Month: June 2017

by

God’s Fear Breaking Love

7th June

“..God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.”

1 John 4:16b-18

Today’s key verses is one of the clearest demonstrations in the whole Bible of how much God really does love us. Of course, Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, fully demonstrated how much He loved us, but these verses spell it out plainly and clearly through understandable words.

John tells us that God is love and if we live in God and He lives in us, then His love will live in us too. Moreover, it is His love in our lives that transforms us; not only in our love towards God and others, but in our understanding of how much God loves us, despite of our sins and mistakes. John says that we can ‘face Him with confidence’ on the day of judgement because Jesus’ love has washed away our sins. John alludes to the ultimate act of love on the cross, where Jesus gave up His life for our sins, cleansing us from all our unrighteousness and clothing us in HIS righteousness. This love washes away our sins, and transforms our lives so radically, that we no longer need to live in fear of God’s judgement. Because we are loved, we can walk in the freedom of His forgiveness, free from judgement and condemnation. Isn’t that a great feeling? To know you are so loved by Almighty God, that you don’t have to live in fear of His wrath!?

Our challenge is to not allow the enemy to plant thoughts of fear in our hearts, because they do not come from God. There is no fear in Him; His perfect love expels our fear. Let us ask for more of God’s Spirit to help us understand the fullness of this love, and how much we truly are loved.

by

The Spirit Gives Boldness

6th June

“‘After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 4:31

Imagine a world where it is illegal to talk about Jesus, worship Him and even mention His Name. For some across the world today, this is a reality; just like it was in Peter’s time after Jesus’ resurrection. The Christians were being fiercely persecuted, constantly imprisoned and often beaten for sharing the truth about Jesus. It seems un-thinkable to think that people would want the truth of Jesus’ love and mercy to be kept quiet, yet this was the harsh reality for the early church, and still is for some Christians around the world today.

So if the church was caught up in such a fierce persecution, then how did the Good News of Jesus Christ spread across the world? The answer, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through His bold disciples. When you look at Peter’s life before Jesus’ death, boldness wouldn’t be an adjective used to describe his character. When faced with persecution, in the form of those asking if he had known Jesus, he blatantly denied even knowing Jesus. Yet just a few chapters on, in the book of Acts, we see him boldly preaching the word of God to crowds of over 3000, in the face of persecution and despite being hunted down by the enemies of the church. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. It is life changing. He gives us supernatural giftings to do things we humanly wouldn’t be able to do, until we are doing them so much, that it starts to become our character.

Being brave in the Spirit doesn’t mean that you’re not afraid, Peter probably still was. It simply means that you don’t let fear stop you from doing what God has called you to do, because you know that He has equipped you and is with you. Be empowered. Be brave.

by

I Will Pour Out My Spirit

5th June

“‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out My Spirit upon all people.’ Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out My Spirit even on my servants – men and women alike – and they will prophesy.’”

Acts 2:17-18

Long ago, through the prophet Joel, a prophecy was foretold, that God’s very Spirit would be poured out on all mankind. Jesus alluded to this many times throughout His earthly life and ministry. He promised that when He ascended after His resurrection, that all the disciples and followers of Jesus would be ‘baptised with the Holy Spirit’. Yet what does this mean for us now?

Well, firstly, we must realise, that this promise was not exclusive to the disciples, but for all who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Notice that God said through Joel’s words that His Spirit would be poured out on all people; men, women, servants, kings, rulers and workers. It is not restricted or hindered by who you are. If you believe, He will freely give you the gift of His Spirit.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit, is not some strange mist flowing around us. The Holy Spirit is a person. He lives in us, to empower us to live for Jesus, He supernaturally reveals Jesus to us, He leads us, He guides us, He comforts us, He convicts us of our sins when we do wrong but also leads us to the grace and mercy found in Jesus’ love. He helps us pray. He gives us supernatural gifts to extend God’s Kingdom here on this earth. He produces Godly fruit in us, so that we might reflect Jesus in the world around us. He makes us brave and bold to share the Good news. He reveals God’s word to us, helping us understand the mysteries of God’s heart. This is who the Spirit is and He lives in us. Let us thank Him for the work He does, and for the wonderful day of Pentecost when He poured Himself out for ALL of humanity!

 

by

Seek Him First

3rd & 4th June

Weekend Edition

“Seek the Kingdom of God above else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

Mathew 6:33

Jesus promised us, earlier in Matthew chapter 6, that if He clothed the lilies of the fields, that are here today and gone tomorrow, more beautifully than Solomon in all of his splendour, and if He cares so much about our needs, then we have no need to worry. Again, Jesus encouraged us to pray for His provision in the ‘Lord’s prayer’….. ‘Give us this day our daily bread!’ BUT, Jesus’ point was never that we should go after material things or that material things should be where are comfort and security are. Yes He is our ‘Provider’, yes he is our ‘Jehovah Jireh’ and yes He gives us all we need, but our hope is not in the ‘daily bread’ of life but in the One who gives it! Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, when tempted by the enemy, that ‘people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God!’

It is in Jesus that we find the sustenance of life. It is in Jesus and in His words, that we find strength to keep going. It is in Him, that our hope is found. It is when we seek the Kingdom of God above all else, when we live righteously, that we can truly have life in all its fullness. ‘Bread’, ‘material things’, they will fade away, but it is the Good Word of God that will endure. Seek to feed your soul, not your belly! Seek to grow His Kingdom in and out of your heart, not seek to build your own empire. Of course, pray for His provision, but seek His Kingdom above all.

by

God Is With Us

2nd June

“But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage! I am here!””

Mark 6:50b

When Jesus appeared to His disciples walking on water, their first reaction was of utter fear. They were terrified. Wouldn’t you be if you saw someone walking past you, in the middle of a great storm, walking on water?! Yet often it is when we are in a storm that Jesus walks alongside us, in the midst of the battle. Notice that Jesus not only calmed the storm, but climbed into the boat with the disciples to face the storm with them. Yet as soon as He climbed into the boat ‘the wind stopped’! Friends that is the power of our Jesus.

We may loose sight of Him, in the midst of our storms, overwhelmed by the sea raging around us and the waves that feel like they are going to capsize us, but know this; Jesus is walking right alongside us. We are not out of His sight. His watchful eye is always looking out for us and watching over us. Moreover, when we are powerless in our strength, He climbs into the boat with us and gives us the victory over the storm. ‘Take courage…HE is here’! Trust Him. He has power to calm our storms and to lead us safely to the shore!