you to more wilful sin, that one act of grace should motivate you and cause you to strive to be all that you can be in Christ.
Having been given the gift of faith, what are you striving for? What are you aiming at? Having received the baton of faith, what are you running for? In which direction are you running?
Prayer:-
V Pray for the Chaplains at Harristown Primary and High School. Pray that we will see many children come to the faith through their witness and work. Pray that the regulations on their work will not cause barriers. Pray for open doors to share the gospel.
V Pray that each public school and state high school in Toowoomba will have the required number of SRE teachers so that every child/student receives the full number of SRE hours allotted to them. Pray that God will raise up an army of disciples in these schools.
Put yourself in these shoes. While you are shopping with your young son you catch him from the corner of your eye. As he walks past the lolly aisle he quickly reaches out, slips a chocolate bar in his pocket and pretends that nothing has happened. As you work through the issue of repentance and forgiveness, you offer him complete forgiveness and promise to love him freely. Of course you do. He’s your son! But as you shop with your son the very next time, he repeats his actions! He again slips a lolly into his pocket thinking that he’s fooled you and gotten away with it. When you talk to him he says bluntly, ‘But you’ll forgive me anyway!’.
If you can begin to feel that father’s pain for His son, you can probably feel some of the pain that God feels when we sin against Him and throw forgiveness into His face. When we deliberately sin, thinking that God will forgive me, we are causing infinitely more pain to God than the son caused His father.
Our forgiveness before God, our justification should not cause us to sin more but should motivate us to sin less. The love, the grace that saved a wretch like me, should be driving us and motivating us to live a life that pleases God, not one that hurts Him and causes deep anguish in His heart. In the movie Dangerous Minds, Michelle Pfeiffer stars as a renegade teacher who takes on the worst class in the worst school. But rather than condemn the students she gives them straight A’s. That one act of grace slowly but surely transforms the students and causes them to strive to be all that they can be. God, in justifying you, has given you a straight A. He has given you the perfect record of Christ Jesus. Rather than move you to more wilful sin, that one act of grace should motivate you and cause you to strive to be all that you can be in Christ.
Having been given the gift of faith, what are you striving for? What are you aiming at? Having received the baton of faith, what are you running for? In which direction are you running?
Prayer:-
V Pray for the Chaplains at Harristown Primary and High School. Pray that we will see many children come to the faith through their witness and work. Pray that the regulations on their work will not cause barriers. Pray for open doors to share the gospel.
V Pray that each public school and state high school in Toowoomba will have the required number of SRE teachers so that every child/student receives the full number of SRE hours allotted to them. Pray that God will raise up an army of disciples in these schools.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Wednesday May 4, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:1, passage re righteousness of God
There’s a direct correlation between the gift a child receives and the expression on his/her face. The bigger or more expensive the gift, the greater the joy and exuberance at receiving it.
To understand the enormity of the gift of faith we have received from God we have to dwell a little on His righteousness. You have received the gift of faith through the righteousness of God. That’s an easy phrase to skip over and to miss. When we talk of the righteousness of God we mean that God is so holy and so just that He will punish all sin and wickedness. By accepting the righteousness of God we admit that we too deserve His wrath and anger because we too have the stains of unrighteousness on our record.
For you and I to be given the gift of faith meant that our unrighteousness had to be dealt with. It couldn’t be forgotten or just swept under the carpet. It couldn’t be ignored and pretended not to be there. It could not be passed over as irrelevant. God in His righteousness has to deal justly with our sins. To understand the seriousness of sin, think about a bride on her wedding day. Even the smallest spot or stain will ruin the dress and the day. God is purer and more holy than the whitest wedding dress. The smallest sin stands out like that stain on the dress and has to be dealt with.
God in His righteousness dealt with our sins completely and justly. He gave it the complete punishment that it deserved. God poured out His anger and indignation for our sins, for each and every single one of them... but He didn’t pour it out on us. He
poured it out on His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
What stirs in your heart as you read that? Do tears of joy well up at the grace you have received? I hope they do. Do you choke on the tears knowing that God’s love was so great that He didn’t spare His only Son, His one and only Son. He gave up His beloved and infinitely close Son to cruel treatment, to whipping, to scourging, to betrayal, to cruel nails ... even to death and separation from Himself. God the Father turned His face away from God the Son so that you can be granted faith.
Prayer:-
V Spend time praising God for what He’s done for you in giving you the gift of faith. Spend time praising God over Scripture. Use Romans 8:1 or 1 John 1:9. See below for an example.
V Spend time praying for the India Mission Team and the Myanmar Mission Team. Pray that God would be working powerfully to bind the team, to pave the way for productive work to be done and to bring great blessings to both orphanages and colleges.
