16^th November

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.”

Titus 2:11-12

There are some verses in the Bible, that when you read them, you can’t help but reflect on your own life as if looking into a mirror. Today’s verse is such a verse. Notice Titus’ words do not say, ‘because you now have the title ‘Christian’ you should behave like one’. No, rather Titus says that because of the grace of God, we are saved and equipped with the tools to live with wisdom righteousness and devotion to God. Moreover, in verse 14, he continues saying that Jesus gave His life to free us from sin and to make us His own people. We are not saved and then just dumped on the sidewalk by a Father who doesn’t want us. On the contrary. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are our biggest cheerleaders, cheering us on, supporting us and helping us live lives ‘totally committed to doing good deeds’ (v14b) and honouring God. We have a responsibility to live for God in all we do and live lives reflective of the work of God in our hearts, BUT we are not alone. God is with us. His love perfects us, moulds us and convicts us. ‘God wants us to make spiritual progress even more than we do!’¹

15^th November

“ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!””

John 5:9-10

Imagine for the first time in your life you can finally walk after being unable to for 38 years. Moreover, you are finally able to carry what has been carrying you or what you have been carried on after all those years. The joy and elation that this sick man must have felt when he was healed must have been a sight to behold. Yet there were some whose over zealous and religious attitude completely snuffed out any joy from this wonderful miracle; the Pharisees. There were so caught up in the fact that the sick man, now healed, was breaking the ‘law’ by carrying his mat on the Sabbath, that they completely missed the joy and wonder of this supernatural event.

We too can sometimes get so caught up or even take for granted what we have, the small daily miracles of having food on our tables, clothes to wear and a roof over our head, that we can forget the miracle of it. Moreover, if we allow these complacencies to settle in our lives and in our thinking, we can also miss out on the miracles that are happening around us in the world and in other people’s lives. Let us not hinder the work of God, nor take for granted His every blessing. But rather let us come to God daily in thanksgiving, rejoicing in all we have and in expectation of all He will continue to do.

15^th November

“ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!””

John 5:9-10

Imagine for the first time in your life you can finally walk after being unable to for 38 years. Moreover, you are finally able to carry what has been carrying you or what you have been carried on after all those years. The joy and elation that this sick man must have felt when he was healed must have been a sight to behold. Yet there were some whose over zealous and religious attitude completely snuffed out any joy from this wonderful miracle; the Pharisees. There were so caught up in the fact that the sick man, now healed, was breaking the ‘law’ by carrying his mat on the Sabbath, that they completely missed the joy and wonder of this supernatural event.

We too can sometimes get so caught up or even take for granted what we have, the small daily miracles of having food on our tables, clothes to wear and a roof over our head, that we can forget the miracle of it. Moreover, if we allow these complacencies to settle in our lives and in our thinking, we can also miss out on the miracles that are happening around us in the world and in other people’s lives. Let us not hinder the work of God, nor take for granted His every blessing. But rather let us come to God daily in thanksgiving, rejoicing in all we have and in expectation of all He will continue to do.

14^th November

“Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed!”

John 5:8-9a

Jesus has the ability to completely heal our bodies and situations. Sometimes if we have a headache we take a paracetamol and perhaps we may feel temporary relief. But more often than not, the pain returns and so does the discomfort. When Jesus heals however, it is permanent. The sick man in today’s story couldn’t move or walk for 38 years. Yet after a touch from Jesus, he was instantly, permanently and completely healed! Jesus can do the same in your life too!! If there is something that is causing pain or heartache in your life, ask Jesus to specifically heal it and watch and see His instant miraculous healing. Granted, sometimes our prayers might not always get the immediate and instant answer we want, but that shouldn’t stop us trusting God for instant healing. He can do it. Perhaps Jesus chose the sick man from the crowds of people because he was ready to exercise his hope in faith of Jesus’ healing. May we too, trust God for the supernatural. He can do things beyond expectations. Be healed.

11^th – 12^th November

^{Weekend Edition}

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

MATTHEW 7:1-2

There was once a businessman who, before departing for his domestic flight, stopped to get some doughnuts. As he sat down at a table and started reading his paper, waiting for his flight to depart, he heard the noise of the doughnut bag being opened. To his horror, the man sitting opposite had reached into the bag and was already munching on the doughnuts. ‘This man is probably homeless,’ he thought, ‘so I will just let him have one’. He then reached for a doughnut and started eating one himself. As he carried on reading his paper, he again heard the ruffling of the paper bag and realised the man opposite him was eating another doughnut. Shocked, he reached into the bag and more aggressively pulled out a doughnut and again started to eat it himself. ‘What cheek,’ he thought to himself. Moments later the man opposite reached into the bag again and pulled out the last doughnut. He looked up at the man reading the newspaper, and broke the doughnut in half, gave the businessman the other half and walked off. The businessman thought ‘how rude!’ When the businessman’s flight was called, he quickly folded up his newspaper, picked up his laptop bag that was on the chair next to him, and in his shame and embarrassment, he saw the pack of doughnuts he had bought for himself. All along he had been eating the other man’s doughnuts, and he even broke his last one in half.

Don’t be quick to judge. Remember by the same judgement we judge with, the same finger will point back at us. You never know the story behind someone’s cover.

8^th November

“Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.”

PROVERBS 23:17-18

Envy can be so detrimental to firstly, ourselves and secondly, to all those around us. Envy eats you up with an unquenchable desire for what you don’t have and perhaps never will. It takes away the satisfaction and contentment with what we have and always leaves us wanting more; an empty hole that can never be filled. Yet as the writer of Proverbs says, rather than envy the empty pleasures of a sinful lifestyle, fear God. Live for Him. Seek after Him and everything else will be added. God blesses and rewards us beyond what we can imagine. Sin may be appealing for a time, but it only leads to death. However, hope put in the Lord, leads to satisfaction and contentment.

7^th November

“The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.”

PROVERBS 22:2

There is no difference between the rich and the poor in the eyes of Christ. In fact, there is no difference between anyone in the entire human race. Black, White, Asian, European, Tall and Short. God made everyone of us. We all have a beating heart and a soul. More importantly, God wants that all mankind be saved from their sins and accept the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. If God sees no difference in mankind, then why do we create so many big gaps between us? Our challenge is to break down those barriers that society has made. Embrace those on the fringes, accept and welcome those marginalised by their situation or circumstances. After all, when stripped back, when ‘stuff’ is removed, we are all ONE!

6^th November

“Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!”

PROVERBS 21:26

In today’s church, prosperity teaching seems to be at the forefront of people’s theology; sometimes even usurping the true Gospel message. Yet prosperity teaching in and of itself is not wrong. There is no formula that if you give x amount of money you will receive 10 times the amount back. This is not founded on Biblical truth. What is true however, is the blessings that do come from generosity.

God blesses generous hearts. Not just giving generously financially, but also giving in time, in emotion and giving ourselves. Above all, true Godly generosity comes from a deep desire to bless others, not giving to get back. It is sacrificially giving and not expecting back that mirrors God’s heart. After all, He freely gave Himself, His love, His time and His body for us, so that we might be saved from our sins. As today’s proverb states, let us be people who are not greedy for more, but rather be people who love to give. Freely we have been given by God, and freely we should give to others. Find someone today that you can bless, financially, with time or with a helping hand. Learn to love to give!