Thursday 11 Feb 2010

Thursday Reading: Ephesians 3 7
 
Key Verse: Ephesians 3 7
7  Of this gospel I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effectual working of His power.

Devotion:
One things we often forget is just where we get the right to go out and teach others about the gospel. We get that right from believing in Christ and following His Gospel. In other words we are giving out what we learn from God through the Holy Spirit; that fact alone gives us the right to go out and tell others about Christ. He gave us that right when we put our faith and trust in Him and it is by that that His Word will be spread round the world. I am not one for reading too many book, in fact I could probably count the books that I have read if I sat down and thought about it; but God’s Word is not just a book but instructions from God, given to each one of us.

It is because He loves us so much that He has given us our bibles so that we can learn more about Him. What would it be like if we had to remember everything so that we could sit and tell everything to the next person? Well, much of past knowledge was actually done in that manner but through us learning and applying the knowledge that God gives us we have come up with written languages that allow us to pass on God’s Word without having to be in front of someone. We are given this gift of telling others of Christ because many are like me and will not pick up a book that looks too complicated to start with. He gives us the gift of understanding as we read through His Word so that we can pass on that interest to others so that they too will be encouraged to read His Word.

There is nothing that our God cannot do and making sure that His Word is passed on from generation to generation is just one of those things that He makes sure is done. Others will be encouraged to find out more by seeing the example that we lay down. If we act like hooligans then they are not likely to want to find out about the God that we believe in. But if we allow them to see God’s love through us then we are setting an example by which others will be encouraged to find out about our Awesome God!

Points to Ponder:
How many books do you read?

How much of your reading is God’s Word?

Wednesday 10 Feb 2010

Wednesday Reading: Ephesians 3 20-21
 
Key Verse: Ephesians 3 20
20  Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Devotion:
The more that you read about the scientific world the more that you realise that there are so many things yet to be discovered. We look in awe at the power that has been harnessed from of the atom and we wonder just how much more power the scientists can get from so little to start with. We see so many advances in all walks in life and yet we still gaze in wonder at the power that God has set before us: the mighty waterfall, the earthquake, the sun. How can we ever hope to be able to achieve such power – but that does not seem to stop man from trying to be as God!

We can see so many references to the wonderful things that God has done from the beginning of our bibles right through to what He will do in the end. How can we not see God as anything but omnipotent! He was the one who has given children to barren women, raised dead people up, healed the sick, blind and lame. He is the one who has created us. We are still struggling to find out exactly what does make us all tick the way we do. Doctors can do some pretty amazing things, including bringing people back from the dead, though not 3 days dead. They can heal the blind, though not give them back perfect sight. God is able.

We need to take note of all that God has done and lift those facts up high so that many more people can get to know just how much God can do for them too. We need to lift up our prayers and make sure that we trust Him to answer them in full. It is no good lifting up prayers unless we do believe that God is able to answer them! Take a look through your bible today and see just how much God alone can achieve and then lift up your prayers knowing that He will answer according to His ability and not to ours! God Almighty, El Shaddai, the only one who is able. Praise Him!

Points to Ponder:
What is the most amazing thing you have done?
 
Think about something small God has done...

Tuesday 9 Feb 2010

Tuesday Reading: Matthew 10 16-17
 
Key Verse: Matthew 10_16
16  Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

Devotion:
When Jesus told the disciples to go out into all the land and preach the gospel He also gave them instruction on where they should go and who they should trust. His first description says that they should not stay where they are not fully welcomed; there is nothing more demoralising than trying to pass on God’s Word when you are being blocked every step of the way. But that does not mean that you should turn your back on those people because you can always lift them up in prayer. We may well not be strong enough to face up to people who will heckle us but God is certainly big enough to deal with them!

