26^th April

“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying Your word…. I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Psalms 119:9,11

In a world full of temptations and trials, how do we stay pure and holy? Not just young people but the older generation too. Do we just lock ourselves in a room, blotting out the world around us, waiting for Jesus to return? Of course not. We are called to be the salt and light in this world. Our role as beacons of Jesus’ light is to boldly shine for Him in the dark places. Yet how can we be in a world of sin, and not fall into it’s snares and traps? Well the writer of the Psalms wisely gives us the answer. By letting the word of God (Scripture) saturate every part of your life. Moreover by letting the Word of God (Jesus) live in your hearts.

This wonderful passage in Psalm 119:9-16, gives us the keys and tools to staying pure and holy in an impure and unholy world. The Psalmist points out that we must obey God’s word, hide His word in our hearts, learn God’s decrees, recite His regulations aloud, rejoice in God’s laws, study His commands, reflect on His ways, delight in His decrees, and remember His word. This may seem like a comprehensive list of ‘must do’s’, but in order to know more about God, in order to stay pure, we must feed on His word. You can’t obey something you don’t know!

It’s almost like buying a car or a computer. If you don’t read the manual, you won’t know how to use it. Of course you can do it alone, but when you make a mistake, or when something goes wrong, you have only yourself to blame. Much is the same with our lives. When we live outside of God’s best for us, when we don’t feed on the ‘manual for life’, our lives can quickly fall into a downward spiral. YET because of Jesus’ grace and love, there is always a chance to come back to Him. He beckons us home, and gives us every opportunity to start again. It is never too late. Feed on His word, and allow the Word to live in you.

24^th April

““Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought He was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will go and get Him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to Him and cried out, “Raboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). . . . Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them His message.”

John 20:15-16, 18

Mary Magdalene was a wonderful woman. Healed of seven demons (Mark 16:9) and a regular supporter of Jesus ministry (Luke 8:2-3), she had the privilege of being the first person to see the resurrected King. When she went to the tomb, on the third day, after discovering that it had been opened and Jesus’ body was no longer there, she stood weeping in confusion and sorrow. The Man who had miraculously delivered her from demon possession, had just been crucified and now His body was not even in the tomb.

When Jesus appeared to Mary, at first she didn’t recognise Him. Yet when Jesus called her by name, just as He did when He called her to follow Him, she immediately recognised that it was her Master and Teacher. Mary knew the voice of kindness, love, mercy and victory. She knew that once she had been called by that voice, her life was never the same again. After seeing the resurrected Jesus, she immediately ran to find the other disciples and share the Good News of the resurrected King, her Raboni and Teacher.

We too can have the same response as Mary did. When we hear Jesus call our name, when we receive the restoring and regenerating work of Christ in our lives, when our lives become radically changed by the power of His love, our next action should be to go out and share about it, just as Mary did. She heard His voice and then ran to tell others about it. Have you heard Jesus call YOU? Then go and share the Good News that our King is not dead but alive.

21^st – 23^rd April

^{Weekend Edition}

“They told Him, “We have seen the Lord! But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.””

John 20:25

When you think of Thomas, Jesus’ disciple, what do you immediately think of? Perhaps it is his nickname ‘Doubting Thomas’. Yet the more we read the story of Thomas, the more we realise that actually he maybe was not so much a ‘doubter’ but rather a ‘realist’. Isn’t it normal to want evidence that someone had risen from the dead, particularly after witnessing Jesus’ brutal crucifixion. Ok, yes, Jesus did say that He would rise again on the 3^rd day but maybe what Thomas was feeling or going through, was felt by each of the disciples too.

A few verses earlier, we read that all the disciples, bar Thomas, had met together, locked in a room because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Yet what is easily missed, is Jesus’ actions in the following verses. Not only does He greet the disciples with peace, quelling their fears, but He shows them the wounds in His hands and the piercing in His side. Isn’t that incredible. This was exactly the evidence that Thomas needed to see. Doesn’t this show us that the other disciples probably had the same doubts too, but perhaps didn’t vocalise them as brashly as Thomas.

