November 22: Luke 21:5-11
Key Verse: Luke 21:8
He replied: ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and, “The time is near.” Do not follow them.
Devotion:
One of the biggest temptations we face every day is the worldly treasures which surround us all the time. We tend to compare things by worldly standards and worldly riches – that way we can have what we think is a firm foundation from which to compare things from! Unfortunately that foundation is not all it seems to be. We think of things in this world as being firm and immovable, like buildings and mountains; to God these are just things which can be changed at any time...
I do like to see some of the wonders we have in our church buildings around the world, but the things which impress me most is the connection to God rather than the jewels or building parts. I would much rather see a small church whose walls are covered with scripture and pictures of how Jesus loves the world than a huge temple which stands firm because of it’s stone foundations.
Jesus wants to see the growth of the church through relationships with people instead of bigger and better buildings. Are those big buildings really a sign of the people’s love for God, or are they just bragging rights about how much people have done to impress others.
We are easily led by riches and worldly treasures because we live in this world which compares everything to everything else in physical ways. God does not want to compare us with each other – simply to compare what we are with what we could be – that is the way He wants to encourage us forward: to be bigger and better versions of ourselves working with and for God!
Points to Ponder:
How do you measure your success?
Will you simply try to be a better you?
November 21: Luke 21:1-4
Key Verse: Luke 21:3
‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
Devotion:
One of the things I used to get frustrated about was the lack of people who would come forward to help with youth work in church. Most of the time I would hear the excuse of “I’m too old, I can’t relate to teenagers…” My response would always be along the lines of “you’ll be amazed at what you can share with them…” which would mostly fall on deaf ears. Those same people would be more than willing to put a pound or two into the purse to help with the work, but not so eager to step up and do something.
Jesus watches each of us and sees what is in our hearts when we do anything for Him. He sees what we feel on the inside and knows why we are making the excuses we are. If we would listen to Him we would be able to do a whole lot more in the church!
Just like this poor widow who put in such a small amount of money, we don’t often think about the value of what we can do for God. If we were to step up and help out with an event, even if it was simply to hand someone a cup of tea or coffee, that could be the difference between someone opening up and them walking out the door without finding out the truth.
The skills we have may not seem like much to us, but to someone on the receiving end, it may well be all they need to reach out and find out more about Jesus. We do hit so many brick walls in our lives it seems like the little things won’t make any difference. But when we are on the receiving end, those small things may be the last straw we are able to grasp and the life-line we end up using to reach God!
Points to Ponder:
Are you shy about doing something in your church?
Will you try to do something small in church this week?
November 20: Luke 23:33-43
Key Verse: Luke 23:40
But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?
Devotion:
It is amazing to see the power of a crowd. The more people hear them the more others want to join in and things get out of hand very quickly. Many a riot is started by one person who sews an idea into others heads and that idea grows like a cancer until it has consumed the crowd and people are all doing what they ought not to do; and they are doing it willingly in their own minds...
The crowd was certainly won over by the chief priests who shouted out that Jesus should be crucified! They all joined in until it was too late and the Romans were worried too many people may start a riot which could not be contained. They gave in and crucified Jesus along with two other criminals who had done very bad deeds.
Jesus refused to give in to the crowd as they jeered and mocked Him. He refused to allow them to break His heart because His heart was set on accomplishing what His Father had set out to do – to save us all from our sinful ways! The two criminals who were also being hanged had very different hearts. The one refused to admit he was in the wrong and jeered with the crowd to try and get Jesus to use His powers to set them free.
The other criminal admitted his sins before Jesus and knew in his own heart he deserved to be punished; he was sorry for what he had done. Jesus saw inside the hearts of the two men and spoke out to the one who admitted his own guilt telling him he would join Jesus in Heaven presently!
Points to Ponder:
Do you give in and follow the crowd?
Or will you admit your shortcomings and follow Jesus?
November 19: Luke 20:27-40
Key Verse: Luke 20:38
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
Devotion:
As humans we all get caught up in death, what happens when we die, how we react to people dying and many other aspects of death. When the Sadducees came to Jesus, they were caught up in what happens when people die because this is what they thought was the end of life. They wanted to know what other people should do when friends or family die.
A couple of days ago was the anniversary of my father passing away and we are all very thankful he knew Jesus as his Saviour and that he is now with Jesus in Heaven! My last words with my dad the day before he died were a reminder of how easy his life would be from then on – he knew he was going to be with Jesus. I did not have to worry about what would happen to him nor would I have to worry about what happens about his marriage and his second marriage after my birth mother died earlier… because I knew these words which Jesus reminds us of here.
When we get to be with Jesus in Heaven we will not have to worry about who we will have to love because God’s love will cover us all. The love we will have in Heaven will be toward all people in Heaven as well as God and we will share in that love. I wonder whether the Sadducees understood how wonderful and fulfilling the love is Heaven would be. The love Jesus was showing to all people whilst here on earth was just the side of it we see – because our human minds need to see love in action…
This is why we fall in love, marry and have families. We need a physical aspect or manifestation of love so we can understand it. The love we share with people does not go away, but we learn to love other people as we move on in our lives. In Heaven that love will always be present – eternal love!
Points to Ponder:
What do you do with your love when something goes wrong in life?
Will you allow God to share a stronger and eternal love with you?