Month: May 2015

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The Narrow Gate

7th May

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The road that leads to destruction is broad, and it’s gate is wide for the many who choose it. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14

It is so easy to “go with the flow” in today’s society. Temptation is everywhere. It is easy to follow the way of this world and become part of the many that take the broad road to destruction without even realising it. It takes little effort to live a lifestyle contrary to God’s best for us, because everyone around us seems to be doing it.

Jesus in His “sermon on the mount”, encourages His listeners (His disciples), to take a stand against the things of this world and not follow the path that leads to destruction but live in the opposite spirit. However, He warns that this lifestyle is hard, the path is narrow and the road difficult. This is so true. In todays ‘day and age’ it is so hard to stand up for justice in an unjust world, to be pure when there is so much immorality around, or even to believe when we are surrounded by so much doubt, unbelief and pessimism.

However, the underlying truth of today’s message is that we are called to be among the number who are willing to stand against the flow of the world, to be different and to not compromise when everyone around us is. Yes the road is hard but the reward is life and not death. Living life how God intended for us has so many benefits and blessings. Moreover, we do not walk the road by ourselves, by walk it side by side with the Lord, whose Spirit is ever present in our times of need and weaknesses.

Will you chose to find the road that leads to life or get lost in the crowds on the road that leads to destruction?

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Our Bodies Are A Temple

6thMay

“Don’t you realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a High price. So you must honour God with your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Today’s reading is one of those verses that is so important to remind ourselves of on a regular basis. It is so appropriate when there is so much immorality around us (even in the church), to be reminded that we are living vessels for the very presence of Almighty God.

Paul, in writing this chapter, is addressing a particular issue in the church of Corinth, immorality. Sexual immorality was in abundance, yet that sad thing was, that it was creeping into the church. In fact in chapter 5, Paul addresses a particular issue, whereby a man in the church was living in sin with his stepmother. The sad thing is that these kind of issues are still very much present in today’s society.

So often we live our lives without the thought and care that are bodies are the temple and dwelling place of God’s presence. In the Old Testament the dwelling place of God’s presence, the Holy of Holies, was considered the most anointed and holiest of places. Only one person, once a year, after performing many purification rituals, could enter into it. Yet when Jesus died and the veil was ripped, it opened up an intimate relationship with God Himself, whereby He could come into our hearts and dwell within us. That is why Paul says we were bought at a high price.

It is this reason that Paul encouraged the church in Corinth and also today’s reader to remain pure and holy, to run away from sexual immorality and honour God with our bodies. Today can be a new start. God is merciful and kind and as we heard last week, slow to anger and rich in love. It is never too late to make right your relationship with God, our Heavenly Father.

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The Father Heart Of God

5th May

“The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him..”

Psalm 103:13

Quite often it is difficult to imagine God as the ‘Father’, particularity if your own father didn’t set the best example of fatherhood to you. Yet it is a term that cannot be escaped when reading the bible. Jesus Himself used the example of God the Father many times. Even when He prayed, He prayed to God the Father. So why does the bible use ‘Father’ so often to describe God?

When we accept Jesus in our hearts and lives, we are adopted into His family. We are born again and no longer live as children of the world but as children of God. God becomes our Perfect Heavenly Father. This personal relationship with God defines who we are and His guidance, tender care and limitless love nurtures us to be become mature in Him and grow in our relationship with Jesus and with others.

Yet just as an earthly father would discipline their children, so it is with God. That is not to say he beats us with a naughty stick when we do wrong but instead, as David says in today’s verse, corrects us with His tender love and compassionate heart. However, when we do stumble and fall from His best for us, He is always waiting for us with loving open arms.

God the Father wants the best for us according to His will for our lives. We need to respect and obey His guidance, follow His words and honour Him with our lifestyles.

Be encouraged today that God the Father is beckoning you home with arms wide open, unconditional love to give and tender mercy to greet you.

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The Lord Made The Heavens

4th May

“The Lord has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything.”

