Inspirational messages

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The Stairway To Heaven

28th November

“Then He said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the One who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

John 1:51

Jesus is our stairway to heaven.

If we just stopped this devotion there, that would be enough to fill us for the day right?! What a powerful and deep statement. Yet what elevates this passage to an even deeper and surreal understanding, is that Jesus said it about Himself. It is such a clear demonstration of Jesus’ role in our salvation and our relationship with the Father, that it cannot be denied. Moreover Jesus Himself spoke this truth. When Jesus says, ‘I tell you the truth’, we can pretty much guarantee that what He is about to say is 100% the truth. He plainly and clearly told His disciples that they will all see angels ascending and descending into heaven from earth, on a heavenly stairway, which was HIMSELF.

It is Jesus Himself, who is the connection, the link and the stairway for not only the angels to ascend and descend into heaven, but for us too. It is through Jesus that we pray to the Father. It is through His sacrificial ransom for us that we stand before God forgiven and free. It is through Jesus that we can enter the Holy of Holies. It is Jesus that stands before the Father as our representative and on our behalf. He is the One that allows us access to a Holy God, regardless of how we see ourselves. Friends, Jesus is your access to Heaven. It is only through Him. He is your stairway to Heaven. Believe in Him, put your trust in Him and walk into God’s throne room through Jesus. It is the truth. Jesus said it Himself.

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Behold… The Lamb Of God

26th – 27th November

Weekend Edition

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward Him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the One I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’”

John 1:29-30

John’s two fold prophetic statement are words which echo throughout eternity. John’s statement not only implied that somehow Jesus would forgive the sins of the world, but also that Jesus was greater than John because He existed long before him. We know both to be true and both are foundational in our belief and our salvation.

Firstly, Jesus truly was the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. He humbly went to the cross, knowing what awaited Him, knowing the pain and suffering, and gladly become the unblemished sacrifice for us, taking our sins upon Him, forgiving us and showering His love upon us. That is foundational to our re-connection with God, as it is through Jesus, that we can commune and have fellowship with the Father. He is the bond that sets us free.

Secondly, is the knowledge that Jesus existed long before humanity. John’s terminology may have simply been to imply that Jesus’ ministry started before his, yet the underlying truth is that Jesus truly was around longer than John. In fact Jesus was around longer than the earth itself. He created the world. He was there from the beginning and will be there at the end. He is beyond time. It is this fact that shows us that Jesus and God are ONE; an absolute truth that cannot be comprised on. It too is foundational for our faith and salvation.

This is why John’s words still ring true today. They are a prophetic picture of salvation in the King of Kings and the Creator of all things. Do you echo John’s words in your heart? Can you stand in agreement with John and welcome the Lamb of God into your life?

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Your Way

25th November

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.”

Psalm 24:4-5

Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth1

The Psalmist often spoke of the necessity of God’s guidance throughout his life because he knew that without it, he would be lost. Moreover, there was no plan B for his life. It was God’s way or nothing. He knew the importance of being led by an all seeing and all powerful God. If we too could just trust God more, imagine how much more at peace we would feel in our lives; the release that we don’t have to have all the answers or know every step we have to take in our lives because we are being led by our God whose ways are higher than ours.

Isn’t interesting when you view things from a higher perspective it changes your perception of those things. For example when you go to the top of a high rise building or climb up a tall mountain, everything beneath you seems so small and even toy-like. God has the same perspective over not just a period in our lives, but all of it. He knows our beginning and our end. He knows the next step and one hundred steps from now.

Today, just take a step back from your worries, concerns and stresses for the future and trust in God’s way. Not just for ‘life’ but in order that we might live for the Lord in all we do; as the Psalmist says, to live in God’s truth for all of our lives. May we too, all day long, put our trust in Him.

1Psalms 86:11a

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Use What You Have Well

24thNovember

“If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be be honest with greater responsibility. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of Heaven?”

Luke 16:10-11

in Luke 16, Jesus tells us an interesting story about a rich man who was unhappy with the way his manager had been dealing with his wealth. The rich man told his manager that he was going to be fired because he had been wasteful with his money. With no other options for a new job after being fired, the manager sought to make alliance’s with his master debtors, so shrewdly discounted their debts, and sent them on their way. Much to our surprise, and probably to the disciples and Pharisees surprise, who were listening to this story, the rich man commends his shrewd (wise, prudent) manager! So what does this ironic story mean for us?

Well, Jesus in verse 9 partly reveals the lesson in saying this, “Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone they will welcome you to an eternal home!” In verse 8, Jesus too affirms the managers actions and says that the ‘children of light’ (a phrase referring to His disciples), could also learn from the managers shrewdness. Perhaps what Jesus is simply saying is that the master, “instead of simply being a victim of circumstance (although brought upon himself) transforms a bad situation into one that benefits him and others”1; Perhaps he was making amends for his foolishness and wanted to honour his masters business by pulling back the debt.

