Tuesday 27^th November

Luke 15:11-32

“For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost but now is found.” (verse 32)

The NLT starts this story off with the profound statement…’to illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story’. Although this statement is not found in most other translations, I think it really does justice to the context of these parables and emphasises Jesus’ point; His love for the lost. If we remember back to the beginning of this chapter Jesus is addressing the sinners and Pharisees. He highlights that it is the lost who need saving and that His association with them, although against Rabbinical teaching, was exactly how He could save them; by meeting them where they were.

This teaching is found in the very core of this third and final parable. The story in brief, is of a man who had two sons. One decides to go and spend his inheritance on wild living and prostitutes. After squandering all his share of the wealth, he finds a job feeding pigs. The depth of poverty the son had was so low that verse 16 tells us that his employers wouldn’t even give him the pigs food. Upon coming to his senses he realises that he would be better off in his father’s house as a servant. He returns home to be greeted by his loving father who runs out to meet him. A party is thrown and he is reinstated as a SON. His brother is indignant at this and doesn’t recognise what’s happened.

The changing point in this story happens when the son comes to the realisation at his circumstance. Without the father he is lost. That is much the same with us. The Holy Spirit’s job in our lives is to convict us of our sinful state and show us how depraved we are without Jesus. When the son finally makes the move to go home his father is waiting for him to receive him back. Again the same with us, when we come or come back to the Father He not only is waiting but lavishes His glorious love upon us.

The father in the story reinstates his son and gives him three significant gifts to show that. A robe which symbolised honour, a ring which showed authority and sandals to show his status was of a son not a servant. God the Father not only accepts us back but also gives us the honour of being His children by adopting us into His family. Not longer are we alien to God but sons and daughters.

The older brother in this story symbolises the Pharisees. They show no compassion for the sinner but rather hypercritical accusations against others whilst living in sin themselves. The brother had all rights to his father’s possessions and temple riches constantly surrounded the Pharisees, yet both missed out on the real treasure enjoyed by a repentant sinner.

In conclusion Gods excitement, joy and desire is to see those lost come back to Him. His love for both sinner and saint is consistent and unconditional! He never leaves us and is always waiting for our hearts to respond to Him in true repentance.

Monday 26^th November

Luke 15:8-10

“I once was lost but now I’m found” (Amazing Grace – John Newton: 1779)

In continuing with the theme of being lost and found Jesus explains this simple parable to again emphasise the Father’s heart for the lost being found. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus uses three separate parables to share His heart for the lost?

In verses 8-10 Jesus uses the story of a woman who has lost 1 of her 10 coins. She sweeps the house and turns it upside down to find that precious coin and when she eventually finds she is overjoyed. She is so joyful in her finding this coin that she invites her friends over to join with her in her celebrations. Jesus concludes this parable with the same imagery as found in the previous parable of the lost shepherd. He relays the great joy in Heaven and among the angels at a person, repenting and finding salvation.

Jesus understood the value a denarius/drachma would have had in an Ancient Israeli society. It was equivalent to a day’s wages. Her total wealth was 10 coins, which would have equated to 10 days labour. She most probably did not have a great amount of wealth, which is shown through the desperation in finding this 1 lost coin.

Houses in Jesus’ time would have been dusty and dirty and when something was lost such as a small coin it would have proved very difficult to find. There were not usually many windows in the house so Jesus reminds His listeners that in order to find something that was lost, one would have also had to light a lamp to aid them. All this highlights to the crowd how hard it would have been to find this coin and the great lengths and efforts she puts it to find it.

If the woman represents God and the coin humanity/us, then we can understand the great extents Jesus went through for us; that we may be found and recognised as sons and daughters of the Most High God. Our lives without Christ are so far from Gods original plan for humanity. We are dirty and are hidden by the darkness in our hearts. We hide in the corners of society, living our lives constantly running away from God and sometimes even doing this unconsciously and in ignorance.  In John’s gospel (1:5), he describes Jesus as a great light exposing the darkness. Jesus’ mission as we talked about in the last devotional was to seek and save the lost. In doing this He exposed the darkness and brought what was in the dark, to the light.

That is why there is such jubilation at one soul repenting (action is needed on our behalf too) and coming into Salvation. That is Jesus’ mission being completed on this earth. The light shining in dark places, exposing what it is evil and allowing what was once in that darkness to be found. Praise God that He never gives up on us and that His omnipotence shines through our secret places.

Saturday 24^th November

Luke 15:1-7

Have you ever been so excited about something that you can’t contain it and you feel like your going to burst?? As sad as it is sometimes I get that feeling at the anticipation and excitement of the new film ‘The Hobbit’. Yes, I know that’s sad but it got me thinking about something much more exciting than a film release.

