February 21: 1 Timothy 3 14-16
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3 16
Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
Devotion:
Being able to read the letters Paul wrote to various people concerning Christ is a privilege as well as a great learning tool. The words chosen by Paul were meant to inspire Timothy just as they are set in our bibles to inspire each one of us. Paul was hoping to be able to get to Ephesus to see Timothy but could not make any promise so made sure Timothy got as much detail in the letter(s) as possible. For this single account we need to take note and remember we can reach others by simply writing to them.
I can imagine things beginning to change after a short while of Christ’s death and resurrection – just as we have things change nowadays. Everyone was witness to what happened, and many were shown the truth, yet those who did not want to believe were not going to let go! We are faced with people like this all around us who seem to be afraid at the truth and will do as much as possible to prevent things from going as planned. The truth may now have been raised as a controversy by some who rejected Christ, but Paul was writing to set things straight!
There is a great mystery – how can a man be born to a virgin, live a life, die and be raised from the dead... This goes against all our physical laws. But God made sure Jesus’ life was out of the ordinary to ensure we remember Him for what He is! Christ’s human existence was a miracle from beginning to end to show us anything is possible through God. He was, and always has been the second person in our God Head; He was there during creation and will be there at the end of time. He took on human form and nature so He may be visible to all without any man fearing his life. He did this all so He could show us His most extraordinary love for us. He came in person. We may not be able to go and visit all our friends in person, but we can encourage them through our bibles and through our communications.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you communicate with others?
How often do you communicate with God?
February 20: John 10 22-30
Key Verse: John 10 30
I and the Father are one.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things we have to grasp is that God is three persons but one God. We can do what we like to try and explain it by earthly means by comparing Him to and egg with shell, yolk and white or by the three ways in which water can exist as solid, liquid and gas; but none of these comparisons can truly give us insight into how this is true as much as the bible can do for us. Each time we read about God being three persons or one God we have it in context and the old languages describe it adequately for us to know the truth without having to fully understand how it is possible.
There are many things in our lives which we accept as the truth without having to understand fully, my favourite explanation being how a wing is able to lift a huge aeroplane into the air when it moves through the air. Many people do not know the scientific reasons for why an aeroplane can fly but just about everyone trusts aeroplane flight implicitly – because they can see that it happens. If you were to tell this to a person from Victorian times, they may well think you are mad because they cannot see it happening, but we do see it happening so we can believe. As Christians we can see God working in our lives and know Him as real – if only we were able to bring others forward to see how real He is...
Our text today shows us Christ has done everything to bring us forward and see He is real. We are the ones who doubt and stay behind in the shadows of unbelief. The original text describes verse 30 as being more like “I and Father, we are one” because it uses the plural form showing us Christ is distinct from God the Father, being further strengthened by Him reminding us that only God the Father knows of the returning time of Jesus. But we are also told everything Christ did was of the Father, from the Father and for the Father – in other words they act in perfect unison as one because they are one (as said by Christ Himself). We don’t have to fully understand but we are given enough details for us to know the truth for what it is...
Points to Ponder:
Do you accept aeroplanes can fly?
Do you accept God is real?
February 19: Romans 10 5-13
Key Verse: Romans 10 10
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Devotion:
After Jesus died and resurrected, the disciples went about trying to tell people all they had learned from Jesus and to allow other people to get to know just how much Jesus does for us. Part of that truth was telling them just what it means to make the decision to follow Christ and His teaching. In this letter to the Romans, the disciple is saying we do not have to be raised in the right place or by the right people but simple to make the decision for ourselves to follow Christ.
It is also a life changing decision to follow Christ. It not only allows us to make informed decisions about ourselves and our futures but gives us the chance of a new life. Yes, we do have a new life in Christ, but our physical lives can change too. When we do have the choice in front of us, we can make a better choice. It may be hard to make the choice and it may seem like an impossible choice to make, but we do have a new strength in Christ and in this new family called the church.
