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Daily Devotion June 21st

SUNDAY 21st

Romans 8:14-17

Accepted and Included

On resurrection morning we read some of the best news that the world has ever heard, it is found in Luke 24:5-6  ‘And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee . . .’ If we go to John’s gospel and chapter 20 we read of another statement that was made at the tomb which is also significant and important news John 20:17 ‘Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

Did you catch the good news? Jesus is saying that his Father was now also Mary’s Father and that his God was now also Mary’s God and he included the disciples in the good news.

The work of redemption not only saves us and brings forgiveness and reconciliation but it also brings us into the privileged position of being accepted or adopted into Gods family as his sons and daughters, the God who we were estranged from because of our sin and iniquity is now our God and our Father and he calls us his children. He includes us in his family. Revelation 20 tells us about a book called the book of life, it is a record of all who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but for a moment think of it this way, it is a book that records all that have been accepted and included into the family of God, the household of faith. It is a family record, is your name included?

The modern translations miss out something that is found in the KJV in Ephesians 1:6 ‘To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.’

We are only accepted by God through our being positioned in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are positioned or placed in Christ through the new birth experience. Outside of being in Christ all mankind is hopelessly lost and will in the final analysis be banished eternally from his presence. Our being positioned in Christ is an incredible place to be, it is the place in which we are brought near to the very presence of and to the heart of God.

Ephesians chapter 2 which we have come to many times during these lockdown devotions is a great chapter in that it helps us to understand the whole idea of our being included in the purposes of God because of and through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember what it says in verses 11-13 ‘Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands — remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . .’

As Gentiles unbelievers we were separated from, without hope, and without God. Earlier in the chapter Paul reminds us that we were dead, following the course of this world, living in the passions of the flesh and were children of wrath. But v4 gives an amazing BUT, ‘But God’, through his grace and mercy and through the redemptive work of Christ has reached out to us and has accepted us and included us in all that he has purposed to do. Because we have been accepted and included, we have access in one Spirit to the Father, we are no longer strangers and aliens but are now included as fellow citizen with the saints and members of the household of God.  (verses 17-19)

It almost impossible for me to put into words what I want to be saying today, I trust that what I have said will cause us to rejoice again and to have hearts that are full of appreciation for what God has done in Christ Jesus to bring us back into his family and into his household, we are children of God. I will close with some verses of Scripture.

Romans 8:14-17 ‘For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.’

Galatians 4:4-7 ‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.’

Galatians 3:25-26 ‘But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.’

I’m accepted, I’m forgiven

I am fathered by the true and living God

I’m accepted, no condemnation

I am loved by the true and living God

There’s no guilt or fear as I draw near

To the Saviour and Creator of the world

There is joy and peace

As I release my worship to You, O Lord

© 1985 Kingsway Thankyou Music CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 20th

SATURDAY 20th

Romans 5:1-11

Today we will look at the word Reconciled.

Reconciliation is an important aspect of salvation, for on the cross Jesus was not only taking our place, taking our sin and the punishment for the sin, he also as we learned yesterday bore on himself the wrath of God toward that sin on our behalf bringing us forgiveness, appeasement and the hope of eternal life. At the same time, he was at work to bring about reconciliation, the act of reconciling us back to God.

You will have to forgive me if I am repeating anything that I have shared in previous devotions, but at the end of the day the whole wonder of our salvation is worth repeating time and time again. Sometimes we need to get back to the basics of grasping again a fuller and hopefully richer understanding of all that God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

Back in the garden of Eden, man was banished from the presence of God because of a tree (Genesis 3:8, 22-24) the banishment meant becoming alienated from God, remember that Scripture says that before the fall, God would come down in the cool of the evening (Genesis 3:8) and spend time in fellowship with Adam and Eve, but after the fall they became lost in the big wide open world.

But there was another tree, at a place called Calvary, a tree which welcomes us back into the presence of God, no longer banished or alienated but reconciled.