In Luke 15 Jesus, surrounded not only by society’s rejects but also the Pharisees and Scribes, begins to explain God’s heart for mankind. His excitement is told through these three successive parables whereby Jesus explains His desire to see the lost found. Jesus writes these parables in response to criticism from the Pharisees and Scribes who thought themselves to holy to associate with ‘sinners’. Jesus’ heart for ‘sinners’ is clearly shown in this chapter as He Highlights His priority in not only ‘socialising’ with sinners but that through Him they might find a way back to the Father. In Luke 19:10 Jesus says that He came for the lost, that they might be found.

The first of these parables is found in today’s reading in verses 3-7. Jesus uses a common imagery of a shepherd and sheep. He tells a story of a shepherd whilst tending his flock, loosing a sheep that’s gone astray. Then comes his dilemma. Does he leave the ninety-nine to go after the one who’s lost or go home with the ninety-nine and forget about the one? The shepherd does the right thing and searches for the lost sheep. When he finds it he is filled with such great joy and throws a party with his friends. Jesus says that this is the same joy found in Heaven when a sinner turns back to God.

The shepherd in this story can be interpreted as God and the sheep as us. God’s joy comes not in the ninety-nine who have not strayed but in the one who is found and comes back to Him. That is not to say the ninety-nine are not of importance to Him but rather His excitement is found in His desire for those lost to be reconciled with the Father.

What a great picture of a kind and loving Father. This parable reminds me of an old comic book narrating different stories in the Bible. One of the stories is this parable and the illustration of it still stays in my mind of a kind, gentle and loving shepherd with the lost sheep on his shoulders. That image should stand as a representation to us that Gods desire for all of us, no matter how lost of far away we are, is to come back to Him.

But notice this parable unlike the prodigal son parable is the shepherd going out to seek the lost sheep. If you think that God has just left you, that you have gone too far from Him or that you are beyond being found, then think again because that is contrary to what this parable is teaching us. His desire is for you to be found and not only that; He is willing to meet you where you are. Just hold on to the shepherds’ rod and let Him pull you back!! 

Friday 23^rd November

Psalm 97:1-6

“The mountain melt like wax before the Lord….and all peoples see His Glory”

Have you ever had the privilege of witnessing something incredible that just brought you either to you knees, made you speechless or even made you emotional? Sometimes we get this feeling when walking through mountains, awestruck at the one who created such magnanimous beauty.  Other times it could be watching nature programs mesmerized by such small intricate creatures that our Creator God has put some much detail into. My humbling experience came as I watched a jazz band last night. The sheer talents of such great musicians not only impressed me and caused me to become speechless but I was humbled by such a display of musical ability.

Upon watching this display of musical euphoria, I pondered what it must be like to stand before the great throne of God in absolute humility knowing His all-powerful omnipotence. If one can be impressed by mere human talents, as great as they were, how much more should be awestruck by the one who created everything, including their talents.

I was reminded of this wonderful psalm were the Psalmist also awestruck by such a great and mighty God. He starts off in verse 1 exclaiming the Lords sovereignty, “The Lord Reigns”. See when God made creation it was in the intention that it would worship Him. In fact it is the pure beauty of Gods creation that leads us to worship Him today. The Psalmist here understood that creation was meant to worship God because of His Kingship and authority.

Verses 2-4 then summarise the Lords Judgement and Power. They highlight His righteous and just judgement but also that as He is the Creator of all the earth, He alone reserves the right to pass that judgement. Again in at the end of verse 4 we see the same kind of imagery that Habakkuk used in his prayer, the imagery of the earth and sea trembling at Gods supreme magnificence.

The climatic crescendo is found in verse 5. The imagery here used by the Psalmist gives God the highest praise I think is possible to give God. “The mountains melt like wax before Him, before the Lord of ALL the earth.” Imagine for a second, Mount Everest of Nepal, one of the tallest mountains on planet Earth. Measured from its top to base, its stands at 8,848 meters tall. An average male is around 170 cm. It would take over 5000 men standing on each others shoulders to reach the top of this mountain. Then imagine that mountain melting like wax, bowing its knee before it maker and creator. That image blows my mind. How vast, immense, and EPIC is our God.

In fact in verses 6 and 7 the Psalmist tells us that not only is He the God of the Earth but of the Heavens and all other made up gods who submit to His supreme authority. Do you know that the God who made both Heaven and Earth knows you by name, the hairs on your head and even sent Jesus to die for you? WOW, that’s truly humbling!!

Remember that when we come before the throne of grace, be in awe as it is a THRONE!!