An example of praise based on Romans 8:1.
“Father God, you are so righteous and holy. You have given up your one and only son Jesus to die on the cross for all my sins. Thank you Lord God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross. Thank you God that through Jesus I face no condemnation. I praise you that you have done all this for me, even when I was a sinner and still rejecting you. I praise you that I will be with you in heaven for all eternity….’
An example of prayer based on 1 John 1:9.
‘Lord God Almighty you are a holy God. Your word is truth. In your word I read that anyone who steals commits a sin. Father I have sinned. I have acted against you and your word. Forgive me Father. I promise to never steal again. I will not place myself in tempting situations… You are righteous Lord and I praise you that through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross I have complete forgiveness for stealing. Thank you God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross….’
Incorporating this kind of prayer and praise into your daily prayer time will bring about deep seated change. As you praise God for forgiving you for your specific sins and as you praise Him for His grace to you, it will become harder to sin and easier to choose that which pleases the God you’ve been praising all week.
Write down the issue or sin you are struggling with. Be specific and detailed.
Spend time telling God that you are sorry for your sin. Ask God to forgive you for the sin. Admit He is right and you were wrong. Promise to work against that sin in the future. Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God.
There’s a direct correlation between the gift a child receives and the expression on his/her face. The bigger or more expensive the gift, the greater the joy and exuberance at receiving it.
To understand the enormity of the gift of faith we have received from God we have to dwell a little on His righteousness. You have received the gift of faith through the righteousness of God. That’s an easy phrase to skip over and to miss. When we talk of the righteousness of God we mean that God is so holy and so just that He will punish all sin and wickedness. By accepting the righteousness of God we admit that we too deserve His wrath and anger because we too have the stains of unrighteousness on our record.
For you and I to be given the gift of faith meant that our unrighteousness had to be dealt with. It couldn’t be forgotten or just swept under the carpet. It couldn’t be ignored and pretended not to be there. It could not be passed over as irrelevant. God in His righteousness has to deal justly with our sins. To understand the seriousness of sin, think about a bride on her wedding day. Even the smallest spot or stain will ruin the dress and the day. God is purer and more holy than the whitest wedding dress. The smallest sin stands out like that stain on the dress and has to be dealt with.
God in His righteousness dealt with our sins completely and justly. He gave it the complete punishment that it deserved. God poured out His anger and indignation for our sins, for each and every single one of them... but He didn’t pour it out on us. He
poured it out on His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
What stirs in your heart as you read that? Do tears of joy well up at the grace you have received? I hope they do. Do you choke on the tears knowing that God’s love was so great that He didn’t spare His only Son, His one and only Son. He gave up His beloved and infinitely close Son to cruel treatment, to whipping, to scourging, to betrayal, to cruel nails ... even to death and separation from Himself. God the Father turned His face away from God the Son so that you can be granted faith.
Prayer:-
V Spend time praising God for what He’s done for you in giving you the gift of faith. Spend time praising God over Scripture. Use Romans 8:1 or 1 John 1:9. See below for an example.
V Spend time praying for the India Mission Team and the Myanmar Mission Team. Pray that God would be working powerfully to bind the team, to pave the way for productive work to be done and to bring great blessings to both orphanages and colleges.
An example of praise based on Romans 8:1.
“Father God, you are so righteous and holy. You have given up your one and only son Jesus to die on the cross for all my sins. Thank you Lord God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross. Thank you God that through Jesus I face no condemnation. I praise you that you have done all this for me, even when I was a sinner and still rejecting you. I praise you that I will be with you in heaven for all eternity….’
An example of prayer based on 1 John 1:9.
‘Lord God Almighty you are a holy God. Your word is truth. In your word I read that anyone who steals commits a sin. Father I have sinned. I have acted against you and your word. Forgive me Father. I promise to never steal again. I will not place myself in tempting situations… You are righteous Lord and I praise you that through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross I have complete forgiveness for stealing. Thank you God for loving me enough to send Jesus to die on the cross….’
Incorporating this kind of prayer and praise into your daily prayer time will bring about deep seated change. As you praise God for forgiving you for your specific sins and as you praise Him for His grace to you, it will become harder to sin and easier to choose that which pleases the God you’ve been praising all week.
Write down the issue or sin you are struggling with. Be specific and detailed.
Spend time telling God that you are sorry for your sin. Ask God to forgive you for the sin. Admit He is right and you were wrong. Promise to work against that sin in the future. Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Tuesday May 3, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:1. Acts 11:18. Ephesians 2
A man shared his testimony in a church. Tell me what’s wrong with his testimony, having read 2 Peter 1:1.
