Month: August 2016

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God’s Perfect Love Through Us

5th – 7th August

Weekend Edition

“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.”

1 John 4:11-12

How does the world see God’s love? How does the world know God? Answer: through us. As John says, if God lives in us, then His love in shown through our lifestyles and He is made known. His love is brought to full expression in and through us. Yet the expression of God’s love through us is based on the knowledge and action of God loving us and us loving each other. When we love each other with the same love God has loved us with, we express His character, His heart and His love for others.

We are His creation. His children. His bride. We are loved. We are valued. We are precious. His love for us, helps us to express who He is. God is made known through us loving others. God is made known through our love for each other. When we love each other, it is God’s perfection. Be blessed. Accept you are loved and love others with His love.

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Our Refuge

4th August

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety (fortress); He is my God and I trust Him.”

Psalm 91:2

Isn’t it such a comfort to know our hope and trust is in Almighty God. The Psalmist knew that his hope and refuge was in God alone. He knew that God was his place of refuge, his safety and his fortress. He knew that no matter what circumstance he faced, both big and small, he could find peace and security. We too as children of God, can take the same comfort knowing that Jesus is in control of our lives; That no matter what evil or hardship we face, Jesus in our refuge, our fortress and our safety and will deliver us from the snare of the fowler.

Yet more than just knowing is the declaration of that fact. Will you join the Psalmist this morning and declare that the Lord alone is your refuge and strength. Will you boldly declare that He is Lord over your life.

Lord, I declare that my hope and trust is in You. I declare that You are my fortress. I declare that You are my hope and refuge. Lord You are my safety. In You alone is my my salvation.

Amen

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Not Worthy But Not Worthless

3rd August

“But the father turned to his servants and said, “Quick! Bring the best robe we have and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet.”

Luke 15:22

Who are you? What is your identity? Do you identify with being a sinner or is your identity renewed and restored? So often, and sadly so, many Christians mis-understand the depth and truth of grace. Instead of acknowledging the truth that they are free, children of God, they slowly fall back into the hole of condemnation and believe the lie that they are sinners, not worthy to enter into God’s presence. Yet that is completely not the truth. If we have confessed our sins, if we have been forgiven and joined into God’s Kingdom, then our identity is no longer as a sinner but as a child of God.

Let’s think about the story of the prodigal son. The father let the son squander his inheritance, dine with pigs and live a wreck-less lifestyle. Yet when the son confessed (even though he actually didn’t finish his repentance confession; such is the extent of grace), the father completely welcomed the son back into his family, making no mention of the past and adorned him with clothes, sandals and a ring to emphasise the sons forgiven and restored status.

Friends that is our status too. The Father no longer makes mention of our wreck-less past, He no longer remembers our sins, because we are forgiven. We have been given a new status. Yes we still sin, but we are not sinners. Yes we are not worthy, but we are not worthless!! We are forgiven sons and daughters, welcomed into God’s family.

 

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God’s Grace In Afflication

2nd August

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”

Psalm 119:71

We have grown used to unboxing new digital appliances and using the “trial and error” method to discover how they work. Most of these tools and toys don’t even come with instruction booklets, opting instead for built-in “Help” menus. When we do eventually read the directions, we usually wish we had done so sooner.

Trials can drive us closer to God’s “instructions.” The psalmist learned that lesson, saying it was good to go through trials in order to learn more of God’s ways (Psalm 119:67, 71, 92). Throughout Scripture the same message is repeated: Trials build godly character (James 1:2-4), drive us to call on God for wisdom (James 1:5), build our faith (James 1:6), and give us the opportunity to display the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). For those reasons and more, we should “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials” (James 1:2). But only if we want to discover more of God’s Word, will, and ways, and be conformed more to Christ’s image (Romans 8:28-29).

Don’t try to figure life’s trials out on your own. Read and follow life’s biblical instructions. You’ll be glad you did.1

None of us can come to the highest maturity without enduring the summer heat of trials.

Charles H. Spurgeon

 

1Taken from David Jeremiah’s Turning Point, Daily Devotionals

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God’s Grace In Salvation

1st August

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promises, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.”

2 Peter 3:9

God is so gracious. He is patiently waiting until the opportune time to once again come back to this earth and reign forever; to set up His Kingdom here on earth to rule for eternity. Yet until that time, He is pouring His grace out to all mankind so that people may have an opportunity to encounter the resurrected King Jesus. God wants all men to be saved. He wants none to perish. That is why He has not yet come. He wants everyone to have an opportunity to repent and turn back to Him. Yet once we have accepted our wrongs and repented of our sins, we have a responsibility to also share that same good news of Christ’s love, acceptance and forgiveness to others, so that they too may be saved. God is patient for our sakes. He will return one day, so let us get our relationship with Jesus right, so that we can wait in anticipation of His coming and not in fear of His judgement.