April 28: John 12 20-26
Key Verse: John 12 24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Devotion:
Have you ever heard the phrase “the only famous artist is a dead one?” There does seem to be a lot of truth in that phrase; so many people do not get taken any notice of until they die. Then people stand up and listen, albeit too late! So much can be said and done whilst we are alive, and yet sometimes it takes a drastic thing to happen in our lives before we get taken notice of. The last thing we should even be thinking of is having a go at being dead… that is not going to get us anywhere!
But what we can do is die in this world; not a physical death, but a spiritual death. Before we know Christ, we are ‘alive’ in this world but dead in His world. When we do accept Him as Saviour we then die from this world and live in His world. By living in this world, we close ourselves off from a life with Christ. By living in His world, we close ourselves off from a life without Him. We still have an issue with our sins, but we know He has already paid the price for them and so we can put them behind us and show everyone this new leaf we have turned over.
When we do let go of life in this world, we can then focus on a new life with Christ. That is the point at which we can be seen to die in this world. That is the point where others will start to notice a change in us. That is the point where they will be asking questions within themselves about how we have changed. If we then flop back into their world, we are, in essence, saying we have not changed and we are exactly the same as them – lost!
Christ has already paid the price. He has already given us everything we need to have a life with Him. He has already given us a way we can show others about Him through our actions. Let other people see you have died in this world and that you now live a better life with Christ by your side!
Points to Ponder:
Can you remember the last time someone commented on how you have changed?
Will God see the change He wants in your life?
April 27: John 12 1-8
Key Verse: John 12 5
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
Devotion:
How often do we get so caught up in things we forget the more important things in our lives? How often do you get so caught up in playing games or doing something which you enjoy that you forget the time? How often have you been so engrossed with something you really enjoy that you forgot to do something for the people whom you love? I’m sure we can all put our hands up and say we have been guilty of this at one time or another… I know that my work does tend to over-run my life at times!
We all have special people in our lives; most of us would hold our families or partners above all other people. But where do we hold God?
Martha and Mary reacted to Jesus’ miracle in very different ways. Both ways were right. When we have someone do something for us, we are more than willing to do something for them. I am sure both would not have known how they could ever repay Jesus for bringing Lazarus back to life, but they tried in their own ways. Martha wanted to make sure Jesus was treated as best as possible, rushing round and getting everything physically together to cater for every need which she could think of. I’m pretty sure anyone would have been impressed with what she had done. Mary, on the other hand, reacted in a very personal way, opening a very valuable jar of ointment and anointing the feet of Jesus with it.
Judas Iscariot reacted in a very earthly manner demanding an explanation for the waste of money! (You can tell he was the treasurer!) How many of you have had your parents shout at you for doing something which you thought was quite legitimate? Judas did not see the absolute love Mary displayed; all he saw was money being poured down the drain!
Showing your love for someone does not have to be through the most expensive gift you can buy. It can be through a single simple action which shows that you do think of them! Show Jesus you care for Him today!
Points to Ponder:
How do you like showing people you care for them?
How often do you make a point of making sure God comes first?
April 26: 2 Thessalonians 3 6-15
Key Verse: 2 Thessalonians 3 6
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
Devotion:
Isn’t it amazing just how we seem to keep on bringing out the worst in some people? Do you not think it strange that some people will do anything but work to get money? People will tell lies, they will fake illness and even death so they can get money which does not rightly belong to them. It is not just going to be money, but anything to do with wealth and even comfort. People will go out of their way to make sure they get as much as possible – no matter what the consequences may be if they are found out!
I don’t know if you have ever been in contact with someone like that, but they will always find some argument to put forward to justify why they are doing things. They have become so adept at doing things their own ways that they will start to convince others they are right even though they are at fault! Satan is the master of lies and will entrap anyone who is willing to listen. He will cast all sorts of lies before you to justify why you should listen to them and spin a web which will seemingly support itself… That’s the thing; if you compare it to God’s Word, you will find that there is no substance in what he says!
When we are faced with people like this in our lives, we have to try to make sure we do not get trapped in the things they are involved with. They will seem like a good idea at the time and they may even seem profitable – but when looked at closely, you will always see the faults… as long as you compare it to the truth and not to more lies that come out of them. This is why we have to be very wary about ‘hanging out’ with these people. When we attempt to lift them up, we find they are too engrossed in what they are doing and they will start to drag us down. We must cast out the lifeline and give them the means to see their own mistakes, but we must not be their judge and we should never dive in to try and help when we know what it is like down there! Always keep God as your guide to see how far you must go.
Points to Ponder:
Do you know people that are always in trouble?
Have you allowed them to see how good being a Christian can be?
April 25: Matthew 16 27-29
Key Verse: Matthew 16 28
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Devotion:
There may be some debate amongst scholars as to whether this passage talks about the times immediately after the day of Pentecost or the final judgement. I’m not here to try and take on the scholars but to look at the spiritual context in which it was probably intended to be read.
God has given each of us an edict to go out into the world and tell others of His Word. How we do that is largely going to be according to our abilities. There is no way we could all go out and preach God’s Word to others because some do not have that ability. But each of us does need to make sure we do what we can to allow others to know how we stand up for Jesus wherever we go! If we are not doing that, then we are ignoring God’s request. Why should we do that? Are we not assured of our salvation no matter what? (There always seems to be a but just around the corner)
If we get a steady job, in an ideal world, we are assured of an income from that job. What we are not always assured of is how much money we get from that job. The harder we work, the more likely we will be to get more money for what we do. Oh how easy it is to think of things in worldly terms; money and life! What we need to remember is we are headed for an eternity with God where we will have things which we cannot dream of yet. We will no longer look at things as being dependant on money, wealth or comfort, but rather on things we may not yet understand.
God continues to reward us with blessings whilst we are here on earth. He continues to give us things and continues to allow us to live so we will be able to be a living testimony for Him. The better we do our job, the more likely we will be rewarded for what we do. The more we are willing to draw closer to God, the closer we will be and the more of His comfort and strength we will feel. It really does depend on what you do after you have accepted Him into your life!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like it when your parents reward you?
How much more would you enjoy rewards that God can give?
April 24: Matthew 16 24-26
Key Verse: Matthew 16 26
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Devotion:
How often do you change the rules so you can get your own way? How often do you make sure you get your own way before others? How often do you do it your way instead of God’s way? If we are going to be honest then we are going to admit to having our own way as our first thought more often than not. Whether we carry it out to completion or not is another matter – our mind is set on ourselves!
If we really want to be the Christians that Christ wants us to be, then we have to make sure we do allow others to come first in our lives, more specifically to allow God to come first in our lives. If we make sure we start every day with God first in our lives, we are going to at least start off in the right manner. That alone should give us the encouragement to continue doing His will for the rest of the day. But it is those days where we start out by thinking of ourselves first where things may well start to look bad.
How about focusing on God first by praising Him for what He has done in other people’s lives first, and then for what He has done in your life. Then put forward your prayers asking Him to support/encourage/look after other people and then finally ask Him to encourage you to keep others first in your day. If we turn over our day to others to show Him (and them) that we are not selfish but want to be able to do His will, then He will answer our prayers. If we are going to be selfish and just think of ourselves and what He can do for us, then would you really expect Him to listen to you? Well, He does! But will you get your own way?
What gain would we have if we were to get everything going our way, to gain everything, if we would not make it to the first hurdle of actually putting our faith and trust in Him. How would we really feel if we got everything whilst others around us suffered? Do you really want God to make you first in His life, or are you willing to make God first in yours?
Points to Ponder:
How often do you get your own way?
How often do you ask God for your own way, ignoring others?