Thursday 22^nd November

Matthew 7:24-29

“On Christ this solid rock I’m found, all other ground is sinking sand” (Edward Mote – The Solid Rock)

Sometimes when we look at our circumstances, after feeling sorry for ourselves for a while, we realise that so often we are blessed beyond measure. However, we usually need someone looking in from the outside of our circumstance to remind us of these truths.

In the final teaching of His ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus highlights the significance and importance of all that He has just taught. He encourages the disciples to not only hear what He is saying but to build their lives upon it. Jesus explains this by telling a story of two men, one wise and one foolish. They both build houses but choose different foundations to build upon. The wise chooses a rock and the foolish chooses sand. When the flood, storm and winds come against them, the house that stays standing is the one built by the wise man on the rock.

For many this parable conjures up Sunday school lessons or perhaps Christian cartoons but there is a much deeper meaning to what Jesus is teaching here. What is so important that Jesus concludes His teaching with this story??

If we look in the previous verses, from 21-23, we see Jesus’ strong teaching on fruitless works and how they prevent the ‘doer’ from entering the Kingdom of God. Jesus concludes that teaching with a statement that directly relates to this parable. He says that only those who do the will of the Father can enter Heaven.

In John 8:28 Jesus says that He ‘only does and says what the Father tells Him’. Simply put Jesus’ words is the Father’s will, which is ultimately His teaching to and for us. How does this relate to Jesus’ parable though??

Some commentators have concluded that the storm Jesus refers to in this parable is God’s final judgement on man but it can also be understood as times of trials and hardships. Either way, the main point of Jesus’ teaching here is not so much the storm but rather what the houses are built on. If we dig deep into God’s words (the Father’s will, Jesus’ teaching) and build our foundations on His infallible and timeless truths (the rock) then not matter what comes against we will still stand.

If we are to understand this passage properly, taking into consideration the previous verses, we must understand that it is not only hearing but following what His word says. Both Paul in Ephesians 2 and Peter in his first epistle talk of Jesus being our chief cornerstone. His teaching is not only the basis of the foundation of our house but he is also part of the house. That is a winning combination.

So when circumstances look bleak don’t wait for someone else to highlight what good in your life but rather trust in Jesus’ teaching, the solid rock and cornerstone of our lives that cannot be shaken!!

Wednesday 21st November

Habakkuk 3:16-19

“I know that my Redeemer lives and ever prays for me” Charles Wesley

In the final account of Habakkuk’s prayer found in today’s passage, we read of a Holy response to tribulation and a depth of understanding of God’s Gracious character.

In verse 16 Habakkuk exclaims that upon hearing about God’s salvation to the Israelites at the Red Sea, his body trembled. He not only knew the awesomeness of His God but He also knew that although Judah was under captivity, God promised that it would only be for a time. The day of judgement for Judah’s enemies would soon be at hand and Habakkuk could but tremble and shake at the thought of Gods imminent wrath. However in the midst of this knowledge, somehow he found a peace and contentment that God was his Salvation and Saviour.

What is our response when we go through hard times that seem unending? Is it to blame God or to trust that He will not only sustain and deliver us form tribulation, but help us find rest and peace in the middle of the tornado all around us?

Habakkuk knew full well that the persecution his people were going through was self-inflicted because of their rebellion and pagan worship. All around him was like a battleground; fields stripped of their crops, livestock sparse, fruitless tress and plants. All this was deserved but throughout the hardship Habakkuk comforted himself knowing that his ancestors had gone through the same thing. Through their rebellion, they were in captivity with the Egyptians for 400 years. Yet God in His mercy saved them and brought them into His presence once again.

Verses 17 summarises the devastation all around Habakkuk however in verse 18, Habakkuk comes to the awe-inspiring conclusion, ‘YET I will rejoice in the Lord!!’ Not only does he deduce God as his strength and salvation but that throughout hard times God would set his feet on firm ground when all around him, his world was shaken. Praise God. This is the kind of response we should have in hard times!!

This reminds me of song written by Charles Wesley drawing on the 19th chapter of Job. Job is having an almost exact same discussion with his friends and with God, of destruction and judgement that he feels has come his way, yet he also comes a profound conclusion. Even still “I know that my Redeemer lives.” In the last verses of chapter 1, Job also grasps that God not only gives and takes away but of HIS need to praise Him throughout it all.

What comfort can we take from this in our day?? Well we might not have everything stripped away from us as Judah did because of her rebellion but the Bible says that our sinfulness separates us from Gods presence. The good news according to Hebrews 7:25 is that we have a High Priest, Jesus, who ever lives to make intercession on our behalf. If we would just put our hope and trust in Him then we too can have a restored relationship with Him and have our feet set on firm ground.