“I spent years searching for some meaning. My life, though filled with riches and awards and achievements and the most incredible pleasures you could ever imagine, was incredibly empty. I needed something. I needed fulfilment. So I tried all the different religions but they never worked. Then I searched out Christianity. I answered all the big questions by doing the research. I found out the truth and I filled the void in my life with Christ Jesus....”
When we read the Scriptures carefully we see that faith is a gift graciously given to us by God through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus via the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are literally a blind man that God grants sight to. Though we have a role to play, it is a passive role of reception and immense gratitude, not of achieving and discovering. Faith is a revelation - a disclosing of something that you and I cannot discover or uncover for ourselves. God has graciously given us an amazing gift - faith!
Yet faith in and of itself doesn’t exist. It cannot exist by itself. Our faith has to be in something or someone. When you say you are a man/woman of faith, what do you put your faith in? That’s a pertinent question that will determine the choices you make and the way that you walk through the fires of life. If I put my faith in God’s ability to heal, then when I get terminally sick, I’m more liable to walk away from God because He didn't perform. If I put my faith in my new cleansed state then when I fall into a sin again I’m liable to slip into deep depression and self hatred, maybe even self abuse or harm. If I put my faith in the God who allows me to love myself, then when I see something unlovable in my life, I may accuse God of being unfaithful and deny him. If I put my faith in the God who blesses me with health, wealth and prosperity then at the first sign of financial trouble I might curse God and dishonour Him by lying and cheating. What have you put your faith in? Take time to verbally answer that question so that you can hear what you really believe and trust.
As a believer in Christ Jesus I believe and trust the following:-
Read them aloud and give the AMEN to each one you agree to.
V I believe that I, in and of myself, do not deserve the love and grace of God but rather His wrath and eternal condemnation.
V God out of love for me sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.
V God, because of His grace, accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf.
V The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to pay the debt for all my sins - past, present and future.
V Jesus died on the cross, was laid in the tomb and on the 3rd day was raised to eternal life. He now reigns supreme at the right hand of God.
V Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him, including me.
V God loves me immensely and sees me as one of His precious children.
V Jesus will return one day to take all believers home to eternal paradise called heaven.
Your faith is a gift to you from God. Every time you sin, you are choosing to squander that gift, to kick it around the floor and to mock God. You need to receive the gift of Faith and nurture it, grow it and mature it.
Prayer:-
V Pray that we will see believers growing in the faith and maturing in their understanding of the Lord through His Word and in their walk with Him. Pray that we will all see more of our faith at work, bearing fruit and bringing glory to God.
V Pray that the Mustard Seed Orphanage will have all the resources it needs to step out in faith, to shine the light of Jesus as they practically care for orphans, widows and the disabled.
A man shared his testimony in a church. Tell me what’s wrong with his testimony, having read 2 Peter 1:1.
“I spent years searching for some meaning. My life, though filled with riches and awards and achievements and the most incredible pleasures you could ever imagine, was incredibly empty. I needed something. I needed fulfilment. So I tried all the different religions but they never worked. Then I searched out Christianity. I answered all the big questions by doing the research. I found out the truth and I filled the void in my life with Christ Jesus....”
When we read the Scriptures carefully we see that faith is a gift graciously given to us by God through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus via the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are literally a blind man that God grants sight to. Though we have a role to play, it is a passive role of reception and immense gratitude, not of achieving and discovering. Faith is a revelation - a disclosing of something that you and I cannot discover or uncover for ourselves. God has graciously given us an amazing gift - faith!
Yet faith in and of itself doesn’t exist. It cannot exist by itself. Our faith has to be in something or someone. When you say you are a man/woman of faith, what do you put your faith in? That’s a pertinent question that will determine the choices you make and the way that you walk through the fires of life. If I put my faith in God’s ability to heal, then when I get terminally sick, I’m more liable to walk away from God because He didn't perform. If I put my faith in my new cleansed state then when I fall into a sin again I’m liable to slip into deep depression and self hatred, maybe even self abuse or harm. If I put my faith in the God who allows me to love myself, then when I see something unlovable in my life, I may accuse God of being unfaithful and deny him. If I put my faith in the God who blesses me with health, wealth and prosperity then at the first sign of financial trouble I might curse God and dishonour Him by lying and cheating. What have you put your faith in? Take time to verbally answer that question so that you can hear what you really believe and trust.
As a believer in Christ Jesus I believe and trust the following:-
Read them aloud and give the AMEN to each one you agree to.
V I believe that I, in and of myself, do not deserve the love and grace of God but rather His wrath and eternal condemnation.
V God out of love for me sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.
V God, because of His grace, accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf.
V The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to pay the debt for all my sins - past, present and future.
