daily readings

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Tree’s Planted By Good Seeds

10th November

“The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person win friends.”

Proverbs 11:30

It takes a long time for a tree planted to bear any resemblance to what we might imagine a tree to look like. From the seed first being planted, to its constant care and nurture as it grows, a tree can take years to fully form and stand towering about the person who planted it. Yet when that tree is fully formed, it stands its ground when storms rage, provide fruit in its season, shade from the sunlight and branches for birds to build homes. Yet the beginnings of the tree’s life may seem so small and insignificant.

Interestingly, our lives can often be mirrored with that of a gardener planting a tree. Our seeds are good works and the trees are the lives we are investing in. We may not always see the finished product of firm Christians, steady in the faith and firm in their foundation, but that’s okay. Our role is to shower God’s goodness wherever we are so that His Spirit can provide the growth and open people’s eyes to who Jesus really is. What we can take courage in, is knowing that our good works, nurtured and cared for by the Holy Spirit, become tree’s of life, firmly rooted in Jesus Christ.

Let our light (and good works) so shine before men that they will want to know Jesus for themselves.

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Bless The Lord

9th November

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within in me, bless His holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits!”

Psalm 103:1-2

It is always good to be reminded to remember God’s goodness to us. So often we can be going through a really hard time and not see any hope or light at the end of the tunnel. Yet if we remember God’s goodness, and His countless blessings, victories and benefits towards us, then we can take courage in knowing that the pain won‘t last forever.

Matt Redman wrote a wonderful song called ‘10,000 reasons’ a few years ago. In the first verse we sing this wonderful declaration to God…. ‘Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me…let me be singing when the evening comes.‘ It is almost like it was taken straight out this wonderful psalm. Matt Redman commentating on why he wrote this song said the following:-

“We live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we’re given reason after reason why Jesus is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion.”1

The reason we can praise the Lord each day is because He deserves our praise. Even in the middle of the storm, there are always reasons to worship and thank God for His goodness. Let us not get caught up in sadness or sorrow, but encourage our hearts to be filled with praise and thanksgiving towards God. He heals our sickness‘, forgives our sins and redeems our lives. Be encouraged, lift up your hearts and forget not His benefits and blessings. As the saying goes,

‘GOD is good all the time and all the time GOD is good!’

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Aeneas’ Healing: Lydda’s Salvation

7th & 8th November

“Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralysed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.”

‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭9‬:‭32-35‬ NLT

Jesus’ Name is powerful. The bible comments that there is no other Name by which men can be saved and on evidence of the things written in it, it is a truth that cannot be denied. In Jesus’ Name many were and are healed, set free and forgiven by the power of His gracious and kind love.

Today’s story in the book of Acts is another fine example of the mighty power of Jesus at work to change lives. Peter, as he traveled to the town of Lydda, saw a man called Aeneas who had been paralysed for 8 years. When Peter saw him he had compassion and spoke boldly in the Name of Jesus, declaring his healing. Aeneas was instantly healed, rolled up his mat and began following Jesus! Furthermore, because of Aeneas’ healing, the whole population of Lydda were saved and turned to the Lord.

How incredible. By the physical healing of one man, many were saved. This highlights an incredible truth that not only does Jesus heal our physical needs but His work of healing runs deeper than just the physical! Our prayer should be that more signs, wonders and miracles happen in our homes, churches and in our everyday lives, yet may they be accompanied by God’s salvation so that many turn to the Lord. Jesus’ Name is as powerful today as it was in this story. Jesus still heals, delivers and saves. May we know the fullness of our identity in Him, the power of His grace, the work of His salvation, and the power of His healing… Let us not be afraid to pray for the impossible.. For there is nothing impossible with Christ Jesus!

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Jesus – The Healer

5th November 

 “Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to Him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. .”

Matthew 15:29-31 

We worship the same Jesus as we read about in the Bible. He hasn’t changed. He is still the same compassionate healer as we read about in today’s passage. He still makes the blind see, the crippled made well and the lame walk again. Yet even more than our physical healing, Jesus saves our souls too.

Let us rejoice today that firstly, Jesus is a Healer. He can heal our sickness no matter how great. Secondly, and more importantly, Jesus heals our souls. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness and leads us into life everlasting.

Let us rejoice that Jesus is our healer. He is the source from where our healing comes from, both physically and spiritually. If you need physical or spiritual healing then just call out to Jesus in faith and trust in His healing to make you whole.

 

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The Act Of Forgiveness

4th November 

 “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

Proverbs 17:9

There is a reason why the Bible encourages us to forgive quickly and to not let the sun go down on our wrath. Hurt, pain and anger only await those who hold on to bitterness. Un-forgiveness separates us from God, separates us from our own rational thinking and even separates us from our most loved ones. Anger does nothing but cause friction and bitterness.

However, the opposite is true when love prevails. A simple sorry can completely diffuse a situation, can heal wounds and release tensions. As this wise proverb states, ‘love prospers when a fault is forgiven’. There is nothing more liberating than knowing that we are forgiven, loved and accepted by Jesus and with that same love, forgiveness and acceptance, loving others too.

It is no easy task to forgive a fault, particularly when the wound is deep and greatly hurts. Indeed, in our strength we cannot. We can make a decision to forgive, however, true forgiveness is something only God can help us put into practice. May we today know the power of a ‘fault forgiven’, the danger of holding onto hurt and the joy of releasing the debt of bitterness. Furthermore, may our Lord Jesus, daily reveal just how much we have been forgiven and help us, with that same love, to love and forgive others. Let us rejoice in forgiven faults and restored friendships.

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And After All Stand

31st October – 1st November

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground…..”

