20^th January

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. And all of this is a gift from God, who has brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God had given US this task of reconciling people back to Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-18(NLT) 

As I was walking towards a church this Sunday, I noticed a sign in their courtyard that said the following…”Broken your new years resolution already? Only Jesus can change us for good!” Although it sounds quite quirky, there is an underlying truth in that statement. People are looking for change!

So often, at the start of a new year, resolutions are made to change lifestyles, bad habits, make more time for family or even extra personal time. All these are great aspirations. In fact it is a wise thing to set goals and visions for the year.

However, what seems like good intentions at the beginning of January often seems like a distant memory by the end of it. So what can make a permanent change in our lives? The answer…. Jesus Christ. It may sound obvious for a believer but the truth is, is that only Jesus can transform us from the inside out. And His change is permanent if we allow Him to fully transform us.

Let these verses be an encouragement this morning. Jesus can change you forever. If you are fed up of your lifestyle, falling over the same hurdles, living a life separate from God’s best for you, then know there is good news… Jesus, and He is only a prayer away. The challenge is, is that once our lives have been changed, “God had given US this task of reconciling people back to Him.” 

Open your heart to Christ’s reconciling work and let Him change you forever!

19^th January

 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came just at the right time and died for sinners… God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

 Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)

 The title of today’s devotion may seem like an oxymoron. At face value it looks contradictory yet, as discussed last week, it’s a truth that we should all eventually grasp through faith.

Paul, in the book of Romans, discusses the details of why Jesus had to die for us and why we needed liberating from the law in order to have a right relationship with Christ. He tells the reader that we all have a debt that is owed that was too huge for us to pay (because of the law), but by the grace and free gift of God there is great news; it has been paid by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Here in chapter 5 Paul gives an example of what that looks like in reality. He asks two rhetorical questions. Would someone be willing to sacrifice himself for an ok kind of guy? Maybe someone would possibly be willing to give his or her life for a person who is especially good? However, Jesus showed us His great love for us by giving His life in our place while we were still sinners (enemies of God in fact). He didn’t wait for us to get good before He died for us. He died while we were still sinners.

Think about it. Think about the worst thing you have ever done. It is for that memory that Christ died for us. Not only that memory but for so much more. That is true love. Our debt is completely wiped out; we are free to live victorious lives!

It’s unfathomable, yet it’s the truth. Accept it in faith so you can “… have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, high how and how deep His love is.” (Ephesians 3:18)

Weekend Edition

17^th-18^th January

“…. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, high how and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NLT)

 God’s love is often described as a calm flowing river that you can rest in and feel refreshed. However, I picture God’s love like a constant erupting volcano. A volcano that never stops erupting; it showers you with love. His love comes from the depths of the earth. A love that is so deep, so true and so constant.

Paul follows on, in His letter to the church in Ephesus, describing what it is to know and abide in God’s love. He says that Christ’s love is so intense over us that it almost feels like we cant understand it. Why does He love even when we sin? Why does He love when we don’t spend enough time with Him? The simple answer is not found in human reasoning but in the TRUTH! The TRUTH is this…. Because He loves you, because HE loves YOU, BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU, because that is all He knows how to do. His love IS unconditional, not dependent on our actions. There is nothing we can do that will make Him love us more and there is nothing we can do that would make Him love us less. His love is radical. It breaks our human presuppositions and ideas of what love is. Paul encourages us to experience His love, to receive it with open arms, even though we may not fully be able comprehend it.

There is a well that runs deep with the love of God. Let your roots run deep into the depth of His love. For in His love we are complete, made whole and can experience “the fullness of life and power that comes from God”. All we have to do is receive it!!

16^th January

 “Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…..”

Ephesians 3:17a (NLT)

The title of today’s devotion is taken from a Kari Jobe song titled, “Always Enough”. She sings of the truth that life is not worth living apart from Christ in us.

This wonderful verse from the book of Ephesians highlights to the reader, of God’s desire for an intimate and real relationship with them. This verse is almost like an evangelistic statement.