Aside from the cross, the story of the prodigal or lost son in Luke 15 portrays a picture of reconciliation. We know it well the son was estranged from the family because of his own selfish ambition and desire. He looked out and thought the grass was greener. He left the safety of the homestead and the loving atmosphere of the home to do his own thing. He squandered not just his possessions but his very life until he came to his senses and was wanting to return as a slave, but the father welcomed him as a son again. He expected to be in the servant’s quarters but was reconciled back into sonship and into the homestead. Reconciliation led to restoration in position and relationship.

Although Ephesians chapter 2 does not use the words reconciled, reconciliation or reconcile it covers the theme. Ephesians 2:12-13 ‘. . . remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . .’

We also have 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 ‘From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’

We who were exiled, alienated from God, cut off because of our sin and iniquity, in Christ have been reconciled and welcomed into the family of God and we can call him our Father. We are no longer slaves to sin, but we have become sons and daughters of the living God. This takes us to our third and fourth words which are accepted and included which we will look at tomorrow.

Reconciled, I’m reconciled

I’m reconciled to God for ever

Know he took away my sin

I know his love will leave me never

Reconciled, I am his child

I know it was on me he smiled

I’m reconciled, I’m reconciled to God

Justified, I’m justified

It’s just as if I’d never sinned

And once I knew such guilty fear

But now I know his peace within me

Justified, I’m justified

It’s all because my Jesus died

I’m justified, I’m justified by God

Magnify, I’ll magnify

I’ll magnify his name for ever

Wear the robe of righteousness

And bless the name of Jesus, Saviour

Magnify the one who died

The one who reigns for me on high

I’ll magnify, I’ll magnify my God

CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 19th

FRIDAY 19th

Hebrews 9:11-28

Continued from yesterday. Yesterday we looked at we have been saved, today we continue with We are being saved.

Once we have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we are still living in the hostile sinful world, the enemy of our souls would love to drag us back, pull us back into his kingdom of darkness. We are reminded by Peter that the devil is going around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour – (1 Peter 5:8) Peter is writing to believer’s; therefore, he is warning believers. Let us remind ourselves today the devil would love to distract and divert us in our walk of faith, he would love us to deviate and eventually to get us back onto the road that leads to destruction. Peter continues that the believers needed to ‘resist him’. As we have been saved, so we will continue to be being saved as we continue to resist the devil and walk faithfully in our new-found lives as believers or followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God that the Scripture reminds us that as we walk in this hostile world, as we become determined in our hearts to persevere in the struggles of life and in our ongoing relationship with Jesus that he is able to keep us, to prevent us from falling away. Jude 1:24-25 ‘Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.’ In verse 21 Jude has told the believers ‘keep yourselves in the love of God’

I appreciate that on this matter there are two camps, those who believe once saved always saved and those who believe in the possibility of backsliding or falling away. Whatever our position, let us remind ourselves that the Scripture has many references to our need to be watchful, of the need to persevere, and of the need to keep our focus upon Jesus and the finishing line.

We will be saved. Hebrews 9:28 ‘. . . so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.’

One day the race will be over, whether it be through natural death or as a result of the Lords return, and at that moment we who have been saved and who have been kept will be saved throughout eternity, safe as we often say ‘in the arms of Jesus’ or ‘in the presence of Jesus’. Reminding ourselves again of what Jude said, ‘presented blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy’ (Jude 1:24) What a day that is going to be, the day when we finally stand in the presence of Almighty God, the day when we at last will see with our own eyes the Lamb that had been slain, our wonderful and beautiful Saviour, the day when we will gather around the throne with all the redeemed of the Lord and sing out ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’, when we will lift our voices together and sing with those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb from every tribe and language and people and nations, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing’.

What a day, glorious day that will be.

Will you be there?

The same Scripture that reveal to us God’s wonderful plan of redemption also warn us of the dreadful fate of those who have refused to believe, who do not know the wonder of this great redemption story, of those who have rejected it and spurned the incredible and amazing love of God. It says that as we who have believed will be rejoicing in our full and complete salvation, those who have rejected God’s mercy and grace, whose names will not be found in the Lambs book of life will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire. Heaven is real, but sadly so also is Hell. Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart but come by faith and believe and accept God’s offer of grace and mercy as he has shown it though the sacrificial death of his Son at Calvary. God loves you, God has died for you, was raised for you and he waits with his arms open wide to welcome you.

