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September 27: Luke 9:1-6
Key Verse: Luke 9:3
He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.
Devotion:
One of the things I have learned is to wait on God for instructions and when He does give me instructions, I should obey them and know He has already set the things in motion which will allow me to do whatever He is asking. Sometimes I get impatient and sometimes I am too slow to answer, but we get there eventually!
When Jesus sent the disciples out to continue the ministry He had started He told them to simply rely on God’s provision. When we, as Christians, say we should rely on God’s provision, it can come in many form and not just miraculous supplies of food or water. God knows where we should be going and He prepares the hearts of people ahead of us so they will be willing to help us make a difference.
God knows we cannot do much by ourselves, but He knows a team of people starting with the local community will make a big difference. If we go somewhere and show them we are self-sufficient and start trying to change things, people may get upset with us because we are changing the rules; but when we go in with nothing, they are willing to accept us and help us.
This is the love Jesus was trying to impress on the disciples when He told them the most important thing, besides loving God, is to love the people around us. God knows love makes a big difference and He wants to see His people joining hands and helping each other to make Christians communities: this is His church!
Points to Ponder:
Are you trying to tell people what to do?
Have you tried seeing what they would like to do?
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September 26: Ezra 6:7-12
Key Verse: Ezra 6:7
Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Devotion:
When God has set something in motion there are always going to be a set of people who object to what is going on, not because it is wrong but because they want something out of what is happening – normally through personal pride and greed! Sometimes God will take it to the highest levels to ensure things get done.
During this time in our history, the king had heard from the prophets how they should allow the Jew to rebuild the temple so they could worship God. As soon as some of the other leaders heard what was going on and how certain riches should be returned to the Jews so they could be put back in the temple, the greedy leaders objected and tried to stop the work.
They bribed official and tried to make it very difficult for the Jews to keep going… but God had already stepped in… A governor wrote a letter to King Darius to try and stop things. Darius went through the royal archives and found the original decree of King Cyrus which stated the royal treasury should be paying for the temple to be rebuilt! God made sure that document had survived!
When we start working for God and listen to what He wants from us, we can be sure things will fall into place as we do the work. But we can also be sure someone is going to object because of their pride and greed! We need to remain faithful to God and continue His good works!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get upset with people objecting to you doing God’s Work?
Will you stay faithful to what God is asking of you?
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September 25: Luke 8:16-18
Key Verse: Luke 8:17
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
Devotion:
It is illuminating to see the differences between the gospels because it gives you an insight into how the disciples thought and what caught their attention when they listened to Jesus. The same goes for each one of us, we pick up different things from the same person telling the same sermon because we all think differently. This is probably why Jesus chose a wide variety of people to retell the gospel, and why He has chosen you!
We can act as if we don’t know things or act as if we do know them, but when the final moment comes we will be found lacking in knowledge one way or another. When Jesus was teaching the disciples He wanted them to know God is able to discern everything, not just in what they were doing in the synagogues but everywhere and always!
Everything we do as disciples of Christ can be counted for or against us – depending on what we are doing. It does not matter whether we are the highest priest or the lowest servant, God know what is happening in our lives and knows what we face each and every moment. When we call out to Him, if we are simply recounting words without feeling, do you not think He would get a bit bored listening to you… But if you are saying those words from your heart, then they will strike home every time with God!
Be honest and earnest in all you do with God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you sometimes repeat long prayers from a book?
Will you say a short prayer from your heart today?
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September 24: Philippians 1:21-30
Key Verse: Philippians 1:22
If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
Devotion:
Something you don’t often have to think about when you are young is what is going to happen when you die, but as you grow older you begin to think more about what will happen. Now, being a Christians, we know we will be in a much better place with Christ in Heaven after we finish this life on earth… but what about the here and now?
Each of us has been given a life on earth with which we should be aiming to get the best out of it for Christ’s sake. Because we believe in Christ we are guaranteed a place in Heaven with God, but what about the people around us who do not yet know Christ? This life has been given us to do with it what we wish; this is because Christ loves us so much!
