Monday 3^rd June

John 10:27

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me…” 

I recently went to Wales for a few days and was awe struck at the beauty of the landscapes. Wales is so picturesque. As we sat outside our cottage we could see fields of cows and sheep. Quickly I was reminded of a previous trip to Wales with my family, when we woke up one morning to a Shepherd gathering his sheep for a feed. There were hundreds of sheep so he rode a quad bike and as he drove around the huge fields he simply called out to the sheep and they followed along behind him. It was so amazing to see so many sheep following just one man. The authority of the Shepherd’s voice was clear to see. 

Jesus often used the example of sheep following the Shepherd’s voice. It so easy to get caught up in life and follow the wrong voices or take a different path to the one God had intended for you. However when we heed the call of our great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we quickly are reminded of His great grace and His loving heart towards us and find our direction again. In fact Jesus calls you His sheep because He knows you and wants you in His arms. Your response? To follow Him.

If you have become lost today and are in need of guidance, ask God to open you ears so that you may heed the call of our Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you to bring you back Him. Hear His voice!!

Friday 24^th May

Psalm 147:10-11

 “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those whose hope is in His mercy.”

I am so thankful that God doesn’t have to rely on my strength otherwise he would be truly disappointed. In fact God doesn’t delight or take pleasure in the outward appearance of strength at all (that is not to say that he condemns physical strength or exercise). The Psalmist is simply stating that God is delighted when we put our hope in Him and not in ourselves or in our STRENGTH! In fact our own strength is fallible, temporary and no matter how strong we think we are both physically and Spiritually, without God we are nothing.

 “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him.” In our church we are learning about what it means to fear God. It is not a scared emotion but rather an awareness and honour of a God who is far bigger, greater, stronger and HOLIER than us. If we “fear” Him, and put our “hope” in His strength and not ours then we will also be overcomers in all things. When we don’t take situations into our hands but rather “hope in His MERCY” then we draw on God’s resources and not ours. Take courage that God, the creator of the whole universe, has the power to sustain it, and also the power to help you in your circumstance! 

Tuesday 7^th May

Ephesians 4:30-5:2 

“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember He has identified you as His own….Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you!” (part of Ephesians 4:30-31 NLT) 

I recently had a friend come from Italy and he was sharing something that really spoke to my heart and also reminded me of a sermon I had heard on Sunday at church.

 My wife noticed that he was wearing an expensive branded jumper to which he quickly explained had been bought for him (it is quite un-like him to wear expensive clothes). After the laughter subsided he mentioned that although it is an expensive brand in England, it is unknown in Italy. What was expensive in England was practically worthless in Italy, all because of a simple label on the material. That simple label gave the item of clothing the “identity” that it was designed and made for this particular company, which of course added the value to the jumper. Interestingly as I pondered that thought, I realised what makes us recognisable in the world and what gives us our “identity” whereby people may recognise who we are and who designed us?

 See a label on clothing may give value and sadly even status. Yet if the people around don’t recognise the label or branding then the value, your status and the company’s identity is worthless and meaningless.  It is much the same with us. As Christ’s children we bear the mark of a believer. We are His representatives on this earth. However if we are not living as Christians then what separates us from the world and “identifies” us with the being like Christ?

Today’s passage specifically highlights the importance of living like Christ in all we do. What marks us as a Christian? Is it wrath, anger or malicious behaviour? Is it foolish and coarse joking? NO! It is being kind when there is an opportunity to be cruel. It is forgiving like Christ has forgiven you when someone mistreats you. It showing love when someone uses harsh words against you. This is not to say that we shouldn’t stand up for injustice but rather it is a Godly response to the world’s attitudes and behaviours. We might not be able to evangelise the world in one go, but our responses to life’s hardships shows Jesus to the world. Small acts of kindness and Christ like attitudes make huge differences in a Godless and ever increasing secular society.

 Be different! Show Christ in all you do! Be identified as a follower of Jesus.

Thursday 2^nd May

John 14:27 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The stillness of a spring day is something that cannot be matched. The warm sunlight beaming down on your face, birds gently chirping, creation singing to their maker and flowers elegantly showing off their variety of colours and smells. What can beat that feeling??

