devotionals

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The Wedding Feast: No-one Knows The Time of His Return But Be Ready

16th July

“”But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.”

Matthew 25:10

As we explore this passage found here in Matthew 25:1-13, we are reminded by Jesus that we should always be ready for His return and ready to meet our Bridegroom. We cannot know the exact date of His return but what we do know, is that we are to be ready!

Jesus starts this parable with the common imagery of a Jewish wedding feast. Traditionally in the Jewish wedding feast, the bride would wait for the groom in her house. The groom would go to the bride’s house, where he would ask permission to marry his fiancé and pay a dowry for her. Then the wedding party would start a procession back to the groom’s house where a large feast would take place which depending on the wealth of the groom, could take up to a week to end. The procession usually took place at midnight with guests holding an oil-based lamp attached to a pole to guide them at night.

As Jesus explains to his listeners about the ten bridesmaids waiting for the groom, he highlights a key difference in the ten. The five wise bridesmaids were prepared for the grooms coming (by bringing extra oil) and the five unwise bridesmaids were unprepared (by not having extra oil). Because the groom was delayed, all ten bridesmaids fell asleep. However, suddenly at midnight they were awoken by a loud shout announcing the arrival of the groom. The five wise bridesmaids, having extra oil, lit their torches and joined the procession to the grooms house. However, sadly because of the lack of extra oil, the five foolish bridesmaids missed the procession because they were out buying more oil. They may have looked the part outwardly but because of their unwise preparations they missed the procession to the grooms house.

“Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast….!”

Are you preparing well for your Master’s return?

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Working In Partnership With God

15th July

“Now all the glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Ephesians 3:20

It is so great that God can use us to bring about His glorious works in this world and that Jesus may be further known to all people through God’s work in us. Sometimes we may not feel worthy to be used by God, but that is a lie we need to overcome. If we live our lives thinking that we are not worthy to be used by Him, then we will never accomplish anything. Moreover, it is His joy to use broken and imperfect vessels to bring about His glory. If we have confessed our sins, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord publicly and believe in our hearts, then according to the writer of Romans, we are saved. Therefore, if we are saved, we are children of God, and have the awesome privilege of telling others about how great our Father is, regardless of our own situations.

In fact, Paul tells us here in these verses, that we will accomplish far more than we could ever think or ask for. Why? Because it is the power of the living Trinity, working in and through us. We should not act as if we have some special powers, so that we can be glorified when His power works through us. On the contrary, God is to be glorified, Jesus is to be glorified, and the Holy Spirit is to be glorified. God is more than able to work through us despite our faults and failings. He does bless us with supernatural gifts but it is for His glory and not ours.

We must align ourselves to the will of God in our lives, overcoming our self doubt and trusting that God can use us despite of our weaknesses. Let us open our hearts and lives to His mighty power, asking God daily how we can be used to glorify Him on this earth. When He does use us, let our hearts cry out in praise to Him and may all glory go back to the One who made us. We are sons and daughters of God, that is our position in Him.

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“Revenge Is Mine” Says The Lord

14th July

“The the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.”

Revelation 20:10

Do you get fed up with the daily battle against sin? The constant temptation to dishonour God, the sinful emotions that sometimes rear their ugly head, and the desires to live a lifestyle contrary to God’s best for you? You are not alone. Even the great apostle Paul had areas of weakness (although it doesn’t clearly state that it was sin he struggled with!). Yet we can be greatly encouraged that one day it will end!

There is a reason that God said that vengeance is His. It is because His judgements are always perfect and always in line with His divine will. He is the only One that can pronounce correct judgement on someone else because He is 100% perfect all the time. The greatest of these judgements is when the enemy will finally get defeated once and for all.

His dirty tactics will no longer be able to cause us to stumble. His native language of lies and slander will be silenced. His deceptive and divisive thoughts will no longer we able to tempt us. Pain, sorrow and death will burn with him and all those who have chosen to give themselves to him. There is no fairy tale story for those who want to say yes to the enemy and no to God, who choose to live self satisfying lifestyles here on earth. There is a judgement at the end and the enemy knows his fate already.

