Monday 18^th February

Luke 8:43-48, Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34

How desperate are you for Jesus to touch your life? Moreover, how desperate are you to touch Jesus? Keep this question in your mind as we explore a woman in Luke’s Gospel, who was desperate to touch Jesus.

This story is also found both in Mark and Matthew, however I believe that Luke, being a doctor, adds the most detail about this wonderful miracle. So we shall Luke’s version as our principle text.

Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house.  Jairus was a leading ruler of the synagogue. Yet in verse 41 we see that he falls at the feet of Jesus in desperation. His daughter is ill and dying. Seeing his need, Jesus full of compassion and love, follows Jairus to his house, followed by the growing crowds. On His way, a woman reaches from the crowd to touch Jesus, in order that He might heal her. This woman had an illness that had consumed her finance, time and resource yet she still had not been healed. No normal physician could help her but she knew of One who could, Jesus. Interestingly her issue of blood would have made her an outcast in society for she was deemed to be un-clean and not able to show herself in public. Yet she broke all cultural and religious barriers in an act of pure desperation and dependence of and in Jesus Christ. In Mark 5:38 she says, “If I could only touch His clothes, then I shall be made well.” How amazing is her faith. It’s a pure and radical faith. She had probably heard the growing stories of this Jesus, the miracle maker, and wanted her healing too. She had tried everything. Yet everything failed her. How often in our own lives do we spend our resources, time and money in useless endeavors, when all we need is Jesus? Why is He so often the last resort instead of the first thought in our minds?

We rejoin the story in verse 44. Immediately as she reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment she was healed. 12 years of suffering was over by one moment in the presence of Jesus. WOW. However, Jesus’ response is to immediately stop… “Who touched me?” I always can relate to the disciples confused reaction here. Jesus, surrounded by a multitude of people, all pushing to get a glimpse of the Messiah and He asked who touched Him. Jesus, unfazed by the doubt in the disciple’s response, asks again “Who touched me? This time He adds that He felt power leave from Him. Finally the healed woman falls at His feet and publically declares that she had touched Jesus to be healed.  Anyone who had issues of blood was considered unclean and anyone who comes into contact with un-cleanliness would have been declared unclean as well. But not so with Jesus. Instead, Jesus, knowing what faith it must have taken to push through the crowds, reach out and touch Him, commended her and said that it was her faith that made her well. Jesus too was not interested in cultural and religious boundaries but rather He was interested in peoples genuine faith. Are you willing this morning to stand out from the crowd? To reach out and touch Jesus? He can heal you, save you and redeem you. His accepts you however you come, but once you have reached out and touched your life will be transformed!!

Friday 15^th February

Mark 10:13-16

There is no doubt children are a blessing. Yes their screams and tantrums are testing at times but where you not once a child? Sometimes the words of a child speak more wisdom than that of an adult. Today’s passage leads us into an interesting story of the disciple’s hardened attitudes towards children and Jesus’ Fatherly response.

To set the scene, Jesus has just finished talking about divorce and remarriage and is reminding His audience of the covenant between man and woman and its ordination by God. Jesus presumably retires to the house of one of the disciples to get some rest as they had just been travelling from Capernaum to Judea and most have been weary from the journey. As they are resting, some people bring children to Jesus, in order that He might bless them. This was not un-ordinary as people often brought children to the Rabbi’s to get a blessing (hence where our modern day dedication comes from). The disciples harshly rebuke those who had brought the children and begin to turn them away. Again this could have presumably been because they were trying to give Jesus some rest time.

Jesus’ response here is worth taking note of. His words to the disciples contain a key lesson in man’s relationship with God. But before Jesus shares His wise words, he sternly rebukes the disciples and says to them “do not forbid the little children, let them come.” Jesus’ acceptance of children is also a lesson to us today. Jesus, in the previous verses reinstates the value of marriage and now here, He highlights the importance of family life, specifically the blessing of children. “Let them come” is a statement that stands as a reminder that Jesus values children and desires them to be in His presence also.

