Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). It is a good thing for us to rejoice in the Lord. Here's a much more wonderful thing: the Lord …
Continue reading The Lord rejoices in us. Let us rejoice in him.
So many people have so many questions. Again and again, we feel that there are so many questions - and so few answers. What are we to say about this? Are we to give up on the search for an answer? or Are we to look away from ourselves to Jesus? Here we need to …
Continue reading There’s a difference between speaking with pride and speaking with faith.
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). These are the words of Jesus. They are words of wisdom. We read Jesus' words, and we may say to ourselves, "Life was so much more simple back then, when Jesus spoke these words." …
Continue reading Words of wisdom, reaching down through the centuries
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). We're not "pure in heart." We're sinners. We cannot escape the fact that we are sinners. How, then, can we be blessed by God? By the grace of God, we're on a journey. It's a journey that begins with God's grace. On …
Continue reading We’re on a journey with God, for God and to God.
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Are we travelling on a road that's going nowhere? Sometimes, it feels like this. God's Word says, "No." Is there the glorious hope of an eternal future - with God? God's Word says, "Yes." …
Micah 5:1-7:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Proverbs 21:17-26 God wipes out the shadow of our past - He “pardons sin” (Micah 7:18). He shines in the light of His future - “We will be “clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:4). From this standpoint of privilege, we are called to fulfil our responsibility: to be soldiers …
Continue reading Out of the shadows of our past, into the light of His future
"I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God" (2 Kings 4:9). What a wonderful reputation Elisha had. He was known as "a holy man of God" - What a reputation to be lived up to! How can any sinner become a holy man of God? This is …
Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm / Passion): Entry into Jerusalem – Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Passion – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54) PALM SUNDAY Our response to Christ - Discipleship, Depth, Devotion Four times, Jesus is called ‘the Son of David’ (Matthew 20:30-31; 21:9,15). Christ is greater than …
Isaiah 50:4-7: Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66 Listening to God and speaking for Him ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ …
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, we read about "faith, hope and love." What do we think about when we read about faith, hope and love? Do we think about ourselves? or Do we think about God? Faith When we think about our faith, we become painfully aware that our faith is not always strong. Often, it …
"Our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the Saviour we are waiting for. the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). What is it that makes heaven such a special place? - It's Jesus! He is there. He's waiting for us - and he will welcome us.
I can't cope! These are desperate words. They're words that say, "There's no hope." How can hope break into our desperate situation? Hope comes to us when we learn to say something more than "I can't cope!" - when we learn to say, "I can't cope - without you, Lord." When a cry of despair becomes …
God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11).
In the Gospels, we read about Jesus and his disciples. They were slow learners - but he was a very patient teacher. He didn't give up on them, and he doesn't give up on us. In the question, "Will we ever learn?", there is more than a hint of frustration - we want to learn, …
From time to time, I wondered what I would say to the people in the final service of my ministry. This is what I did say. As I began to think about this service, my thoughts turned to the the opening words of Psalm 115, "Not to us, not to us, but to your name …
Continue reading At the end of my ministry: looking back and looking forward
"At the name of Jesus every knee will bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord... " (Philippians 2:10-11). The name of Jesus is "the name that is above every name " (Philippians 2:9). May we always be proud of the name of Jesus.
