Archive for the ‘Devotions’ Category

Scripture:
Revelation 3:19-20 “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Observation:
The thing to always remember is this…if I never sense the feeling of being disciplined and rebuked by the Father then I will never experience His love either. Those he loves he also disciplines and rebukes. Rebuke and discipline are the keys to opening the door of our heart for Christ to come back in. Rebuke and discipline are the knocks on the door as a prelude to our response of letting Christ back in to heal us from our fallen state.

Application:
If I always want to experience the Father’s love then I need to keep a responsive heart to his rebuke and discipline.

Prayer:
Father help me to always have an open door on my heart for you to enter as you please.

Scripture:
Revelation 14:11-12 11 “And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” 12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”

Observation:
There is so much about this book that we simply can’t understand but a few principles ring really clear…
People who worship the wrong leader will suffer torment and a lack of rest. These people bear his mark or brand. The thief comes to steal kill and destroy. Their lives have a destructive tone to them.

Application:
I must keep God as the focus of my worship, I must joyfully obey his commandments and always remain faithful to my Saviour Jesus. Then I must lead my people to do the same.

Prayer:
Lord help me to shepherd the people under my care so that they are spared being left behind in a mess.

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5 ” Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Observation: This verse tells us so much about where we came from, where we are going and why we are on this planet. Just think about this:

1. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you – try & get your head around that one! Somehow we had relationship with God before we existed in this world! Before we had the physical form of this body, we already had some other form in the heavenlies. I wonder if those that feel like they have a previous life memory are actually catching reflections of their relationship with God before being formed into this world?

2. Before you were born I set you apart – think about that. Before you enter this world God already has a plan and purpose for your life and he has set you apart for it. There is something that only you can do, something that God has you on the planet for!

3. I appointed you as a Prophet to the Nations – wow, not only has he set us apart for his plan & purpose for us. He has appointed us to this task like Frodo in Lord of the Rings. There is something only you can do. God who knew you & had relationship with you before he formed you has set you apart for this task. He has appointed you for it. It is the reason you are alive and exist, and it is a crystal mission not some nebulous wishy washy thing. Very clear & very concise! Jeremiah was appointed as a prophet to the nations!

Application: This verse of scripture should cause us to assess everything about how we approach life, how we parent, how we work out our calling and destiny so that we leave this earth knowing we accomplished what he sent us here for. All the answers to life’s purpose, plan & destiny are found in our relationship with Him who dwells within us. We should spend time with the Father to work out what is going on within not from without. Parents study your child to discover what they created to do. The answer is found within. Stop putting a whole lot of options in from without that will only bring confusion. Just work out what is being outworked from within! God already has it all there ready to be unwrapped!

Prayer: Father help me to remember that all people have their destiny & purpose in this life within. Give me wisdom to know how to help them discover and unwrap it so they fulfill what you put them on this planet to accomplish. Outwork this in me so I can help outwork it in others! Amen

Scripture: Hebrews 1:8-9 But about the Son he says, ” Your Throne, o God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you will the oil of joy.”

Observation:
What is it that caused Jesus to stand out from the crowd?
JOY
Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy. Now for Jesus to be anointed with joy it means that someone had to anoint him because in their culture you couldn’t anoint yourself. His joy came from God and it was his joy that made him stand out from the crowd it set him above his companions. Jesus is our model, which means joy is what will cause us to stand out from the crowd also. A joy that is given by the Father. It’s supernatural. Our world badly needs to see joy in operation over and over and in a person’s life. Life for many is drudgery under the tyranny of sin trapped in darkness.

It is interesting to note the conditions that Jesus fulfilled to receive this anointing of joy from the Father.
1. He Loved Righteousness,
2. He Hated Wickedness,

Many followers of Christ miss it today not because of their failure to love righteousness, but because of the failure to take serious our tendency to flirt with wickedness. We tolerate things, sinful practices, in our life that shouldn’t be there and the we wonder why there is no joy in our life?

Loving Righteousness + Hating Wickedness = receiving the Anointing with Joy from the Father!!

Application: I need to start getting really serious about any thing, action or thought that leads me to accept, condone or turn a blind eye to sin. I have to start to hate wickedness that infiltrates my life and others. Even the sin of unbelief is wickedness that we often tolerate or make excuses for! No more, I want to see the circuit completed and the current of joy flowing in my life continually as that is what will make me stand out from the crowd as a faithful witness of Christ!

My Prayer: Father help me to recognize quickly when I am starting to tolerate wickedness in any way shape or form. Give me a heart that is quick to repent, turn away and pursue after righteousness. Anoint me with the oil of Joy I pray. AMEN

Scripture: John 5:37-39 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Observation: The scriptures are not an end in themselves, they are just a guide that keeps leading us towards Jesus the author and perfecter of life. When we make them the final destination we then become Pharisaical in needing to defend them. We actually step out from under the spirit of the law “grace” and back under the letter of law “judgement” which kills. Make no mistake this book is a sharp two edged sword and it can either be deployed for good or evil depending on who is wielding it.

Application: I must as 2 Timothy 2:15 says be very careful to rightly divide the Word of Truth otherwise I may unwittingly use that which God is showing me for good for evil by controlling and manipulating others. If it becomes all about the scriptures then through us it could become a harsh letter that kills unless so I must always allow the scriptures to lead me to the saviour and healer so I accurately discern what he wants to say or convey!

Prayer: Father help me to always follow the rainbow to the pot of Gold. Teach me to allow the scriptures to lead me directly to the saviour every time so that I am known as a man of God whom brings spirit and life from the Word of God where-ever he goes!