One final Scripture, it precedes the verse I commenced this little section with in Hebrews 9:27 ‘And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment . . .’

There is coming a day,

When no heart aches shall come,

No more clouds in the sky,

No more tears to dim the eye,

All is peace forever more,

On that happy golden shore,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

There’ll be no sorrow there,

No more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain,

No more parting over there;

And forever I will be,

With the One who died for me,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

Jim Hill CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 18th

THURSDAY 18th

John 3:1-16

We continue to look at our word study on ‘saved’.

To have been saved means that we must have been saved from something and today we will consider three aspects of our being saved and of what we have been saved from and saved to.

We will look at it in this way, we have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved.

We have been saved. In John chapter three, we have the account of Nicodemus coming by night to have a chat with Jesus, it was an important conversation, for it came out from Nicodemus’ declaration that he believed that Jesus had come from God (v2) This means that Nicodemus must have understood something about the reality of the true and the living God and of there being a place where God existed for he accepted that Jesus had come from where God was. Jesus immediately responds by saying that no one can get to where God is unless they are born again.

Today we use the words ‘born again’ to describe our experience of being saved, the moment when we are ‘born again’ or ‘saved’ is also the moment when we have become a ‘new creation’ or ‘Christian’, a ‘follower of the Lord Jesus Christ’.

In Acts 16 the jailor asked Paul and Silas, ‘What must I do to be saved’ and they replied with ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved . . .’ (Acts 16:31) Earlier in Acts on the Day of Pentecost, the crowds asked ‘What shall we do?’ and Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised . . .’ (Acts 2:38)

When we are ‘saved’, as a result of the confession of our sin and our acceptance of our need of a Saviour and of our belief in Jesus as being the Saviour, we are forgiven – that is every sin that we have committed up to that point is forgiven, Scripture says it is blotted out. Acts 3:19 ‘Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.’  God removes it from us as far away as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 ‘. . .as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.’ This can only happen because Jesus when he went to the cross took upon himself our sins and bore the punishment for them on our behalf and faced the wrath of God toward that sin for us and as a result we have a new clean start, we have become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have been saved from our past sin, the punishment for that sin and the wrath of God toward that sin (Romans 5:9) and we have been saved to become the children of God, part of the blood washed community who make up the Church, the family or the household of God.(Ephesians 2:19) We will have been brought from out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of the Son of God.

Scripture says that at the moment of new birth, we have become justified (Romans 5:1) that is declared righteous before a holy God and the work of sanctification commences which makes us to become more like Christ as we proceed on our journey of faith. As we continue with the other letters in the word ‘Saviour’ we will learn more of the results of our being saved.

We will continue tomorrow.

There is power in the name of Jesus

We believe in His name

We have called on the name of Jesus

We are saved! We are saved!

At His name the demons flee

At His name captives are freed

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus!

There is power in the name of Jesus

Like a sword in our hands

We declare in the name of Jesus

We shall stand! We shall stand!

At His name God’s enemies

Shall be crushed beneath our feet

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus!

© 1989 Kingsway Thankyou Music CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 17th

WEDNESDAY 17th

Ephesians 2:1-9

Ephesians 2:8 ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God . . .’

Today and tomorrow we are taking the S from the word Saviour and looking at our being saved.

I wonder what the word saved conjures up in your mind thinking outside of the realm of spiritual salvation. I am sure we have all heard stories or accounts of individuals or groups that have been in some kind of dilemma and as a result of effort by others they have been saved from out of the dilemma they were in. Thinking back to 2010, when the story became known world-wide of the 33 miners trapped in the mine in Chile and the huge effort that went into planning a rescue mission to get to them and to save them. What about an individual who may have fallen into the sea and the great work that the RNLI do whatever the weather conditions to go out to rescue and save?

Spiritually we all needed saving, we were all lost, we were all trapped in the pit of sin, we were drowning in our sinfulness, hopeless and helpless, we were heading to Hell and separated from God for eternity. We need to remind ourselves hell is a real place, the lake of fire is a real place, eternal separation from God in that awful place is a future reality for all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:11-15) But thank God that he is in the business of saving, of rescuing the lost and hopeless sinner. And he put a plan into place, a rescue mission, which involved sending a Saviour into the hostile environment of this world to put the plan into action and to bring it through to completion.