Yet, Jesus, true to form, when He finally did reveal Himself to Thomas, showed him His un-reserved affection, love and grace, by showing Thomas exactly what He showed the other disciples; the nail wounds in His hands, and the wound in His side.

After seeing the resurrected Jesus, Thomas’ life was never the same. We read in Acts 1:13 that Thomas was in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. Furthermore, Church tradition has it that Thomas was the first missionary to spread the Gospel in South India.

Today we live in the age of grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ’s resurrection through faith. If you have doubts about who Jesus is, then ask God to show and reveal Himself to you, trusting that He will be faithful to you, just as He was to Thomas, and to the other disciples. Let us trust God for a miraculous revelation of who He is for you personally and for all mankind! Once you meet the resurrected King, your life will never be the same again!

20^th April

““Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who He was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then He said, “Throw your net on the right hand side of the boat and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.””

John 21:3-6

Peter having previously denied Jesus, finds himself leading the other disciples back to Galilee, his home town. Although Jesus, in the previous chapter, had revealed Himself to all the disciples, it seems that Peter had decided to go back to his old life and do what he knew best, fish! After toiling all night and catching nothing, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples and tells them to re-throw their nets. Of course the obvious happens and they catch a multitude of fish, 153 to be exact. After the catch John recognizes that it is Jesus, His Lord. As he tells Peter too, Peter jumps out the boat and swims to the shore to greet Him, shortly followed by the other disciples.

This passage is almost an exact mirror of the story in Luke 5:1-11 whereby Jesus again, miraculously helps the disciples catch fish. However, at the end of that particular miracle, Jesus turns and says to Peter that he will no longer catch fish but men; ‘You will be a fisher of men.’ So why do we see Peter back fishing again in this passage? It seems like Peter and the other disciples are hopelessly and aimlessly searching for direction. They had given up their careers to follow Jesus, and after three and half years of following Him, they almost find themselves leaderless and without direction. Fishing was the only thing they knew. Peter was the disciple’s leader, yet instead of leading them to catch men, he led them to catch fish.

Yet when Jesus again revealed Himself to them on the beach shore, He reminded them once more, that their nets were for gathering men, not fish. Jesus had previously showed this to Peter, when He commanded him to go and catch men.

Sometimes in our lives we get lost and almost feel like we are wondering in the wilderness. We lose our way and go back to the only things we know how to do. That is called our comfort zones!! Jesus commands us all to be radical, to be fishers of men. However, this revelation only comes when Jesus reveals who He is, in a fresh way in our lives. Peter had previously seen the resurrected Christ, yet it needed this miracle to get him back on track, to re-align his focus to Jesus’ commission and to jump out the boat to meet Him. Notice that Jesus didn’t call Peter out the boat, he jumped himself. When we have an encounter with the risen King, our lives radically change, as it did with Peter.

Have you lost your focus and are in need of re-aligning yourself with the revelation of the risen Christ? Are you willing to jump out the boat? Take a step of faith. He is just a prayer away!

19^th April

“After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “You know I love You.” “Then feed My lambs,” Jesus told Him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “You know I love You.” “Then take care of My sheep,”Jesus said. A third time He asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”…. “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Then feed My sheep.”

John 21:15-17

When Jesus met Peter again at the shore of Galilee, the place where Peter was first called, He questions Peter’s commitment and love for Him, not as a test, but more for Peter’s sake. Just as Peter had denied Jesus three times, here Jesus allows Peter to declare His love for Jesus three times. Each time Jesus affirms His confidence in Peter by commissioning Him to feed His flock.¹ Jesus graciously restored Peter, forgiving him and later empowering him with the might and boldness given by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Are there times in your life that you feel you have completely let God down? Perhaps a missed opportunity to speak up for Christ? Perhaps an action you did knowing it was wrong? Whatever it is, you can be forgiven and restored, just as Peter was. Peter truly did love Jesus, but was let down by his human weakness. Yet Jesus, didn’t let Peter wallow in his guilt, but rather restored him and reminded him of the calling he was first given. Jesus has a plan for each of our lives. Don’t let guilt and regret keep you from being who God made you to be. Be restored. Receive His love. And walk in the plan of who God called you to be!

