Inspirational messages

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Although Our Sins Are Scarlet…We Are Accepted

23rd January

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.””

John 8:10-11

One of the greatest examples of God’s grace in the New Testament, is today’s story of the woman caught in adultery, found in John chapter 8. There is no getting away from the fact that the woman who had been found “in the very act of adultery” was completely guilty under Jewish law and by God’s holy standards. It is plain to see, clear as day, there in black and white; She was an adulteress. Yet Jesus’ response to this lady, was not one of condemnation but of acceptance, love and grace. Of course Jesus did not condone her actions at all. He clearly said to her, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus is against sin. Period. But rather than joining in with those who wanted to see her punished for her sin, Jesus truly showed why He came to this earth; to show God’s character of love, grace and acceptance. If there was anyone in the crowd that could condemn her, it would have been Jesus because He was without sin. But He didn’t.

This story really shows us an important picture about the character of God; both in our understanding of it, and our attitude to it. If God didn’t condemn a woman, who was clearly in the wrong, then how do you think He looks at us when we do wrong. With a stone in His hand, ready to throw at us? Never. He looks at us with His grace, bringing us into His embrace, as a loving parent to their child, gently reminding us of His grace and not condemnation, showing us His acceptance of who we are, and leading us into His holiness by forgiving our sin. Our crimson stains, our scarlet sins, are washed away by His love and made whole again in His grace.

Friends, know this. We are forgiven, loved and accepted, no matter how we look or what we have done. Go and sin no more, empowered by the grace you have received and changed by the radical love you are loved with.

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Although Your Sins Are Scarlet…

21st & 22nd January

Weekend Edition

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow. Though they are like red crimson, I will make them white as wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

Sin is serious. Sin has consequences. Sin leaves scars. Yet there is no sin that’s too big for God to forgive, to heal you of or to set you free from.

In today’s passage taken from the first chapter of Isaiah, God is communicating with the people of Judah. They had abandoned Gods laws, God’s righteousness and set out to live a life in opposition to Him. The first few verses in this chapter are almost like a conviction statement being read out in a court. The verdict was guilty. Even Jerusalem, once so faithful, is now branded as a promiscuous prostitute. The situation was looking bad.

Yet in the bleakness of utter condemnation, a light shone in the darkness… Gods never ending, unlimited resource of grace, love and mercy. The judge and prosecutor slams down the judgement… “Let’s settle this” He says. However, the next sentence absolutely blows the readers mind; “Though your sins are like scarlet” “though they are red like crimson”, “I will make them as white as snow” “as white as wool.” What a promise. God promised to not only forgive their sins, but to wash them completely clean in His love.. What love is that!

The interesting thing is that although God would and did forgive them, the fullness of that complete personal washing was only fully fulfilled at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was made complete when the sinless Son of man, both fully human and fully God, came and gave His life as a sinless, spotless lamb, bearing our punishment on the cross. He had a clear conviction statement that declared we were guilty, yet in His goodness, presented Himself in our place, as our replacement.

Jesus’ words in Luke 4 are so ever true today, “He has sent Me to proclaim that CAPTIVES WILL BE RELEASED, THE BLIND WILL SEE AND THE OPPRESSED WILL BE SET FREE!” Take your healing, claim your forgiveness and be free. We are no longer prisoners, our ransom has been paid and our crimson stains are washed clean.

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The Sabbath Hypocrisy

18th January

“Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. . . For if the correct time of circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.””

John 7:21, 23-24

Earlier in John chapter 5, Jesus miraculously healed a man who had been lame for a long time. Instead of people rejoicing in this amazing miracle, the crowds (particularly the Pharisees) where enraged as this miracle happened to fall on the Sabbath; a day where no work should be done. The people missed out on the blessings of this great miracle, because they were too caught up in religiously following the law.

Yet Jesus, in John 7, points out a very interesting fact, that turns the table on the Pharisees’ and the Jewish people’s judgmental hypocrisy. He questioned why the people where angry with Him for healing a man on the Sabbath, when they too work on the Sabbath, if the time for circumcising a boy falls on the Sabbath day (eights days after the birth of the child). What is the difference?

Sadly, many of us too can fall into the same trap as the Pharisees. We judge people for things we deem to be wrong and not according to scripture, yet we too are doing the very thing we are judging others of. Jesus finishes His defence with these words, ‘Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.’ In other words, before you point the finger, take a moment to see what is really going on. Why is the person doing what they are doing? What’s going on spiritually in this person’s life? Before we are quick to judge others, let us too, reflect on our own actions. Look beneath the surface.