The very real truth is that every relationship we have is based on trust. We trust our families to love us unconditionally, we trust our spouses to be faithful, we even trust our children to be obedient and responsible. However, as we trust in Jesus more and more with our lives and our hearts, we realise that actually without Him, we can’t survive. We become increasingly vulnerable as we give Him and trust Him with every part of our being. The wonderful thing is that Christ can be trusted.

When we simply trust Jesus with our lives, He makes His home in our hearts. How amazing that God, the creator of all life, wants to make His home in your heart. He wants to walk with you, to surround you with His love, comfort and peace in all circumstances. This is so real, so raw, and so intimate. His love, as we discussed in yesterdays devotion, comes from an unlimited resource, it’s never ending. The more we trust Him with our lives, the deeper our roots grow in His love as we feed from His everlasting and unlimited resources.

Do you trust the Lord of LIFE with your life? Let Him make His home in your heart!

15^th January

“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with His inner strength through His Spirit..”

 Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)  

Did you know that there is no end to God’s grace? Sometimes we feel like we have used up His resource of grace for the day or we feel like we are running on a reserve tank of grace. God is not a petrol station that once we are empty of His grace, we go, fill up and carry on with our lives until we are empty again.

This is not how He wants us to live. There is good news. God has “unlimited resources” of grace and mercy and they are glorious. He gives strength when we are weak, grace when we don’t deserve it, and love that is unconditional and all these are unlimited all of the time. There is no end to them.

Despite our circumstance, despite of sin, God wants to give you inner strength this day out of His “glorious, unlimited resources”. Let His Spirit empower you. This is not an excuse to live reckless and purposefully sinful lives but is an encouragement that when we fall or feel empty, His resources lift us up and grounds us in His dynamic victory.

Today you can have as much of Jesus as you want!!

14^th January

A Personal Reflection

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them!”

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

 Today’s devotion is a reflection on this verse after a hearing a statement that both challenged me and encouraged me.

I was talking with a colleague about something that had frustrated us both. It was a situation out of our hands yet needed to have some urgent attention. After discussing the difficulties I left her office and as I was walking out she shouted “Hallelujah Anyway”. What a fantastic statement of faith, contentment and trust in an Almighty God.

This verse sums up the “Hallelujah Anyway” statement. For if we know that God is in control then what is the need to worry. Interestingly the NLT version of this verse varies slightly from others. More often than not we hear the version that says “In all things God works together for the good…”, however this version claims that “God works all things together…”. The focus varies from things changing to God working. The emphasis is not on our circumstances but on God, the author of life. It is God who is working in our lives to resolves all things for His glory. Sometimes it might not be that the situation or problem changes as YOU might like, but what is guaranteed is the fact that whatever the problem, God will make good from a challenging situation in accordance with His perfect will for your life.

Whatever you face today, take courage that God is at work in your situation if you allow Him in. Shout out that no matter what happens in your day “Hallelujah Anyway!!!”

13^th January

“When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them-fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. ….”Now come and have some breakfast!””

John 21:9-12 (NLT)

 Jesus makes His third appearance to His disciples here in these few verses. He again has just miraculously increased the number of fish caught by the disciples. After they had finished hauling in the days catch they approach Jesus on the seashore.

This next scene is completely astounding… ! We know that Jesus was both fully human and at the same time fully God and in fact Jesus, in these few verses, was in His resurrected body. However the great thing about this story is that it is the most human scene that we see Jesus in throughout the gospels.

As they approach Jesus He welcomes His disciples to eat the fish that was cooking over the barbeque and bread that had presumably been made fresh that morning. Jesus had even most probably prepared this meal Himself. But the verse that is most comforting is when Jesus tells His disciples to “come and have some breakfast.” How amazing is that; Simple words that speak so much. This verse often gets overlooked but its incredible that Jesus, the creator of the world, who died and rose again, simply just wanted to sit with His disciples in that moment, cooked them breakfast and had bread and barbequed fish with them.

Why is this comforting? Because, Jesus is so much more than a far away, impersonal, and un-relatable God. He is the God that wants an intimate, personal relationship with us; even to meet our everyday needs such as eating breakfast. Lets invite Him into every part of our lives!

