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April 25: Titus 1:1-4
Key Verse: Titus 1:1
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness -
Devotion:
Wow, what a great start to a letter! When was the last time you received a communication which was so encouraging and full of hope? I know I am very definitely not anything like that in my communications with others, but I certainly am going to give it a go! My thinking is that the more I stop n think about the beginning of any communication, the better it will be. So many times I have sent out something which seem to be so crass when I read I back later wondering why the person has not responded in kind – well, just maybe the d not want to respond to my ramblings!
The first thing Paul lets go with is the knowledge he is an apostle who is called to further the faith of God’s elect. What does this actually mean? He was called to encourage other people in their walk of faith! He was not called to stand and talk at people, but to communicate with people and encourage them to not just listen but to be active in their walk with God. We are not called to simply teach people about God but to encourage them to expand their own relationships with God.
God is the one who has promised us eternal life in Heaven to all who are willing to believe it so. He gave this promise long before we were born and continues to keep that promise generation after generation. We are just messengers who need to keep telling others of all of God’s great promises to us, showing others they too have the hope we have and can enjoy eternal life with Christ at the appointed time. It should not worry us we do not know when, but simply believing it to be true!
This faith is common to every person on earth! Every one of us has the choice to believe God and His promises. Every one of us has the choice accepting this common hope and having faith we will all be in Heaven together – no matter what we have done in the past!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like encouraging people?
Who are you going to call today to offer hope?
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April 24: 2 Timothy 1:1-2
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus
Devotion:
This second letter to Timothy could well have been written when Paul was feeling a bit down because he could not get out to see everyone, much like we are all feeling constrained and hemmed in right now. Paul reaches out to Timothy and in the verses following these, he says how much he is missing them all. But, despite this, he is sure in the knowledge God is with them as well as the Spirit being in Timothy just as he used to see it in his mother and his grandmother before that.
It really is a joy to see God working in someone else’s life and I thank God He continues to do this in so many people I have got to know over the years. The more they are willing to allow God into their lives, the more they change in a very special way and the more they are able to do for their friends and relatives! This is in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus – just as Paul says in this letters beginning.
I really do love sitting down first thing in the morning and listening to God to see where He leads me in my ramblings which I give to you all. It surprises me when I look back over the last two decades and see how much I have grown in God, but also how insightful some of the words have been. I know I have lost a few memories along the way last year in hospital, but they seem to be limited to the year before I went into hospital, so looking back at these devotions and re-reading some of them still gives me pleasure.
One of the things I did over 7 years ago was to write an Android app which would bring the devotions to your phone/tablet each day. Over the years it has become difficult to keep the app going because of its roots in a very early version of Android back then. So, today, I can say I have finally released an updated version which is called “Bread with Faith” which will deliver my ramblings direct to you! God is good!
Points to Ponder:
How do you keep in touch with your Christian friends?
Do you allow God to have His own way and guide you daily?
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April 23: 1 Timothy 1:1-2
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope
Devotion:
I have missed out the second letter to the Thessalonians because the introduction is the same as the previous letter, but Paul’s letter to Timothy introduces something which I was challenged with yesterday. We have a men’s group who meet up (now online) to discuss things and look into the bible through the eyes of various authors or leaders. Yesterday we were challenged to draw a line in our lives and to step over that line knowing that we are stepping into God’s command – His will in our lives.
You may think there is nothing too challenging about doing that, but reading this verse today brought it home again. Are we really willing to give our lives over to God’s control? Are we really willing to say we will do whatever God asks of us? Don’t forget this is all about what you are willing to give up in your life! When Jesus called the disciples, they left their livelihoods behind and followed Jesus – no longer were they going to be able to turn back to their former professions and ‘be safe’!
When Paul lists himself as an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God our Saviour, it is not a light suggestion or comment. Paul turned over his life to do what God wanted him to do. If you are like me you will come up with all manner of excuses to say how important your work is because that is where you get your money to survive etc. etc. But the challenge was still there – were we willing to take a step forward and allow God to be in control…
In the army, navy or air force, we learn to say yes to the commander and obey without question. So what about trying that with God? Then the panic sets in! But, unless we are willing to submit to God and obey we will never know the life God has for us to live. He is probably not going to ask you to give up your job and live like the disciples did. He may well be simply calling you to change your life-style so people will recognise you as a Christian and be encouraged by it. I really do hope I am listening to God as much as He is talking to me!
Points to Ponder:
Do you obey the people in charge at work?
Will you obey the One who is in charge at home?
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April 22: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
Devotion:
Who would have thought we could get so much from just a couple of verses in each of the Apostolic writings! Today is no different… I could have focused on verse 2 and reminded us all of the importance of prayer for one another – especially when we cannot be with the people we love, but instead I am going to focus on the words “in God the Father”...