Isaiah 48:3-4 Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Observation: I am amazed at just how big our God is, and how all encompassing His love and power are. Think about it for a moment.
God:
Upheld us since our conception,
Carried us since our birth,
Even in old age and gray hairs he sustains us,
He made us and will carry us,
He will sustain us and rescue us,

Who would not want to know a God like that? And yet people everyday snub there noses at Him as He patiently holds their life and souls in His hand. Our God waits hoping one day all humanity will finally acknowledge His desire for relationship with them.

Application: I must remind myself that my God is in control of every aspect of my life. It is He who will carry, rescue and sustain me all the days of my life. I simply need to keep my focus always on Him and Him alone!

My Prayer: Father please help me to not get concerned with the demands and opinions of people in this world. Let me always relax in the knowledge that you are in control and you will see me through everything to the right decision and conclusion.

1 Peter 3: 8-11
“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

Peter is setting out for us here the kind of relationship we should have with one another. He says be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Never repay evil for evil or insult for insult, but repay such wrong with blessing! How hard is that to do? How hard is it not react when we feel we are being wronged and attacked?

Our ability to bless in the face of evil and insult is a sign that we are growing up in our faith. It is also interesting that Peter uses the term harmony – which means it has nothing to do with us thinking, acting and being exactly the same. It’s possible for human beings to live harmony with each other. Peter then tells us that those who live like this will experience the blessing of being able to love life and see good days.

It saddens me today the amount of people who have a lot of stuff but their love for life has all but gone. On the outside they have everything but on the inside they have nothing and they are nearly always angry with most of the world around them. They have lost the inheritance of being able to love life and see good days.

I think verse eight sums it up nicely for us as Christ followers. It says to this you “were called” so that you may inherit a blessing. Did you get that? Our future blessing is tied directly to our ability to live in harmony with one another!! I must do everything through the power of Christ in me to make sure I live life in harmony with others. If I can do this I am fulfilling my calling and I will inherit a blessing. A blessing that will allow me to love life and see good days.

How will I do it? Verse ten says that I do it by keeping my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech, turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it!

My Prayer: Father help me to live out this scripture in my life. Teach me to live in harmony with others and then instruct me how to model it for people that they too may fulfill their calling and receive their full blessing in this life. Lord teach me your ways that I may walk in them! Amen

I have never met anyone with a heart like David. He is able to not react to Saul who is doing everything within his power to stop him from taking the position of King, and he is able to not react to Absalom who is trying to remove him from his place of leadership from within.

Neither threats from without, nor threats from within turn his heart from loving God and respecting and loving the one bringing the offense. David has such peace and confidence in his heart that God’s will would be done that he could not be shaken so he would not take matters into his own hands, he would wait for his God.

I will say it again, I have never met anyone like David, except Jesus with his ability to love and accept the Judas within his ranks. I guess it just proves once again how far we are from where our relationship with God really should be!

My Prayer: Father help me to completely trust you, help me to not react to those who would try and stop me from taking leadership and help me to not react to those who once there would try and take me out. Grant me the understanding that my times are in your hands and yours alone!

Bible reference: 2 Samuel 16:23 and 2 Samuel 17:23

Here is a valuable lesson that every leader must learn fast! Ahithophel gave counsel to King David because his advice was not only sought after and listened to, but it was always believed and acted upon as a word from God. He was a well respected man of God in the community. He was seen as one who hears from God. However, look what happens when his advice is rejected and not followed.

Ahithophel takes offense, he walks out on his service taking his bat and ball heading for home! Once he gets home he falls into deep depression at the fact that he has been rejected. His advice has not been acted upon as a directive from the Lord. He fixes up his house putting everything in order and then swiftly commits suicide to make a final statement of his disgust at not being listened to.

Friends, be careful to not get who you are in God blurred with what you do for God! This blur will only cause you to either become aggressive, defensive & fight, or it will cause you to sulk and withdraw, spiraling into depression, pulling away from others. Once you seperate yourself that is the beginning of the end, it’s “Spiritual Suicide”.

My Prayer: Father help me to always keep a distinction between who I am in you and the act of service I do for you.

These thoughts are based on 1 Samuel 14 in the Bible.

I find 1 Samuel 14 a very interesting account as it shows how God will not be put in a box by human beings, no matter how great they think they are.

Jonathan, with his armour bearer, has just achieved a mighty victory for the people of Israel because by faith he stepped out believing that God would go before them and He did. The panic was sent to cause confusion and bring about a mighty victory!
So here is my thought…
Saul as the King has the appearance of having the presence of God with him contained in his religious box of ‘human tradition’. He has the Ark of God, which supposedly guarantees him victory and also keeps the people looking to him for success. However, Saul suddenly realises when a victory is taking place by the hands of some else that in fact all he has is an empty box of tradition. God has left the building! He is off working with someone else to bring about victory because of the state of Saul’s heart!

Sadly many people today are no different to Saul – they would rather have their religious box of tradition to try and impress and control people, rather than paying the price to keep their heart right with God! The really sad part is they think they are fooling the people, but the people are smarter than we think. The people know who is bringing about the victory, they know who is carrying God’s presence, they know who God has approved of and who He has rejected. That is why when Saul wanted to kill Jonathan for making him look bad the people rose up and would not allow such a course of action. They knew all Saul had was an old empty box of tradition, while Jonathan had God’s stamp of approval.

Religious people love boxes, they carry their own personal ‘Ark’ for the God they have created to suit them. God will not be confined to your or my box of religious thinking. He will find a willing heart that is soft towards him and then step out in faith to achieve his plans and purposes!

My Prayer: Father protect me from myself. Enable me to keep my heart soft before you so that I will never try and confine you to my religious thinking. Every time I start to build a religious box please break out of it in a spectacular way like you did with Jonathan to wake me up from my own self important arrogance! Shake our generation out of its new found religious box. Be the God I know you are!