18^th April

“One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers – Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew – throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”… “….Then Jesus told Him, “Follow Me.”… “As for you, follow me.””

Matthew 4:18-19, John 21:19b, 22b

Peter, the all action disciple of Jesus, the lowly fisherman called to be a rock for the church, after Jesus’ resurrection, went on to become one of the main founders of Jesus’ church throughout the Roman Empire. We experience the fruit of his boldness to share about the resurrected King. Yet Peter’s life has a great lesson we all can learn from. A lesson of ultimate forgiveness and restitution.

Peter, along with his brother Andrew, was one of the first disciples that Jesus called to ‘follow Him’. As Jesus met them by the Sea of Galilee, He called out to them and they immediately put down their nets and followed Jesus. Yet, fast forward a few years, and Jesus’ prophetic words, that Peter would deny Him before His crucifixion, happened just the way Jesus said. Peter fled in utter shame, guilt and disbelief at his own actions. He just denied knowing Jesus, the man who had taught him so much and who had loved Peter so deeply.

Yet when Jesus re-appears to Peter, incredibly and significantly, again at the Sea of Galilee, He calls out to him, repeating His commission, to come and ‘follow Me’. Although these are simple words, they show us that Jesus completely forgave Peter and restored him. Moreover Jesus didn’t even make mention of Peter’s betrayal but rather reached out to him again, in the same place He was originally called, commissioning Peter to be His Rock once more.

Jesus calls out to us today, to ‘follow Him’, despite your past! He can restore you and give you a new and fresh commission today. Take up your cross, don’t worry about others, YOU follow HIM!

13^th April

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Why did He do it? Why did a good and sinless man, the Creator of our life, the King of this world, lay His life down for us, for our wrong doings, for our sins? Why did He pay the ransom that we deserve to face? Moreover, why did He give His free gift of eternal life to us, received by just believing and not doing, instead of the punishment we deserved? The answer; simply because He incredibly and radically loves us.

God knew that there was nothing we could do to come close to Him. Even our best efforts were not enough, because at the end of the day, we had all sinned and fallen short of His glorious standards. We tried to follow His laws, but we kept failing to keep them. So God sent His one and only Son, to live a perfect, sinless life, and take the punishment due to us for our un-holiness and un-cleanliness, our sinful and wrong actions, our rebellion and disbelief. We deserved to die but instead we were given life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. The writer of Romans says this, “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.”¹

When you read this today, don’t let familiarity breed contempt and laziness. This is the good news, which has the power to save, the power to transform lives. This is what gives us hope to live in this world. This gives us joy, happiness, and peace. We are alive because of this truth. Jesus paid our debts. Rejoice that He did it for YOU!

12^th April

“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Romans 5:7-8

What an amazing truth this is. Jesus willingly laid down His life, for not just someone who was upright, not just for good people, but for sinners, for people who may not even accept His sacrifice. What amazing love is that! It’s like we have been let off the hook for something we have clearly and blatantly done wrong, but don’t receive punishment for! We are forgiven, because Jesus chose to die for us at our worst to give us His best!

As you reflect upon this devotion today, think about what you have been saved from, and rejoice that it was while in that situation, moment, or wrong decision, that God gave His only Son for YOU. Rejoice that that is how much you are loved. Rejoice that God no longer identifies you with that wrong choice or action, but instead sees His resurrected Son standing in the place of your punishment and judgement. What grace! What Love!