January 8: Romans 10 1-5
Key Verse: Romans 10 4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Devotion:
It is something to look over the various religions and sects of the world and to see how they all have similar beginnings or traits. It is still something further that we can see in many religions how the rules have been changed to suit man. How the truth is distorted so things are more pleasant for the current time. How some things are left out because they are too hard to follow!
But it is no longer about the rules anymore because of what Christ has already done for us. It is no longer a requirement that we obey a set number of rules or follow a set number of requirements other than to believe that Christ was, is, and forever will be the Son of God. We now live in the period of grace – God's grace, given to us through Jesus Christ on the cross. He laid out His plan right from the beginning when He created Adam and Eve, knowing man would fall into temptation and knowing He had to do something special so that we could survive.
In Paul's letter, he reminds people of this, the same then as it is now – other than the fact we have a few thousand years between him and us; but Christ died for all of us and Him grace continues to save each and every one of us who confesses that He is God. Too many people continue to cling to the rules or laws to follow and try to work themselves to heaven. When Christ gave His life, He gave it so we need no longer fulfil the law to be saved and sacrifice our first-born clean animals to be cleansed from our sins. God knew we would get to the stage where we bent the rules to suit ourselves. He knew we would make up our own rules. He knew we would make up our own religions. We have done, almost since the beginning of time. Now it is time to turn back to Christ and thank Him for all He has done, for all He has accomplished, for it is by His grace alone that we can be and are saved.
Points to Ponder:
Do people have to do something for you before they can become your friends?
All we have to do is acknowledge Christ for who He is!
January 7: Luke 16 1-13
Key Verse: Luke 16 8
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Devotion:
Have you ever thought how many seemingly intelligent people never get to church? Have you ever wondered why there are so many intelligent people who simply cannot see that Jesus Christ is Lord? We can come up with all sorts of excuses for this, but the last verse in this passage sums it up nicely “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” We either serve God or we serve ourselves, we cannot follow God's rules as well as our own – many intelligent people choose to serve themselves because they can see a short-term gain, something they can aim for, rather than looking at or seeking eternity.
There are many reasons why we should take note of people like this, not for the fact they are ignoring God, but for the fact that they can achieve so much through diligent work. They separate themselves from everyone else because they are more conscientious than those around them and are more willing to go that extra mile to complete their work. If only Christians would take note of such attitudes and loyalties and be willing to go that extra mile to do God's work!
Jesus tried to show this with this example of a dishonest steward. The steward was commended for the fact he completed the accounts thoroughly before being sacked. The steward set about reducing the debtors debts, which was dishonest but seemingly humane – that is the way man gets through life, by bending the rules to suit himself so he can make friends and influence people! As Christians, we are given God's Word and we are given instructions to go out and tell the world. We need to do that as diligently as the steward did, but by still keeping to God's Word, giving people an example to look up to and to follow. They will see what we do!
Points to Ponder:
Do people see you as a leader or a follower?
Are you ready to show people what God does in your life?
January 6: Romans 14 19-23
Key Verse: Romans 14 23
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Devotion:
There are so many things which people ask of Christians such as “is it ok to drink” or “is it ok to smoke” or “is it ok to eat meat because God made the animals”. Whilst most of these topics are covered in the Bible, people still ask because they may well have been confronted by someone who has objected to what they do or they simply have not read the whole bible.
God has given us instructions that we should take care of this body which He has supplied for us. Wanton destruction of this temple (our body) is the same as telling God face to face that you do not want to follow His rules. This single quote from Christ should rule out most things which are not good for you, but who decided what is good for you? This is where our own judgement needs to kick in – this is after all why God has given us an enquiring mind.
God has given each of us a wonderful brain which can discern when we offend others. We can do this through some of the most minute changes we see in others; a simple raising of the eyebrows or a frown without words. We even feel it when we offend others. God wants us to be able to live in peace with others so we can share in the wonderful life He has given to each of us. He wants us to be able to show His truth through what we do and how we do it. If we are going to blunder through life upsetting everyone, not because of the truth but simply because we want things our own way, then we are taking ourselves above God.
When we offend others because we are thinking of ourselves before anyone else, we are hurting His people. Each one of us is of Christ, so when we hurt someone else, we are acting against God. Holding up our own greed, desires or wants instead of following Christ's example is us thinking of ourselves before God. It is a hard line to follow, but not so hard if we ask Him to guide us...
Points to Ponder:
Who do you think of first in your group of friends?
Is Christ really first in your life?
January 5: Matthew 23 13-33
Key Verse: Matthew 23 25
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Devotion:
I could just imagine being in the crowd watching Jesus as He berated the scribes and Pharisees, cringing as He delivered each of the eight woes. Could you imagine being shown up in front of your home crowd in a manner like this, knowing you are in the wrong and knowing that every word which comes out of your accuser’s mouth was the truth? I think I would want to curl up and die quietly in a dark corner!
Jesus spoke what was on His heart, knowing exactly what people needed to hear in order to get them to listen to the truth. The more rotten anything is on the inside, the more you have to scrub to get it clean. The more ground in the dirt, the more detergents you have to use to get rid of that dirt... but just like pans which have dirt baked into them, some of those stains seem like they just do not want to be shifted.
Christ gives us all the same choices in our lives, and they are our choices to make. Many would say society excludes some people from being able to make the right choice – but as long as they hear the right method or truth at least once, they have the same choices to make. Even people in the most depraved areas have heard good things, but they make choices based on their most frequent experiences. Maybe they do need to hear more good things before they can start to see what is wrong in their lives, maybe they need to hear strong words like Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees.
But it is not just people in depraved areas we are talking about. Most of these people Jesus was addressing were in high positions and socially acceptable to all. Yet they chose their own emotions over what God wanted in their lives. They chose to follow what they imagined was good for them rather than believing the truth as it was being told. We today continue to choose for ourselves, often choosing the path of least resistance rather than what we know to be right...
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever thought about how many choices you make each day?
How many do you involve Christ in?
January 4: Matthew 13 18-23
Key Verse: Matthew 13 23
But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Devotion:
What good is getting something for Christmas if you are not going to do anything with it? What joy can be gained by leaving a present unopened? What joy would the giver be able to have if the receiver does not open the present? What joy can then be had by either if the receiver does not ever look upon that gift again? It is strange how times have changed so we no longer look at parables like this and understand them immediately, so let’s change it to another parable of our own...
If there was one Christmas tree in a public place and some real presents put under it without names on, others could come along and take the presents which may have been meant for you and not them. How the most wicked would enjoy taking as many of those gifts as possible. If you did not hear the instructions or you were never told you had a present under that tree, you would never go looking for it. If you did not understand the instructions about where your present was, you would lose out too.
What if you opened your present and liked it, but put it down somewhere so that you could enjoy the party instead. Who knows where that present would end up going! If the temptation of enjoying yourself was more than your gift, then you would probably not stick around to use the gift. What if you were more interested in what other people got for their presents? Would you not lose sight of your own?
God has laid down a most wonderful gift for each one of us. If we ignore it, then we shall not ever receive it. If we take it but do not fully open it, we may just as well have not taken it. If we take it and receive it but grow tired of it, then questions would be asked as to whether we ever truly accepted it. But if we take that gift and apply it in our lives then we are the ones who have received it properly. All we need do is remember just how much that gift means to God and to us and treat it in such a manner.
Points to Ponder:
So what gifts have you ignored this year?
Are you ignoring God's gift?