Ok, so back to the story. Jesus’ next statement is to describe the receiving of the Kingdom of God as a child. For if we don’t “You will be no means enter it”. (verse 15). I always understood this text to mean that we should have a child like faith in order to inherit God’s Kingdom and to have child like faith in prayer, a pure and undefiled belief in Him. However Paul’s epistles often refer to moving away from childlike things and growing in maturity. It finally occurred to me that in fact it is our relationship with the Father that must be as a child, not childlike. What does that mean?

Well, take a child and their relationship with their parents. When they are hungry they feed them. Thirsty, they give them a drink. Naked, they clothe them. When a child needs to go somewhere, they take them. Without the parent the child would be helpless. The child’s dependence of the parent is paramount to their survival. How could a child possibly survive without the aid of a parent? This is the issue Jesus is addressing here. In order to truly have the Kingdom of God in our hearts, we must first have a full reliance and dependence on our Heavenly Father. Jesus is saying here that His children should trust the Father not only to be feed, clothed and given a drink but also to trust in Him for all our needs. Not only is God the Father a loving, kind and gracious Father who supplies all our needs, He is a Father in whom we can have assurance that He wants the best for our lives. Furthermore, it is in reliance upon that Him that our Salvation is found. There is nothing we can do to earn the Kingdom of God in our hearts. It is only the reliance and assurance in God the Father, not in our inadequacy but in God’s mercy. Next time you see a child remember your Heavenly Father. Trust in Him. Lean on Him. Rely on Him. He is a gracious Dad who wants the best for you. Amen.

Thursday 14^th February

Ephesians 6:18-20

“Pray, it’s the only way”

Yesterday we learnt of the armour that a believer must wear, in order to protect themselves from the enemy’s schemes. He is a prowling lion seeking to devour whom he may. However, there is no need to fear. We have our victory in Christ. I picture the enemy like an ant and God a giant, stamping on him with His right foot. The enemy is no match for God’s greatness. Our response? To stand in the faith, guarded with truth, righteousness, and readiness in the power of God’s eternal words.

Yet Paul doesn’t finish this discourse with only practical imageries. He concludes with what is the most important weapon of all. Prayer. “PRAYING at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (verse 18). Why is prayer included as a form of defence against our adversary? Because when we are in prayer, the real victory is won. But there is a condition to this prayer. Paul says we must pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit may not necessarily mean that we need to exercise our Spiritual gifting, but rather it is being in tune with God’s heart and praying into the things of His heart. Praying in the Spirit is drawing on God’s resources and allowing Him to fill you, strengthen you and increase your faith. This stands as a reminder that we are not in physical warfare but in Spiritual warfare.

Interestingly, I find that my closet time with God in prayer is not when I am praying for myself but when I am interceding for others. Paul says that we too must stay alert with perseverance in making supplication for the saints. Staying alert is like the Roman Soldiers readiness to go into battle. We must always be praying for our brothers and sisters remembering that we are not fighting against flesh but that it is a Spiritual battle. Prayer is the most important way to draw on God’s strength both for ourselves and for others. The prayer of intercession, is not only standing in the gap for someone else, but it also increases our faith and strength in Christ.

Paul knew that without prayer He would not be able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. He needed God. He needed the saint’s prayers. Remember the story of Peter and John, when in front of the Sanhedrin. When they prayed and where filled with the Spirit, they had boldness to share about Christ’s healing work in a crippled man. Paul here is also saying that without the Spirit, He would not have the boldness to share the Gospel. He was drawing on God’s strength and on His resource.

Notice again, in verse 20, Paul’s heart to serve. He says that he is Christ’s ambassador or representative in chains. Notice his prayer request. Is it to be free from chains or struggles? No!! Instead he realises that there are lost souls that need to hear the truth of Christ, even in prison. He asks for prayer to speak boldly at the right time. Why? Because he knew that only by God’s Spirit and timing was he able to share Christ with others.