 God in my living, there in my breathing, God in waking, eating and sleeping!

12^th January

“…Then Jesus told him, “Follow Me.””

 John 21:19 (NLT)

 Jesus, the Light of the World, humbly came to live among us in the form a servant, suffered a sinners death at the hands of His own creation, however, most importantly, resurrected on that glorious 3^rd day. John 21 relives Jesus’ appearance to the disciples after His resurrection and his profound conversation with Peter.

Earlier in the passion story Peter remarkably denies that he ever knew Jesus, fearful of the consequences of knowing and following a man who was on trail and soon to be put to death.

However, Jesus knew that Peter’s heart was for Him. When he re-appeared to Peter, He took him to one side and in a statement that overshadowed Peter’s denial, tells him again to “Follow Him”. However this time Peter does question Jesus by focusing on another disciple. Yet Jesus helps Peter to re-focus and concentrate on His walk with the Lord, “As for you, follow Me!!”

How wonderful and marvellous that Jesus could not only forgive Peter of denying Him but re-commissioned him with the very first words He ever said to Peter. His first words were “Follow Me” and His last were “Follow Me.”

Let this be an encouragement to you today, that wherever you are in your journey with Christ, whether you have heard these words once, twice or many times, whatever you done, Jesus’ words are still the same “Come Follow Me.” Those words encompass companionship, they set out a journey, they are warm words and most importantly, they are personal to you.

Weekend Edition (10 – 11th January 2015)

“When Simon Peter realised what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh Lord, please leave me – I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him…”

Luke 5:8-9 (NLT)

Jesus was not an ordinary man. Wherever He went something would happen. Whether that was great teaching or the miraculous, Jesus, time after time showed His divinity and left people in awe.

Simon Peter has just witnessed the catch of his life. In fact he probably, in his entire fishing career, never witnessed a catch of such magnitude. His reaction? To fall at the feet of Jesus in awe!! However, the most interesting aspect of Peter’s response is that he didn’t feel worthy to be in the same boat as Jesus. “Oh Lord, please leave me – I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” Why this reaction? Why didn’t his reaction have something to do with the fish, after all he was a fisherman? Quite simply, because He had an encounter with the power of God and was humbled by the sheer wonder of what had just happened. He knew that Jesus was no ordinary man.

But the great thing in this story is that Peter didn’t go looking for Jesus, but Jesus found Peter. Even though Peter thought that he was too much of a sinner to be around Jesus, after this great miraculous catch of fish, Jesus shows that the very reason He came was for people like Peter.

When you encounter the risen King, what’s your reaction? When you see a supernatural provision, a miraculous wonder or even feel His presence, are you awestruck at the sheer magnitude of His works? Jesus, whose words helped form the very foundation of the earth, calls YOU today… will you accept the invitation and fall to your knees in submission to His call?

9^th January 2015

“…And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled and on the verge of sinking.. .”

Luke 5:6-7 (NLT)

The blessing of obedience far outweighs any sacrifice on our behalf. For it is in obedience that we find true joy and rivers of blessing that overflow.

Simon Peter has just been told to go fishing in plain daylight after he had just fished all night and caught nothing. He humbly obeys, sails a little deeper and throws his nets out in faith… What happened next was beyond his expectation.

When he threw out his nets, the catch was so great, that even his nets began to tear. Even after he shouted for help and was aided by James and John, the fish kept coming. So much so that both boats began to sink at the weight of the fish caught.

Quite simply this is a miracle. There is no other reason why there should have been so many fish. Yet at Jesus’ word and through Peter’s obedience God commanded a blessing. When we obey Jesus’ words, whether we fully understand it or not, there must be a blessing. Jesus was true to His word in this story and is true to His word today. This same Jesus that divinely provided fish for a fisherman, can meet you at your time of need and supernaturally provide for you too. Notice that God’s blessings are not in half measures but are so much that your boat will overflow and sink under the weight of His provision.

 What voice will you listen to today?