Thursday 18^th April

Acts 1:8 

“But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 Sometimes my phone battery doesn’t even make it through a whole day. It can be quite frustrating at times. When I come home I plug the charging cable into my laptop and charge it and by the end of the night it’s good to go again. As I was going to bed yesterday, I unplugged the cable from the computer to take it my bedroom as I use my phone for an alarm aswell. As I did this I realised that our relationship with God can sometimes be like this aswell. See when I removed the cable that was charging my phone, immediately I became un-plugged from the source of its energy. When I feel empty and dry in my spirit, I often wonder if I am plugged into the source of life and joy or if I have un-plugged myself. So often we allow ourselves to become empty and dry because we are not plugged into God’s eternal source of power, strength and joy.

 When Jesus left the earth He promised the disciples that although He was with them always, He would leave them the Holy Spirit. The book of acts in chapter 1 verse 8 tells us that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples they were clothed in power!! However this power was not just to have a better life or to have the ability to part traffic (as seen in Bruce Almighty) but rather it was given to fully be able to complete the commission Jesus gave to His disciples; To GO and be His witnesses to the ends of the earth!

 Similarly, we too can be filled with the Holy Spirit. But we must plug into His power to be filled, renewed and spread the message of hope and salvation through word and deed. The underlying truth is that you cannot give what you don’t have which is why it is so important to connect with the source of divine revelation being filled and re-energised daily, drawing on His strength and not our own. The source is always in us as Spirit filled believers, but we must activate the power in us but being filled daily with the Holy Spirit. Be filled, get plugged into the source and see what a difference it will make in your life and in those around you.

Tuesday 16^th March

James 3:8-12

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing. My brethren this ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth-fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh.” 

Sadly I often find myself doing the very thing James warns us against. It is so easy on a Sunday morning or in a church setting to talk the talk, to praise God, or to speak in even in the tongues of angels. These things almost come as a second nature in “church” context. But what about when we leave church or on a Monday morning at work? Do we then have the same graceful words or do we so often find ourselves falling into and being influenced by the ways of the world? The truth is is that when we find ourselves in situations whereby we need to be set apart from the world, instead of taking a stand, we join in with the criticising and slandering of others, or sow into negative conversations.

James clearly makes a distinction between that of wholesome talk and that of an “unruly evil” or even “deadly poison”. Why does James use such strong language here to describe the negative way a tongue can be used? I believe it’s because a tongue can often cause more damage than a bullet. I am reminded of the old song “sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me!!” The sad thing is that this is the biggest lie of all. Name calling or bitter words might not break bones but it can surely cause physical and emotionally damage and the tongue used in the wrong truly can be like a deadly poison.

So what is our response? James says that “no man can tame the tongue”. But in truth does this give us an excuse to be passive about controlling what comes out of our mouth or better still does it point us to the One who can, Jesus Christ. See in our strength we often fail and say things we shouldn’t or even purposefully say things to hurt another. Yet when we ask the Holy Spirit to take over the words we speak over each other, we give Him control to tame our tongues.

The challenge for us all is to allow Jesus’ grace to be so evident in our lives that out of the abundance of His love in us and towards us, flows a river of grace, wholesome talk, and loving kindness out of us! If you are struggling to speak grace over someone then “Let it not be so” my brother or sister. Ask the Holy Spirit to tame your tongue so that the words of your mouth and meditation of your heart will be pleasing and acceptable to God!

Friday 12^th March

Matthew 28:29

 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given to you. AND BE SURE OF THIS: I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.”

 What an amazing truth. Jesus the one who conquered death and sin, defeating the grave through His resurrection and who ever lives for us, stands by our side not only in His own victory but stands with YOU for your victory through life’s battles and struggles. Jesus does exactly what He says. You can be assured of that fact! He said He would be handed over and betrayed and He was. He said that if He was destroyed, He would rise again on the third day and He did. He said that He will be with you until the end of the age, and He will. He is truthful to His word and that is exactly why we can rest assured in this truth.

 Something happened in our family yesterday, which upon reflection highlights this truth even more. Jesus is always with us. No matter what situation we face, how much the enemy tries to disrupt and destroy our lives, Jesus is above and ever present in our situations. His presence with us in both the good and bad, is an anchor and cornerstone for our own personal lives, so that when tough times come, instead of drawing on our fallible and conditional strength, we draw on His infallible and unconditional love, mercy and strength. In fact it is a wonder how often He is with us and protects us even when we don’t realise it. But if Jesus said He would be with you always, He meant it.