Ephesians 6:13-14a

We are not called to be back seat Christians. We are called to stand and fight the good fight on the front lines. That is not to say that we should go looking for trouble with an arrogant and defiant attitude, but rather it is to say that when trouble does come, we are prepared because we have been armed with the tools to stand against the enemy and to resist him “in the time of evil.” So often, we try to fight the enemy in our strength and forget that we have access not only to the tools to withstand him but a Father who is infinitely more powerful than the best the enemy has to offer.

The NLT version of this verse wonderfully describes the result of a child of God, bought with the blood of Christ and armed with the armour of God; After the battle, they still are standing firmly! How amazing. Throughout the bible there are so many examples of mighty warriors in faith, who have been able to withstand the best the enemy has thrown at them, because they were well equipped with the armour of God. Take Daniel for example; thrown into the lions den and was found without even a scratch. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; thrown into the fiery furnace and didn’t even smell of smoke when they were let out. Gideon; faced a huge task of defeating an enemy around 100,000 times bigger than his and came out victorious. Paul; bitten by a deadly snake on the island of Malta, yet still carried on preaching and healing the sick. Peter; imprisoned on numerous occasions and walked out a free man.

All these are great examples of the victory we have in Christ, not only in the physical realm but also in the Spiritual. Let stand firm in the grace, love and power of Christ, well equipped with the armour of God and completely reliant on Christ for every battle!

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Be Strong In The Lord

30th October

“A Final Word: Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities in the un-seen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the Heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:10-12

Have you ever lit a match in a dark room? Isn’t it interesting that just a small flame can bring light to a whole room. Even in the darkest of places (spiritually) our light can shine so bright that the darkness will have to flee! It is the light in us that comes from God the Father!!

Today’s verse contains so much theology and truth yet there is one things that stands out above it all… We can and must stand firm in the power of God’s might against the war that is waged against us, followers of Jesus. Yet this battle cannot be fought with swords and guns, but rather by the power of the believer, secure in Christ and armed with pure minds, secure in our identity in Christ, armed with truth (about God and how He sees us) and the Word of God to fight for us!

It is imperative that we start each day in submission to Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us not take for granted the battle we face in our daily lives. More importantly let us remember the victory that we live in; The victory won by Jesus for our sakes. It is in His Name that demons flee. We are in Christ and He is in us. That means we are on the winning side… always!

“God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all!”

1 John 1:5b

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The Light Shines In The Darkness

29th October

“For once you were full of of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For the light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

Ephesians 5:8-9

The Halloween season always seems like a spiritually dark time of year. Not only do many dress up in scary costumes and play trick or treat, but underneath it all, it is a night that is celebrated by many in the realm of darkness. Sometimes you can even sense the darkness in the atmosphere. However…. There is no need to fear.

Paul strongly writes that once (before Christ) we were also part of that darkness, yet now we are alive in Christ, we are full of God’s light that breaks through darkness and exposes the darkness. The light that is in us is the Spirit of God and the victory of Jesus. We can walk boldly in that light, not fearing death and darkness, nor any power of the enemy. Jesus has overcome all things and because He lives in us, that means that we too can enjoy the blessings of Christ’s power and LIGHT!

Let us change our approach to the Halloween season, from fear to victory, and from darkness to light. We have the victory in Jesus. There is nothing to fear. Moreover, let us change the spiritual atmosphere in our neighbourhoods by letting our light shine so brightly, that it exposes the darkness and the darkness will have to flee. After all, as John also mentions in His gospel….

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can NEVER extinguish it.”

John 1:4-5

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Imitators Of Christ

28th October

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music in to the Lord in your hearts.”

Ephesians 5:18-19

Part of imitating Christ is knowing what not to do. Ephesians is full of wise council on this subject, yet it is always presented in a way that is not condemning but rather an encouragement to lead us into Godly living. We want to be imitators of Christ in all we do, not only please God but to bring glory to His Name. Furthermore, living a God fearing life brings happiness, joy and freedom rather than the chains of bondage that sinful lifestyles lead to; as today’s verse rightly warns… being drunk on wine only leads to ruined lives.

Paul encourages the church in Ephesus to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is through being filled daily with the Holy Spirit that we can enjoy the fullness of all God has for us and that our lifestyles become more like His. How amazing would it be to see churches world wide, united together by the love of Christ, being filled with the Spirit, ‘singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among’ themselves and individually making music to God in their hearts. It is then that we become a sweet aroma to Christ and to others around us. It is then that people recognise that there is more to life than reckless, sinful lifestyles and reach out for hope.

May we show grace to all those suffering in the enemies grasp. Let us show the same grace to them as we have been shown by Christ Jesus so we can reach out to them in loving kindness. After all, if we are to be imitators of Christ, then that is what He did when He was on the earth.

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Christ Has Set The Standard

27th October

“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..”

Ephesians 4:31-32

Our challenge or even “commission” is to love Christ as He loves us and love each other with that same love. We are His ambassadors on this earth; His hands and His feet. Verse 30 even tells us that He has put His own seal on us, on those whom He has identified as His own. However, in reality what does that look like? Can we really be beacons for Christ?

Through God’s grace we can… Jesus has set the standard of Godly living for us to follow and although we may never reach Jesus’ level of holiness, we are commanded to be imitators of Christ in all we do nonetheless. Moreover, it is because Christ has set the standard of love through His life that we can have something to follow. Verse 31 proclaims that it because we are forgiven by God through Christ’s sacrifice for us, that we can be kind, tender-hearted and forgive others too.

The more we know how much we are forgiven and loved by God, the more we can learn to forgive and love others too. Through that understanding, our lifestyle begins to change as we look to become more like Christ in word and deed. Yet all is only accomplished by the grace of God in our lives!