January 1: The Naming of Jesus – Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:15-21 His Name was called JESUS (Luke 2:21). Christmas is over – but let’s not forget Jesus. He is still here. He is still with us. He is for New Year’s Day as well as Christmas Day. He …
First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:22-40 The Name of Jesus is Good News. It tells us of the Saviour’s love. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus has fulfilled these words (Luke …
We must never imagine that walking with the Lord will be easy. It wasn't easy for Jesus. It won't be easy for us. Sin is always near. The devil sets many traps for us. He's always trying to draw us away from Jesus. Sin may be very near, but the Lord comes even closer to …
Second Sunday of Advent: Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 27 (or Luke 1:68-79); Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 We come to the Lord’s House so that we might offer our heartfelt worship to the Lord.‘One thing have I asked of the Lord…that I may dwell in the House of the Lord…’ (Psalm 27:4). What are we doing when …
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27). Here, Jesus speaks of "peace." What does he mean when he speaks of his peace? What does he mean when he says that …
Continue reading The peace of God that passes all understanding
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). Anxiety is something we all have to live with. How do we respond when anxiety threatens to …
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). "Apart from me you can do nothing" - This doesn't do much for our pride! Jesus hits the nail on the head! He's absolutely right! …
Jeremiah 6:1-7:29; Philippians 4:2-23; Proverbs 24:5-14 The false prophets say, “Peace, peace … when there is no peace” – “They dress the wound of God’s people as though it were not serious” (Jeremiah 6:14). The true prophet of God comes with a very different message. He says, “Do not say, ‘This is the temple of …
“Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later " (John 13:36). "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go …
"Lord God, I take refuge in you" (Psalm 7:1). The storms of life are raging. The Lord is our shelter from the storm. He doesn't stop hard times coming our way - but he is there for us when they come. We need not be overwhelmed by our hard times - but we can trust …
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This the final verse in the first of the three chapters that are known as "the Sermon on the Mount." The moment we read the word, "perfect", we panic. We say to ourselves, "That's not me. This is too much for me. I'm not …
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long (Psalm 25:4-5). Here, we read about God's ways, his paths and his truth. We are reminded that he is our Saviour, and we are …
Continue reading The Lord will bring to completion the good work he has begun in us.
In Philippians 2:8, we read of Jesus going into “the far country” (Luke 15:13) – “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” – so that we might have an even greatest Homecoming of all – Christ has been “exalted … to the highest place.” He has been given …
"The Lord is my light and my salvation ... The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). We read these words from a faraway place and a long time ago, and we wonder, "Are these words for us? Are they for today's world? or Should they be left in the past?" Does God's Word give …
Continue reading Words from far away and long ago … or more than that?
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Philippians 1:1-26; Proverbs 23:29-24:14 “The Lord God is with you. He is mighty to save” (Zephaniah 3:17). The God of salvation is with us, not only here-and-now but for evermore – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). As …
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as …
The first false way of thinking says, "What will be, will be. What's for you won't go past you." People who think like this tend to sit back and let things happen. The Apostle Paul was very different. This is what he said, "I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, …
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; I come before him with joyful songs (Psalm 100:1). We are to worship the Lord with joy. As I was thinking about this, my thoughts went to two chapters from God's Word: Isaiah 12 and Philippians 4. With joy, you will draw water from the wells of …
It's all about the journey - Is it really all about the journey? What about the destination? - Are we to say nothing at all about the destination? What we can say is this - while we're here on earth, all we have is the journey. The destination is beyond our reach. What does this …
* Jesus told a story of God's love - "the story of the prodigal son" (Luke 15:11-32). * Jesus is the story of God's love - His story is the story of God's perfect Son. ----- In Luke 15:13, we read of the prodigal son going into the "far country". In Luke 15:20-22, we read …
Continue reading The Story of God’s Perfect Love – The Story of God’s Perfect Son
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he …
Continue reading Responding to God’s Word (46): At the name of Jesus
"You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 118:28-29). The Psalmist gives his testimony, and he calls on us to join him in giving thanks to the Lord. "The …
"Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). What are we to say about how we found the Lord? Are we tell a very human story: This happened, that happened... and I decided to follow Jesus? or Are we to say that there was something more in what happened to us? Each of us has …
Continue reading What are we to say about how we found the Lord?
"I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). When we think about the history of God's salvation, we begin with God's everlasting love. We go back beyond the beginning of the world - back to the everlasting God and his everlasting love. "That it might be fulfilled" (Matthew 1:21). When we focus our …
Continue reading The history of God’s salvation – Jesus is our Saviour and Lord.
