Category: Devotions

TUESDAY April 16^th

Romans 8:32-34

‘He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.’

These verses are a continuation of what I already considered yesterday, that in Christ, that is of course as we remain in him, that we are eternally secure, for the One who died and who was raised for us, is also interceding for us at the right hand of God.

How can anyone or anything bring any accusation or charge against us that will have even the slightest chance of being upheld, when the One who died for and who was also raised for our justification stands in the presence of God? Well Paul says, nothing, nor no one, for it is God who justifies, and when he has declared the verdict ‘not guilty’, then it stands, it is final. The very presence of Jesus standing as the Lamb who has been slain in the presence of God is a constant and a permanent reminder (not that God needs reminding) that Christ has died and has risen, he has fulfilled what he came to do, therefore for all who come to a believing faith and trust in him, there is therefore now no condemnation.

I want us to read the words of the wonderful hymn by Charles Wesley who understood something of the wonder of this truth in Romans 8:34 that Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for us.

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;

The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears:

Before the throne my surety stands,

Before the throne my surety stands,

My name is written on His hands.

 

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;

His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead:

His blood atoned for all our race,

His blood atoned for all our race,

And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

 

 

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:

“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,

“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,

“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

 

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;

He cannot turn away the presence of His Son;

His Spirit answers to the blood,

His Spirit answers to the blood,

And tells me I am born of God.

 

My God is reconciled; His pard’ning voice I hear;

He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:

With confidence I now draw nigh,

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

MONDAY April 15^th

Romans 8:31

‘What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?’

We quote so many of these verses, but I wonder how often we stop to consider what we are saying, or more particularly what we are declaring as we quote them. This verse comprises of two questions. In fact, verses 31 through to 35 is made up of seven questions, and the answer to each one of them should take us back to the very first verse which to remind us of says ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’.

For those who are in Christ, every sin has been forgiven, every charge that could have been made against us has been dropped, therefore any accusation brought against us cannot and will not stand. We have been justified, our sin has been washed away, we have been cleansed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who as the Lamb of God was without spot and without blemish (1 Peter 1:19).

We need to remind ourselves that God is for us—he has proven it by sending his Son into the world to bring about eternal redemption. When he banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, God could have just washed his hands of them and of all of humanity that would spring from them, but no, because of his everlasting love, he is not only a God of justice, but a God of mercy, he is a God who is full of grace and he had shown his compassion time and time again toward fallen humanity, but none better than at Calvary, where God showed us that he loved us enough to die for us, and not just to die for our sins, but to be raised for our justification, so returning back to verse 1 ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’.

The enemy can throw as many accusations as he likes, they will fall to the ground, he can accuse us in the presence of God as much as he likes, and all he will hear back is God saying, “he or she (insert your name here if you are in Christ) is no longer under condemnation. Throw whatever you like against them, I remind you Satan that I have cast their sin into the depth of the sea (Micah 7:19), in fact try and work this one out Satan, as far as the east is from the west, that is how far I have removed their transgressions from them (Psalm 103:12), if you’ve got nothing better to do. Go and try and find them! You won’t, Satan, guess why, I’ll tell you, ‘I have blotted them out!’”

So, what shall we say to these things, that is everything that Paul has spoken of already in chapter 8, well I will start with this, God’s plan of redemption is wonderful. His love is amazing.

FRIDAY April 12^th

Romans 8:31-39

V37 ‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.’

As we come to verses 31 through to 39 of Romans 8, the ESV has the heading ‘God’s Everlasting Love’.

I wonder how often we have seen something advertised as everlasting. I recall when I was at school, we used to slip out at lunch time to the shop to buy some sweets, usually Bazooka Joe bubble gum, and they used to also have what were called everlasting gobstoppers! I brought some, but one thing is sure they were not everlasting! Yes, they were big, yes, they lasted for a long time, but the more you sucked, the smaller they became, till eventually they were gone!

Well, the Bible advertises ‘everlasting love’. And it is exactly as advertised! It is not a love that is based on human love which ebbs and flows, in love one day and out of love the next, it is not a love that is portrayed in soppy songs, it is love that springs from the One who is himself love, it flows from the very heart and nature of the Lord God, who alone is the true and the living God. And God’s love is eternal, his love because it is a part of who he is, has always been and will always be, he keeps giving it out, we keep receiving it, and it will never diminish, it will never come to an end, it is everlasting love. And in these verses Paul wants us to come to a place of rejoicing in how great God’s love really is toward us and for us to understand that as we remain in him, there is absolutely nothing that will separate us from his love.

His everlasting love means that as we come to trust in him, we will also receive everlasting life. These verses assure us that as we have come to receive these eternal gifts of love and of life that we should be able to live victoriously, conquerors over everything that seeks to throw itself against us until the day dawns and the shadows flee away and we will be found in his eternal presence.