Habakkuk 3:18 “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation”

Tuesday 20^th November

Habakkuk 3:8-19

‘My God is not dead, surely He’s alive; Living on the inside roaring like a lion’

(a lyric from the David Crowder band)

Habakkuk is a fairly unread book of the Bible, but upon stumbling over it a few months ago, I found a story of God’s favour and heart for His own people. It was a story that deepened my understanding of how much God loves and fights for His beloved.

Habakkuk was a “watchman/prophet” in the Old Testament. He had just witnessed the end of the Assyrian Reign and was seeing the super power of the Babylonians, under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, take Judah captive as part of God’s judgement on them. Chapters 1 and 2 are a dialogue between Habakkuk and God, wherein Habakkuk is questioning why God has let them be taken into captivity and God is giving the answer.

We join the story in the middle of chapter 3 from verse 8 and we see a shift in the style of writing from questioning and reasoning to the awesomeness of Gods power and His eventual redemption of His people. Habakkuk reminds his readers of how God intervened and saved Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

Habakkuk uses the imagery of chariots branding bows and arrows that parted the earth and sea. So great was this victorious charge that the whole earth could only stand in awe of such a mighty force. Verses 10 and 11 talk of mountains watching and trembling and the sun and moon standing still in the sky. What amazing imagery of things we imagine to have such might and splendour utterly in awe of a Power greater than they. Upon reading that, I was reminded of a scene in the Lord of the Rings were Arwen, Elronds’ daughter, is trapped by the enemy and she causes the waves to crush her foes. The waves take the form of mighty warrior horses that trample upon her enemies. This is the scene we see in Habakkuk (verse 15).

Then the pinnacle of story and were I was most encouraged was in verses 12 and 13. Habakkuk says of the Lord that He marched across the land in anger and fury and went out to rescue His anointed one, His chosen people. What a great picture. The waves are being parted in what must have been a spectacular sight, the sun and moon are in awe and then here comes the One who created it all; the creator of all creation. The way Habakkuk writes is like God is desperate to save His people, there is a depth of love shown here. What an encouraging picture of our God!!

Imagine your child was in great danger; would you not do all you can to save them?? The image here is even more powerful because God did save them knowing full well that they would soon turn their back on Him once they crossed the sea. That is God’s ‘Hesed’ Love, a covenantal love, and an unconditional love that He still shows us today, that He sent Jesus to save us from our sins. Praise God

Monday 19^th November

Matthew 5:27-30

One of Jesus’ most interesting and hard teachings starts with the quotation of the seventh commandment God gave to Moses on Mt Sinai. “You shall not commit adultery”. Looking at that from a modern Christian perspective it’s a pretty straight forward, understandable and agreeable commandment. However in our passage today we read that Jesus gives it a whole new meaning and highlights an even deeper problem that puts adultery relatively on the back burner (that is not to say that adultery is not of great importance).

Jesus proceeds in verse 28 to say that even if you look lustfully (a continual desire or gaze into what is not Godly or permissible) at a woman/man you have already committed adultery in your HEART. What a strong challenge from Jesus. But if that’s not strong enough Jesus issues another warning by saying that if any part of your body causes you to lust then cut it off, for it is better to loose a body part than to miss out on Gods kingdom.

However, Jesus here is not talking about self-mutilation but rather an even deeper sense of purging sin from our lives. Rico Tice says in his exposition of this passage that the truth is that no matter how far the surgeon’s scalpel goes, sin will remain in our lives if we do not deal with the real issue. Well what is the real issue?

The issue here is not the act of adultery but the desire of our HEART. Our temptations, according to James chapter 1:13-15, is the result of our own desires. In other words the reason we are lustfully tempted is the result of our HEART problem. See we are born having sinful natures and after we become God’s children Christ deals with that.  However it is not to say that we will never sin or be tempted again. In fact our Lord and Messiah Jesus Christ Himself was tempted by the enemy. But here comes the good part!!

According to Hebrews 2:18, Jesus was tempted but because He withstood it, as He is perfect, He can help us in our times of temptation. But the good news just gets better. Not only can He help us to withstand temptations, He deals with the original problem, the sin in our HEART. When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His precious blood. John says in his epistle, that it is Jesus’ blood that cleanses us from sin. He doesn’t just forgive us if we confess our sins but cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness.

Our HEART without Christ is like a piece of paper that has been scrunched up and rubbed through the mud. When we accept Christ He not only removes the stains but irons the paper as if new again. Jesus is the only one who could issue such a warning as we see in Matthew 5 but Jesus is also the only person who can help us withstand the temptation, which leads to becoming more like Him.

