November 20: Hebrews 11 4
Key Verse: Hebrews 11 4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
Devotion:
Right from the beginning of time, we find some people have stood up for the truth. And right from that time we find people have been persecuted for standing up for the truth. Right from that time we find people have been brought to evil deeds by the anger that they have against the truth. And as from that time too, we find the truth only seems to come out after evil has done its deed. Even though the truth and righteous may not have physically survived, it is made even stronger through death.
Nowadays we find the terrorists trying to do all sorts of things in our lives, trying to destroy things around us, trying to destroy us. Each act they carry out further strengthens our resolve to fight the evil. For so long as we continue to have faith in the truth, we continue to grow stronger, knowing others will continue to see the truth so long as we uphold it.
When Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices (Genesis 4 3-5) we find that God was pleased with Abel's sacrifice, but not with Cain's. The words used in this passage show that Abel offered his firstlings of his flock because of his faith. It seem a bit disconcerting to kill off the firstlings when that is exactly what you are trying to do – to raise a new flock. But because Abel showed God that he had faith God would provide, that he had faith God was already providing; he had the uttermost respect for the God of everything – because of all that, God was pleased.
Cain, on the other hand, tried to give God the best that he himself could do. Cain worked with his hands to try and make something that was worthy to be given to God. That is one thing that we have to admit to – nothing we can do is good enough for God. It is only the fact that we submit to Him 100% that we are able to find His favour.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you actually fully trust someone else?
Will you fully and wholly trust God?
November 19: Revelation 1 4-8
Key Verse: Revelation 1 6
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Devotion:
Well, sometimes things in life overtake you leaving you all bogged down trying to do those things; you find yourself trying to catch up with the things God asked you to do. This has happened to me and so I’m sorry this devotion is a bit late in getting to you, but it certainly is hot off the press!
There are many different descriptions of these words in the various bible translations round the world but all alluding to the fact we are God’s chosen people and we are living in His kingdom. Now you may look around and ask how this could ever be God’s kingdom because of the hardships and issues we all face… but then you would be looking at the world around you and not at the kingdom!
Christ said He would build His church here, not in some sort of dream world, but here on earth in amongst all the hassles we face and have to sometimes endure. None of us are perfect and none of us can claim to be doing everything right either; but we can all claim to be in His chosen people when we know Christ as our Lord and King. A kingdom is a people who are under the rule of their king. Christ is our King! The difference between His kingdom and earthly kingdoms is that we do not live in our own country.
But that should not make it any less a kingdom than here on earth. The Lord has chosen His people and chosen His leaders. We must be vigilant of those choices because like any earthly kingdom there are going to be many who lift themselves up and pretend to be Christ’s chosen people and even leaders. Christ alone is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Christ alone has power to rule over us in all matters. Christ is Lord and King.
Points to Ponder:
Are you feeling bogged down?
Are you taking everything to you King?
November 18: 1 Peter 5 8-9
Key Verse: 1 Peter 5 8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Devotion:
You may think you are safe as soon as you accept Jesus into your life. So you should be! But beware! The devil is out there looking for the first opportunity to trip you up. Even though you may be saved and know Christ as your Saviour and know you are guaranteed eternal life, the evil one is going to be there in many shapes and forms trying to trip you up so that you will draw away from God.
For as long as you are close to God, He cannot touch you, and you can be used of God to reach other unsaved people and let them know about the awesome God that we serve. But he knows that if he can trip you up and get you to wonder away from God, then you will no longer be as good a witness, no longer be a guiding light, no longer be a servant of God.
There is nothing we can grip tighter to in this day and age than our faith in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit can be your guide, but only if you are willing to listen to Him, only if you are willing to do what He encourages you to do, follow where He leads you. This is where we have to be diligent. We have to make sure what we are listening to is the Word of God and not any other diverse word that comes from any other source. Because if the source of the word is not from God, then it can only be from the devil.
If you see someone else falling by the wayside because of what they are doing, then you must stand up and make sure you do not follow them down the same slippery slope. Learn from others mistakes, not just your own!
Points to Ponder:
If you see your friend break their ankle, do you try and copy them?
Are you going to blindly follow others?
November 17: Luke 6 27-31
Key Verse: Luke 6 29
To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
Devotion:
Whilst it is true we continue to have arguments and continue to war nation against nation, Jesus reminds us we are to love our enemy. Ordinarily this would cause us to doubt things in our minds, but the more you think about it, the more you begin to realise that loving your enemy is so much more than just turning the other cheek or trying to make them friendly!
Think about the groups of people we stick together with? How often do new people join your group or circle of friends, or how often do you go out of your way to make a new friend or find out what makes someone else tick? We are creatures of habit and continue to mix with those we know rather than going out to find new friends. We continue to concern ourselves with those we are already friends with and block out so many others not knowing their needs.
Christ made sure He knew peoples' needs and He made sure He did something about it. It was not just a case of healing the infirm, but making sure that people with spiritual and emotional needs were supported as well. He made sure people knew they were doing things wrong and that they needed to get back to the truth and worship God. He made sure others knew this so they could try to act more like Him.
As He said, what good is it if we only mix with those who do not need anything? How will we ever help the needy? How will we ever make friends? How will we ever convince people that we are actually Christians! If we want to do any of this, then we have to make sure we are the ones who go out and show people what we can do with God's help. We need to convince people we are serious about God so they will be encouraged!
Points to Ponder:
What did you do the last time a stranger did something against you?
How often do you do things wrong against God?
November 16: Titus 2 11-15
Key Verse: Titus 2 12
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age
Devotion:
This letter of Paul’s was addressed to a Greek named Titus who was full of grace and these words were an encouragement to continue to be filled with grace and to walk in The Spirit. Paul used Titus to reach out to many people because of these gifts and qualities he had. Some of those gifts are echoed here as a reminder for us to be filled with grace as we go forward for Christ.
It does not matter from what background we come nor in what part of the world we live; what matters is that we have Christ as our Saviour and try to live a life whereby we show some of the qualities of Christ to those around us. Leaving behind all the trapping of a worldly life can be difficult when that is what we are used to, but the change it will make in our own attitude will be seen by those around us. Our modern societies may be very different to those in which these men lived, but the principals are still the same.
We need to point people toward the blessed hope we have in a future with Christ. He was the one who died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven and so we can have eternal life with Him. Through that action He wants us to be more aware of what we can do, what we should do and to act accordingly in everything we do. If our lives do not mirror the message we are trying to tell people then we will find it very hard to convince anyone of anything!
Stand up for what is right. Uphold righteousness. Rebuke evil and wrong-doing knowing that you are doing so because you are doing it for Christ and with His Spirit. Try to ensure you do not give others reason to despise you – and boy is that a hard one to live up to sometimes!
Points to Ponder:
What cost do you put on a life?
Will you uphold Christ’s law or follow riches?