Next week we will take a closer look at these verses.

THURSDAY April 11^th

Romans 8:29-30

‘For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.’

God has a definite plan of salvation which is all being worked out to the minutest of detail.

This plan was already purposed before the creation of the world, and the moment that man fell in the garden because of his disobedience toward God, God set this plan into motion. Redemptions story is seen throughout the Old Testament, there are the promises that God had made, the types that we see through the way that God worked through both the lives of individuals and the nation of Israel, till we come to the time when God sent his Son to be born of a woman, his mission to become the Saviour of the world.  In the words of Paul to Timothy, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:12).

As a result of Christ’s atoning sacrifice at Calvary, salvation has become available to all who will believe. And God has predestined, that is, he purposed in the past that all who believed would become a part of his wonderful family. And I do not subscribe to the teaching of those who would preach a limited atonement, that only a certain number who have been pre-determined by God can be saved. I without apology believe that God’s grace is available to all mankind, all can be saved, but sadly not all will be saved because not all will believe. God has given to us free will, and as we are presented with the truth of the gospel message, we can choose whether to accept it or reject it.

But Paul continues here to tell us that the plan of redemption, will continue once we have become saved, for those who have been justified will also be glorified.

Salvation lifts us out of the pit of sin and will eventually lead us into the eternal presence of God, where we will know what it is to be glorified, miraculously transformed into the image of his Son, the Lord Christ.

In Philippians 3:20-21 we read ‘But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.’ Again, in John’s first epistle we read ‘Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is,’ (1 John 3:2).

What a wonderful story redemptions story is. We have not only become new creations in Christ in the here and now, but one day we shall be utterly and completely transformed, and what a day that will be, well, it will be more than a day, it will suddenly become eternity and we shall be like him.

We shall be like him, when he shall come in glory;

Like him forever, thro’ riches of his grace;

O what assurance to all God’s children given,

We shall be like him when we see his face.

WEDNESDAY April 10^th

Romans 8:28

‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’

The phrase ‘all things work together for good’ is an important phrase, and we need to understand what it really is saying. Because the sad and sometimes difficult to understand reality is that there are often and perhaps at times we may think too often, those things that happen in our lives and in our circumstances which we would call anything but good.

It may be a bereavement, sickness or ill health, the loss of a job which may even lead to long term unemployment, a breakdown in a relationship, for these things happen to both the righteous and the unrighteousness. Being a believer does not mean we have suddenly received immunity from the struggles and the difficulties that life on earth throws up.

The difference is that being in Christ, and knowing what it is as we have seen already from this chapter in knowing the Spirits indwelling, as we love God, he will work everything out for our good, he can take the difficult, the hard, that which we consider as bad, and he will knit everything together for good; he will ensure that everything that happens will dove tail together to bring about that which is his purpose for us.

It is always important to compare scripture with other scripture and alongside this verse in Romans 8:28 is the importance of our being conformed to that which is his will and purpose for us, (Romans 12:1-2). God has not made us as if we are robotic and he presses all the buttons and we automatically do that which is in accordance with his will, he has created us with free will, we can choose to seek his will and obey it, or decide to work against it and to do our own thing. It is only when we obey his will and walk in obedience to his will that we can be assured that all things will work together for good.

Here are the other verses from Romans 12 ‘I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’

In the words of a hymn by H. Tee:

Thy blessed will divine, with joy I make it mine,

My heart shall be thy throne, and thine alone.

Choose thou the path I tread and whither I am led,

Help me to follow on, O mighty Saviour.

TUESDAY April 9th

Romans 8:28

‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’

Well, as we pick up again from Romans Chapter 8, we have come to what is probably one of the most well-known and quoted verses from this incredible chapter, we have all quoted it or had it quoted to us and there is absolutely no doubt it has been a powerful source of strength when we may have gone through difficult situations when we have not been able to see the sunshine through the rain.

It is important to note that all things work together for good to those who LOVE God and who are called according to his purpose.

I want to emphasise today, the importance of loving God. And how do we love God, how should we love God? Well, we know that we begin to love God by responding to the love that he has shown toward us, especially as we have just been remembering through the person of Jesus and all that he accomplished for us at Calvary.

A verse I have often quoted in the devotions is from 1 John 4:10 ‘In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ Verse 9 says that this is how God’s love was manifested or made known to us. When you picture the Cross in your mind, when you see the suffering Saviour on that Cross, you are seeing the most powerful demonstration of love that has ever and will ever be demonstrated, the love of God for this world, for you and for me (John 3:16).

This letter from John also gives us one of the answers as to how we can show our love for God, and it is by loving one another! Verses 11-12 ‘Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.’

In the context of our verse for today, we also show that we love God by giving ourselves over to him and to his will and purpose for our lives and we do so wholeheartedly!

