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May 8: Luke 10:8-12
Key Verse: Luke 10:9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Devotion:
When Jesus wanted people to go and tell others the gospel He picked about 6 dozen people to go and reach out to others – but it is interesting how He sent them out. He did not send them out as evangelists who would try to convince everyone as quickly as possible but asked them to go out peaceably and to find the people of peace in the communities. Reaching out to the people who are known as the ones who others look up to in spiritual ways is so very important!
We often think of the ways in which we can reach others and make plans for wonderful mass gatherings or praise parties where we can all jump about and praise God as loud as we can, but most often the way to reach a community is by going there and becoming a part of that community first of all. Joining in with the people of peace in the community allows us to become part of that community – that is when and where we can make a big difference, just by being there and showing people how we live!
When I look back at some of the townships back in Zimbabwe I remember places which did not seem to have much hope. Yes there were a few people there who had hope and they tried to allow others to see it, but because of the noise of the outside world and the racial hatred which had been built up, they were often overlooked or kept quiet.
Jesus is asking us to be like these people He sent out and to go into our communities and raise the banner of hope – allow people to see there is hope and there can be comfort in this time of despair! There were only a couple of times when I was able to go into the townships and just be part of the community rather than being the enemy and I will treasure those moments because they gave me hope of a brighter future.
Points to Ponder:
How dull or bright do you see your community as?
Will you help to switch on the lights and allow hope to come in?
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May 7: Romans 2:12-13
Key Verse: Romans 2:12
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
Devotion:
Why do we have laws? Well, it is our (mankind’s) way of describing what is acceptable and what is not. But if we did not make up laws, then how could we be doing anything wrong? We cannot escape laws! Just because they may not be written down on paper for you, does not make them non-existent. We live with in the natural world and we were given the task of looking after it by God in the beginning – so we are born into a world where natural laws existed before we had our judicial systems in place!
One of the positive things we have seen during this pandemic is the clearing up of the atmosphere, the cleaner air, water and even our streets! When we do give God control of things, we can see just how good He can be! But when we force our self-imposed laws upon God’s creation, we break it so quickly! It is unfortunate that it has taken something so drastic to make us stop and think about our world again – but we have started in the right direction…
It is not so fortunate we have also been exposed to the world-wide corruption of many governments! We see politicians in their true colours as they break all the laws which they are supposed to uphold – we see many telling lies to cover up their ineptitude! But through all of this, there is one who is watching and seeing all of those laws broken – not man’s laws, but His original laws!
I know I am no angel, but I do try to do what is right and I do try to uphold God’s laws. I also know it is not really what I do which will make me righteous in God’s eyes. This passage is not saying we have to work at the laws to be right with God; it is saying we have to do what God has asked us to do and to do it willingly!
Points to Ponder:
Do you know God has asked you to believe in Jesus?
Have you truly accepted Jesus as Saviour?
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May 6: Matthew 7:21-23
Key Verse: Matthew 7:22
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Devotion:
So… have you been following the rules about being safe and staying at home? I’m not sure there are too many people out there who can definitely say they have done exactly what their governments have said because many have bent the rules slightly so they can keep some sort of normality in their life. I know I have bent the rules so I can help others out but one thing I learned at an early age was how to clean my hands properly! My dad was a pharmacist and cleanliness was a big part of the job, some of that actually rubbed off one me!
I know I was not the cleanest of kids and I know I did not clean things as much as I should have until this virus raised its head and boy was I thankful I had remembered some of the simple things to keep myself virus free – so far so good!
But just doing the ‘keep yourself clean’ thing is not going to completely protect me from the virus; I need to do many other things to help! But this is not a lesson on keeping clean, this is a lesson on not counting on your own works to get you to Heaven! These words spoken by Jesus bring it home hard that not everyone is going to get to Heaven. Some may think they have done enough by speaking about Jesus, teaching about Him, leading prayers or whatever… unless they believe in their hearts that Jesus is Saviour and believe the words which Jesus spoke, they may find themselves lacking!
Just because I can clean my hands properly, can take pills and self medicate does not make me a pharmacist! The same applies for Christians. Unless we actually believe in our hearts the words which come out of our mouths – we are not necessarily Christians! I have been in places where I found it very hard to believe the person speaking believed the words coming out of their mouths because they were reading from a well prepared script rather than from their hearts. If I can spot that, Jesus can see right through it!
Points to Ponder:
Do you tell others about Jesus?
What do you believe in your heart?
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May 5: Acts 3:1-10
Key Verse: Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Devotion:
What have you got out of looking at the introduction to the apostolic letters in the bible? I thought about this for a short while and very quickly realised the introductions were centred around making sure people knew God through Jesus. What better passage to choose today than one where the a couple of the disciples are walking up to the temple and come upon the lame beggar who has been put out every day on the way to the temple so he can beg for support from people going to the temple and they do something extraordinary in Jesus’ name!