As a result of this rescue mission those of us who have accepted Jesus as Saviour can say that we are saved. Repeat these words ‘I am saved’ what a wonderful declaration to be able to make. Imagine the euphoria, excitement, joy, and appreciation that the Chilean miners had as each one was finally rescued. Such should be the experience of each one of us who have been saved by Gods wonderful grace, not just for time but for eternity.

Here are some Scriptures that refer to us as being saved and we will continue the theme tomorrow.

John 10:9 (Jesus said) ‘I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’

Acts 2:21 ‘And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Acts 4:12 ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’

Acts 16:30-31 ‘Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’

Romans 5:10 ‘For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.’

Romans 10:9-13 ‘. . . because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

1 Corinthians 1:18 ‘For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’

1 Corinthians 1:21 ‘For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.’

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow’r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin’s degradation,

Jesus came down to bring me salvation,

Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,

Now I belong to Him;

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,

Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me

His precious blood, He came to redeem,

Now I belong to Him;

Norman Clayton CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 16th

TUESDAY 16th

In the few months before we left North Wales, I had taken the Church in Rhyl through some studies using a white board and illustrations by taking the letters that make up the word SAVIOUR to discover truth about our wonderful redemption. I am going to adapt these into the devotions for the next few days. The words are listed below and in brackets the order we will look at them

Saved  (1)

Accepted  (3)

Victorious  (7)

Included  (4)

Ordered  (6)

Unique  (5)

Reconciled  (2)

I wonder how many of us remember this song ‘I have such a wonderful Saviour . . . everybody should know, everybody should know, I have such a wonderful Saviour that everybody should know.’

Pause again for a moment . . . those of us who know him, this wonderful Saviour, give thanks with a grateful heart that you are receiving the many blessings and benefits of salvation. At the same time there may be someone reading this devotion on-line or in some other way and at this moment in time you cannot specifically say that you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, you cannot look back to a moment in time when you realised you were a sinner who needed saving and that Jesus was the one who came to be the Saviour that you needed. Today, come before him in repentance, acknowledge your sin, confess it before him and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life, to save you, forgive you and to transform you into a new person, born again and washed clean through his precious blood. The Scripture says that we need to accept Jesus and to confess Jesus with our mouths,* if you have come to the place of salvation today, tell someone about it, let them know that you have put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

* Romans 10:9-13 ‘Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

This is a short devotion, but I want to leave it here, for those of us who already have chosen to accept Jesus, maybe today can be a day for a re-commitment, not because we have backslidden, but a day in which we will draw closer to God, with a greater appreciation of what he has done for us in Christ Jesus.

We end with the words of the song already mentioned.

I have such a wonderful Saviour,

Who helps me wherever I go,

That I must be telling His goodness

That everybody should know.

Everybody should know,

Everybody should know;

I have such a wonderful Saviour,

That everybody should know.

His mercy and love is unbounded,

His rivers of grace overflow;

Yes, He is ‘the Chief of ten-thousand’

That everybody should know.

He helps me when trials surround me,

His love and His goodness to show;

How can I but love and adore Him

That everybody should know.

My life and my love I will give Him,

And faithfully serve Him below,

Who brought me His wondrous salvation,

That everybody should know.

Mrs Frank A Beck CCLI788682

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Daily Devotions June 15th

MONDAY 15th

Ephesians Chapter 1

Ephesians 1:3 ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places’

