devotionals

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The Gate To A Full Life

2nd March

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10 (NKJV) 

I recently came across this quote and it really challenged my perceptions of what life in its fullness really is.

 ‘I asked God for His blessings so I could enjoy life.

He gave me life so I could enjoy His blessings’

So often Christians are branded with a boring brush, living by long sets of rules and regulations, of do’s and don’ts. Yet the most fulfilled people on this earth, the people who live life to its fullest, should be those who have accepted Christ. Why? Because Jesus came to give us life. He came to give us life in its fullness. A life that is as the NLT version puts this verse, “rich and satisfying”.

Yet so often we look for God’s blessings in order to satisfy our desires to have a good life. We think we need money to have a better life, more friends, a bigger house and to be socially accepted. Yes, all those things are great, yet we can have all of those and still be living an empty, unfilled and lacking life. The fullness of life comes not in material possessions or in things that can be measured. It comes from the knowledge that you are loved by the Creator of the entire universe and everything in it. Life in its fullness is knowing that because of Jesus, you have hope in hopeless situations, joy where there seems no joy, peace in raging wars, and purpose where there seems no direction. It is the knowledge that you can have nothing, yet everything at the same time.

Life in abundance is enjoying life in Christ. It is knowing who you are in Him and all that that holds for your life.

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Nailing Sinful Passions To The Cross

28th Feb – 1st March

Weekend Edition

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.”

Galatians 5:24 

The cross forever stands as a reminder of the pain and suffering that our Lord Jesus went through when He took humanities sin on His shoulders and took our punishment for us. However, when looking at the cross, we should only see our place in God’s eyes. FORGIVEN!

If we are forgiven (continually forgiven) then our lifestyles should reflect the inward change and the regenerative work of salvation. So often we can slip up and go back to old habits, old lifestyles and even begin to think as you did before Christ lived in you. However, Paul’s encouragement for us today, is to nail our old habits, passions and desires to the cross. We no longer have to be slaves to sin. What Jesus did on the cross was eternal, for everyone and can never run out.

We can start again today. Grace, hope and love are no restricted to a once in a lifetime decision. You can have as much of Jesus’ grace, hope and love, as you want all the time. If we confess our sins (nailing them to the cross) then He will forgive us. It’s a promise. Today if you have wondered from God’s best for you, nail your sins to the cross, and have faith they are crucified with Christ and that because of His love for you, YOU ARE FORGIVEN…HOW AMAZING IS THAT!!

Go and Sin no more!!

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Life Is Temporary: God Is Eternal

27th February

“The Name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe. The rich think of their wealth as a strong defence; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”

Proverbs 18:10-11 

Whether you have a lot or a little, we all have one thing in common; it is all temporary. That is not an excuse to say that we should not be good stewards of what God has given us on this earth. What it is saying, is that our possession and wealth, whether a lot or a little, should not be our security.

So often we can hide behind our ‘stuff’, become over comfortable and use our world possessions as a ‘High wall of safety’. Yet there is nothing more impenetrable or secure that being in the presence of an Almighty God.

God has so many Names. Each one has a defining characteristic and attribute. Yet the writer of Proverbs knew that in the Name of the Lord, was something that he could not find in all his wealth and splendour: safety and security.

The amazing thing, is that now we have received the fullness of the Name that is above all Names, the Name of Jesus Christ. It is at His Name that every knee will bow, demons flee, the sick are healed and the dead raised. In the Name of Jesus we are guaranteed security and safety because of the fact that He overcame of all temptation, all sin, every power of hell and even hell itself, rising triumphantly on the third day proving that even death could not hold Him down. There is only victory in Name of Jesus.

We can take even greater joy in knowing that the fortress of the Lord, is not some physical building, or man made pinnacle. The Lord lives in us. That means we can access His presence all the time. Rejoice today, knowing that the Name above all Names, live in us.