I like the way that Christ tells them to be aware of what is around them describing their journey as sheep walking amongst wolves; but when God is protecting you and leading you in that direction you can be assured that you will be safe still. He commands them to be as wise as serpents. When the serpent deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden it was through cunning and deceitful means; this is not intended by Christ but rather we be as intelligent in our honest ways as he was in his dishonest ways. He also commanded them to be as harmless as doves. There is not much that is afraid of a dove but a dove is a very beautiful bird to look upon. That is how God would have us to act so that we would not scare anyone away.

It is no good trying to scare people into believing the gospel otherwise they will not want to come back for fear of being scared again. Instead we must show off the loving and peaceful side of our God but always keeping in mind that He is just and cannot abide sin. It is the people around us that will try to trip us up and make us fall; they are the one we have to be aware of because through their misguided loyalty they may well deliver us into the hands of the enemy.

Points to Ponder:
Are you scared to tell others about God?

Do you know you are on His side?

Monday 8 Feb 2010

Monday Reading: Ephesians 5 14-17
 
Key Verse: Ephesians 5 15
15  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
 
Devotion:
How many times have you tried to stay up late at night to watch something on TV or have tried to stay up and wait for someone to come home only to find that you are rudely awaken by something or someone after everything has already happened or passed? Our bodies need to rest up and recuperate from the labours of the day so that they will be ready to face the next day; but equally doing nothing also seem to make one tired. How can we get tired from doing nothing? That I cannot answer but what I can do is point out that that tiredness will not give you the same sleep as one from a good day’s labour.

If we grow lax in our reading of God’s Word then we will find that we grow weary when we read it, not because it is a task to read but because we are not used to it. If you have to do some extra work that you are not used to you grow weary from that work quite quickly, but if you regularly partake in that work then you will be able to handle it much better. Regularly reading God’s Word will allow you to be able to sit down and read it without being distracted and without giving in to all manner of temptations whilst you try to read. When I first started reading my bible it was in fits and starts until I finally set aside time each day to read it. Now it is one of the first things I do every day so that I can meditate on what I have read about.

We are surrounded by temptations from so many people who do not get stuck in and read God’s Word because they are distracted by the world around them which is in turn controlled by the evil one... so it may well be our fellow Christians who take us away from God’s Word rather than our enemies! We need to get the most out of our time by giving it to God and allowing Him to teach us His will in our lives each and every day. That is His will, that we walk with Him in humbleness and understanding, giving Him the glory for our lives.

Points to Ponder:
What stops you reading the bible?

How often do you exercise with God?

Sunday 7 Feb 2010

Sunday Reading: Luke 24 44-45
 
Key Verse: Luke 24 45
45  And He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures.

Devotion:
One of the most difficult books to sit down and read is probably the bible unless you are willing to take in what you read. If you approach the bible with a sceptical mind or one that does not want to seek the truth then you will find it an uphill struggle to read because Satan will throw just about every temptation and distraction your way so that you will give in to his ways rather than God’s ways. But if you are willing to seek the truth then God is the one who is going to explain His own word to you as you go through it; and when you do get stuck you will always have other Christians to go to to find out more about what you have read.

I am always amazed at how much I get simply from reading the bible. Each time I go through it I find out new treasures and new words of encouragement. Even when going through chapters that would otherwise be depressing for all the death and destruction that are in them, God will allow us to see reason behind what has happened in the past. When the disciples were meeting together after Christ had died and had risen they were still a bit sceptical because they had their doubts as to whether Christ had indeed risen. So when Christ appeared in their midst, they had a bit of a shock to start with.

Once they were over that initial shock they settled down to listen to Him with a new vigour and with an open mind, willing to now accept what Christ told them without doubts any more. What is it going to take for us to accept all of God’s Word without doubting parts of it? We need to accept the whole bible as the truth and not to take just the parts that we want otherwise we will be no better that the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus called vipers! God has given us all of His Word so that we will understand it as a whole. He has given us all the truth so that we can know it as the truth and to trust in it wholly! He will give us understanding as long as we are willing to seek that understanding...

Points to Ponder:
Who do you listen to to find the latest news?

Are you willing to listen to God’s Word?