This makes me think of the beggars who stand at the junctions of major routes around London like the A406 North Circular Road where they clearly spend all of their day placed at the junctions where the traffic builds up and is often at a stand-still. But the difference here is the target audience, for want of a better term. The beggars friends would put him in clear sight of people who have been taught to care for others whereas modern day beggars are typically placed in paths of the wealthy or so called middle class people…
So what was all the fuss? This beggar had been lame from birth – he was born with a condition which prevented him from being able to work so he had no option but to beg for support from people. Can you imagine what went through his head when Peter said these words? What would go through your mind if you were in a similar circumstance? We don’t often think about what people are going through which places them in a position where they are forced to rely on others for their well-being!
This week in North London we see the opening of another Foodbank which is going to help hundreds of people out in these times where so many are fully reliant on others for their well-being! I know what it is like to have nothing and to have to ask others for help. I know what it is like to be very hungry with no food in the cupboards. I ask God to look after me all the time because I know how close I am to having to rely on others; but I fully trust He is able to do things whereby I can continue to work for Him and to help spread the fantastic news of Jesus being our Saviour.
Points to Ponder:
Is there someone you know who desperately needs help?
If you cannot help physically will you stand up and pray for them now?
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May 4: Jude 1:1-2
Key Verse: Jude 1:1
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
Devotion:
How often do you keep in touch with people who move away from you for one reason or another? I assumed when I left my country of birth the people I knew would keep in touch, but was a bit disconcerted to find out they did not. I learned the truth when someone I knew and loved moved away to the other side of the world. Nowadays we have the internet and social media and I find I am able to catch up with many people, but back then we would have to write letters to each other…
When we move away to a very different place or lifestyle, we are effectively starting off again in a new place where we have to find our feet, meet local people and get to know them. They may well be from very different lifestyles to your own and it will probably take a lot of getting used to – you find you have to go above and beyond in many cases to make local friends. This takes time and energy… In many cases we do work and we do not see the results we want to because life is so very different to what we are used to!
So what keeps us going? What is it that makes us keep going when the world around us seems to be falling apart? What gives us the strength to continue in the face of such adversity? Not what but whom! Yes, we have Christ with us and we can gain buckets full of strength and grace to carry on, but we also need a bit of support from others in our lives. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you how very important it is to hear from the people you have left behind, not so you can carry on being the same, but to be different and make a difference locally.
It does not matter what line of work we are in, be it running a hotel, programming computers or being a missionary – hearing from people does inspire you to make that difference you were seeking when you first moved! So what do you do to the people who have moved away from you for various works?
Points to Ponder:
Do you have a friend who moved away to do something for God?
Do you keep in contact with them?
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May 3: 3 John 1:1-4
Key Verse: 3 John 1:1
The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Devotion:
Once again we assume we are reading the words of John, not because he calls himself by name, but because of his loving character. John writes to Gaius, an elder himself whom he met at some stage and who he has grown to love with a deep Christian love. This is a love which I see as being the full care for someone you know, but not just care but full trust and knowledge this is someone you can trust wholly to deliver the true gospel to others.
Can you name one person you know who is a Christian and who does whatever they can to ensure they are telling people the truth as much as the can. I have been fortunate to know quit a few people who do go out of their way to make sure others hear the gospel and get to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. I’m not including the people who continue to tell me how many people they have led to the Lord or those who keep a personal tally – I am talking about those who create and keep loving relationships with the people they know.
During this global pandemic we have seen the results of the people who keep tally rather than truly car about the people they come in contact with. We have seen the results of greed and pride which shine through all the best words and talks to show up true colours of people. Don’t try to fool yourself into believing you can hide your true colours behind pleasing looks or carefully crafted words because God is making sure the truth comes out!
I do love the way John has introduced each of his letters with full love and trust but never forgetting just who is behind that true love and trust – our eternally faithful and loving God! His love for people goes beyond words and is deep set in the real care for the people he has got to know and love through the church. So, today, lift up the people you know and love through the church, lift them up to our loving Saviour and ask Him to wrap His arms around them while we cannot!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think people think of you?
Do you know God wants them to know the real you?
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May 2: 2 John 1:1-3
Key Verse: 2 John 1:2
because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
Devotion:
The letter continues in the same way John seemed to live his life – with open love for all Christians! This is the one thing which unites us in a way nothing else will. We don’t choose our family because they are chosen for us, but when we are willing to open our hearts to that love outside of our normal circle of friends, we open our lives to the love which Christ continues to want for us.
Over this time when we have been locked down and our lives have been turned upside down through things beyond our control, we have learned to love in ways which we had left behind. When we first heard we were going into isolation the world seemed to go mad and the greed of many showed up in ways we had not seen openly before – but that greed had always been there, just in a form we ignored politely!
But as we continue to see the pain other have to endure because of our actions or because of their selfless actions, we begin to understand what this Christian love can be. What we need to do is to link the two together in our hearts and minds – the love for those who need it and the love which Christ is calling us to have. Once we link these together we can look further into our Saviour and the will He has for us in our lives instead of focusing on ourselves in our usual selfish ways!