So how do we show our love for Christ during this life on earth? One way is to try to open other people around us to the faith we have and allow them to see what we are so happy about. We have this joy knowing we are ultimately safe. Other people may be concerned about what happens after they die; being able to show them we have a guaranteed place in Heaven may be enough to persuade them to seek Christ too.
Everything we do here on earth will count toward any reward we may see in Heaven and not just here on earth. Spread a little bit of your happiness and allow people to know they too can gain when they die if they seek and ultimately believe in Christ as well!
Points to Ponder:
Would you rather continue living or depart to be in Heaven?
Will you allow someone else to have that choice?
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September 23: 1 Timothy 6:13-16
Key Verse: 1 Timothy 6:14
to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ
Devotion:
This letter to Timothy is one we should all be trying to accept into our own lives. The writer encourages Timothy to keep the Christian faith and to fight against all who try to go against God, to encourage those who need it and to support those who are finding it hard. These are simple things in our minds but make a big impact in the personal lives of those around us.
Confessing we are Christians and showing people we are living a different life, one filled with love, joy, peace and hope will encourage those around us to find out why things are different in our eyes. If we live as the world lives then we will be seen as being no different from everyone around us. To encourage people we need to show them we have more than we need in many ways which cannot always be defined by worldly measures.
We need to be strong and courageous to show we have the Holy Spirit guiding and protecting us in ways which the world will not be able to understand. This courage will allow the world to see we are different and may even make them question their own ways. When they do that, the Holy Spirit will be able to convince them in their own hearts there is a different life they can lead.
God alone is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and He alone is the Light which should be seen to shine through our lives. Don’t try to lift yourself up into a high position but rather lift up Christ to allow people to see Him through you!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you live a good life?
How much of Christ do people see through you?
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September 22: Luke 8:1-3
Key Verse: Luke 8:3
Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
Devotion:
One of the things which society has left out of their recounting of the bible is the amount of women and partners who were involved with all stages of the events recorded in our bibles. Depictions of what Jesus looked like and the disciples are all more modern views of what people wanted to remember; but today we remember the great supporters in our lives!
Throw away the picture you have of 13 men walking around teaching the gospel and bring on a new picture in your mind. A group of people going around as a mobile church: a group made up of our Lord, 12 chosen men and many more who had been healed and helped who were now willing to give support back.
Our church needs to be made up of the leaders who are willing to share the gospel, the helpers who are willing to help with the day to day needs of the people and the people who are in need. Now, we are all in need at some stage, but how many of us are willing to step forward and pay back what we have received, not just from other people but from God too!
Now do you see the greater picture. This is not just about the people up front doing the talking, this is about a whole group of people who come together because they all need each other in some way – all aiming to be disciples in one form or another! Now you are seeing the truth about being a Christian!
Points to Ponder:
Are you wondering if you are part of the church?
If you are willing to come, you are part of Christ’s church!
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September 21: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Devotion:
Have you ever tried to wash in dirty water? As long as you are more dirty than the water you are going to have some sort of success but you will not be able to get as clean as you might want to. Now we don’t have that problem with Christ covering our sins because He was the perfect sacrifice and is able to cover all of our sins; which means we get washed cleaner than anything!
Does this mean we can go out and ‘play in the mud’ as much as we like because we know we will get washed clean of our sins? Certainly not! God wants us to live a changed life with Christ at the centre and that life should be seen as cleaner than the lives of everyone around us – how will we be able to persuade people to change if we are not different!
The more we play around with sins in our lives the more we get used to being in a sinful way and the less we think about how God wants us to be. We don’t have to worry about being able to be clean before God because our sins are covered by Christ’s blood, but we should not go out seeking sins just because we know we will be forgiven.
People of this world will not see the need to be different because they would rather fit in with everyone else – that does not make what they are doing right! God has allowed us to see the difference between our old sinful selves and the new children of God we are now. We must embrace this difference and allow it to be a beacon whereby others may be encouraged to find out why!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you need to ask God to forgive you?
