Thursday Reading: Luke 12 54-59
 
Key Verse: Luke 12 56
56  Hypocrites! You know to discern the face of the heaven and the earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time?
 
Devotion:
There are many observations that we learn about, things that tell of something that is coming or about to happen. We can tell here in the UK that when a north wind blows, it's going to be cold. We can't see the rain coming as easily as other countries can... it just happens! We also learn to understand what signs to look out for to tell whether our parents are going to be mad at us. But, far too often, people disregard the most important warning sign of all – that Christ is going to be returning...

 

Each year as we get closer to Christmas day, we should not only remember all that has happened in the past, but all that has been foretold to happen in the future. We have it all written down in prophesies in our bibles, and yet despite the bible being the best selling book in the world, it still goes untold and ignored. We have all the warning signs available, and yet we prefer to ignore them and focus on the feel-good parts – God's love and mercy. We cannot afford to miss out on the truth!

 

If you know that you have sinned and think you know that God is not going to forgive you, then you need to go to the one who can stand up for you. We don't just get thrown into prison, we have to face the person or state against which we have done wrong. If they deem it necessary that we should go to prison, then we do. If we can convince them that we are truly sorry and that we will change our ways, there is a chance that we will be able to avoid prison. The difference with Christ is that He knows what is in our hearts, so He knows if we are truly sorry. He has also promised that if we do repent, He will forgive us and set us free. It's not a “maybe”, it's a fact!

 

Don't leave it until it is too late....

 

Points to Ponder:
Do you like it when someone forgives you?

 

Have you asked Christ to forgive you for all you have done against Him?

Wednesday Reading: 1 John 3 17-20
 
Key Verse: 1 John 3 18
18  My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
 
Devotion:
How can we in all good conscience not help someone when we know that we can or have the ability to help them... If we have the chance to help someone and refuse to do so, then should we expect anything less from others... Christ was the one that went out of His way to help us all by being born into this world and doing what He did. He did that because He could do it. He did not do it because He would like the pain and suffering but because of His love towards us. We need to follow on in His example and show compassion and love towards others when we have the ability to do so.

 

It is no good saying that you are going to support someone and never getting round to doing so. It is no good saying that you will be there for someone and never turning up. Christ gave His promise that He would be there for us, and He did exactly that – because of His compassion towards us. He did what He did because it was right to do so. He did what He did because we needed a Saviour. He did what He did because He promised to do so.

 

How many times have you said to someone that you would phone them back or do something later for them, knowing that you would never do what you had just said? How many times have you promised to do something just to get someone off your back? How many times have you promised to do more as a Christian and never got round to doing it... Each of us makes promises in the heat of the moment and go back on our promises after we have thought about it – or we just plain lie and never intend to carry out our promises. Others may not see into our hearts to see those lies, but after a while they will learn not to trust you. God knows exactly what we promise to do in His name...

 

Points to Ponder:
How often do you dish out false promises?
 
God never goes back on promises and never will...

Tuesday Reading: Hebrews 10 23-25
 
Key Verse: Hebrews 10 24
24  and let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works,
 
Devotion:
How wonderful it is to know that we have a Saviour that has done exactly what He said He would do – to come to earth to be our sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven and that we could attain eternal life through Him. We have that open way to heaven. The gift that He has given us it waiting there for the picking. If He had not come to earth as a human, we would still be caught up in trying to find the best sacrifices we could to offer for our sins, hoping that they would pacify God.

 

It is one thing to believe that there is a God, but another to believe in Him! We need to be bold in our belief. We need to uphold our faith in Him. We need to show others that we do believe in what we say by following His Laws. When we see others around us that are struggling, then we need to show them compassion such as Christ would have show them. When we see the faith of those around us faltering, we need to help them to build it up again. How do we do that? We need to be there for them!

 

Just like Jesus Christ to come to earth to be with us, we have to take a bold step forward to be there for those around us. It is the physical presence that will most often sway the argument. Being there will allow you to explain things as they are needed. When we get called on to help others, it is best if we are with them so that we can help them directly. Jesus came to be our direct help-line, to help us understand our Heavenly Father's love for us. As we move ever closer to Christ's second coming, we need to make sure that those around us do not falter as the world gets ever more caught up in the ever increasing temptations that surround us each day. Being there to help someone will help them to see God's love at this time of year!

 

Points to Ponder:
Do you like to be with your friends when they need help?
 
Have you noticed how God is always there when you need Him?

Monday Reading: Proverbs 27 17
 
Key Verse: Proverbs 27 17
17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
 
Devotion:
We don't think too much about just how hard hitting our words can be. We often forget that we could destroy people just through something we say. We like to think that we do say the right things all the time, but there are far too many times when we let slip with the wrong things. When we are talking to friends, we are more likely to say the right thing – unless we start to get angry. When we are talking to strangers, we will quite often lie... But I don't do that... How many times do we give a false excuse to someone just to get out of doing something – like those people and their clipboards in town centres!

 

Our words can achieve so much, but they can do so much damage as well. We have to be aware of just what they can do and to treat out mouths with care! I don't mean flossing and rinsing with mouthwash every day, but taking care of what comes out of them! We do have the choice as to what comes out of them if we are willing to take the time to think before we speak. If we think a few milliseconds before letting rip, we are more likely to say something kind than a harsh rebuke!

 

With our words we can build people too. We can help others by telling them the right things, telling them about things we know so that they can learn as we learn. Heading into conversations that will have a direction and meaning are going to be a whole lot more profitable to both parties that meaningless gossip. Gossip will spread bad feelings whereas the truth will build strength and trust. Some words will break down friendships where others will build them. Choosing what you say and when you say it may well make the difference between building and breaking. The wrong words will leave dents like two swords have after a sword fight. The right words could be like using those two swords carefully with each other to sharpen both blades. We have the choice as to how we use our mouths... Caution, mouth opening!

 

Points to Ponder:
How often do you think you say the wrong things?
 
Have you tried asking God to guide your mind so you can think of the right things to say?