V Jesus died on the cross, was laid in the tomb and on the 3rd day was raised to eternal life. He now reigns supreme at the right hand of God.
V Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him, including me.
V God loves me immensely and sees me as one of His precious children.
V Jesus will return one day to take all believers home to eternal paradise called heaven.
Your faith is a gift to you from God. Every time you sin, you are choosing to squander that gift, to kick it around the floor and to mock God. You need to receive the gift of Faith and nurture it, grow it and mature it.
Prayer:-
V Pray that we will see believers growing in the faith and maturing in their understanding of the Lord through His Word and in their walk with Him. Pray that we will all see more of our faith at work, bearing fruit and bringing glory to God.
V Pray that the Mustard Seed Orphanage will have all the resources it needs to step out in faith, to shine the light of Jesus as they practically care for orphans, widows and the disabled.
Monday, 2 May 2011
Monday May 2, 2011
Read Romans 1:5. James 2:14-26
When did you come to the faith? How did you come to the faith? What events led to your believing in Christ Jesus? Many people come to the Lord Jesus, believing in Him but never stopping to analyse, think about or even remotely consider their faith. They are struck by emotion or hurt and respond to the invitation to believe in Jesus and never give it a second thought.
They never think about what faith is and what faith entails. To explain what faith is picture a relay team. As you stand as the second or third or fourth runner, you know that the baton will be passed to you. You trust that the runner will make it to you, and will pass the baton onto you. When we talk about salvation by faith, we mean that you come into God’s “good book” by trusting in the work of Christ and nothing else. You cannot earn your salvation. You cannot buy your salvation. You cannot blackmail God into saving you. As you wait for the runner to pass the baton onto you, you can do nothing but trust. This is our salvation by faith.
But what happens when you receive the baton? Can we expect that I, as the new runner, can simply stand there? How ridiculous! Yet many new believers simply stand where they are in life refusing to run with the Christ-baton passed on to them. Can we expect that I, the new runner, will run the wrong way around the track? How absurd! Yet many new believers continue to run the wrong way around the track, as they continue to indulge in sinful thoughts, activities and experiences. When we receive the baton of faith from Christ Jesus, accepting the faith means running in obedience. It means striving forward to be all that Christ has called us to be. It means learning and growing and maturing in Christ Jesus. Hopefully this booklet will get you running in the right direction.
As you think about faith in your own life, answer these two questions.
How would you describe your faith at present? (Answer verbally)
Finish these sentences, verbally and in writing.
I wish my faith were…
If I had more faith I would….
Sit with a mature Christian and show them your answer to the above two sentences. Ask them what it shows about you.
Prayer:-
V Spend time praying that God would increase your faith and mature it in Christ Jesus. Pray this for everyone in your congregation.
V Pray that many in Burma will come to the faith through the witness of the college students.
When did you come to the faith? How did you come to the faith? What events led to your believing in Christ Jesus? Many people come to the Lord Jesus, believing in Him but never stopping to analyse, think about or even remotely consider their faith. They are struck by emotion or hurt and respond to the invitation to believe in Jesus and never give it a second thought.
They never think about what faith is and what faith entails. To explain what faith is picture a relay team. As you stand as the second or third or fourth runner, you know that the baton will be passed to you. You trust that the runner will make it to you, and will pass the baton onto you. When we talk about salvation by faith, we mean that you come into God’s “good book” by trusting in the work of Christ and nothing else. You cannot earn your salvation. You cannot buy your salvation. You cannot blackmail God into saving you. As you wait for the runner to pass the baton onto you, you can do nothing but trust. This is our salvation by faith.
But what happens when you receive the baton? Can we expect that I, as the new runner, can simply stand there? How ridiculous! Yet many new believers simply stand where they are in life refusing to run with the Christ-baton passed on to them. Can we expect that I, the new runner, will run the wrong way around the track? How absurd! Yet many new believers continue to run the wrong way around the track, as they continue to indulge in sinful thoughts, activities and experiences. When we receive the baton of faith from Christ Jesus, accepting the faith means running in obedience. It means striving forward to be all that Christ has called us to be. It means learning and growing and maturing in Christ Jesus. Hopefully this booklet will get you running in the right direction.
As you think about faith in your own life, answer these two questions.
How would you describe your faith at present? (Answer verbally)
Finish these sentences, verbally and in writing.
I wish my faith were…
If I had more faith I would….
Sit with a mature Christian and show them your answer to the above two sentences. Ask them what it shows about you.
Prayer:-
V Spend time praying that God would increase your faith and mature it in Christ Jesus. Pray this for everyone in your congregation.
V Pray that many in Burma will come to the faith through the witness of the college students.
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