Let us never forget just whom we praise and glorify! It is God and God alone. It is hard for us to get our heads round the fact we worship a single God who is three parts, so let us not get into the intricacies and try to justify it on an earthly level but focus on the word “in!” Paul wrote this letter to all people from the church of the Thessalonians who expressed an interest IN God. In other words, this is a letter to all who have recognised God in whatever shape or form they have done so.
This is God Almighty, our Father in Heaven, our Saviour, our Christ, the Spirit within us – all these are just ways in which we identify with God. God remains the same now and forever, but our impression changes with our growth and with time. The more we get to know Him, the more are able to accept just who He is and how He can take care of us. But this all supposes we have an interest in God to begin with!
We gained this interest by hearing about God in the first place and then accepting Him into our lives. From that moment on we became a part of His family, thereby being “in God the Father” by proxy. It all came about for us because Jesus was willing to give His life for us even though He was not guilty of any of the sins He was accused of. So, today, lift up a prayer to God your Father in Heaven and ask Him to continue loving and protecting you for His will and His pleasure and His glory!
Points to Ponder:
Do you know God?
Will you invite Him to have His will in your life?
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April 21: Colossians 1:1-2
Key Verse: Colossians 1:2
To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Devotion:
When writing this letter to the people in Colosse, Paul includes one Timothy by name but also all the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. I used to think this brothers and sisters term was purely from American churches but it is so much more than that and, as we see here, comes from the early church which was planted by Christ and grew from the apostles taking the gospel truth out to the people where they could.
In this modern age of the internet we are not too pleased if our emails get delayed by a few minutes, never mind days or months; but during this time of the early church, they would have to depend on word being taken by sailing ships or runners from one place to another – typically this would be at least days if not months delay to get across Europe! But, even though they has this amazing delay between communications, they still remained faithful to Christ and His teachings.
If we look at the church today, we see even the smallest of churches streaming services via videos to all their people. I am blessed to be in a church who do send out videos each Sunday to bring the church together, and we are talking about minutes or even seconds delay to bring us all together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We may not be able to be in the same house, but the church can get into every home on this estate because we open the doors via the internet to invite people in.
Last week, to start our service off I went out onto the green in the middle of our estate and blasted out ‘O Happy Day’ on a portable speaker so people could join in and sing along. We want to be one big family and we are called to be such by Christ who instituted this church in person almost 2000 years ago. The Apostles (those who saw Jesus in person) took what they had learned and taught others and they in turn taught more people about the truth of Christ.
Points to Ponder:
Do you miss being able to hug your brothers and sisters in Christ – I do?
What will you do to open the virtual doors of your church this week?
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April 20: Philippians 1:1-2
Key Verse: Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Devotion:
When was the last time you were able to walk into your place of worship / church building / gathering place? Are you involved in some way with the running of your church? To me it seems like it has been months since I have been able to go up to our community centre and set up the sound system. Just as I am getting better and able to do such things without having to worry about whether my heart can take it or whether my body can take it, along comes the pandemic which puts a stop to it all again…
Paul always seemed to reach out to the people who were in need at the time of writing, something which is missed out of lessons when we have them at church. Today, I would like to reach out to all those people who were used to giving up their weekends to make sure church gatherings went ahead and we were all able to worship God as a community, as a church gathering!
I’m sure all those overseers and deacons and the like are finding new ways of doing things and getting on with doing them rather than just shutting off because the church building has been closed down. But give a thought to just how much goes into a church service, how many people have to come together in order for things to ‘just happen...’ Today I salute you for all your hard work you have been doing over the years behind the scenes and are, I’m sure, continuing to do so church can be envisioned in new ways.
Paul wanted to reach out to those people behind the scenes because they continue to work so we can all worship together. I love the way we are all getting out there on Thursday nights to ring out our appreciation for all the people in the NHS here in the UK who continue to get things done despite the lock-down. Today I would like you to spend some time praying for people you know who have continued to work behind the scenes, both in church and out of church.
Points to Ponder:
How many people do you know who have continue to work because we need them?
Will you spend some time praying for them today, please?
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April 19: Ephesians 1:1-2
Key Verse: Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Devotion:
Sometimes all we need in life is a simple word from someone to say they are thinking of us to make things better. In this time of global self-isolation as we try to stop the spread of this virus around the world, we do need to hear good news and we do need to be encouraged by others. You may be coping in your own mind, but what is your partner going through? What are the things facing us all which we fear the most?
This introduction to the church at Ephesus is quite short and succinct, a simple word to say who he is, who the letter is meant for and the ever inclusive message of grace and peace he invariably included. The letter immediately jumps into more praise and worship for Christ, reminding us all this should be one of the first things we think of and do in our lives as well. Be the example, don’t just say it!
Paul was not just saying these things, because as we dig deeper into the letters we find out how many people he had influenced by trying to not just spread the Gospel but also to spread encouragement and hope to so many people. Paul taught people who were willing to listen and sent them out to other places just as he was willing and able to go out to other places too. He was under no illusion his life was safe because he knew there were so many forces against him; not just the evil one but also religious institutions and even governments.
