Friday Reading: John 3 7-15

Key Verse: John 3 12
12  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Devotion:
Birth is an amazing event. I think everyone should be allowed to be close to a birth at some stage in their life – I know a lot of people will not be able to put up with the messy parts, but seeing a new-born child breath their first breaths is just amazing! Many of us will get to see something close to that on TV nowadays because of the amount of information that is spread through that media, but it is not the same as being there. At that moment we put aside the pains that we have witnessed during labour, we put aside the pains of the country and the possible pains of what may be to come in the future and focus on that single, pure event.

When we talk about being born again it is an event that you yourself can witness because you are there! It is an event that is pure and one that allows you to focus on the now and not the past or future. The wonderful difference is that the future suddenly becomes secure... That moment when you tell God that you want Him in your life and that you admit to being the sinner that you are, God is just and faithful to bring you into His fold; a fold that you will never have to leave.

I am pretty sure that Jesus’ birth would have been something extra special for His parents, but there was a far greater need for His birth that we too often forget or put aside. Our bibles give us all the details about just how special His birth was, but unless we read about it and take it to heart, we will not be able to accept that gift that God gave us. It may be hard for us to accept some of the wonders of this world unless we see them or read about them; God’s world is not different – we have to learn about it too. He will give us the understanding that we seek and He will guide us through the Holy Spirit. Reading about Christ’s birth and remembering it (even if it is only once or twice a year) will strengthen us and will remind us that through Him we do have everlasting life!

Points to Ponder:
What parts of the bible do you find hard to believe?
 
How can you believe it unless you read about it?

Thursday Reading: Luke 6 37-49
 
Key Verse: Luke 6 46
46  And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

Devotion:
I guess it is this type of passage that most people can relate to from the bible, the one where Christ gives us the simple instructions and simple rules, the ones that agree with our lives... It is these ones that people hear in Sunday school and Church services, and it is the same ones that people go out and break themselves too. We are all guilty of it at some stage in our lives so we all have to accept the fact that we are being referenced by these words... but how many of us go away from that same service and take these words with us? How many of us take the words literally and make a difference in our lives?

It is easy to sit and listen to good advice coming from a good person and to then to place yourself in that “good persons” guild, the one where all the people obey those rules! But actually obeying and following them is what counts; not just at the time that you hear them, but continually in your life from that point on. Repentance, as we have covered in the past, is a time when you make a stand and say “no more”; it’s not a time when you say sorry expecting to go back there in a day or two... If we want to make a difference in our lives, then we have to make a change in our lives that will make that difference – that change has got to be our true repentance.

I guess most of us do not aim at the right spot either... We like to think that we are good and that we follow most of the rules that are good to follow... but where are we destined to go? Are we even thinking about tomorrow? Most of us will have to admit that we think about today and make changes in our lives because we can see what will happen in the next few minutes, hours or even days. That is the type of forethought that we live on. What Christ wants us to do is to look beyond that and look at what He has laid up for us in our futures. Christ wants us to act as if we are aiming for our life after our death... what use is a long life on earth if we are not going to have an eternal life in heaven? If we are not looking to Him as our Living God, then we are not aiming for heaven... We need to focus on where our souls will spend eternity...

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are a good person?

Have you done the right thing to gain an eternal life with Christ yet?

Wednesday Reading: Matthew 2 1-8
 
Key Verse: Matthew 2 6
6  "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the governors of Judah. For out of you shall come a Governor who shall rule My people Israel."

Devotion:
Why is it that people find it hard to believe certain things and not others? When people have predicted events that everyone wants to happen, then we are all glad to see it come to pass; but when the event is not wanted, or misunderstood, nobody wants it to happen. It seems to be the ones that are misunderstood and not wanted that people find the hardest to believe; after all, why should we have to believe something that we don’t want to happen? Well, that is exactly the dilemma that Herod was facing too. I’m sure that when he heard that someone was destined to be King of the Jews, he saw some doubt as to his future position and did not want it to happen.

It may have been the case that he did not fully understand what was happening and just who this person was to be, but his reaction could have been predicted too. He used deceit to gain knowledge of what was happening and again to try and gain access to the person who he thought could cause him problems. You can probably think of all the things that could have been going through his head: Just who do these Jews think they are? Just who do these Easterners think they are? Why is all this fuss being created when I am in charge? Why not me?

The wise men, on the other hand, were coming to see what this new star in the sky signified. If anyone would have a star in the sky just to signify their birth, then surely this person was someone to be worshipped! We don’t know too much about the wise men other than they were from the east, that they were wealthy and that they held some positions of power in their society. When their prophecy and the Jews prophecy agreed, surely something very special was happening. They wanted to be a part of it too!

Why else would so much happen for a child that was to be born in a stable and laid in a manger? God wanted to make sure that we remembered His Son coming to earth!

Points to Ponder:
What sort things do you remember the best?
 
Do you remember why we celebrate Christmas?

Tuesday Reading: Matthew 8 2-10
 
Key Verse: Matthew 8 8
8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my boy will be healed.

Devotion:
We may look back at the times of Jesus and think that it must have been easy to believe in Him because of the miracles that He did. This passage shows the difference between the faith that was around at the time; we may well fall into the same category as the leper being that our faith is strengthened only when Christ does something for us or when we can see Him. Whatever our faith, we can relate to the words in this passage today.

If we are like the leper, then we do seek physical evidence about Christ’s power so that our faith can be strengthened; but it is only that, we have had to have faith in the beginning in order for it to be strengthened. If we are going to walk around waiting for physical evidence before we believe, then we are going to be disappointed. Yes there is plenty of physical evidence, but if we have not seen it and believed already, then we will continue to see it and continue to not believe. “Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10 17)

If we are like the centurion, then we have a sure faith because we have already seen the evidence and have already depended on the evidence. As the centurion described it, he saw people around him with faith all the time. Because of his position, they did what he said, believing that it would be for the best. He had his position in the army because of his ability. Christ has an even higher position and He has it because He is the Son of God. Whatever He says is for the betterment of all. Whatever He asks of us, we should be doing. Our faith needs to be just as sure as our belief that those in power will do the right thing too. Jesus came to earth not to demonstrate His power and give us all something tangible to hold on to, He came so that He could save us from our sins. All that He did was show His love for us in the best possible way...

Points to Ponder:
Do you trust and listen to people in power?

Do you trust and listen to God?