Over the weeks that I have been preparing the devotions, I have touched on this verse as it is a reminder to us as the children of God that we are a blessed people. God has blessed us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole realm of redemption is God at work through Christ to redeem and to reconcile mankind back to himself. Christ’s coming into the world and dying on the cross and rising again was God’s way of undoing or reversing the fall that happened way back in the Garden of Eden. Back then in that garden our fore-parents Adam and Eve, disobeyed Gods commandment, but Christ came and he in his garden experience chose to say ‘Not my will, but your will be done’ and he went in obedience the way of the cross to redeem all who would come to believe in him. I have also touched on a few occasions on the second chapter of Ephesians which show to us the then and now, what we were and what we have become as a result of believing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are all different as individuals, my story will be different to your story, what you were like before you were saved will be different to what I was like before I was saved except that we were all sinners, lost and hopeless, as the Scripture says, born in sin and our own righteousness was like filthy rags. But as the one song writer puts it, Jesus came along and he touched me, I have never been the same, touched me by his mighty power, glory to his matchless name, my life was filled with so much confusion, my life was filled with sin and shame, but Jesus came along and he touched me,  I have never been the same. In the words of another song that I have previously mentioned, ‘He touched me, he touched me and oh the joy that filled my soul, something happened, and now I know, he touched me, and made me whole.’

We who have been born again have been changed, transformed because we have been touched by the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. For me, the moment I was born again took place 51 years ago, what about you, regardless of how long ago the moment may have been I trust we are still rejoicing and excited about the fact that we are saved, that we have become the redeemed of the Lord, members of the family of God. Has the joy that filled your soul on that momentous day remained?

In Ephesians chapter one, Paul lists many of the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus, it is a good exercise to go through the chapter verse by verse, maybe spend some time during this week doing this and as you go through it be reminded of the blessings and the privilege position we are in as believers, allow the excitement and joy that redemption should bring to you fill your heart and soul again. Let us get excited again about who and what we are in Christ Jesus.

I cannot count Your blessings Lord they’re wonderful

I can’t begin to measure Your great love

I cannot count the times You have forgiven me

And changed me by Your Spirit from above

How I worship You my Father

You are wonderful how I glorify You

Jesus You’re my Lord

How I praise You Holy Spirit

You have changed my life

And You’re now at work in me

To change the world

When I was blind You opened up my eyes to see

When I was dead You gave me life anew

When I was lost You found me and You rescued me

And carried me rejoicing home with You

I cannot count Your mercies Lord they’re marvellous

I can’t begin to measure Your great grace

I cannot count the times that You have answered me

Whenever I have prayed and sought Your face

Whenever I consider what I am to You

My heart is filled with wonder love and awe

I want to share with others that You love them too

And tell the world of Jesus more and more

© 1988 Thankyou Music CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 14th

SUNDAY 14th

Ephesians 2

Two weeks ago, I shared via video these thoughts which I had prepared as a devotion for today, with the hope that we will soon be able to gather again. We are still having to wait patiently, continue to pray that this will soon be able to happen,

In Ephesians verses 19-22 we read ‘So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.’

Isn’t it wonderful to know that because of what God has done for us we are being built together or knitted together as a body of people, in particular in our local church setting as Emmanuel Pentecostal Church but also into the universal body of Christ, the Church which he is building.

As you are aware, we are living temporarily with Nicola and Cameron, while we wait for our house to be completed. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until the lockdown commenced and the building work was suspended. This means that instead of completing in mid-May, it has been moved on to at least late July or into August. Building was supposed to have recommenced sometime mid-May, but we have since discovered it started on site just this week 9th June.

The lockdown has affected life in so many different way, especially for us as Church meaning that we cannot gather together, but the good news is that while the lockdown has been happening and the building of homes has been suspended the Lord Jesus Christ has continued with his building programme, he hasn’t stopped, the heavenly Father hasn’t furloughed him!

The Church is not able to gather, but it does not mean the building of it has to stop. In Matthew 16 when Jesus said he would build his Church he declared that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it, that is, they would not prevent it from happening. The gates of Hell, can mean anything that would seek to obstruct its progress and growth, and the Pandemic is something that the Devil would love to use to seek to disrupt the Church and the building of it. But the good news is that although Church can’t gather, so much is happening through media and technology that is helping to continue the building and growth of the Church and we thank God for all the different methods and means being used. The gates of hell will not prevail.

But the day is coming when the Pandemic will pass, and the restrictions will be lifted, partially lifted at first until eventually we can return to being gathered Church as God intended. What has been happening over the last few months as good as it may seem to be with on-line church etc, must not become the new normal, it must only be seen as a temporary measure while we heed the advice given by those in authority.

