devotionals

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His Last Breath

17th March

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice.”

Luke 23:34

An old pastor once said that you can tell what is in a man, when you step on his foot and see his reactions. Yet what’s your reaction if you are being falsely accused of something? Or greater still, what if you were being beaten, tortured and ridiculed, even though you have done nothing wrong, what would you do then? Jesus’ response…. To Love!

As the crowds gathered around Jesus mocking His divinity and soldiers gambled for His clothes, Jesus looked down from the cross upon the crowds and saw a people who needed His love and mercy. He cried out to the Father to forgive them, to have mercy on them and to release them from their debt of sin. “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing!” Of course the soldiers knew what they were doing in terms of ‘their job’. Yet perhaps what they didn’t know, was that they were crucifying the Son of God. Even in this situation, Jesus never gave up on loving His murderers. He still called for grace and still showed His love for the ‘sinners’. Even with His dying breath, Jesus’ desire was to seek and save those who were lost.

Today, many of us find ourselves in the shoes of the angry mob or even in the role of the Roman soldiers. We ridicule Jesus by our lifestyles and wrong choices, yet Jesus’ words, as He stands next to the Father, remain the same for us: Father, forgive them… Even when we consciously know that what we are doing is wrong, in grace and love, Jesus continues to intercede on our behalf, presenting Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. That is love. That is grace. That is the wondrous GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST.

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It Was Me….. I Did It

16th March

“One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself – and us, too, while You’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.””

Luke 23:39-43

What makes you a ‘Christian’? Is it just belief in God or in Jesus? Is it recognising that Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the 3rd day? Or is it living a good life, trying to follow the Bible’s teachings? Well, in essence it is all three of those, yet, what truly unites and reconciles us with Christ is the recognition of our sins and the repentance of them. There are many ‘good’ people in this world and many who know of God and believe that He exists. Yet what is knowing, if you don’t have relationship.

When the remorseful criminal cried out to silence his partner in crime, he declared this important truth.. ‘we deserve to die for our crimes..’. This criminal recognised he had done wrong and deserved to be punished for his crimes. The debt of his sins had been weighed and he was found guilty by death. Yet he knew that next to him, hung someone who had done nothing wrong, who was more than just a man and whose Kingdom would endure forever. ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom‘ are words of repentance, they are words of recognition and words of realisation. He first recognised he had done wrong, then, in his own words repented of his sins by asking Jesus to remember him and finally, he realised that Jesus was more than just an innocent man hanging on a cross, but was a King, whose Kingdom ruled forever, even after physical death.

May we too recognise our wrongdoings, may we lay them down and confess them before the Father and may we realise that Jesus has the power to forgive and make us whole once more. May we remember this truth, that because Jesus overcame the cross, we are forgiven. Grace be to you.

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Prove It!

15th March

“One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself – and us, too, while You’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.””

Luke 23:39-43

‘Prove it – save yourself’, cried one the scoffers hanging next to Jesus. Have you ever asked yourself the question, what if Jesus did prove it? What if He did supernaturally release Himself, come down from the cursed cross and healed Himself of His wounds? You may have your conclusions but the Biblical truth is.. . . nothing. Jesus didn’t need to do anymore to prove that He was who He said He was, the Son of God.

Time and time again He showed who He was by His miraculous works and His life changing teachings. He raised men and children from the dead. He feed thousands with barely nothing. He calmed the raging sea. He turned water into wine. He healed people of their sickness’ and forgave them of their sins. He had a meeting with Elijah and Moses. He Himself said He was the Son of God. How much more did Jesus need to do to prove that He was who He said He was.

And yet even if He did come down, would people now believe in Him? Again….NO. Jesus was raised to life and now lives and people still ignore He even exists. He heals today, saves today, teaches us and reveals Himself to many, yet people still reject Him.

Believing in Jesus, believing that He was who He said He was, is down to a personal choice. The evidence is clear. He really did exist. He really did rise again on the 3rd day and He really is still alive today. However, the choice is yours to make; Believe in truth or join in with the scoffers.

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The God Of Second Chances

14th March

“One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself – and us, too, while You’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.””

