April 22: Luke 24 27-32

Key Verse: Luke 24 31
Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Devotion:
How many times have you been confused by things because you did not know enough information? Maybe you are still confused by the English soccer offside rule (you're not the only one!) or maybe you are still confused about your lesson you last had the last time you went to school or church. When we find ourselves confused about things, that is the time we need some sort of advice from something or someone who will allow us to understand the situation! But finding such advice can be a bit hit-and-miss. Maybe you will find someone who will explain it in about 10 words and those 10 words confuse you even more than the original! Just because they know what they are talking about, does not mean that you will understand it!

As these two men were walking with Jesus (remember, they were so down in the dumps they did not recognise who it was) they were trying to put things together to figure out what had just happened. They knew something special was supposed to happen, but they just could not understand how it could all end with Jesus being crucified! It was only after Jesus had gone through the Bible (called the scriptures back then) with them and had explained from the beginning that they realised what was happening. And then when Jesus broke the bread and blessed it, they suddenly filled all the gaps and they saw the big picture! The penny had dropped!

We may be able to read a little of the bible and think we understand things, but it is only through a whole lot more reading we will begin to understand exactly what is going on. We need to be able to study the bible to find out the “big picture”. We can listen to lessons and find interesting stories which we understand and can remember; but without the knowledge behind those stories, we often lose track of how they apply in our own lives.

Reading and studying the bible is the one sure way we can know we are finding out all what God wants us to know – because it is the inspired word of God. So stop putting it off and read a little every day so you too can put it together!

Points to Ponder:
Isn't it a great feeling when you suddenly understand something?

How often do you consult the Bible to see what it really means?
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April 21: 1 Corinthians 1 22-25

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 1 25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Devotion:
You do not have to look too far into some religions to find out what they are really about – be it about making a single person rich and famous, worshipping a statue, or even thinking they are just above any religion. Man has always been seeking some sort of meaning to life because of the relative brevity of it. But because of the way that we do think, we start to clutch at anything which looks good at the time. Then, before long, we find we are consumed by our own imaginations and are following something entirely made up in our heads!

That is where Christianity stands out from others. We have a set of historical documents which do record the history of people who have been following God from when He first created them. We have a complete history of the world and a record of things still to come. How anyone can say it is made up after studying the bible is beyond me. The Jews do not want to accept the fact Christ has already been and was crucified, died and rose again; even though it happened in their own country! The Greeks did not want to believe in any of this because they believed they were too clever to have to believe in anything.

That divide still remains in modern times, though we do not refer to all non-believers as particular races or people from particular places. These same people who profess to believe in something else rather than submitting to God's Wisdom are doing so because they think they are cleverer than God’s word – or at least that is what it boils down to in the end! But those same people are often the ones who become great preachers or teachers because of their faith in the unseen. Once they see the Wisdom of God standing out above everything, they then bow to that wisdom and study it because of their quest for knowledge themselves.

The foolishness of man has lead him to believe in whatever takes his fancy at the time. The “wisdom” of man more often leads him astray from the truth. Yet the foolishness of God covers even man's wildest imaginations. Man's strength falls short when he meets any disaster, yet God's weakness is greater than our combined strength!

Points to Ponder:
Do you know anyone who thinks they are “above religion”?

Christ knew we did and gave His life that we may see our folly.

April 20: Acts 9 36-43

Key Verse: Acts 9 40
But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

Devotion:
It is sometimes amazing what we will believe in. Sometimes we are persuaded by the words people speak because of their skill with words. Other times we do not believe because we do not see physical evidence. Sometimes we just hear something and we know it is true and yet most of the time we wonder and doubt.

God has given each one of us a hugely complex brain which still confuses scientists – even though they are using those very brains to think about the brain! The more they find out about the brain, the more complex and harder to understand it seems. Yet we have no problem believing some things and no problem with learning and applying what we learn (in general). We only seem to use a little of our brains with most of them seemingly doing nothing most of the time. But those brains are what Christ has given us so we may be able to decipher what is right and what is wrong.

Peter was now full into his ministry and no doubt knew of the work Tabitha was doing; coming to see her dead may have been a shock but what he did was probably more shocking to the people around him! I do find it hard to concentrate on my prayers with God if I am in an environment where there is a lot of unbelief or distractions – this is why Jesus chose a place like the garden of Gethsemane to pray in. Peter knew he could talk to Christ and knew He would listen.

What sort of level of faith do you think you have? Do you think you have enough faith to ask God for help and then expect it to happen immediately? I know I do have my moments but on the whole I have learned to depend on Christ and to trust in Him totally. I know I still get things wrong and do things wrong, but I know God will never change and is powerful enough to do anything. Asking for something very specific and expecting it to happen is faith. Show God faith and move forward with Him today!

Points to Ponder:
Do you vote for the person who is right for the job or the person who tells all the jokes?

Are you willing to show faith in God’s truth?

April 19: John 5 24-27

Key Verse: John 5 24
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Devotion:
Have you ever been worried about how we are going to get to heaven? Have you ever been worried that, just like trying to wash laundry, maybe we will not be washed totally clean? Well, Christ has given us many answers and a few words -  I love the way we can read His Word and find so many wonderful truths each time.

First “the Father judgeth no man” (from the preceding verses.) God has delegated that authority to Christ Jesus. The one thing I used to be worried about was how my sin may leak out and I would not make it! But Christ is going to stand before us and say with all authority that we are now innocent, which means we do not have to prove we are; otherwise we would fail! Secondly, no matter how we see it, we have to make sure we honour God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. For if we do not, then we are working against the whole, not just part of Him. If we were to constantly kick someone's ankles, could we convince them we are not hurting them, just their ankles? I think not!

And Thirdly, that judgement is not based on what we have or have not done. That judgement is based on a new “treaty” which was drawn up when we believed in Him. The moment we realised we were doing things wrong, accepted that fact, apologised and asked for forgiveness; that is the moment we showed we truly believed He is God. That is the moment the old treaty was thrown away and a new one drawn up solely based on His grace. If that had not been drawn up on His grace alone, then we would still face the predicament we “may not make it”.

Jesus was given authority over all mankind, not just because He is God, but because of what He has done for us. We exist because of Him. He has set down the Law. He is our judge. He alone says we are innocent. It is no longer what we say, but what He says because we have given Him that power back by believing in Him. Because of that, we stand innocent!

Points to Ponder:
Have you ever entrusted something to someone else?

We have entrusted our lives to Jesus Christ!