I have heard and read statements that folk are saying how wonderful that Church is finally being what it is meant to be, outside of the four walls of a building, actually that is not entirely true, for true Church is a gathered church. It is reflected in the image given in Scripture of a body, joined-together not dislocated. And however good an on-line service might be it is not truly gathered Church. What is happening at this moment is like a stop gap, making the most or the best out of our present situation – and we thank God for the way that he is blessing the efforts of Churches at this time, but Church is supposed to be gathered, together, not isolated in our living rooms watching a screen but being united not just spiritually but physically together in fellowship.

It is essential that as a result of this extended period of time when we have not been coming together that we do not become complacent thinking that we don’t need Church gatherings, or that instead of getting up and going to our local Church we will search for an on-line service which we can just watch at leisure while still even perhaps doing other things at the same time or even switching off if we are not enjoying!

Gathered Church is where we come together to shut ourselves in as it were from everything else that would distract us to draw near to the presence of God in corporate worship and praise.

Gathered Church is essential, as I’ve already mentioned, on-line church must not become in the words of the phrase that is being used so often today ‘the new norm’ for it can never do for us spiritually what gathered Church can do, for that is the place where we see each other, we bless each other, we encourage each-other and we seek to build each other up. There is something about togetherness that isolation cannot do.

Gathered Church is also a place of accountability, it is the place whereby we can measure our spiritual growth, it is the place where we can be seen to be still participating in the life of Christ, it is the place where the shepherd or pastor can more easily look over the flock and seek to minister to the individual or to the collective need.

Gathered Church is the place where we should be seeking to take communion together, where we should be seeking to pray together and where we should be instructed or taught together and is of course the place where we have fellowship together.

I would guess that during this time of restriction and isolation, we would all list at the top the one thing we have missed most is not being able to go to visit family, not being able to see parents, children, grand-children and friends. One of the first things we will want to do is to go and see them if they live local enough! In the same way we should be missing our spiritual family, and we should be eager in our hearts if we truly care for one another to be able to meet again, to gather again as gathered Church as the family of God in Emmanuel Pentecostal Church.

In Scripture we see in Acts 2:42 that the early believers came together for prayer, fellowship, the breaking of bread and for prayer, Acts 3 tells us that Peter and John were going up to the temple for the hour of prayer, in Acts 4 after the authorities had forbidden Peter and John to teach the name of Jesus, they went to the other believers and they prayed together. In Acts 16 Paul went down to the riverside because he heard that there would be a gathered group meeting for prayer. In 1 Corinthians 16 Paul mentions the churches, he doesn’t use Church which represents the whole universal body but uses the word churches indicating that he saw the need for the Church to be gathered in groups as churches, local churches in a set place as a community of believers.

Obviously we see the gatherings in Scripture took place in various places, homes, temple, outside, today, we should value and appreciate that we have the freedom in this country at the moment to be able to have buildings, yes we may call them church buildings, but they are buildings where the church can gather together, a place where we gather for all the reasons I have mentioned above, and from that place whatever we may call it, to be able to reach out into the community with whatever God may have called the local church to do.

We are a sea of voices

We are an ocean of your praise

Gathered under one name

We are a tide that’s rising

And we cannot be contained

Gathered under one name

O for a thousand tongues to sing

The glories of our Lord, God Almighty

O to sing the Saviour’s praise

The triumph of His grace

You are worthy

You are worthy God

We have found our anthem

At the cross where sin was slain

Gathered under one name

Where every chain is broken

Every sorrow swept away

Gathered under one name

O for a thousand tongues to sing

The glories of our Lord, God Almighty

O to sing the Saviour’s praise

The triumph of His grace

You are worthy

You are worthy God

With all heaven sing

And all earth below

One holy King

One highest throne

Vertical Worship CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 13th

SATURDAY 13th

Hebrews 11:7. Genesis 6:1-22

Noah – Faith in isolation

By the time we get to Genesis 6 it is easy to think that it’s not many years after creation, as it is only a few chapters on, but the reality is that by the time we get to Noah it is already one thousand six hundred and sixty years since creation and the whole world, that is all of humanity was deemed corrupt except for one man called Noah.