The truth is however, that sometimes life is not so rosy! Pressures of life can in one moment send us into a downward spiral of anger, shame, bitterness and resentment. If truth really be told, no matter how beautiful spring can be, emotions can often get the better of us when we allow situations to escalate and spiral out of control. It is in those times that we really need to draw near to God and ask Him to give us His perfect peace.

 Jesus talks of this peace in John 14 verse 27. He encourages His disciples to take heart as He has just talked about His imminent ascension but reminds them that He will return and the Father will send the comforter, the Holy Spirit. Jesus concludes with this famous verse which not only stood as a comfort to the disciples but stands as a reminder for all peoples that where Jesus is, there is peace.

How encouraging that Jesus gives us His peace and that it is not of this world but from Him. Here is my interpretation of this verse.  ‘I give you My peace, not as the world cheaply gives it. That temporary fix of peace that doesn’t satisfy. That peace that only paves over problems and never solves them. That peace that is gone at the first sight of a problem. No! I give you My peace. A free and comforting peace. A peace that is never ending. A peace that doesn’t require you to do but that is already DONE. A peace that is from my resources, from My heart to yours. A peace that says do not be afraid, do not be troubled no matter what you are going through. A peace that passes all human understanding of peace, that right there, in the middle of the storm, right at the heart of walls collapsing around you and mountains shaking beneath you, right there, I will give you stillness, comfort and rest. That is My peace. Why? Because I love YOU!!’

 Let us not allow circumstances to dictate how we feel but let our Christ centered hearts rejoice in His peace in our lives.  Amen!

Wednesday 1^st May

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am your God…”

This morning as the sun slowly rises and creation comes alive, stop for one moment and take a deep breath. Look around at God’s creation and marvel at His handiwork.

 The Psalmist says in verse 1 of chapter 46 that again God is our refuge and strength and an “always ready help in time of trouble.” In fact he adds to it that even if “earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea” we will not fear because HE is our God.

 It is inevitable that we will face storms in our lives. We might even face a crumbling mountain, but one thing remains… God is our God and that means we are the winning side. Stop for a moment today and remember to be still and know that our refuge and strength, IS OUR GOD!

Tuesday 30^th April

Psalm 18 

“I love you Lord: You are my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Saviour. My God is my Rock, in whom I find protection. He is my Shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” 

Do you ever feel sometimes that life’s problems are ready to swallow you up? Or perhaps you feel like everyday is a battle to get out of a pit of sinking sand. The more your problems increase the more you feel like you are sinking deeper and deeper into a pit that you cant get out of. Well you are not on your own.

 David, knowing that the Kingdom of Israel had been stripped from Saul and given to him, found himself running away from Saul’s jealous manhunt. Saul knew that he had messed things up and knew that God had taken away his kingship and given it to David. He was jealous and was out to get David. David also knew what it felt like to be in a ‘sinking sand pit’ knowing that it was only by God’s strength that he would be saved. 

As we come to chapter 18 in the book of psalms, we read of David’s response to God’s triumph over his enemies and deliverance from the wicked hand of Saul. This chapter is David’s prayer/song of thanksgiving to God for saving and delivering him.

Notice the words rock, fortress and place of safe refuge that David uses to describe God. It is comforting that even though David had no way out and felt abandoned and alone, he still in his heart knew that God was the rock that he could stand on in hard times. Humanly speaking David had no other option but to trust God. Saul wanted David dead. Yet God had a plan for David.

When we feel like we are in a pit of sinking sand we must remember the words David used to describe God. He is our fortress and rock and in His strength and power can we find comfort and help from life’s problems and battles. See God doesn’t just protect us from physical harm in the same way He protected David, He also reaches out in the hard times in our lives and lifts us out the mess we are in and puts us on the Rock that cannot be shaken, Jesus Christ.

 David in verse 33, had full confidence that God would deliver him, so much so that God not only lifted him out of the ‘sinking sand pit’, not only did He place him on a solid rock but he made him so “surefooted as a deer, enabling him (me) to stand on mountain heights.” This is true of God today. He wants to lift you and me out of our problems, onto a solid rock and them make us so secure in Him that we are able to stand on mountain heights and just look down and see were God has delivered us from.

Friday 26^th April

Acts 9:1-17 

‘….As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from Heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”’ (Verses 3-6)

Over the last few days we have been looking at examples of people who were radically transformed by an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Although there are numerous examples of lives being transformed in the Bible, I wanted to conclude with what I believe to be the most radical and exciting transformation of all, Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.