Psalm 103:19

Are there situations in your life where you feel like there is no hope or light at the end of the tunnel, where the problems are mounting up to form a huge weight on your shoulders? If so then today’s verse is for you!

David, in the previous few verses has just finished describing the frailty and temporary existence of man. He comments that mankind is as the “wildflowers flowers of the fields” that grow today and are gone tomorrow. In fact the NLT version sounds even more morbid “The wind blows, and we are gone!” just like the flowers. Yet rather than dwell on mans temporary existence, David moves straight to the magnitude and supremacy of Almighty God.

When we dwell on how small we are and insignificant we might feel, we loose sight of who God is and how big He is. In fact God is so big that He made the Heavens His throne. If we are to understand the “Heavens” as the huge expanse of the sky and all the universe both unknown and known, then that is pretty big!God is so much bigger than we could ever imagine. However, the great news is that He wants to be involved in our every day life on a deep and personal level, so that when we face situations that seem like they are too big for us to handle, we can call on the Name of the Lord and find refuge, help and strength. Why? Because He is bigger than any problem we will ever face!

Jesus has power over our situations because He is above our situations. He is able to save, able to heal, able to provide and able to guide. He has the ultimate power that outweighs our greatest expectation of who and what we picture God to be. He rules over everything. He is eternal yet His very breath breathed life into to mankind.

Can Jesus help you today…? Absolutely and He will if you ask Him to!

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The Merciful Judge

2nd & 3rd May

Weekend Edition

“He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”

Psalm 103:10

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting a court case. The case was about a man who had been drink driving on numerous occasions, driving while suspended, driving without an M.O.T and changing his number plate. As I sat there in the court room, I was overcome with compassion for the man awaiting his sentencing. He looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

My moral mind was thinking that this guy has the evidence clocked up against him. It is clear he broke the law. He could have endangered if not killed someone else, or even his own life. He showed no care for the law as it was a repeated offence. So in my eyes he was guilty. Yet something struck a cord in me and I sat there and pronounced judgement on this man. I felt sorry for him.

As I pondered these emotions I realised that God was talking to me about my own sinful self in the courthouse of the Lord. The evidence that is against me for breaking God’s law also pronounces me as a guilty man. Yet the judge does not look at my sin but looks at the One who paid it for me already, Jesus Christ. I, by all means, should be be found guilty and condemned to a life separated for a Holy God. Yet because of what Jesus did on that cross for me, not only am I forgiven but I am set free from my sin and the bondage of it too. The evidence book is ripped up and I am pronounced not guilty.

God’s mercy and grace is a free gift and the only thing we have to do to repay that debt is to believe and accept it. God does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve according to our sins. That is the gospel. That is love. What grace and mercy can we find at the foot of the cross!?

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How Far Is The East To The West?

1st May

“For His unfailing love towards those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Psalm 103:11-12

How far is the east from the west? How high are the heavens above the earth?

Have you ever heard the expression “I love you to heaven and back?”, or seen when a child opens the span of his arms and says “I love you this much!!”?? Although these distances are largely allegorical, there is an underlying truth behind them. The extent of their love is in-measurable. So it is the same here in today’s verses. David also tells us that God’s love for us, irrespective of our circumstances, sinful attitudes and selfish ambitions, still loves us with a love that cannot be measured.

In fact there probably was not any real comprehension of how far these measurements were! Even in todays age, east to west is not a number that can truly be measured because the earth is round so you will always be going east if you travel east and west if you travel west. The point David is trying to make here, is that wherever we travel, up or down, east to west, we cannot escape the unfailing love of God or even try to comprehend how wide and high it is.

However, we too need to do our part, not as a legalistic rule but as act of obedience. We need to fear God and repent of our wrong doings. We need to have a reverence for and of Him. How do we do that? By listening, obeying and remembering His commands. When we sin, ask for His forgiveness. And in doing so we will reap the harvest of a fruitful, forgiven and obedient life and be showered with the blessings of His unfailing love.

Be encouraged today that you are loved with a love that is too great to measure, too wide to fathom and too high comprehend and your sins have been completely swept clean. Why? Because God is love.