 Interestingly, Jesus in the previous verse gives a commission to the disciples to go out and make disciples. This was no easy feat and was only achievable through the knowledge that Jesus was with them (and us) always. In fact, this commission is also ours and equally only achievable if we draw on Christ being with us and in us, for that is the HOPE OF GLORY!!

 Remember whatever you are facing right now, whether good or bad, whether to fulfil God’s commission or in coming back to Him, whatever the situation, BE SURE OF THIS: JESUS IS WITH YOU ALWAYS.

Tuesday 9^th April

Matthew 28:19

As I sit on my couch and look out my living room window, I realise I am blessed to have a mini forest outside my flat. In the summer the trees have so many flowers and leaves on them that you cant see through them. Various birds come and chirp at our windows, squirrels chase each other up and down the branches. It almost feels like there is an atmosphere of celebration outside our window. However, much like the rest of this nation, we are still waiting for summer. In fact April still finds itself lingering in the bitter chill of winter. We know spring is near but what was once a beautiful array of God’s creation outside my window now looks like a forgotten barren land. Puny withered trees greet me each morning looking bare and without character. Yet what intrigues me is the fact that there now is an increasing number of birds gathering again, chirping and singing away. Why? I believe it is because they are expectant that spring’s new life is soon approaching. They sense the seasons, are expectant and rejoice in new life.

 Jesus in His commission to the disciples, gives clear instructions to “Go and make and disciples of all nations”. What does it mean to make disciples? Is Jesus saying, go and get as many people into My kingdom as possible? Well, some would argue yes to that. But discipleship is more than just getting people into heaven; it’s training to be like the person they are following. The Rabbinical ideology of a disciple was one of a student like apprentice. The disciples would literally follow the rabbi as he taught them the scriptures and how to observe the laws. Jesus’ idea of discipleship was similar. He significantly chose twelve disciples whom He could train and mentor to carry out His work after His ascension. Mark 3:13-15 summarises discipleship like this, “And He went up to the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed the twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons”. Jesus spent 3 and half years training the twelve disciples. Discipleship is not something that happens overnight but is an investment into someone’s life helping them to become more like Jesus and to encourage them to share Jesus with others.

 Sometimes when we are investing in people’s lives, we might get discouraged at not seeing the fruit of our labour but remember that discipleship doesn’t happen overnight. It’s like the birds that sing outside my window. They know spring is coming soon and are expectant yet if they had human eyes they might get discouraged at the lack of green growing in the trees. Yet we must too be expectant to see what God will do if we are obedient to His commission. Go and make disciples! Help people become more like our Lord Jesus Christ. For investing in them will produce good fruit, through the Holy Spirits work in their lives.

 “So let’s not get tired in doing what is good (preaching the good news and discipling others). At the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up!”

 (Galatians 6:9 <parentheses added>)

Friday 5^th April

Mark 16:15-18

 “And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptised will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: they will cast out demons in My Name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous it will not hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” 

Mark in his sixteenth chapter, gives us his record of what happened after Jesus rose from the dead and before He ascended into heaven. Jesus leaves His disciples with a commissioning statement, to go into the world and preach the good news to everyone. There are two actions that they must adhere to. Going and Preaching; and that they did. Verse 20 gives us, along with the book of Acts, the clear evidence that in fact they did go out into the world, preach the good news and God through them, confirmed their words with “many miraculous signs”. I often wonder that if the disciples stayed as they were and went back to their lives as fishermen or tax collectors, what would the church look like today? Whatever the answer is to that question, what we do know is that they obeyed Jesus’ words and preached the good news. 

So what is the good news? The good news is simply that God sent His Son Jesus, to give His life as a ransom for many, to pay the price for mankind’s rebellion to God and to restore their relationship with the Father, through the forgiveness of sins and belief in Him. I am firm believer that the way we live our lives is as much of a testimony as our words in preaching the good news. However our actions as loud as they speak must always be coupled with the good news in words. After all this is what Jesus commissioned the disciples with and this commission stands for us today. 