Saul was a hardened radical Pharisee. He despised Christianity and anyone who was affiliated with the ‘church’. Chapter 9 finds us reading of his encounter with Christ. Paul had just witnessed and agreed to the killing of Stephen by stoning and now was on his way to further persecute ‘the Way’. With the High Priests backing and the synagogues support around the Damascus region, Paul filled with hate and anger had one mission; to arrest and bring the Christians back to Jerusalem, bound in chains.

Yet Jesus had other ideas. In one moment of divine visitation, Jesus confronts the very man who in effect had been persecuting Jesus Himself. Paul after being confronted by Jesus had his life changed. In fact Jesus knew what He had planned for Paul already. In verse 15 Jesus comforts the worried Ananias with these words “Go, for Saul (Paul) is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to the Kings, as well as to people the people of Israel.” Jesus in the moment of His appearance to Paul radically changed his desires and commissioned him to be used to spread the Gospel of Christ rather than oppose it.

(On a side note it is interesting that Jesus stops Paul by the power of His words. This again proves that Jesus humbly went to the cross as a Lamb to the slaughter. He could have stopped all that was happening to Him by just His words yet He chose to endure the cross for us.)

It amazes me that the grace of God could have even been extended to someone like Paul. His desires were to persecute and extinguish the work of Christ, yet through his encounter with Christ the opposite happened. Not only was his life so radically changed, he was responsible for bringing Jesus to the lives of thousands in his time and many more since then.

See Jesus doesn’t meet us solely for our own lives to be transformed and then that’s His work done. No, on the contrary. He transforms our lives so He can use us for the extension of His Kingdom through word and deed. Jesus’ work in us should also be manifest through us. It is not a passive inward change but an internal, external and active transformation. Christ through you will bring change to the world. If Christ has radically changed you then Go and bring show Him to others.

Wednesday 24^th April

Mark 5:1-20

“….As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with Him. But Jesus said ‘No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.’ So the man started off to visit the TEN TOWNS of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him: and everyone was amazed at what he had told them.”

 (verses 18-20)

Yesterday we looked at the story of Zaachaeus, the chief tax collector, and how his encounter with Christ transformed his life, even to repentance and a change of lifestyle. Again today we will look at the power of Christ and the authority He had on this earth and still has today.

Today’s passage is taken from the gospel of Mark. Jesus has just calmed the treacherous storm that threatened to drown the disciples and now crossed over to the region of Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus stepped off the boat a man possessed by many demons approached Him. Notice the description Mark gives of him “This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with chains… day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.” This man was scary! However to Jesus, he was His creation, he was a man that needed to know the love of a Heavenly Father. Jesus was interested in the man himself, not what he had inside him (be it through his own doing). 

As soon as this man saw Jesus, what was in him knew that Jesus was no ordinary person. He immediately knew that Jesus was the “Son of the Most High God”. Interestingly Jesus converses with these evil spirits and even gives them permission to leave the man and possess pigs instead. This of course opens up many questions as to why Jesus allowed that but the most important thing to highlight instead of the why, is the authority Jesus had and the evil spirits submission to it. Not only did Jesus just cast out 2000 evil spirits by the power of His word, but by doing so, set a man free from demonic oppression and transformed his life. Verse 15 tells us “that he was sitting there, fully clothed and perfectly sane.” This is the same man that wandered the graveyards day and night, breaking chains and shackles off his very hands, cutting himself with sharp stones and howling like a wild animal. And now he sits clothed and perfectly sane. Why?? Because he had an encounter with Jesus Christ.   

See when we come into the presence of the “SON” of God, who was God, is God and forever will be God, not only do we get set free from our chains and shackles but our lives are totally transformed by His resurrection power in us. Notice the change in this man life as mentioned in the scripture above. Jesus radically changed this mans life, so much so, that he wanted to follow Jesus. Instead, Jesus commissioned him to spread the message of Christ’s acceptance and mercy towards sinners and through his witness many marvelled at the greatness of Jesus’ mighty power to set even the most demon possessed sinner free and radically change their life.

 Have you met with the SON?? 

