- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 968
February 9: 1 Corinthians 9:16-18
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:18
What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
Devotion:
I have often been asked why I don’t advertise my devotionals or charge for them or make them into a book; I guess this passage says it all for me. I do this because I want to keep myself in the Gospel as well as knowing that I am giving the gospel to others for free – as it was intended to be. I despair at the history books when the church tried to restrict who could have access to the gospel by chaining bibles down in churches!
God has requested we each play our part in telling others the gospel truth. Jesus came to reinforce this by giving the disciples permission to go out and teach to the people and not just the Israelites, but all the Gentile world as well! Maybe Jesus opened up the doors because it was getting to be a bit of a select group of people. Maybe the early preachers in our history were placed there to open the doors to those who needed it because the church was becoming a select group.
Our church still has an air of selectiveness or even oppression – open the doors and shout out the gospel! God wants His word to be heard up and down the land without limits. God wants us to share the gospel with our neighbours and them with their neighbours – this is how the gospel is spread.
I know some people want to be able to make a living out of being a preacher who can go up and down the lands to spread the word, but maybe God is simply saying we need to focus on the people who are close to us and allow the natural spread of the word to gain ground like it was intended!
Points to Ponder:
How many people know you as a Christian?
How many of those people are outside of your normal church group?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 994
February 8: Mark 1:29-34
Key Verse: Mark 1:31
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Devotion:
Ok, let’s be honest... how many times have you said you were going to do something for God when you were not too well or in a bad place... but when you came out the other end of the bad session, you kinds forgot about the promise you made... I know I am guilty on a few occasions, but I also know God has continued to be by my side even when I have let Him down!
When Jesus came to the house of Simon and Andrew after ‘church’ at the synagogue, He heard how Simon's mother-in-law was ill in bed. He went through to her and healed her, not to have someone to wait on them but because He had compassion on them all, for the mother-in-law and for the rest of the family too – what better way to spend the day than with the full family and not just those who are not off ill!
The Holy Spirit continues to reach out to us and wants us to join in the work for God no matter where we are and no matter how we feel. If we are at the end of our tether, He is there to give us the support we need. If we are about to explode with happiness, He is there for the party with us! God wants to be in our life at all times.
God wants us to enjoy our lives with Him and He is willing to bring healing and restoration to any of us who do ask. We should be willing to get on with doing God’s work no matter where we are in our own lives and not to have to wait until the “time is right” or “we have enough funds” or whatever other excuse we use in our human nature. Set aside human nature and live in God’s nature!
Points to Ponder:
How are you coping during these rough times?
How much are you doing with what God has given you?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 911
February 7: Matthew 4:1-11
Key Verse: Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Devotion:
We often complain about how much we are tempted and we somehow use this as an excuse so we can give in to temptations now and again; we try not to, but we do and we say it is human nature to do so. Well, it may well be human nature to give in to temptations and sin, but we do have a choice and we can choose not to give in. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert and He stood by the Word of God so He would not give in.
If we need to find something to help us avoid the temptations or sin, then we need not look any further than God’s Word. It has everything we need to avoid temptation and to give us strength to fight the temptation to give in to sin. We have God’s strength backing us up all the way, just as Jesus had in the desert, so we have in our lives.
God wants us to stand up and ask for help. He wants to be able to help us in all circumstances in life, but He is not willing to be taken for granted and used as a tool instead of as a partner. We can draw parallels with our human relationships here – nobody wants to be taken for granted and nobody wants to feel like they are being used... so why should we expect God to be any different...
The big difference in that God has continued to offer His help and support throughout time. He continues to tell us He is here for us and how much He wants to support us in dire times... all we need to do is to ask in the first place!
Points to Ponder:
How do you cope with relationships?
How do you treat Christ in your life?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 918
February 6: Ephesians 4:17-19
Key Verse: Ephesians 4:18
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Devotion:
How many times have you been told to change the way you are? Maybe you were told at school you would never amount to anything unless you changed your ways... Maybe your parents told you things would get bad unless you changed your ways... What have you done about it? What is it going to take for you to change your ways?
None of us like to be told we have to change our ways because we feel safe with things we know. We want to continue to feel safe, so we stick with what we do know and not the unknown. But when someone else tells us something different is what is required, we get scared and back away from them...