Yet why is preaching so important and necessary? Because it gives the hearer a chance to respond to the good news. Jesus says that if they believe and are baptised then they will be saved. Consequentially anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. How can someone have a choice to believe or not believe, if first the subject of belief has not been heard? It is like a court case whereby the judge without hearing the accusations of the prosecutors, immediately passes a guilty sentence to the person being tried. Obviously that would not be fair. It would be even foolishness. First a verbal accusation, accompanied with evidence must be presented to the judge in order to for him to make a decision on whether the person standing trial is guilty or innocent. The same is with those who hear the good news of Jesus Christ. To them that believe, they shall be saved. To them who hear, do not believe or reject the good news, they in turn shall be condemned. In order for the world to make that decision, they must first hear the good news (that’s our role)!

 Speak out and be bold to testify the good news of Jesus Christ, not only in action but also in word!!

4^th April

 “Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in Heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach the new disciples to obey all the commands I have give you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the ages.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew records in his account of Jesus’ last days, what is probably the most famous of His last words to the disciples. Yet the most exciting thing from this passage is that it includes us too.  We are also commissioned to go into the world and make disciples for Christ. Yet so often we reserve this particular passage for missionaries who are being sent across the world to serve in gospel-deprived nations. I love that the NLT translation of this text. It doesn’t say go to the nations and make disciples, rather it says make disciples of all nations. This is a more inclusive translation and when we think about it, in actual fact we can be God’s witnesses wherever we are. The rich man in our workplace who thinks he has life sorted because of his growing wealth and status on this earth needs someone to show him Christ as much as the deprived, malnourished child in the war zone of Sudan.

So what message do we bring to the nations? How do we make new disciples for Christ? By teaching the commands Jesus gave to His disciples: “To love the Lord your God above all else” and “to love your neighbour as yourself“. If we teach other believers to follow these commandments then surely people will come to know Jesus. In actual fact Jesus has commissioned us all to do this. Whether that is through the way we live our lives in replicating Jesus’ commands through our lifestyles or whether we actually verbally teach it to others, we are all called to be witnesses of Christ’s commandments to the world.

Yet the key to this passage is not ‘living’ and ‘doing’ in our own strength and authority but in rather in the authority given to us through Jesus Christ, the risen and resurrected King. Because He lives, we too can access authority in His Name as the sons and daughters of His Kingdom. Jesus is now forever with us “even until the end of the ages”. All we need to do is draw on His strength, be His witnesses to All Nations, and show them Christ’s love through word and deed.

 Go into the world and make disciples for Him!!

 Wednesday 3^rd April

John 21:9-14

 “Then as soon as they had come to the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and a fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught”. Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty three, and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask him “who are You?” – knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”

 Being a chef, this passage really speaks to me. I am a sucker for a good BBQ. You say BBQ and I am there. You say a fish BBQ and you’re going to have to hold me back. Fish that has been cooked on the BBQ, if done properly is an absolute delight. The excitement I feel about just reading this story is probably tiny compared to the excitement the disciples must have felt.

 They had just been fishing all night and caught nothing until Jesus showed up. When they did re-throw their nets, their catch was plentiful. Tired and worn out yet enthused about seeing Jesus again, they willing come and eat with Jesus. Jesus, the Lord and Creator of the whole world, God in human form had humbled Himself again and cooked His disciples a meal by the beach. I love the picture that this builds of Jesus. Jesus is taking time out with His disciples, investing in them and feeding them so they can go out and feed others. They disciples knew who was with them, yet in reverence of Him, feared to ask. They had just witnessed another divine provision of fish and now they are eating a meal cooked by God Himself.

The picture that this builds really highlights the benefit of investing in individuals so they can make in a difference in this world. Jesus could have easily settled for revealing Himself once to His disciples (John 20) so He could go and show Himself to more people so they would believe He was God. Yet what we see here in Jesus investing time and fellowshipping with those who were closest to Him during His earthly ministry. He stoops again to their level and cooks them FISH.

 How is your fellowship with Jesus? Is He part of your everyday life? Jesus wants to invest in you so you can go and impact others! Jesus is a personal God who cares for your every need. Next time you are hungry, ask Jesus to feed you!!