Tuesday 23^rd April

Luke 19:1-10

“…. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will give half of my wealth to the poor, Lord and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’. Jesus responded, ‘Salvation had come to this home today, for this man had shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man, came to seek and save those who are lost.” (verses 8-10).

It’s no secret. I love the sun. In fact, I know for sure that I am not the only one. Basking in the sun’s warmth is good for soul. It almost has a kind of rejuvenation power. Not only does the sun’s rays provide important vitamins for our bodies, it also provides the right chemical reactions in plants and trees to aid growth and even provides a psychological benefit for those suffering with depression. The sun brings joy, happiness, wellness and growth. 

As I was sitting in the sun and benefitting from the blessings of its rays, I realised that we too as Christians can 100% benefit from sitting in the presence of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. The transforming power of Jesus Christ’s presence, in an individual’s life, is nothing short of miraculous. Just as we can get the benefit of sitting in the sun, we can also get an incredible life transforming change when we encounter the SON, Jesus Christ.

Today’s reading is a prime example of a man’s life being changed by meeting Jesus Christ. Luke tells us in chapter 19 verse 2, that Zacchaeus was a very prominent tax collector in the region. In fact he was the chief tax collector. This meant status and wealth. Yet when Jesus came into town, all his accolades and achievements became nothing as he desperately climbed a tree to see Jesus. This was an extraordinary act from Zacchaeus, as a person of his stature and wealth would surely not be seen climbing up a tree so he could see a radical and controversial preacher. What were his motives? Desperation, emptiness in his heart, guilt, remorse, or curiosity? Whatever his motives were, Jesus noticed it! 

In verse 9, Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name to come down from the tree and invites Himself to his house. Of course the crowds were displeased that Jesus was again eating and socialising with a sinful person, especially a corrupt tax collector. But Jesus knew that this was more than just a simple visit to a sinner’s house but a visit to a sinner’s heart. As Zacchaeus accepted Jesus’ request, an inward change in his heart began to take place. His heart began to be filled with ‘great joy and excitement’ as Jesus was coming to his house. 

Zacchaeus suddenly turns to Jesus and practically repents for the way he has gained his wealth. He publically confesses that he had cheated people of their taxes and agrees to pay them back four times as much and not only that, he agrees to give half of his wealth away to the poor. What an extraordinary transformation in this mans life. Jesus, knowing that Zacchaeus was genuine, responds by highlighting that Salvation had indeed come to Zacchaus’ house.

See when we encounter the presence of Jesus Christ, even the hardest criminal’s hearts are transformed by His power. Jesus calls sinners by name and no matter what situation they are in, wants to have communion with them and transform their lives. Why? Because Jesus came to seek and save the lost! When you bask in the sun’s warmth, remember Jesus’ transforming work in a sinner’s heart and what He has done in your life!

Friday 19^th April

Psalm 148, 150:6

“Let EVERYTHING that has breath praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.”

Finally spring has come. Trees are blossoming, flowers are growing, birds are singing and dare I say it, we have even seen the sun again. New life is all around us and creation is rejoicing in God’s harvest. Yet sometimes, when surrounded with God’s intelligently designed handiwork, we still struggle to find reasons to praise Him. We so often allow ourselves to get consumed in day to day struggles and problems, that we miss the blessings of now and focus on things that are not going so well in our lives.

See the thing is, as emotional and rational people, we are easily swayed by the good and bad things that happen in our lives, and those moments usually dictate our moods and our responses to life’s struggles. It is in those times that we forget God’s blessings of today and instead focus on the problems. God’s desire for us however, is to always see what good He has for us, even in the midst of hard times, and still rejoice in His goodness, no matter what comes our way.

Have you ever stopped and wondered why trees mostly grow with their branches reaching to the heavens. I remember having this conversation with my mother once and we came to the conclusion that they are reaching out and praising God. Ok of course, the sun has a lot do with their growth but if we take the same principle, that in all seasons, we simply stretch out our arms, receive the SON and praise Him, then you will see what fruit you will bear.

I truly believe that God designed creation for us to enjoy. He gave us a way that we might praise Him, even in the hard times. Just look around and see His beauty. Turn your sorrow into garments of praise. Join with creation praising its Creator. Join with angels singing out their praises to a Holy God. Let everything that has breath truly PRAISE THE LORD!!