Yet the key verses in understanding what this really means is found in verses 10-11. Jesus goes on to say that in everything we have or do, we should be faithful and make the best out of it in order that we might gain greater responsibilities. In other words, use what you have (both worldly and spiritual resources), in whatever circumstance you are in, however large or small, to benefit and extend the Kingdom of God and honour Him in all you do. In all things, we should make God and His Kingdom our priority and not worldly wealth for self gain.

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Turn The Light On

23rd November

“..God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the Light and refuse to go near it for the fear their sins will be exposed.”

John 3:19b – 20

According to some, the scientific definition of darkness is the ‘absence of light’, rather than darkness just being the opposite of light. This can be demonstrated when in a room, which has no light, a match is lit and the brightness begins to dominate the darkness and bring light to the room. Moreover, light exposes the darkness, reveals what is hidden and shows what cannot be seen when there is no light.

Interestingly, have you ever tidied your desk under the watchful eye of a desk lamp? You will soon realise that the desk is more dusty than you first imagined. As you begin to move things around, the dust particles are exposed by the light and it is revealed that.. you have a lot of cleaning to do!

The same principle can be adopted into God’s Kingdom. In fact, it is actually rather a principle we have adopted from Jesus’ teaching. Jesus, the Light of the world, came to this earth and through His teaching, acts and deeds, exposed man’s sinful nature by bringing light into what was and is a dark world. However, Jesus’ light wasn’t to tell us how bad we are and to point fingers at us but rather it was a way to get back onto the right the path, almost like a lighthouse protects boats from crashing into mountains and rocks.

Unfortunately many avoided the Light, not wanting their dark deeds to be exposed and for that reason, continue to live in darkness, headed towards danger. However, there are many that accepted the Light and now follow the path to eternal life. For those of us who have accepted the light, we now also stand as a beacon of Jesus, bringing hope and light to the darkness that we see around us everyday. Let your light shine bright for the King.. May we sing together ‘Shine, Jesus Shine’, ‘Blaze, Sprit Blaze’, let our hearts be set on fire for YOU!

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Turn The Light On

23rd November

“..God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the Light and refuse to go near it for the fear their sins will be exposed.”

John 3:19b – 20

According to some, the scientific definition of darkness is the ‘absence of light’, rather than darkness just being the opposite of light. This can be demonstrated when in a room, which has no light, a match is lit and the brightness begins to dominate the darkness and bring light to the room. Moreover, light exposes the darkness, reveals what is hidden and shows what cannot be seen when there is no light.

Interestingly, have you ever tidied your desk under the watchful eye of a desk lamp? You will soon realise that the desk is more dusty than you first imagined. As you begin to move things around, the dust particles are exposed by the light and it is revealed that.. you have a lot of cleaning to do!

The same principle can be adopted into God’s Kingdom. In fact, it is actually rather a principle we have adopted from Jesus’ teaching. Jesus, the Light of the world, came to this earth and through His teaching, acts and deeds, exposed man’s sinful nature by bringing light into what was and is a dark world. However, Jesus’ light wasn’t to tell us how bad we are and to point fingers at us but rather it was a way to get back onto the right the path, almost like a lighthouse protects boats from crashing into mountains and rocks.

Unfortunately many avoided the Light, not wanting their dark deeds to be exposed and for that reason, continue to live in darkness, headed towards danger. However, there are many that accepted the Light and now follow the path to eternal life. For those of us who have accepted the light, we now also stand as a beacon of Jesus, bringing hope and light to the darkness that we see around us everyday. Let your light shine bright for the King.. May we sing together ‘Shine, Jesus Shine’, ‘Blaze, Sprit Blaze’, let our hearts be set on fire for YOU!

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Turn The Light On

23rd November

“..God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the Light and refuse to go near it for the fear their sins will be exposed.”

John 3:19b – 20

According to some, the scientific definition of darkness is the ‘absence of light’, rather than darkness just being the opposite of light. This can be demonstrated when in a room, which has no light, a match is lit and the brightness begins to dominate the darkness and bring light to the room. Moreover, light exposes the darkness, reveals what is hidden and shows what cannot be seen when there is no light.

Interestingly, have you ever tidied your desk under the watchful eye of a desk lamp? You will soon realise that the desk is more dusty than you first imagined. As you begin to move things around, the dust particles are exposed by the light and it is revealed that.. you have a lot of cleaning to do!

The same principle can be adopted into God’s Kingdom. In fact, it is actually rather a principle we have adopted from Jesus’ teaching. Jesus, the Light of the world, came to this earth and through His teaching, acts and deeds, exposed man’s sinful nature by bringing light into what was and is a dark world. However, Jesus’ light wasn’t to tell us how bad we are and to point fingers at us but rather it was a way to get back onto the right the path, almost like a lighthouse protects boats from crashing into mountains and rocks.