One of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Church is concerning the utter depravity of human nature, and the need for repentance and the eternal punishment of those who do not believe. The utter depravity of human nature is summed up by Paul in Romans 3:22-23 ‘For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ and in Romans chapter 1:18-32, this means that mankind in the 21st century is still in the same boat, utterly depraved. God has a standard and not one of us stand up to it.  Isaiah 64:6 ‘We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.’  

 And we see this depravity all around us and yet as we see things as being as bad as they are today, and they are, utter depravity was absolutely manifested everywhere when Paul wrote what he wrote in his letter and was also most certainly applicable to Noah’s day. Gen 6:5. In fact, as we saw concerning Cain and Abel mankind was depraved immediately after their parents had sinned. Beside the  words ‘utter depravity’ we use the words ‘the inherent nature of sin’ which means that we are all born sinners, they are both correct, but on its own the phrase ‘the inherent nature of sin’ does not describe how utterly depraved the sin nature is. We need to talk of both the inherent nature of sin, and the utter depravity of human nature because of sin. We are born in sin, and shapen in iniquity and live as vile hopeless sinners outside of the grace of God. Psalm 51:5 ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ Romans 3:9-11 ‘What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.’  

Noah was also born in sin, but something must have taken place in his life that changed him, that made him different from everybody else for God to declare what he said about him. Sometime in his life, Noah must have had a personal encounter with God, which to use NT terminology, made him into a ‘new creation’ for v9 says  ‘Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God!

The statement in Genesis 6:5 says ‘The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,’ whatever the population of the world was at that time, Noah was the only one of whom it is said, ‘found favour’ in the eyes of God! (v8) It was Noah’s great, grandfather, Enoch, we considered in our last two devotions and of him it was also said ‘He walked with God.’ I wonder what happened to the two generation in between them.

And because of who Noah was, or more because of what he had become in comparison to the rest of his generation God singled him out to be the key participant in what he was about to do. (6:13-22)

And we know the story of Noah and the ark, we could ask, what about Noah’s wife, his three sons and their wives regarding their relationship with God? I suggest that even if the same could not have been said about them beforehand, that after God had called Noah, he out of his love and compassion for his wife and family would have pleaded with them to also come to a place of faith and while the world watched on and mocked his family would join with Noah in preparation for the flood and in anticipation of deliverance from it.

What can we learn from Noah?

Faith allowed him to believe in the unbelievable

Faith led to Salvation

Faith moved him into action

He learned the lesson of Hebrews 11:6 ‘And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him’.

But something else we see should also encourage us, thus my heading for today’s devotion – FAITH IN ISOLATION. Of all the population just Noah, but God saw him, knew about him and came to him in salvation.

PERHAPS you are the ONLY ONE with a personal faith in God in your family, your school, college, university, workplace, your local community, the street where you live. As a result, it may be tough, difficult, it may mean you get mocked, maybe even persecuted, but remember the ones who are going to receive eternal reward are only those who have trusted God, put their faith in Him and see things through.

Can you picture the scene as Noah began to collect the colossal amount of material he needed to build the ark and then to start and build it, the mocking, ridicule, persecution. And then as the day’s past into weeks, months and years till the ark was ready – still the mocking, still the ridiculing and persecution, not a cloud in the sky, brilliant sunshine, but then he begins to load the ark with food, animal, and essentials, still the mocking, the ridicule and the persecution.

But the moment arrives, Noah and his family then enter the ark, GOD himself shuts the door and on that very day, the sunshine disappears as the thick black clouds appear and then the rain arrived, the floods came and those who laughed, mocked and persecuted were blotted from off the face of the earth. God always fulfils his word!

What mixed emotions Noah must have had, although many had mocked him, he would have seen friends and family, fellow companions being washed into a lost eternity.

In Noah’s day the world was drenched in spiritual darkness and yet in the darkness there was a single flicker of light as Noah shone as a lone light in the darkness. And we have been called to shine as light in the darkness. Matthews: 14-16 ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house, in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’

The building of the ark took 120 years, it was well planned and well built. The 120 years speaks of the patience of God, allowing time for the mockers, scoffers and persecutors to repent and the persevering faith of Noah, imagine the sweat, toil, blisters etc. while all the time being ridiculed and mocked.