Genesis 1:1-3‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. Its opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) the priority of God(1) God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) the priority of God’s Word (3) God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord. (c) the priority …
Continue reading A New Beginning: Some thoughts from the Scriptures
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus came from heaven. He came to earth. What a wonderful story is the story of God's way of salvation! In …
Continue reading The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Philippians 3:12-4:23 ‘Christ Jesus has made me His own’(3:12). In Paul`s words, we hear an echo of Jesus` words, ‘You did not choose Me... I chose you’(John 15:16). Christ has claimed us for Himself. He has laid claim to every part of our life. We are to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’(4). We are to …
Continue reading Whatever is happening, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon: These letters are known, collectively, as the prison letters. They were written by Paul during his time of imprisonment in Rome. In Philippians, we see God's kingdom as a kingdom as a kingdom of joy: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and, again, I say, rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). When the Lord …
Jesus speaks to "the cities where most of his mighty works had been done" (Matthew 11:20). He gives them absolutely no encouragement to bask in their past glories. He presents them with the challenge of the present. He calls on them to makle an immediate response to God. In no uncertain terms, he challenges them …
Continue reading In times of prosperity, in times of adversity
Where would we be without Christ? In the wilderness - that's where we'd be. We look at life, We try to make sense of it all, We feel that there may be something more than this - but we're not sure. We look at the world. We wonder what to make of it. We find …
There's always a difference between what we are and what we could be. God is calling us beyond what we are in ourselves. He's calling us on to what He wants us to become. If we settle for what we are, "That's just me. That's just the way I am", we will quickly lose sight …
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Those who hope in (or wait on) the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given …
Continue reading Our understanding of God’s Word and the strengthening of our faith
"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 43:5). Downcast... Disturbed... What are we to do when we feel like this? As I was reading these words of the Psalmist, I thought, also, of the …
Continue reading Downcast, disturbed: What are we to do when we feel like this?
"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …
PHILIPPIANS 1:1-2:11 - Do you feel like you can`t go on? Do you feel like giving up? Here`s God`s Word of encouragement for you: ‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ’ (1:6). God finishes what He starts - ‘He didn`t bring us this …
Philippians
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in …
"Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Philippians 3:20-21) We've only just begun! What we know of the Lord's love, while we're here …
Continue reading Called on – from heaven, called on – to heaven
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus …
Jeremiah 4:10-5:31; Philippians 3:1-4:1; Psalm 116:1-11 The Word of God is like a fire, burning up the sin of man (Jeremiah 5:14). The purpose of this fire is not, however, destructive. God’s purpose is to burn up the pride which “puts confidence in the flesh”, to burn away the “legalistic righteousness.” All of that is …
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!... Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad (Psalm 96:9,11). In our worship, there is to be both holiness and joy. This is not only the way things are to be when we are gathered together for worship. It's the way things are to be in …
Continue reading Lord, fill our worship and our living with your holiness and your joy.
May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed (Psalm 72:17). Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should …
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19 or Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46 Before our love for God, there is His love for us. God does not want to see sin in us (Exodus 20:20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. …
Continue reading Before our love for God, there is His love for us.
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 or Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14 Receiving strength from the Spirit of God ‘Called’ by God and ‘filled’ with His Spirit (Exodus 31:1-3), Bezalel had the support of Oholiab and ‘all able men’ (Exodus 31:6). Few may be called and equipped to lead, …
Debra Pedrow: Christian Author and Blogger
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
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Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." John 4:10
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In The Beginning Man Tried Ascending To Heaven via The Tower Of Babel. Now He Tries To Elevate His Existence To A Heavenly State of Consciousness Thru The Use Of Hallucinogenic Drugs. And, Since The 20th Century, He Continually Voyages Into Outer Space Using Spacecrafts. Prayer Thru Christ Is The Only Way To Reach Heaven.
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Luke 9:23-24 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
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