So today our task is to open up our hearts just a little bit more – something many of us fear because of the bad or sad times we have had to endure when we last opened up our lives to others. Christ taught us we should continue to forgive people who are willing to try again – this is hard when we fear what will happen, but we need to trust in God to guide us on the best path forward with His love at the centre!
Points to Ponder:
Who have you recently ignored because of your hurt?
Will you allow God to give you the love to share with others?
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May 1: 1 John 1:1-4
Key Verse: 1 John 1:2
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
Devotion:
And now for something completely different! Just when I was thinking the beginnings of the letters were starting to be too similar, BAM! Although the author does not write his name down, we can assume this is John because of the way he writes – he includes love for Christ in everything he writes or shares! John is known for his love for Jesus and his recognition of His position as being the Son of God. His reference here to the one who was there from the beginning is clear recognition of Christ.
I think I am a lot like John in how I love the Word of God. All my teachers is the past would testify ho bad I was with reading and remembering anything; but reading my bible is more of a love than a chore! Finding out how much God has done for us over time and seeing how His love extends to the furthest corners of the world inspires me to find out more. I think the first book I read from cover to cover and did not want to put it down was one of a handful of books I have actually read cover to cover (yes, just one hand!) That book was a novel based on the reality of metal fatigue in aircraft -it had me engrossed because I just wanted to know more!
This is the way I find myself with my bible – I want to find out more, I want to see what happen, I want to find the roots of why and I am loving every step I take in reading it – no matter how may times I read it! The more I read, the more I find out and the more my love for it grows. I really do think this is how John felt about finding the truth from Jesus and living it out… it just made sense and explained so much!
John wanted people to know everything he felt and so he writes in a unique style which conveys his love for Christ. I used to find it very difficult to work out my feelings, and still do, so I took to writing stuff down – no on paper, but on computers. Much of what I write never makes it to the open because it gets deleted before anyone sees it, but it helps me to begin to understand myself!
Points to Ponder:
How do you cope with your feelings?
How would you go about sharing your feelings for God?
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April 30: 2 Peter 1:1-2
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Devotion:
How do you regard your faith and your relationship with Christ? Simon Peter starts off this letter by acknowledging the preciousness of his faith in Christ as Saviour and God. If we are not going to be up front with our beliefs then we are not going to pass on our beliefs to many people! One of the things Peter learned the hard way is being honest about God and about Christ, no matter what the circumstances are!
One of the most important lessons I learned as a Christian youth worker was to include young people in the conversation and not to talk at them. As teens go through school they are talked at by many teachers and they switch off to the words coming out of the teachers mouth, just because they are not being included. Mention a name or two and they refocus! But more important than mentioning people’s names when you talk with them is to include them in a conversation…
Peter is doing that here by inviting people to read who have received a faith as precious as his. That’s saying they are part of the same group of Christians and not an after thought or something akin to that! If you are going to talk to someone giving them an insight about Christianity, then talking about Christians as if they are separate from everyone will not win you any friends or ears! But saying something as simple as “as Christians we believe...” will include all Christians and will invite the person in too.
Jesus made sure God was included in discussions by making sure He mentioned God as being The Father or part of Him. There is that personal link being established which would make sure the disciples and other people listening would always think of God when they thought of Him.
Points to Ponder:
Do you talk with people are at them?
Will you talk with others about our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ?
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April 29: 1 Peter 1:1-2
Key Verse: 1 Peter 1:2
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Devotion:
Peter, formerly known as Simon, was given his new name by Jesus because of the foreknowledge Christ had of whom he could and would be. Peter does acknowledge himself with his new name because h was now living a life which was quite different to his former life without Christ. His journey was long and very difficult at times where he would struggle with his feelings and his dedication to Jesus, something I am sure we all struggle with at some time or another.
He addresses this letter to all people scattered across the lands; that is the Jews who had gone beyond their borders and no longer were living the life dictated by the Jewish law-makes. To me this seems to be the people who were disillusioned with the constant need to stick to laws which were centuries old and seemed to have drifted away from what they believed. Peter was probably addressing them to bring them back into the fold, not of law-abiding Jews, but of Messiah believing Jews.
He was quite convinced many people had been chosen by God and now were living their different lives, not because they liked rebellion, but because they were convicted by the Holy Spirit and wanted to b obedient to their Messiah, Jesus Christ. A few years ago I would have said the modern Christian had a similar choice in their lives, whether to follow the church and its rules, or to follow Christ. But I see so many people coming back to living their lives with Christ at the centre that I think the church is growing with a new vigour for Christ.
It is this vigour to have Christ at the centre of our lives which I want to encourage in all of us. Yes, we are probably like Simon-Peter and have gone on the side of humanity rather than siding with Christ when the pressure got too much. Remember Christ at all times. Remember how He encouraged Peter to turn fully back to Him. Remember the new vigour given to Peter and try to be more like him today.
Points to Ponder:
When was the last time you chose earthly ways instead of Christian ways?
Do you know Christ has already forgiven you and wants to strengthen you now?