Another thing raised here is that it is our belief which is going to make the difference and not just what we happen to say in the heat of the moment. What we believe in our hearts is going to be seen by Christ and that is how He will know whether we mean it or not. People around us are going to make it sound like we are going to be persecuted or hated for making this choice – because they are scared to make the choice & it is simpler to keep you from making the choice than them feeling left out of it afterwards.
And then there was probably the most important phrase in this letter for the Romans: it does not matter whether you are born as a Jew or born as anything else! Just because God chose the people of Israel to be the example by which He would bring about change, does not mean all the rest of us are left behind! Christ judges by what He sees in our hearts – the choices we make for our own selves. He does not take too much notice of the other choices we make in the heat of the moment or those we are pressured into making – it is the choices we make in our hearts which count!
Points to Ponder:
What does your heart say about the people you love?
What does your heart say about Christ?
February 18: Romans 9 6-13
Key Verse: Romans 9 6
It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
Devotion:
How have you been brought up to understand what Christianity is about? Do you believe you are a Christian because you come from a long line of people who were Christians, or at least described as being so? Or do you have the understanding that Christianity is a choice which each one of us has to make a conscious decision to take on? You will be surprised at how the Christian community is divided! Just as it was in the times of Christ and way before that too…
This passage begins with the idea not all people from Israel were worthy of being described as being from Israel. Whether this is because of their beliefs or because of the physical descendancy is not what we are going to look at here. Jacob and Esau were twins with issues! Esau wanted to sell his birth right because he did not think much of it. Jacob wanted to buy it, but also did things in a very underhanded way – they both had issues… But God saw in their hearts and understood what they wanted.
Despite the way Jacob went about things and how Rebekah was the one behind the deception, he did have a heart for God. Esau apparently did not! That is what God looks at and what we need to realise. Nothing can be hidden from God. Each of them had to make a choice as to their own salvation and their own beliefs – just as we have to make that decision for ourselves. It is not up to what our parents think, believe or even do; it is up to what we believe and what we do.
Does this mean I am never going to be loved by God because I chose the wrong path in the beginning? Far from it. God is willing and able to forgive anyone for the things they do and think. He wants all of us to make the right choice and come to Him, but he also does know who is not likely to do so! If you are willing to make a choice and to find out more about God, then He is going to go out of His way to allow you to find out all you need to know to make an informed decision rather than something made by someone else in your past! Your choice, your time, now!
Points to Ponder:
Do you believe someone else can get you into heaven?
Are you willing to listen to Christ and His teaching?
February 17: Jeremiah 31 3
Key Verse: Jeremiah 31 3
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
Devotion:
We don’t have to look too deeply in the Old Testament to find places where God reminds us of His everlasting love, albeit something we do need to be reminded of because of our tendency to forget! When God expresses His love to us, He does not say “I love you here and now and may not love you tomorrow if we don’t get on” but simply say “I love you, always”. If we were able to do this to the people around us we would be able to move forward in our lives with a new vigour!
God’s love for us does not start when we drop down on our knees and pray to Him and it certainly will not stop when we do something wrong in front of Him. If any of that were true, then we would have a God that changes! We know He is our Living God “with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning” (James 1 17) so when He tells us He loves us, we know He has loved us from the beginning and will do so to the end – not the end of our lives but the end of time! His love is not hidden under a stone but is shown to us openly and totally too. His demonstration for His love to us by giving His life for us is something we need to take note of and not treat like a piece of history.
When we express our love to others, we often attach strings or requirements before we do. God does not. Our love for others may well wane when we are faced by adversity or by wrong behaviour, God’s love does not wane. When we get upset by others, we take action against them which brings into question our love for them. When we do things against God, He does not turn His back on us; He may well allow us to walk off into the distance, but He will always remind us He is still there and still loves us no matter what we do.
Because God continues to show and express His love for us, we need to hold onto that truth and grasp it with all our strength; allow His love to draw us in and strengthen us and shower us with peace and comfort. His love is nothing to be hidden but is everything to be displayed and shown to others too – because it is a love without question.
Points to Ponder:
How easily do you say “I love you”?
Do you realise just how much God loves you?