Draw on Christ’s strength this day, knowing that it is only by His power and might that we can Stand against the enemy. Prayer is our strongest weapon and is the most essential discipline the believer’s life. Pray for yourself but also pray for others. And most importantly Pray in the Spirit.

Wednesday 13^th February

Ephesians 6:10-20

Underestimating an enemy is absolute foolishness. What general would lead his troops into war not having researched his enemy beforehand? His protocol would be to analyse his opponent’s weakness and strategise his tactical moves against his enemy. Does this sound familiar? Well, I guess we could answer yes and no. The only difference is that although we should not underestimate our opponent, we already have the victory is Christ. Our strategy is as follows…

In Ephesians 6, we are given the imagery of the armour a Roman soldier would wear in battle. This is to symbolise the preparation of us believers, to guard ourselves against the enemy (the devil). The first thing to note of importance is that we should not underestimate the enemy. Why? Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (although it feels like it on some days) but we wrestle against powers and rulers of the air. Paul doesn’t say, everything’s going to be alright, Gods on your side, you don’t need armour, just chill. NO!! On the contrary Paul warns us against our enemy knowing that his evil schemes and flaming darts could cause us damage. We are encouraged however to wear God’s armour. Yet there is one verse that stands out above all as reminder of the victory already won, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might” (verse 10). The comfort here is not that we can rely on our strength, but rather on the victory already won by Christ. Not in our might and power but in that of Christ Jesus.

In these few verse’s Paul tells us to STAND 3 times. Stand firm in God’s might. We may wrestle against powers greater than ourselves but they are surely not greater than Jesus Christ, the Victor, in whom all powers of darkness have been defeated. Paul here, is saying that we must guard ourselves with Christ’s power rather than fight in our own strength.

This epistle to the church in Ephesus was most probably written in a Roman prison. Paul would have been all too familiar with the imagery of Roman armoury. So he gives a list of each item of armour and its purpose. A belt of truth; the belt held the tunic and the rest of armour together. By putting truth around our waist we hold our faith securely when doubt comes our way. The breastplate of righteousness; the breastplate was there to protect the soldier’s vital organs and so we must also guard our hearts in righteousness, for what soldier can fight with a wounded heart. Soldier’s shoes; in wearing protective shoes the soldier would guard himself from dangerous terrain but it was also a sign of readiness. We too must always be ready to share the gospel of peace and repentance wherever the Lord leads us. The shield; the shield was an object of protection. Paul here says that we need a shield to protect us from the flaming arrows of the enemy. Who is our strength and shield? The Lord God Almighty. When the enemy tries to shoot you down, draw on Christ’s protection and let Him be your shield. The helmet of salvation; the helmets role is obvious but also stands as a reminder, much like the breastplate, to stand firm in our salvation and to guard our hearts and minds from the enemies evil schemes. The sword; finally Paul concludes with the sword. This is an active resource. This is for our protection. When the enemy comes against we are not to be passive but to stand and fight, again not in our strength, but in the promise that as Hebrews 4:12 states, that God’s word is sharper than any double edged sword, it’s living and powerful and only with it can we overcome the enemy.

Brothers and sisters, don’t STAND in defeat but in victory. You are on the winning side and Christ in us, is the power to overcome the enemy. Don’t underestimate your enemy but don’t underestimate the true and living God.

Tuesday 12^th February

Ephesians 2:1-10

Have you ever been given a present that you really wanted? There is such great joy when we receive it. But have you ever received a present you wanted and you really didn’t deserve it. Well, that is how I explain grace. Receiving something even though we don’t deserve it. However, is this receiving of grace enough to redefine your identity and give you a new sense of purpose in your life or are we still a slave to DOING? What do I mean, well let’s explore it in today’s readings.