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Who Else But YOU Jesus?!

17th January

“Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.””

John 6:67-69

In John chapter 6, Jesus reveals to the crowds, that witnessed the miracle of the ‘feeding of the 5000’, the significance of it. Jesus said, that more than the miraculous physical provision of food, He wanted to feed the spiritually hungry with Himself. Jesus referred to Himself as the ‘Bread of Life,’ the food to satisfy our deepest longings, desires and needs. Yet many of Jesus’ listeners found it hard to accept this teaching, as they took it as literal and took offense at the imagery of eating Jesus’ body, particularly as this was being taught in the synagogue. As a sign of their offense, much of the crowd dispersed and deserted Jesus.

Of course Jesus was not encouraging cannibalism, but rather He was talking about Himself as being the spiritual food we so desperately need. The truth is, many of us are starving for the truth, for more than this world offers us, for hope, for love and for acceptance. When we accept Jesus into our lives, read His word (the Bible), it fills our cravings, almost as if we are eating. This is what Jesus meant. He meant that only He can satisfy us.

Peter knew this too. When Jesus asked him, ‘are you leaving too’, Peter replied and said ‘where else can we go? You have the words that give eternal life!’ Can we say today, that we are fully confident that there is no-where we can go that can compare to Jesus? He alone fills us until we are full; full of His love, His grace, His Kindness, and His mercy. He is the Bread of Life. Don’t look any further than Jesus for your spiritual food.

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True Friendship

16th January

“Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan – why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!” “Tell me what I can do to help you.” Jonathan exclaimed.”

1 Samuel 20:3-4

True friendship is essential in our lives. Without it we are lost; A fact emphasized in the life of David and Jonathan. Let’s take a look why?

David was anointed King by the prophet Samuel, just before he went into battle with Goliath, the Philistine giant. David’s victory caused a great jealousy to rise in King Saul’s heart. His jealousy was so strong that he wanted to kill David. A fact made very obvious by Saul’s actions and attitudes. Jonathan, Saul’s son and probable heir to the throne (if it were not for Samuel’s prophecy), was David’s best friend. By all accounts they should not have even met, let alone be best friends. David at that time was a mere shepherd boy (although later upgraded to playing harp for Saul in his courts). Jonathan however, was the son of a King. The two should not have mixed, yet the scriptures tell us that there were best friends.

The day before the New Moon Festival, David fled to Naioth to find Jonathan in fear of his life. David knew that Saul was trying to kill him and he didn’t know what to do. After pouring his heart out to Jonathan, Jonathan says the following words of comfort to his friend, “tell me what I can do to help you.” These words are so deep on so many levels. Jonathan a King’s son, offering to help a servant boy. Not only that, but Jonathan’s offer of help, probably meant sacrifice for him too. Yet Jonathan, spurred on by his friendship with David, seemed happy to sacrifice his own life, his own inheritance, and perhaps maybe his relationship with his own father.

The friendship David and Jonathan had, highlights what true friendship means and what it looks like. It builds the other person up, even at their own expense and is there in times of need and in joy. Friendship listens, is stable and stands with the other when they can’t stand on their own.

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Christianity

14th-15th January

Weekend Edition

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

What separates Christianity from other religions? Is it that we sing songs with guitars and pianos? Or is it that we meet on Sundays? No. What separates Christianity from other religions is the fact that God Himself, in the form of Jesus, not only died in our place, but took our sins for us, so that we could be made right (holy, worthy, free from sin) before a Holy God. We don’t have to DO because it has been DONE!

We don’t have to memorise holy passages to gain God’s favour (although this is a good discipline), we don’t have to do something good to compensate for something bad we did, we don’t have to sacrifice animals, nor do we have to do ritual dances or chants to get God’s attention. All we need to do is trust, believe and accept that Jesus, God in the flesh, was completely innocent but became sin for us, to take our place and now because of that we are free from the payment of our sin and from doing things to get God’s attention or favour. It is almost like we have just cheated an exam. We didn’t have to study for it, work hard for it, or even know the right answers. God marked our paper with 100%. We have passed because of Jesus. Praise the Lord for Christ.

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The Great Exchange

13th January

“Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd – anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you – Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”… So the governor asked again. “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”…. So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Romans soldiers to be crucified.”