The more power or popularity people display, the more the people who think they should be in power rebel and do stupid things to try and get the attention back on themselves rather than the new-found popular people! This is just part of human pride and greed – something Paul did not rise to and something he wanted to stamp out of society. Why not make a difference today by being humble and just getting on and doing things!
Points to Ponder:
How do you greet people?
Will you put a bit of hope and encouragement in your own greetings today?
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April 18: Galatians 1:1-5
Key Verse: Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead -
Devotion:
I love the introduction to the letter to the church at Galatia. When we think of how missionaries are sent out, typically we think of it in terms of a sending church where they have a responsibility to report back to and a collection of supporting people and churches from which they get their funds. But this is not what Paul wanted the church to dwell on. He wanted them to remember just who was doing the sending – God!
Jesus was the one who persuaded Paul he had a task to do which would involve getting to reach out to all the churches around the Mediterranean Sea. It was Jesus who prompted him to reach out to the gentiles rather than to the Israelites or God’s chosen people. God was now reminding us all He includes every one of us in the call to become one church under Jesus Christ. God had chosen Paul to be the apostle who would make the difference all around!
God had put everything in place for Jesus to accomplish all which was previously written down by the prophets. God made sure the church was going to survive and that we would have no more reason to have to try and make atonements for the sin which we have done, do and will continue to do! Jesus gave Himself up for our sins even though He had not done anything wrong. He was wrongfully taken, wrongfully hung but died willingly just so God’s Word would be accomplished and we would be given a permanent and absolute saviour!
How many of us can turn round and say we are following a path which God has chosen for us? How many of us can say we are willing to give up everything in our lives just so God will get the glory and the gospel will get to more people? How many of us put our lives on hold so Jesus can get the rightful glory and uphold the position He fought as a human to be in just for our sakes. Look around you and see how you can help people immediately around you!
Points to Ponder:
Who really chose the life you lead?
Are you willing to give full control to Christ?
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April 17: 2 Corinthians 1:1-2
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
Devotion:
A very similar introduction to this letter as to the first letter to Corinth, but the writer now acknowledges himself as an apostle – I title I think he did not take lightly! What sort of recognition do you have as a Christian in your community? Do they have a good name for you, as opposed to any derogatory term! When people started calling me names because I was different, I started to realise just how much of an influence I had even without preaching to them!
When Jesus said we should go out into the world, I like to think of it as a ‘coming out’ rather than a ‘going out.’ From that moment onward we are a representative of Jesus Christ! We carry His name and His reputation with us. People are going to study us as Christians to see what we do… Does this make you kinda scared? Well, we don’t all live on the front line, so we don’t all get the exposure some Christian leaders do, but we still have a circle of people who look to us for clues as to how we should be living.
Paul had sent Timothy to the church at Corinth and through that he knew the people would be getting a good education and follow a good example. He chose Timothy because he knew he had a good reputation as a true follower of Christ. But it was not just a choice he made alone – God had chosen Timothy before Paul chose him. God is the one who makes the choices and it is us who should be following His instructions to make sure we live the life He wants us to!
Who knew there was so much we could get out of a single sentence! But there is more… God knew which people to choose to go and make a difference in the community there. He chose people who would work together and not fight each other for attention or notoriety! The last thing we should be doing is promoting ourselves! We need to simply continue promoting Christ and allow God to work out the rest. When we join in with the community and work as a team, God can do so much more!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to do it all yourself?
Will you try to choose a team to work with you?
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April 16: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours:
Devotion:
In this, the first letter recorded to the church at Corinth, Paul is writing via the leader of the synagogue who had accepted the truth Jesus was the Messiah and our Saviour; presumably he lost his position as the chief ruler of the synagogue after being converted. Now, Sosthenes if heading up the Christian church in Corinth and addresses this letter to all people who believe in the Lord and those who pray to Christ. Does this mean there were still people who did not want to admit they were Christians just yet?
When I first accepted Christ into my life, I was willing to allow everyone to know I was a Christian, even to the extent of meeting for prayers together during our morning break period in school. There were some people who would ridicule us, but on the whole we were respected for what we were doing. What do you think people think of you and your position in the church today? Do people know you as a Christian? Do people know your life was changed by this Jesus character?
Paul knew the Christians would have a hard time – they were the ones who said they believed in a single God whereas the Greeks as a whole had many gods and prayed to a god who fitted into what they wanted. This is probably why he opens in extending prayer for grace and peace to all the people whom God had chosen to stand up for what they believed.
As Christians we need to stand up and allow people to be encouraged to stand up for themselves too. God has chosen us to be the bringers of the message to others. God has chosen us because He knows we are able to stand up and be counted – we may doubt that at times and we may doubt ourselves too, but God knows what we are made of and knows we are the ones to make a difference. Believe in Him and know He has made the right choice in choosing us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you have doubts you can do things for God?
Have you tried stepping forward and asking God for the strength?