Unfortunately many avoided the Light, not wanting their dark deeds to be exposed and for that reason, continue to live in darkness, headed towards danger. However, there are many that accepted the Light and now follow the path to eternal life. For those of us who have accepted the light, we now also stand as a beacon of Jesus, bringing hope and light to the darkness that we see around us everyday. Let your light shine bright for the King.. May we sing together ‘Shine, Jesus Shine’, ‘Blaze, Sprit Blaze’, let our hearts be set on fire for YOU!

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God In Jesus: Jesus In God

22nd November

“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:3

If you want to know who God is, then look no further than Jesus. If you want to know what God’s character is like, then look at Jesus. Jesus was God in the flesh, when He walked on this earth more than 2000 years ago. This is often a fact that we know in theological thinking but not a fact we can reconcile with reality; how we truly think of God the Father. The writer of Hebrews, boldly and clearly claims, that God the Father and Jesus His Son, are the same: The Son radiates God’s glory and expresses the very character of God. Moreover, He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command.

Yet this knowledge sometimes can still come as a shock to us, when we read of Jesus’ life. Does the creator of the world really spend time with harlots, tax collectors and society’s maligned and outcasts? Well, look at Jesus’ life to find your answer. A comprehensive YES! Is God really a God who gives second chances? Again, look at Jesus’ restoration of Peter after his denial or Thomas when he doubted Jesus’ resurrection. The answer, again YES! Jesus was and is the fullness and very real reflection of God. They are and always have been ONE! Jesus and God cannot be separated. In God and Jesus we have hope, forgiveness, restoration, kindness, acceptance and love. We have a great Judge but also a great Saviour. Jesus is all that we believe God to be, and God is everything that we see in Jesus. The God who is above all, who sees all and who is in all, in the same God that lives in us!

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The Lion And The Lamb

21st November

“….. “Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals…and they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered – to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.””

Revelation 5:5b,12

If you were to think of two clear opposites in the animal Kingdom, you would probably say the lion and the lamb. The lion is the King of the Jungle. He rules with prowess, courage and power. He is the epitome of strength. He roars and others follow. Yet the lamb, is a gentle, meek and mild animal. An animal that follows the orders of the shepherd’s call and the dog’s order. Yet isn’t it incredible that our Lord Jesus Christ, is called both the Lion and the Lamb throughout the Bible?

In truth, many of us seem to see Jesus as either one or the other. If we see Jesus as the Lion figure, we see power and strength, righteous judgement and we revere and serve Him as our Holy God. If we see Jesus as the Lamb, then our image of Jesus is as the humble Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. We lean more on His grace and forgiveness, knowing that He paid for our sins sacrificially with His life.

An unhealthy balance of either of the two images tends to cause a mis-conception of how we see God and how we think He sees us. Leaning too much towards the Lion image, we tend to strive only for holiness. We beat ourselves up when we fall down, and are constantly trying to ‘be’ better, more holy and right before God, trying to gain His favour. On the other hand, those who lean too much towards the Lamb image, tend to say ‘everything is permissible’. It’s ok, God’s grace will cover my sins. I don’t need to keep my life in account. God loves me and that is that. Both are equally damaging for our walk with God. In order to live our lives as God wants us to, we need to have a healthy balance of the two. Both revere God as Holy, Mighty and Great, serve Him as King but also trust Him like a friend, and accept His forgiveness and grace in all we do. We must live holy lives, but knowing that when we fall, God’s grace and mercy will life us back up. The Lion is on our side and our best supporter and the Lamb is our Mediator, giving us the grace to stand firm.

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The King Of Glory

19th-20th November

Weekend Edition

“Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.. . I had only heard about Your before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes….””

Job 42:1-2,5

If you have never read chapters 38-42 in the book of Job, then take a few minutes from your day to read it. After reading it, you will be full of praise for God. Chapters 38-42 is basically a dialogue between God and Job, where God presents a case for His greatness to Job, who had previously been doubting God’s presence through the storms in his life. Now Job did go through terrible times, loosing everything, including his family, but God wanted Job to know that He was with him all the time, even in the hardships.

God then proceeds to give a wonderful demonstration of His greatness, showing Job how He is in control of everything; from the lighting that strikes in the air, to the beasts that roam on the earth. The arguments God presents to Job, would leave any man speechless in their defence. God presents un-deniable evidence to Job, that He is a God who is far above everything that we can imagine yet closer than even our breath.

This weekend, as you read and meditate on this passage in Job, know that whatever you are going through, God is bigger. Job saw God in His words, in the beauty of this world, and the power and greatness of who He is. God silenced Job’s doubts and worries and gave Him hope and assurance that He was Job’s God. May today we proclaim, over our problems and worries, that God ‘I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You!’ May we know that God is great, and He is our God!