Matthew 27:15-17, 21, 26

Barabbas was a man that deserved death. He was a rebel against Rome, he was a murderer and a rightful receiver of the justice handed down to him by the Roman rule. As he stood beside Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, the healer and deliverer of so many, awaiting the decision as to who would be set free, Jesus or Himself, one can only wonder what he must have been thinking. Scripture makes no mention of what Barabbas did during or after his release. Was he grateful that Jesus took his place? Did his life change? Or did he simply continue rebelling against Rome and get caught again? However, what we do know, is that this picture we read in today’s key verse, is exactly what Jesus did for us!

We are much like Barabbas. We have sinned against God and rightfully deserve the punishment that would be handed down to us. Yet the incredible truth of grace, is that Jesus took our place instead of us receiving what is due to us. A truth made alive through the clear picture in today’s verse; A guilty man being set free at the expense of an innocent Man’s sacrifice. Maybe Barabbas never truly realised what happened when he was released instead of Jesus, but we can know for sure, that we have been released and set free from the punishment that we deserve, because Jesus took our place. How incredible is that! A true picture of grace! A clear insight into the great exchange!1

1Today’s devotion is inspired by this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX_EpNR4CA

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The Peace Of God

12th January

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were call to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

So often as Christians, and sadly so, we often look at the world with much despair. We often say or ask ourselves these type of things; When is Jesus coming back? Why is there so much sin in this world? I’m tired of the battles around me! I’m fed up of battling against my sinful nature! Etc.. These are all valid questions and honourable things to ask. Yet if we get so caught up in these questions, we can easily start focusing on the negative in this world, rather than the good God has made. Yes, there is a lot of bad, negative, stressful and tiring things we have to live with. BUT there is a lot of good in this world too.

God made the world good. That hasn’t changed. Yes we live in a sinful fallen world, but still there is so much good in it. If God didn’t want us to live here, we wouldn’t have been born. We need to stop looking at the negative things around us and start focusing on the good God has made. It is then that Christ’s peace can rule in our hearts. Jesus Himself said that He came to bring peace, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give it you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.”1 God wants us to have peace, to not be afraid or troubled but rejoice in the goodness of what He has made for us.

If God lives in His people, if we are His church, then already there is a light that is shining in the darkness and growing each day. We are part of this Kingdom that can never be defeated. That is worth rejoicing about. Today’s challenge is to see the good in this world and praise God for it. To rejoice in the peace Christ gives. And to let it rule in our hearts.

1John 14:27

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God’s Ultimate Plan For You

11th January

 

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time – to show us His grace though Jesus Christ.”

2 Timothy 1:9

If you want to know what your purpose is in life, then look no further than God’s word. Don’t waste time reading your horoscopes or seeking advice from helpless palm readers etc.. They will only point you in the wrong direction. The truth of who you are and why you are here is found in the Bible. Today’s key verse is one such example. In this verse, the Apostle Paul, plainly and clearly tells us that we are saved to live a holy life, and to receive and live out the grace of God through Jesus Christ. To put it plainly, we are alive to experience God’s grace and life changing love, and to love Him back through worshipping with our lives, words and deeds.

This was His plan from the beginning of time. He loved you before you were even imagined. God chose you because of His grace. His plan for you, was that you would be made holy through Jesus’ substitutional sacrifice, and through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, through Jesus, we are promised eternal life in Heaven, the place where God Himself dwells, where there is no pain, sin, sadness or sickness. Surely that is better than listening to your horoscopes or so-called ‘psychics’?

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Favour With The Lord

10th January

“But Noah found favour with the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on the earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”

Genesis 6:8-9

The only blameless person living on the earth at that time… What an overwhelmingly bold declaration to make. Yet it was completely the truth. In fact, it is because of Noah’s righteousness and close fellowship with God, that humanity continued. At the time Noah lived, the world was full of evil. Verse 5 tells us that every thought and action the people did was consistently and totally evil. There was no good at all. A far away image of the perfect Garden of Eden that God had created some years ago. The only righteous and blameless person on the earth was Noah. And because of this, Noah found favour with God.

We now have Jesus who is our righteousness. We are made right through Him, through His sacrifice and through Him living in us. We too are found blameless before God as we are hidden in Christ, our sins forgiven and our sinful nature replaced with a new creation. But, we too need to make sure we are living and walking in a close fellowship with God. This comes from spending time in prayer, in His word and living for Him in all we do. Just as Noah’s righteousness saved him, and many others through the arc he built, we too have the opportunity to save others from living consistently evil lives by showing them Jesus through our lives and our close walk with Him.