Luke 23:39-43

This is one of the most powerful demonstrations of Jesus’ love, mercy and acceptance in the whole of scripture. Jesus has just been beaten, punched, kicked, abused and is carrying the weight of every sin of humanity on His shoulders and yet still, He could find space in His heart to recognise a sinners remorse and forgive Him with His dying breath.

The remorseful criminal knew that Jesus was an innocent man. He may not have fully understood why Jesus had to die, he certainly was not baptised or put through the sinners prayer, and in addition, although not mentioned in the text, this was probably the only time he had talked to God (Jesus). Yet Jesus looked straight past the criminals sinful exterior, and straight into the man’s heart, who had clearly realised that next to a Holy Man, he fell very short of God’s holy standards and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man.

Jesus completely forgave the man of his sins, although again not mentioned in the text but can be assumed based on Jesus’ confirmation that this criminal would be in paradise with Jesus Himself. The man hanging on the cross for his own sins, forgiven by the Man hanging on the cross for humanities sins. Isn’t that just an astounding picture. Jesus hanging next to the criminal, taking the criminals sins upon His shoulders, and releasing the criminal from the wages of his own sin, death. A marvellous exchange of sin for grace; of punishment for redemption. This is the Jesus we serve.

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Give Thanks For God’s Love

12-13th March

Weekend Edition

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful loves endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1-3

“Give thanks to the Lord!” What a wonderful way to start the weekend. Put to the side your worries, problems and stresses and just thank God for who He is; for His love that endures forever.

When we remove the things that burden us and concentrate on who God is, our problems decrease as we are reminded of how great our God is and how powerful His works are. It sounds so simple and it is. Praise takes away the opportunities to moan or worry. Praise doesn’t give the enemy a foothold in your life but rather it creates a closeness with the Father. Praise reminds us of the magnitude who God is.

We have to encourage our hearts and remind ourselves that God is good. He is the Lord of lords, the God of gods and the King of Kings. Let us remember that this great God, chose to send His only Son, to lay down His life for us and rise again in victory for our souls. That alone, is worth praise and worth giving thanks for.

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I Did It….. God’s Way

11th March

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

If God is the creator of all life, all matter, the animals in the sea and those that walk on the earth, the world we live in and everything in it (including us!), then why do we insist on living life our way? So often, many join in with Frank Sinatra’s famous song lyrics and declare that they will live their lives their own way or ‘MY WAY’, as Frank put it. Sadly, this becomes more than just song lyrics but a lifestyle choice and decision to put ‘me’ first and everything else secondary. We say as long as we look after ‘number one’ (a reference to one’s self) then all else will be fine.

Yet nothing could be further from the truth as the nation of Israel found out during their time of persecution. They tried to live ‘their way’ and ended up abandoning the one true God who liberated them and chose them as His own people. He offered them life yet they settled for slavery. They exchanged God’s goodness for their own foolish desires. Sounds crazy right…? Yet when we settle for second best and become content in doing things our way, we too exchange the best God has for temporary satisfaction and cheap thrills, which never actually satisfies but rather just leaves us empty (v2).

When we surrender to God’s ways, we can be guaranteed that He knows best. We might not fully understand His ways and sometimes it may be hard to follow but we can take full assurance that it’s the best for us. Isaiah encouraged the troubled Israelites with these words, which we too can take encouragement from, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God always knows better because His thoughts are higher than ours, more wiser than ours, He can see the bigger picture and knows the future. What more assurance do you need that God knows best?

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In The Beginning God….

10th March

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1

Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 is probably one of the most contested verses in scripture by atheists and Christians alike. Yet if we look back even just 500 years, it was more than probable that this verse was taken as literal as when the writer of Genesis wrote it. Sadly, many have deviated from the truth that it is God who created the world and all that is in it and not some cosmic improbable collision of atoms that just happened by chance. Doubting the truth that God indeed made all creation, puts into doubt our purpose on this earth and our value as created beings by an amazing Creator God.