Yet for those who believe, for those who give themselves wholly to Jesus, who submit to His ways and commands, there is eternal life. A life without being an enemy of God, without facing His vengeance. An eternal, everlasting life of abiding in the very presence and love of Almighty God. We know how it ends. We are on the winning side. Which side to do you choose?

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God’s Ever-shining Glory

13th July

“For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May Your glory shine over all the earth.”

Psalm 108:4-5

God is so faithful. Because He is so faithful He will always get the glory. He even makes bad situations in our lives work out for good so He gets the glory. The question is do we give Him the praise when bad situations get fixed? Do we give Him the glory and praise He deserves?

If you think that you have run out of things to praise God for then have a read of Psalm 111:4, “He causes us to remember His wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord!” In fact God is so great that “everything He does, reveals His glory and Majesty.” We cannot hide from the majestic works of our God. We cannot run from His mercy and faithfulness. His love is inescapable. His glory shines over all the earth.

As we start a new week, let us think upon the goodness of God. Let us rejoice in the blessings of Almighty. Let us ask God to remind us of anything we have not thanked Him for. When you see His glory, praise Him. He loves to be told how great His works are. He delights in our worshipful admiration. In fact He created the beauty of this world to reveal Himself to His creation. Even if you are facing a challenging situation this week, know that God is already working in your situation, so He can be glorified and you can be set free.

Don’t hold back.. Praise Him.

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The Clock Is Ticking

11th & 12th July

Weekend Edition

 

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

1 John 3:8b

In athletic games that are played for a set number of minutes, like basketball and football, the closer the clock gets to the final seconds, the more intense the play becomes. In fact, coaches practice plays to use when time has almost expired. Immediacy increases intensity in athletics—and in spiritual warfare.

The world may never have been in more dire straits than it is now. Revelation 12:12 tells us that the devil “knows that he has [but] a short time” left to disrupt God’s plans on earth. It should come as no surprise that the closer we get to the end of the age and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the more Satan will increase his activity. Wars, discord, disease, strife, immorality, and more are evidence of Satan’s work. But what Jesus started when He came the first time—destroying the works of the devil—will be concluded when He comes again.

The great hope of the Christian is that one day we, and the world, will be free from the attacks of God’s enemy. Satan knows the clock is ticking and that he will one day be removed forever (Revelation 20:10).

Taken from Turning Point Daily Devotions

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Ambassadors In All We Do

10th July

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:17

Yesterday as I was driving to work in our company car, when I realised that I was going to run very late for my appointment. I pushed my foot harder on the accelerator to increase my speed and soon realised I was driving quite fast. It was then it occurred to me that I wasn’t driving my own car but the companies car which actually had a big logo of the school on the side. Interestingly I was so convicted and didn’t want to malign the school name, that I slowed down and ended up being very late. What struck me was that I wasn’t convicted about breaking the law of the land, but more fearful of damaging the school reputation.

As I thought about my actions, of course I repented for driving too fast, but quickly began to analyse how my actions can also bring down or lift up the Name of Christ. Wherever we go, we are always representing Jesus, by word or deed. We are Christ’s ambassadors. We carry the Name of Jesus wherever we go. Our lifestyles, actions and decisions can either bring shame or glory to our Father, after all we are His children.

If we are to truly bring glory to Jesus’ Name then we need to be conscious of the words we speak and the decisions we make, both publicly and privately. We need to include Christ in all we do, lean on His unending grace and ask that in all things He may guide us and lead us. Let us join in with Paul’s wise words and be ‘imitators of Christ’. Let our actions be reflective of a representative of the Lord.

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A New Home: The Future Glory

9th July

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later…creation looks forward to the day it will join in with God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.”

Romans 8:18,21b

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and rebellion entered the world, it wasn’t just mankind that faced the curse of sin, but also creation. However when Jesus rose from the dead and defeated sin and death, He broke the curse of sin over our lives. Yet, we still live in a fallen world. Amazingly we have the hope of the promise that one day when Jesus comes back to reign on this earth again, we can experience His full glory and we can live eternally in new bodies and on a new earth.