So often, when we become Christians, we think that the more we do for God, the more He will love us. This attitude also works in the opposite way too. The more we sin, the more we think God doesn’t love us. If we are honest with ourselves then we all go through this at some point in our walk with Christ. When we are serving in church, or out on mission or evangelising our colleagues at work, we feel great. God must love me. Look at all I am doing for Him. Sadly, there are some who define their salvation by these “works”. ‘Well I’m doing all of this Lord, surely that’s enough to make you love me’. The truth is, is that these attitudes turn you into a YoYo Christian. One minute you are so close to God and feel great, yet the next you feel you are so far from Him. Why? Because your identity is found in what you DO, not in what has been DONE.

Religion so often is an expression of a depraved people, knowing that they are sinful, knowing that there is something greater than themselves and trying to gain the favour of this ‘higher being’ by DOING. The great truth of following Christ is that there is nothing you can do that will make Him love you anymore or any less. Love is the very character of Christ. You cannot earn you way into Heaven or His glorious love but rather it is a free un-deserved gift. Paul in Ephesians 2 says, that God showed His exceeding kindness for us and His un-matched love towards us when He sent Jesus to pay our price. He says that grace is a free gift and it is by this grace that we are saved. Un-deservedly, Jesus paid the debt we could not pay for disobeying God’s Law. It is a gift for a reason. Why? Because we cannot earn it. We will always fall short of God’s Holy standard. That is why Jesus came and did it for us. While we were dead in our sinful state, Jesus rescued and gave us His free gift of salvation making us alive with Him.

Being saved and rescued from our sin and its consequences should not lead us into a complacent and passive lifestyle but it redefines who we are and give us purpose in our lives. We can be comforted and joyful that we received something we didn’t deserve which leads us into serving and working for the One who gave us this gift, Jesus Christ. Works are expressions of God’s inward change in our lives. God, our Creator, made us to serve Him. We are His workmanship; His design and His ‘works’ through us should point to Him who made us.

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD.” Ephesians 2:8

Monday 11^th February 2013

Romans 5:20-6:2, Romans 7:7, Ephesians 6:13

Today’s devotional comes from both my heart and from a sermon I recently heard. I hope and pray that you may be fed, strengthened and encouraged knowing our God is Great and is willing you to finish the race of life well.

What is the point of rules? Is it the common phrase that says, ‘Rules were made to be broken’? Is that their purpose? The truth is that rules and laws are there to protect us and give us direction. Take for example the speeding law. If everyone could drive whatever speed they want, the roads would be chaos and daily fatalities would surely increase. What about the law of gravity? We know if we jump out a five storey building, we will fall to our death because we know Newton’s law; that when you drop something, it will fall.

Is this knowledge binding or burdensome….no? The Apostle Paul say in Romans 7:7 that “he knew not sin but by the law”. The law’s benefit in a Biblical context is to point us to the Holy standard of living that God’s wants us to live by. The problem is, is that God’s standard is so high that it almost impossible to reach it. In fact there is only one person who has ever followed it perfectly and that was Jesus Christ. This is where grace comes into the equation.

God knew that we, His people, were and are sinful people and just couldn’t keep the law. We couldn’t stop lying, stealing, dishonouring God and our parents. It just left us condemned and instead of leading us to Holy living, eventually it did become binding and burdensome. It’s like the feeling when you fail an exam. You feel like a failure, an underachiever. The law left us feeling like we were never good enough. So instead of us having to pay the price for our disobedience, Jesus stepped in and took our punishment for us. Instead of the condemnation of not being able to live as God’s wants, living as a failure, we can be assured that God’s love has bought us into acceptance and gives us the strength to live Holy lives. When the Law says Do, God says Done! He did it, He paid the price so that instead of drawing on our strength to obey God, we can look to Jesus and He gives us the strength. Why? Because He did it for us. He set the standard, didn’t sin and stands us our example and intercessor. Does that mean we can continue to sin because we are covered by grace? Certainly not! (Romans 6:1-2).