Jesus wants us to pick up His ways so we have a better chance at living the life God wants us to live. This is going to mean turning away from our old ways and embracing new ways which can be scary and we tend to back away from that. But when God tries to encourage us to change to His ways, He is doing so to make our lives better – not to try and make us scared!
God knows what is best for each one of us and allowed Jesus to come to earth and share those ways directly with us. Jesus in turn shared those ways with the disciples and encouraged them to pass them on to all of us, Jews and Gentiles alike. The warning was most stark for the Gentiles because they had entrenched themselves in a way of living which was far from what God wanted. The Jews were a bit closer, but they still had a lot to learn too. Let us embrace what God is sharing with us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get scared of change?
Will you have a look at God’s ways through Jesus?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 878
February 5: Matthew 6:11-13
Key Verse: Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Devotion:
As each of us continues to read or hear God’s Word, we need to apply it into our lives, not just in deed, but from and through our hearts. This means doing things God wishes in your life because you want to do it, because you want to please God and bring glory to His Holy Name!
One of the greatest ways we can do this is to forgive people just as God forgives us. We know we are guilty and we know what we have done in our lives – each of us knows deep in our hearts we are guilty of many things. Yet God was willing to allow His Son to take on the punishment for our sins, for our wrong-doings, so He can forgive us through the blood of Christ – our sacrifice.
If God was willing to do that for us even before we knew Him, then we should be willing to forgive those we know and those we are yet to meet. Just think how much joy and peace could be in this world if we were all willing to forgive; not just for the little things we do wrong, but for the big things too! Nothing is too great for God to forgive apart from consistent and recurring disbelief – even after we have been given the truth.
Accept God’s Word as the truth it is. Accept God as the one true God. Accept Christ Jesus as your own personal sacrifice God has accepted so we can be forgiven for the things we are holding deep in our hearts. God has set us free, but we need to accept that freedom and release it into the world by sharing it with the people around us. Forgive someone...
Points to Ponder:
Who have you blamed in the past for things you have done?
Do you know Jesus willingly accepted the punishment for that already?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 956
February 4: Matthew 6:16-18
Key Verse: Matthew 6:18
so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Devotion:
How many churches or gatherings have you been to where the leader has gone overboard with the theatrics to try and emphasise a point? Very subjective and leading question... because we all have differing view of what is acceptable and what we need to encourage us. But God has warned us against using theatrics for our own gain as opposed to for God’s glory... which greys the line even more!
It is not so much the use of theatrics or overt ways, but the reason for using such ways. Are we using it to build up ourselves or to glorify God? I’m afraid the answer goes both ways because we do find people who are using theatrics and advertising, not to promote God, but to promote themselves!
God should get all the glory in what we do and what we say. Just because we are going to fast does not mean we have to tell everyone what we are going to do. If we are telling them to try and encourage them to join you, then that is different; but doing it to make yourself look better is not promoting God and His ways!
God will see you whatever you are doing and wherever you are doing it. You don’t have to put it all over social media to get lots of likes and shares – that is simply building yourself up. Doing it because you share those view is different. Allow God to reward you in ways He wants to reward you – don't try and force His hand because you get more shares and likes!
Points to Ponder:
Do you share your faith with others?
Why do you share your faith with others?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 1018
February 3: Mark 5:35-43
Key Verse: Mark 5:36
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Devotion:
We accept death as something final from which there is no return, so the people in these verses were not ready for what Jesus was about to do... Jesus wanted them to see the power of God in a way they had not seen before – His comment to them before the miracle was to simply believe!
We have God’s Word we only have to believe in order to be saved. We have His Word we are able to pray to Him and ask anything through Jesus’ name. We have God’s Word! Let that sink in a bit after reading these verses. God can do anything, and we have His Word saying he wants us to simply believe in what we are praying for.
The people here thought it was too late because the girl had already died. That was the end in their minds and all they could do now was to pray for comfort and mourn the death of this girl; or at least that is what they imagined! But Jesus knew what was possible through God and through believing what God can do.
