5^th April

“Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our Salvation. Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.”

Psalm 95:1-3

Our great God, Jesus Christ, stepped down from Heaven, became and lived as one of us, died and rose again victorious, so that we might be saved from our sins.

Does this statement excite you? Does it make you want to sing for joy? Or does it feel a little boring because you have heard it so many times? The marvellous gospel, the truth and purpose of why we live, is so that we can fully understand the above statement and let it completely transform our lives. Even the writer of today’s psalm couldn’t help but be filled with praise and adoration for God’s mercy and greatness; and he didn’t even live in the fullness of God’s grace, shown to us by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. How much more should we be filled with joy, at the greatness of the Rock of our salvation.

We must never let the truth of the gospel fill our lives with complacency, but rather, look at what God has saved us from, rejoice in His regenerative work in our lives, and His daily outpouring of grace in us and through us. We are children of His glorious and unconditional love. Let us too sing psalms of praise to Him. For He is a great God, the King above all gods. He is the Rock of YOUR salvation.

4^th April

“The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be My people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent Me to you.”

Zechariah 2:10-11

And He shall be called Emmanuel – God with us

When Jesus was born, He fulfilled this prophecy written about Him by the prophet Zechariah! Although in its context, the prophet is talking about the return of the people of Israel back to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon! However, it is also a clear picture of Jesus coming to live amongst His people, calling all nations to Himself, to also become His bride, His children and His people.

We are now living in that fulfilment. We live in the promise of this verse. We too are called out of exile, we are released from sin’s grasp, and are now called into God’s kingdom as part of His church and body. God Himself, not only lives amongst us, but lives in us. He came for us. Moreover, He is calling all nations, irrespective of tribe, language and culture, to Himself, so can all be ‘one body’, united in Him.

Whatever you are facing today, if you have any doubts and fears, know that God is with YOU. It is His promise. To walk alongside His people. To live amongst us. God, Emmanuel, lives in you and is with you. He will never leave you. He is by your side. You are not alone. You are united with the King’s Heavenly Armies, and with the King of Kings Himself.

3^rd April

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16

Friends we have an eternal hope in Christ Jesus. Our hope is that one day all our fears, worries and cares will be eternally swept away by the power of Christ’s love forever. We will be in a place where our bodies will not grow old and weak, where we don’t have to live in trials and tribulations; a place of complete peace and joy.

Perhaps as you read this, you are yearning for that place. You may feel like your body is dying, problems are mounting up, bills need paying, kids need feeding, and job stresses are rising. THEN STOP! You don’t have to give up. God is with you right now! The same God of eternity, the same God who promises us eternal peace and joy, is the same God who offers those blessings now!

Although our bodies grow old and weak, and our cares and problems rise, God is renewing our spirit every day. His blessings are new every day. We do not have to live in yesterday’s blessings, feeding off every last drop of it, we can have a fresh anointing today! He is with us now, willing us on, filling us once again with His blessings and increasing our capacity to receive His love and all He has for us! Re-charge in Christ. Don’t give up!