The law still stands as God’s standard of living that we are required to live by. It shows us our wrongdoings and leads us to repentance. It still stands as God’s standard of living for us. However when personal sin knocks us down in our life, we can get back up because Jesus has already paid our price. Jesus has done it for us. So instead of feeling like a failure, we can draw on Jesus’ strength and acceptance of us and get back up. In fact failure is not just getting knocked down, it’s getting knocked down, admitting defeat and staying down. When Christ overcame the grave He gave us the strength to get back up when we fall and stand up and fight! Draw on His strength in your weakness knowing He has gone before you and paid your price and let God’s Word be your mirror.

“…And having done all…STAND”

Friday 8th February

Psalm 24:1, Psalm 139:13-15

So often when I am preparing vegetables or exotic fruits, I think to myself what an inventive and creative God I serve. Take a dragon fruit for example. Its outer skin is a vibrant pink colour with soft green petals garnishing its appearance, yet inside is a delicate white flesh with an array of black seeds. Or how about the rambutan. An exotic lychee with a rough, browny red skin that’s covered with green hairy spikes to protect it from foes, yet inside is the most tender, juicy, grape like texture. God is wonderful. 

Let’s bring it closer still. How about our bodies? The mystery of self-healing and self-repair. From the simplest of cuts, that then forms blood clots and then new skin to protect the exposed open wound. Or how about our bones? The body’s natural healing mechanism when we break bones is to immediately pump more blood around the breakage (hence swelling) to remove dead cells and aid healing. It then forms soft calluses around the break to help mould the bone back into place, which eventually becomes new bone. Could this really be some cosmic accident that took place billions of years ago by chance? Or are there clear signs of an intelligent design?

David, in the book of Psalms, often comments of how great God’s world is. He didn’t have the wonders of modern day technology to study bone infrastructure or access to technical details of how a child is born. Yet he knew that is was not by random chance that he was birthed into the world but it was by the design and will of a Creator God. In Psalm 139, David describes God’s intricate work when forming him in his mother’s womb. He says “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb” (verse 13). What an insight and revelation. When our bodies heal, it really is like God is knitting together the broken parts inside us. Can this possibly be chance? Well, David and I agree on this point. Absolutely no way!! In fact in verse 14 David can but marvel at God’s handiwork, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The NLT translation adds that, “Your workmanship is marvellous”. God’s design for us is marvellous. It’s breathtaking and it surely was not by chance, but at the Hand’s of a Great Creator God who by His very Word spoke the earth into being.

I remember at school of a phrase that used to be spoken as an insult to another person. You would say ‘God broke the mould when He made you’. Yet the reality is that He did do that. In fact we are all uniquely design. Every one of us has an individual stamp ‘Made By God’.  Every one of us is uniquely designed. How God made us is how God wanted us to be. Next time you look in the mirror or hear harmful comments about yourself, just remember that an extraordinary God created you, intricately designed you and wove you together in your mother’s womb. Praise God for you!

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him”

Psalm 24:1

Thursday 7^th February

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled”

We received a bon-sai tree for Christmas. It was beautiful but slowly withered away due to the lack of attention it got. Sadly it’s on its deathbed. I am trying to resurrect it with a daily feeding of water and it is slowly coming back to life. It reminded me of a basil plant we used to keep too. After a few weeks of purchasing it, again because of lack of attention, its leaves started to dry and wither. Unbelievably, as I started to water it everyday it sprung back into life and looked fresher and smelt better than before.

So often in our lives with Christ this is sadly the case. We become so engrossed in our daily lives, being busy, meeting friends, investing in our relationships, and working hard in our jobs that we so often neglect God. How often have you gone without reading your Bible? How often have you gone, dare I say, without praying to God? Neglecting these important Spiritual disciplines causes us to become like my bon-sai tree. We wither away and die. Then before we realise it we find ourselves further and further away from God. He is still there but the problem is us.