What a picture of the day of grace, God is waiting patiently for men and

women to be saved. We toil, faithful in service knowing that one day our redemption will be complete, but it also speaks of opportunity, for we have the opportunity and privilege of telling others about Jesus.

2 Peter 2: ‘He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, A HERALD of righteousness.’

Noah built an Ark and it was only within the ark that salvation could be found. He had trusted, his faith was demonstrated in works (building the ark) and he was saved- those who disbelieved him must HAVE HAD SECOND thoughts when the rains came – and they would have WORKED HARD battling against the flood water to be saved from drowning- but too late, works could not save them – ONLY FAITH in God, but they had rejected Him.

Jesus became our NOAH, the only one who was truly righteous before God.

For Noah, the timber made an ark. For us, the timber made a cross and the righteous one went and hung on it for us so that as we believe, his righteousness is imputed to us and we are saved. And because we have come to the cross and found refuge in it, when God pours out his wrath and judgment on this utterly depraved, sinful world we will be saved.

Earlier in the devotion I mentioned that we are all born in sin, but thank God there was one who was born sinless, died sinless and took our sin upon himself, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When the rain came and the floods began to rise, Noah was hidden in the ark, and we who have fled into Jesus are hiding in him, he is our Saviour, he is our protection, he will bring us not to Mount Ararat, but he will land us safely in the place which he has prepared for all who love him.

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,

My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly.

So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be;

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee. 

Hiding in Thee, Hiding in Thee,

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.

In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,

In times when temptation casts o’er me its power,

In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.

How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,

I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe.

How often when trials like sea billows roll

Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.

W O Cushing CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 12th

FRIDAY 12th

The rapture of Enoch – Genesis 4:24 ‘And he was not, for God took him.’

Enoch is the first of only two individuals in Scripture who did not taste death, the other being Elijah where 2 Kings 2 records for us that he was taken up into heaven in a chariot of Fire.

Enoch’s story is a small but beautiful picture of the rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ that is you, me, and all other living believers at his return. The key to Enoch’s rapture was that he walked with God and that he pleased God, and when we enter into the new-born experience, into the life transforming relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ we are called to ‘walk with him’, to ‘walk by faith’ and as a result God is PLEASED with us -not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us. As believers, when God looks at us, he sees us as justified, he sees us as clothed in robes of righteousness, he sees the evidence of the work of redemption, he sees Jesus, therefore he is pleased!

And as Enoch was raptured or taken up so when Jesus comes again all who are alive at the time, and to be found in Christ will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 ‘For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.’

Warren Wiersbe* says of Enoch being taken ‘Enoch had been walking with God for so many years that his transfer to heaven was not even an Interruption.’

Thus, it shall be for us who believe.

The prophecy of Enoch – although there is no account recorded in Genesis, Jude later records in his short epistle that Enoch of old prophesied. Jude 1:14-15 ‘It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’

He was, not only a picture of the rapture but he also prophesied concerning the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The saying or prophecy of Enoch comes from one of the books of the Apocrypha, the book of Enoch. Although the Apocryphal books are not accepted as Scripture, it does not mean that Enoch never said this statement. Within each apocryphal book there is that which is accepted as truth but not accepted as part of the canon of Scripture. For Jude to quote what he has, does not endorse the apocryphal book of Enoch, but does endorse the truthfulness of what is recorded, this must be, for the record of Scripture itself is true! Sources suggest that although Enoch himself never wrote the book, tradition that had been handed down, was recalled, and has recorded what he said. And what he said is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture, Christ will come again.

But to conclude with Enoch, by faith Enoch walked with God, Enoch pleased God, and God took him.

May we ensure that we are walking in a way that is pleasing God in readiness for the arrival of the King of Glory, who will come again to take up to be with himself those who are to be found to be waiting in Christ.

*Preaching the Word Series

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

When the roll, is called up yon-der

When the roll, is called up yon-der

When the roll, is called up yon-der

When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there

On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise

And the glory of His resurrection share

When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun

Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care

Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there