If we are to assume that we are all one big accident, then how can we possibly live with any morals at all? What defines our decisions? What about feelings, emotions and personalities? Yes, evolutionists, agnostics and atheists all have fantastical and eloquent textbook answers to those questions, yet why do we need to look further than Bible for our answers. The truth written thousands of years ago, far precedes that of modern ideology and ‘THEORY’. The simple yet incredibly deep truth is clear for all to see, read and live in; GOD created everything.

We are individually designed with a plan and a purpose to be world changers, life givers and beacons of Jesus’ love for humanity on this earth. We are made in the very image of our God. We have His attributes. We carry His anointing. We bear His Name as sons and daughters of His family. We don’t have to settle for the world’s cheap image of chance and evolutionary progress. We have been designed and exist to be in relationship with God Himself.

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A Rich And Satisfying Life

9th March

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

John 10:10

Jesus came to the earth to destroy the works of the enemy and replace them with life: life in all its fullness. The enemy, as the Apostle Peter describes, is a roaring lion, prowling around seeking someone to devour. His tactics are aggressive with only one purpose. To stop us entering Jesus’ green pastures and trying to deceive us with lies of promises that he can offer things better than God can offer. Yet there is good news. We can stand firm in truth against his schemes and lies because Jesus has defeated the enemy. Instead of surrendering to the enemy’s schemes and lies, we can resist and choose the path Jesus has set out for us. We can walk in the truth and in God’s purposes for us and enjoy a ‘rich and satisfying life’.

Richness and satisfaction are not simply materialistic pleasures but rather a lifestyle of living in God’s blessings, in God’s great joy and in His acceptance of us. Today we can have a ‘rich and satisfying life’ without necessarily being physically wealthy but by being Spiritually rich. We can access the best of all God has for us, because we are His children and His beloved. May you enjoy the benefits of a rich and satisfying life, bringing glory and honour to Jesus with in all you do.

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Above All, Love

7th March

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.”

1 Peter 4:8-9

We are radically and unconditionally loved by our amazing Heavenly Father. His love for us truly does cover a multitude of our sins. Likewise, we too are commanded to love others in the same way. We are commanded to love each other with a deep love. This deep love does not just love with words or emotion, it doesn’t just turn the other cheek when faced with in-justice, it doesn’t keep quiet nor does it remain ambiguous. This deep love is an action.

Jesus didn’t just love us with words to make us feel good. He loved by laying down His life for us, by healing the sick and the poor, and spending time with those society rejected. Even on the cross, in His dying breath, Jesus exuded love when He asked the Father to forgive His murderers.

Friends may we too remember that love is not just in ‘knowing’, or in ‘saying’ but is shown through our actions. It is love, as Peter says, that is most important of all. As we are filled more and more each day with the knowledge of how much God loves us, may that knowledge challenge and inspire us to love others with that same love we have been loved with.

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Persevering Through Persecution

5th & 6th March

Weekend Edition

“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things as they do. So they slander you.”

1 Peter 4:4

Have you noticed that since you accepted Christ in your heart’s, the things that used to give you satisfaction are no longer appealing, or that even your ‘so called friends’ have abandoned you? It is not that you have become ‘boring’, it’s just that you no longer find pleasure in the things they do such as, as Peter lists, feasting and drunkenness, immorality and lust, wild parties and even the worship of idols (whatever form that may take). When Christ enters our lives, He transforms our hearts to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates (SIN).

Yet sometimes hating sin, comes at a cost. Standing up for truth has a price. As we discussed yesterday and as Peter talks about in chapter 4, it may come at a physical price. But sometimes persecution also comes from people whom you once called ‘friends’; When you start taking a stand and saying you don’t want to get drunk anymore, sleep around, take this or that drug, or even go to places that you may have used to go to. Yet standing up for truth, standing up for righteousness and honouring God has so many blessings.

Peter encourages the persecuted churches in his time but also today’s readers, that when we are faced with all kinds of persecution, we must not be defeated but know that we will be blessed! “If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.” (verse 14). Peter finally finishes chapter 4 with these wonderful words “..and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you!” We may not know why God allows the suffering of His people, but what we do know is, that God will never fail us. May we joyful in our hearts in times of peace and persecution, knowing that through our suffering, we share in the glory of Christ. May we know that even thorough our suffering, He is still with us.