I am reminded of the blessed song written by Martin J. Nystrom, “As the deer”. He drew his inspiration from Psalm 41, where the Psalmist gives a beautiful picture of a deer that longs for streams of water to quench its thirst. So too the Psalmist longed and thirsted after God and His abundant stream of refreshing water. Jesus picked up this imagery too in the story of woman at the well (John 4:13-14), where He gives the Samaritan woman the promise of everlasting living water to refresh her soul so that she would never thirst again.

We must strive to always have longing for God, for His Word and for our relationship with Him through prayer and discipline. If you are feeling dry today ask God to pour into you His never-ending streams of refreshing water. Ask God to pour His blessing over your barren dry land and allow Him to water your hearts again and just like my resurrected basil tree, may your Spiritual lives blossom again and bear good fruit in accordance to God’s work in you. Just as the deer longs after streams of water, so our souls should hunger and thirst after the Lord and His righteousness.

Daily Prayer

Lord help me to be hunger and thirsty for You, for Your presence in my life, for Your eternal Words. Let Your Spirit refresh me, fill me and let me draw from you eternal spring of righteousness. Pour into my dry and barren heart. I love you Father.

Wednesday 6^th February

1 Colossians 1:25-27, Hebrews 6:16-20

The afternoon sky suddenly darkened and an eerie silence fell. What happened next changed humanity forever. With a loud thunderous rip the temple curtains tore in two. The great curtain to the Most Holy place had been torn in two. God Himself had now exposed the Holy Sanctuary, reserved only for the High Priest, through the torn curtain. Access was now for all men. Jesus stepped in as our High Priest, became the sacrifice, paid the price and took the role of our Intercessor on behalf of mankind. What does this statement mean for you?

Unfortunately for many, this is just a happy story based on fictional characters that never existed. This reality becomes even sadder when hardships come in their lives. Instead of putting their hope in an eternally loving real God, they turn to alcohol, drugs, sex and temporary fixes to fill the void in their hearts and ultimately become sadder, more depressed and end up in a worse state. The truth is, is that the only secure and reliable hope man can have is solely in Christ Jesus living in us.

The hope we have in Christ comes from firstly His finished work of redemption, secondly His role as an Intercessor on behalf of us, a sinful people, and thirdly the promise that He has called both Jew and Gentile into His presence both now and for eternity. His presence, as the writer of Hebrews describes, is a safe refuge and our hope in Him is like an anchor for our souls. Anchors are used for two reasons. The first reason is when a ship/boat moors in a port or place of rest. The anchor is released in order for the ship/boat to stay secure and not float away in the rising tides or waves. The second reason is in turbulent storms. When the ship/boat is caught in a storm the anchor is released to stop it drifting or floating away in the storm. Due to the heavy weight of the anchor and its hooked design, when released, it sinks to the bottom of the sea, hooks onto rocks or onto the seabed and steadies the ship/boat.

Christ in us, according to Hebrews 6:19, is the anchor for our souls. It is the confidence to know that when hardships come in our lives, if Christ lives in us, then we need not worry what the future holds, for our future is secure in Christ. The anchor in our hearts steadies our rocking lives and hooks on the firm foundation our faith is built on, Jesus Christ. We have this hope because we know that Christ has gone before us as our High Priest, into the eternal Holy of Holies making a way for us His bride to enter into communion with the Father. He stands forever as our Intercessory High Priest on behalf our sinful natures.

Paul, in Colossians chapter 1, also comments of this hope we have in Christ. The hope Paul talks of, is that of the indwelling presence of Christ in the believer. It is the assurance that Christ the Messiah, was not just an impersonal Saviour and redeemer of sins (OT understanding of the Messiah), but moreover, He was and is God dwelling in us, as a truly personal Saviour. This is the mystery revealed. That Christ now lives in us, as we have become the Temple of God. This is the hope of glory. This is our anchor. This is our security and assurance that we are His, bought with His precious, redeeming, and sacrificial blood. Grace be to you.