Daily Prayer

Thank You for Jesus, for His blood and for Him taking my punishment instead of me! Amen

Saturday 17^th November

Matthew 5:43-48

In one of Jesus’ most profound teachings we find a true golden nugget of Jesus’ perfection and standard that He has set to us, His followers. Here in Matthew 5:43 Jesus quotes an old law found in Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbour”. In the context of this passage, neighbour would have been all Israelites. Jesus adds on the common misinterpretation of this law by saying that you should also hate your enemy. However this statement is not found in the Bible, on the contrary the Bible says in Proverbs 25:21 ‘that if your enemy is hungry feed him, thirsty then give him a drink’. In this passage Jesus is not only clarifying the wrong interpretations of this law but turns it on its head by adding a radical teaching.

“But I say to you, love your enemies.” What a hard teaching when we look at this at face value. Jesus I can love my neighbour, my own people but to love someone who I don’t like…HOW?? But Jesus doesn’t just leave it there; He adds 2 others commands that the NLT version misses out. He says, “Bless those who curse you”, “pray for those who spitefully use you” and those who persecute you. This really does seem a contrast from just loving your neighbour.

 A probable question that some may have asked, (without adding to the text what is not there), could be have been “Lord, You don’t really expect this from us”. However in verse 45 Jesus says that He does expect this from us that we may truly live as children of God. He goes on to say that our Heavenly Father shows no partiality in His love for both evil and good or just and unjust. God gives sunlight and rain to all people. So just as He shows no partiality, so should we. Jesus summarises His point but asking 2 rhetorical questions. If you love only those who love you or greet only your own people, what difference are you to the tax collectors (sinners) and what does it profit you??

This lesson stands for us today. In verse 48 Jesus concludes in saying that we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. This is the golden nugget of this passage. On our own we are sinful people but with Christ’s perfect impartial love in us, we can show love to those who curse, persecute, and spitefully use us. On our own, our natural instinct is to be kind to those who are kind to us but with Christ’s love in us not only can we love those we otherwise couldn’t, but we can bless and pray for them. This is true love. This is becoming perfect like Christ, who on the cross practiced what He preached not only in deed but also in His final breath “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. Although this is a hard lesson with the help of the Holy Spirit we must try to be perfect as He is.

Daily Prayer

Not by my strength but by Yours. Let Your love be the essence of my life.

Friday 16^th November

Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:34-40 

I remember coming home from a family retreat to spring harvest a few years back, memorising the words of Jesus taught to me by the Kings Kids leader. “Do to others what you want them to do to you”. I fervently kept this up as best I could for ….5 days. Then I hurt someone, said something cruel and acted in a typically selfish manner.  Looking back now I realise that that was one of the most important lessons ever taught to me. I would like to say that I did try to live by this “Golden Rule”. Although yes, many times I stumbled and treated people in a manner that is much rather the opposite of this command, it proved a worthy gob-stopper on many occasions.

However, notice that this is a positive ‘doing’ command. Throughout history many people have turned this into a ‘negative’. For example “don’t do to others what would make you angry if they did it back”. This encourages passivity, whereas Jesus’ command is a positive ‘doing’ command. This is were I went wrong. Rather than not doing things or saying things to upset people, my focus should have been serving and building others up in Christ’s love.

In fact Jesus in Matthew 7:12 not only gives this command but summarises the whole Hebrew Bible in one sentence. He is saying something radical here and of great importance. (That is not to say that the Hebrew Bible is not important. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it). Moreover, the Hebrew Bible for all Jews was and is, so important as many children and adults read the Torah everyday, memorising portions of it and meditating upon those words. So when Jesus says that this command is the Law (The Torah) and the Prophets, it should cause the reader and hearer to stand up and pay attention, both in His time and in the present day.

In Matthew 22 Jesus is tested by the Pharisees in highlighting the greatest commandment of all. Jesus in all His wisdom summaries the Hebrew Bible by giving 2 commands this time. ‘Love God with everything within you and love your neighbour as yourself.’ Jesus’ wise answer really does summarise the Law. If we love God and love others we are not only being obedient but also showing Gods love to others. In order to love God and love others, first we must pray for God to increase our capacity to receive His love, to love Him and to love ourselves (not vanity); For Jesus commands to love others as ourselves. If we do not see ourselves as God sees us, then we cant love others or ourselves. Then in turn we cannot do unto others and we would have them do to us.

                  A simple equation to remind ourselves of this Golden Rule

             “Receive Gods Love – Love God – Love ourselves – Love others”