Will you try to live a different life for Christ?
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September 20: Luke 7:31-35
Key Verse: Luke 7:35
But wisdom is proved right by all her children.
Devotion:
I do like the way Jesus would use all the little things He saw around Him to show people how God can be seen through everything in life. He took the example of the children in the market where they would argue with each other for the silliest of things just because they wanted some attention or didn’t know how to complain about being bored!
Jesus then turned this on the people and showed them how their arguments were equally as childish as the children in the market. First they would complain about John having a demon when he was not doing anything wrong and kept himself separated from the people in town. Then they would complain about Jesus eating, drinking and mixing with sinners.
But what they were missing is that the truth always comes out. With children arguing over inane things, the truth comes out and they go about their day a bit disgruntled but wiser for learning. With the people finding fault in everything; gossip spreads the fastest and ruins lives quicker than any truth builds up people. Again, the truth comes out in the end and people should admit their mistakes.
Our problem is we don’t like to admit to mistakes so we continue trying to place the blame on anyone around us with those closest to us getting the brunt of the arguments. God wants us to love each other past the gossip and past the arguments, focusing on the truth and allowing the truth to win before it gets rough for everyone!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you spread a bit of harmless gossip?
How often have you been hurt by gossip?
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September 19: Luke 7:11-15
Key Verse: Luke 7:13
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’
Devotion:
Jesus continued to show His love and compassion for all people as He walked amongst us. Here a widow was mourning for her only son who had died, going to bury him to make sure he was well kept up until the end. Jesus saw the love this woman had for her son and saw through her heart she had lost everything she loved, both her husband and now her only son.
His compassion for this family made Him stop and touch the bier they were carrying the dead body out on. The people carrying the bier stopped and Jesus told the young man to get up. He chose His words carefully by saying “I say to you, ‘get up’” This was Jesus expressing the power of God, being the Son of God, telling the laws of nature to turn around and let this man live!
This happened after He had cured the centurion’s servant but before He met John. Jesus was loving the people around Him. This is the example He gives us to show the people around us. We must have compassion on the people we see around us and not walk on the other side of the road. How is God’s love going to continue spreading without people showing compassion.
We may not be able to bring people back from the dead but we can and should comfort people and care for our neighbours. We are the church, we are the legacy Jesus came to build on and strengthen. We must continue to do what we can to build up this wonderful church of God’s people and we do that by starting to show love, mercy and compassion!
Points to Ponder:
Do you sometimes shy away from helping people?
Why not give someone a hand today?
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September 18: Luke 7:1-10
Key Verse: Luke 7:9
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’
Devotion:
I love reading the words slowly through this telling of the healing of the centurion’s servant because it show the centurion had faith in what Jesus could do. The centurion had made friends with the Jews by constructing a synagogue for them and he seemed to take care of them. He called a few of the Jewish elders and asked them to go to Jesus and ask for healing of this servant whom he valued greatly.
Why didn’t he go himself? As a centurion the local people would have come to respect him and the authority he stood for. If he had approached Jesus he would have an armed escort (because that is what they did) and that could have panicked the local people; so he chose to send some Jews in his stead.
I’m sure Jesus was intrigued by what He heard and wanted to go and see this centurion himself. So He started on the walk to go and find the centurion; which I’m sure must have gathered a bit of a crowd too. The centurion’s reaction was to send others from his household to tell Jesus He did not need to come to the house but just to say the words and his servant would be healed.
Jesus’ reaction was to tell the people around Him this centurion had greater faith than anyone else He had met, throughout Israel! Why did Jesus believe these words from the people? I think because the centurion, being of great stature amongst the people, humbled himself before Jesus saying he was not worthy for Jesus to come to him...
Points to Ponder:
Do you expect Jesus to answer your prayers?
Do you humble yourself before Christ during your prayers?