We may have to suffer at the moment living in a fallen world and our pain and suffering may be great. Yet it will end. The writer of Romans promises that for all who believe, their suffering will end. The glory that awaits is far greater than any suffering we will ever experience. We have a hope of the fullness of knowing what it means to be Christ’s son and daughters. We can know what it means to have new bodies. We can understand what it means to know God in all His fullness.

Let us wait patiently in hope for the fullness of the promise of our salvation. Let us ask for more of the grace of God to live for Him in this fallen world and to love the world He made and all who dwell in it.

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A New Home: Our Glorious Hope

8th July

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever.””

Revelations 21:3-4

Have you experienced what it is like to come to the end of a long race or finally finished a long assignment or task. The elation we feel, when we know its finally over, is almost indescribable. The big sigh of relief, the weight lifted off your shoulders and the joy in your heart are just some of the emotions running around our hearts and minds. The good news is that one day we will have the same feeling, just highly intensified.

How great to reach Heaven’s gates and hear the voice of our Master calling us saying, “well done My child, you made it!” Or the promise we have of eternal life spent without the pain of failure, without the hurt of death, without sadness, mourning, and sorrow. Without grief, anxiety and tears. It will be so great to finally be rid of all struggles and strife, of selfish desires and lies.

Finally, we won’t need to pray in faith, but talk face to face with God Himself. We will finally meet our Risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We will experience His glorious light and love, His warm loving embrace. We will be filled with joy, laughter and happiness. We will experience continuous angelic worship.

All these things are promised to us and that day will come soon. Let us renew our hope in everlasting life. Let us keep pressing on in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, not giving up, not falling into temptation, but living pure and blameless lives so when that day finally comes when Jesus returns, we will be called home and into His everlasting glory. If you are tired and weary and fed up or life’s hardships, please don’t give up. There is hope. Just keep pressing on a little longer. Jesus Himself promised that the end will soon come.

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The Alpha And Omega

7th July

“And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and Omega-the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life””

Revelations 21:6

Today’s world is full of uncertainty. We read of perilous financial times in Greece, wars and terrorism across the world and violent acts of murder across the lands. Yet there is one person that is sure and consistent in this ever changing world, JESUS CHRIST!

Before time even began, Jesus was. He was before Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was there when the world was first formed. He didn’t just exist after He was born as a Human on Earth. He has always existed. As the writer of Revelation tells us in his wonderful descriptive words, Jesus is and will always be the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is our Constant in an ever changing world. He is our Hope when we live around such great uncertainty. He is our Security when life seems full of fear. He is our Protection, our Guide, and our Sustainer.

What’s more, we have the promise that if we are thirsty for Him, He will quench our thirst and reveal more of Himself to those who are seeking Him. The more we put our trust in Him, the less we need to worry about the calamities around us. His refreshing springs from the water of life, provide healing for our scars, freedom for our bondage and liberation from our sins. Although this passage talks about life after Jesus’ final victory, we can experience that blessing now, here on earth. Jesus is alive today. He can work in our situations today. He is alive, He is not dead and He reigns victoriously giving faith and hope to all who seek Him. Put your trust in the the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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Blessings Await Those Who Are Obedient

6th July

“Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands.”

Psalm 112:1

This wonderful poetic psalm is such an encouragement to the reader. It highlights the key blessings of obeying God commands. However, the psalmist highlights that the blessings are not just in begrudgingly obeying but in joyful obedience and submission to them.

It is one thing to acknowledge that we need to honour and fear God in our decisions, our thoughts and actions, yet the motivation behind it cannot be out of duty, but rather should be out of our heart wanting to please our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we do obey and honour God, there are countless blessings that await. Our children will be successful and blessed, our characters will shine out God’s riches and we will not be overcome by evil. God will shine a light in dark places to lead and guide us. We will be confident and fearless and be able to face adversity triumphantly. We will be so blessed that when we hear of bad news, we wont fear it because of the confident trust we have in the Lord’s care. We will be known for our generosity, compassion and righteousness. We will lend money generously and conduct our business affairs fairly. We give money to those in need and have influence and honour in society..

These things are not fantasy, they are God’s promises! There are in God’s word for a reason. They are the blessings of obediently following the Lord’s commands faithfully and joyfully. In His commands we do find direction, hope and joy. Let them come alive and be evident in your life so we can reap the blessing of an obedient child of God.