After having gone through the death of both my parents now (but I still have an amazing mother-in-law) I know the finality of physical death, but I also know the peace and comfort which can follow because both my parents believed in Christ and knew they would be with Him in Heaven after their physical bodies gave up on them. The doctors and nurses around both of them had done amazing work to keep them alive after they should have died, but only Christ could give them eternal life because it was their time to join Him in heaven.
Points to Ponder:
How much faith do you place in Christ’s hands?
Will you stop being afraid and simply believe?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 942
February 2: Luke 2:25-35
Key Verse: Luke 2:27
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Devotion:
There are some things we meet in life which we know are the truth and we accept them without question. There are other things we know to be untrue and yet they stick with us and upset us again and again. Simeon knew He would not die until after he had witnessed the Messiah with his own eyes and this was that day. He was not told by a big announcement Jesus was coming but was led by the Spirit to come to the temple at that time.
God continues to talk to us and try to persuade us to be at the right place at the right time; whether we listen and obey or continue on in our busy lives is another thing. God wants us to try to be aware of the Holy Spirit at all times and to listen for those small prompts to be at the right place at the right time. He has many things planned for each of us and some of those will be amazing times.
Some will announce an end to something you love doing; I loved being in London serving the local community and I truly miss being there – especially in these dire Covid times, but God has a plan. Simeon knew this was something very special but knew it was a signal for the end. His warning to Mary was also very unsettling. She was warned her heart would be pierced in the future.
God does not say we will have a life without sorry or pain but we will have the comfort of knowing we know Jesus personally and we have a home with Him in Heaven when the time comes. What goes on here on earth before that time may be hard to handle or to accept; we simply need to look to the future!
Points to Ponder:
What hardships have you faced last month?
Are you looking forward to what God can do this month?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 914
February 1: James 1:19-27
Key Verse: James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Devotion:
How often do or have you zoned out whilst in a class or lecture? One of my failings is allowing my mind to wander when I should be concentrating on listening or reading; my mind wanders off on a tangent and I lose an hour when I begin to come back to what I should be doing!
God does not want us to listen “blindly” to what is being said or what is in our bibles. God wants us to apply what we hear and read into our lives so we can become better people. God wants us to read or listen with intent – to discern what we are hearing or reading and then to make a conscious effort to apply what we learn into our lives!
If we take a recipe and follow the words exactly, there is a good chance we will get a good meal in the end; but if the recipe does not list everything exactly as required, then it may be hit-and-miss as to whether we do get something god in the end. This is where experience and advice from others comes in – if we try to make our own rules, things may not work as expected, but when we follow advice from others who have been there, and discern this is good advice, then we will have better luck.
So, when you read your bible verses today. Don't just skip over them and then expect me to give you all of the information required – there is no way I can expand enough in these short devotionals for you to get the very best wisdom. God wants us to go through His word, take on board what others are saying and then go to Him for an insight delivered to you by the Holy Spirit!
Points to Ponder:
How well do you read God’s Word?
How well do you meditate on God’s Word?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 901
January 31: Proverbs 13:16-17
Key Verse: Proverbs 13:17
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
Devotion:
I have always been taught it is best to live with the truth all the time because when you try to deceive others, that deceit will be found out one way or another. The longer you try to hide the lies, the more stress you bring upon yourself and the more likely you are to slip up and let people know what you are hiding!
That being said, so many people do try to hide behind lies – far more people than you realise, including ourselves. We do like to expand on the truth and bend the truth, but this is only bringing deceit into our lives and there is no long-term solution for deceit! So much so, when we find someone who is always willing to tell the truth and share the truth, we find it a pleasure to be around them... unless we are trying to hide the truth in which case we get found out!
When we know this, we should be acting to expose the truth always and to be willing to share that truth with everyone around us. The more we see the positive side of the truth, the more we learn it is the best answer and we turn toward having the truth in our lives. The more we do that, the more others get to share the truth and the more they are willing to live in the light of the truth as well!
God wants us to continue sharing the light – His light, brought to us by Jesus Christ and continuing with the Holy Spirit every day. The more we share this light, the more others will see how pleasing it is to be in the light and they too will shy away from the darkness. It’s Sunday – share the truth with someone else today, be it your own life or the life of Christ, be willing to tell the truth!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you think you bend the truth?
Will you try to express truthful things today?