Tuesday 2^nd April

John 21:1-7 

“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself; Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael, and two others of the disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing”. They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood at the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them “Children, have you any food?”. They answered Him “No”. And He said to them “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it because of the multitude of fish. Therefore the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on His outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 

Peter having previously denied Jesus, finds himself leading the other disciples back to Galilee, his home town. Although Jesus, in the previous chapter, had revealed Himself to all the disciples, it seems that Peter has decided to go back to his old life and to what he knew best, fishing! After toiling all night and catching nothing, Jesus shows Himself again to the disciples and tells them to re-throw their nets. Of course the obvious happens and they catch a multitude of fish, 153 to be exact. After the catch John recognizes that it is Jesus, His Lord. As he tells Peter, Peter puts a covering over his body, jumps out the boat and swims to the shore to greet Him, shortly followed by the other disciples.

This passage is almost exact mirror of the story in Luke 5:1-11 whereby Jesus again, miraculously helps the disciples catch fish. However at the end of that particular miracle Jesus turns and says to Peter that he will no longer catch fish but men, you will be a fisher of men. So why do we see Peter back fishing again in this passage? It seems like Peter and the other disciples are hopelessly and aimlessly searching for direction. They had just given up their careers and after 3 and half years of following Jesus, they are leaderless. Fishing is what they knew. So Jesus, once again reveals Himself to them so they might know that their nets are to gather men not fish. See Jesus had previously showed this to Peter, when He commanded him to go and catch men. Peter was the disciple’s leader yet instead of leading them to catch men, he led them to catch fish again. This revelation of seeing the risen Christ must have reminded Peter of Jesus words that were previously spoken to him. Go and catch MEN!! 

Sometimes in our lives we get lost and almost feel like we are wondering in the wilderness. We lose our way and go back to the only things we know how to do. That is called our comfort zones!! Jesus commands us all to be radical, to be fishers of men. However this revelation only comes when Jesus reveals who is a fresh in our lives. Peter had previously seen the resurrected Christ, yet it needed this miracle to get him back on track, to re-align his focus to Jesus’ commission to him and to jump out the boat. Notice that Jesus didn’t call Peter out the boat he jumped himself. When we have an encounter with the risen King, our lives radically change. Are you willing to jump out the boat? Have you lost your focus and are in need of re-aligning yourself with the revelation of the risen Christ?

Sunday 31^st March 

Luke 24:5-7

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their face to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?, He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and on the third day rise again’.”

To all those that read this devotional. HAPPY EASTER. What a joyous occasion. This day 2000 years ago and man called Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lived in a humble town of Nazareth and died a criminals death….ROSE AGAIN. The third day not only symbolizes Jesus’ victorious resurrection and triumph over sin and death but a way that we might have a renewed personal relationship with the Creator God, our Loving Father.

Death couldn’t hold Him back and because of that, we too can overcome all things. His resurrection power lives in and us and through us. Now go!!! Spread the good news of His acceptance, love and mercy. Hallelujah!!

Saturday 30^th March

Below is a rap my friend wrote a few years back. It depicts the death and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Chris in poetic form and leads us to remember the gruesome and horrible death He suffered for us. Despised and shamed, like a Lamb led to the slaughter, crucified and crushed for your sins and mine. Thank you Jesus

It is finished,

The last words coming from Christ,

Before he, bowed his head, but lets get precise,

It was torture,

Beyond imagination blood and water dripping from His side,

As He was pierced for all the nations,

But all creation falls to temptation,

Which is, a lack of appreciation,

The death of Jesus is a demonstration,

So when His hands were nailed to the cross,

And He was hanging there,

And there was a blood loss,

From His head to His organs every breath He takes shortens,

And as they got shorter,

His body got weaker,

Please don’t deny Christ like Peter,

Cause the crown of thorns were placed on His head,

People walking by cursed and mocked as He bled,

He was whipped many times,

Flesh ripped,

Blood dripped on the floor, He was beaten for sure,

They bowed down and worshipped Him as a joke,

Hit spat on him, trying to provoke,

Even tho’ they salute, He didn’t retaliate because He had the Holy Spirit fruit,

And even tho’ they took Him to the place of a skull,

And they offered Him a brew to ease His pain He said no,

Because of us,

All that pain and suffering,

Because of us,

That’s why I praise and never cuss,

That’s why I’m gonna live the rest of my days without a fuss,

Cause He came from heaven to earth to die for us, that just proves His love for us

Remember that!!

 This, this is the Christ, He came to pay the price, the perfect sacrifice for us!!

 Remember Jesus, Remember the cost, Remember you are forgiven. If Jesus had to die only for your sins He would have!! What is your response?