When God spoke to the Children of Israel through Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4, he said to them, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ When Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees concerning what is the greatest of all the commandments, this is how he replied ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.’ (Matthew 27:37)

Can I suggest that when we read Romans 8:28 we should understand it this way ‘‘And we know that for those who love God [with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might] that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

After all, surely, ‘When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of glory died . . . Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.’

Monday April 8th

Well, today is a special day for the devotions! This is devotion number 1000! It is the 520^th which I will have recorded as an audio devotion.

Yes, since the very first one on March 23^rd, 2020, as we went into lockdown because of Covid and through to today, despite only expecting to do devotions for the period of the lockdown I have continued, firstly every day including weekends until I changed it to sending over weekdays only. It also means that I have been pastoring Emmanuel for just over four years as well, as you may remember we had our induction just a few weeks before on Feb 23^rd, 2020. Where has the time gone!

There is one thing for sure we can say that God has been faithful. For so many, life has changed in many ways since that first devotion went out, sadly some have lost family members while others have gained family members, for others, circumstances have changed, the world around us has changed and most certainly our own nation has changed. But God is still the same, he is our faithful and unchangeable friend. Our Saviour hasn’t changed, he is the same yesterday, today and forever.

I wonder if we have changed over the last four years, and by this, I mean spiritually and for the better. For as we have become new creations in Christ, it is not for us to just be saved and that is it, but we are called to become more like Jesus and to be effective in our service for him.

Back four years ago we didn’t have a little lad called Marco, nor a little girl called Zoey in our fellowship, but we rejoiced when they arrived in this world, (well we did as their grandparents!) and as a Church we have seen them change from the new-born babies into the toddler stage and now as Marco has had his third birthday we see the advancements that are being made almost on a daily basis. Wouldn’t it be sad if they were both still the same today as they were on the day they were born! No development, no learning, no growth, no maturing.

In like manner we too having been born again by the Spirit of God and we need to grow, mature and develop as believers. That is why we need to regularly participate in spiritual practices, such as prayer, reading the word and fellowship, moving on from being babes in Christ to those who have become mature in Christ.

I trust that the devotions may have been a help towards this, and I will continue to produce and send them, but they must not be the be all and end all, each one of us needs to be found in the place where we are getting all the spiritual sustenance we require through the various ministries and meetings available to us enabling us to be fed from the word of God, to be in a place of spiritual prayer and fellowship, regularly found where we can be an encouragement toward one another.

Well, to God be the glory. All the praise goes to Jesus. We have a faithful God and he keeps all his promises as we keep on track with him.

FRIDAY March 29^th

Because today is what we call Good Friday I am just going to highlight a few Scriptures for us to spend time meditating upon over this Easter weekend.

For today:

Luke22:39-44

‘And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’

Luke 23:44-49

‘It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.’

For Saturday

Isaiah 53:1-9

‘Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.’

For Sunday

Luke 24:1-12

‘But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 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, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marvelling at what had happened.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISAIAH 53 Cross References

Verse 1

‘Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?’

John 12:38, Romans 10:16

Verse 3

‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.’

Mark 9:12, John 1:10-11

Verse 4

‘Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.’

Matthew 8:17

Verse 5

‘But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.’

Romans 4:25, 1 Peter 2:24

Verse 6

‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’

1Peter 2:25, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Verse 7

‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.’

Matthew 27:12, Matthew 26:63, Acts 8:32

Verse 9

‘And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.’

Matthew 27:57-60, 1 Peter 2:22

Verse 11

‘Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.’

1 John 2:1, Romans 5:18-19

Verse 12

‘Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.’

The first part speaks of his victory over the enemy! Colossians 2:15, Jesus is exalted as Lord! Philippians 2:9-10

Matthew 27:38, Luke 23:34

THURSDAY March 28^th

Romans 8:26-27

‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.’

I just love these verses, because of myself, I very often just would not know what to pray in so many circumstances, first in relation to myself, and secondly when considering the needs of others. I think we would all agree that we would always want what we want, when the heart should be seeking that which God wants! Remember when the moment came for Jesus to go to Calvary, we read this in Luke 22:42 ‘“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”’

We need the Spirit to help us to earnestly pray that God’s will be done in our lives and in the lives of those who we bring to the throne of grace. It is aligning our hearts and our praying with what our Lord taught us to pray, ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ Matthew 6:10.

But then there are those times when we simply do not know what to ask or say, and it is not because we are wanting our own way, but rather because the need is so great and so desperate we cannot put together in our own words what we want to say and Paul reminds us that in those moments the Spirit himself intercedes for us and he does so with groanings that are too deep for words. The Holy Spirit searches our hearts, he sees exactly what it is that we are desiring to bring through prayer into the presence of God and he does it for us! And the wonderful thing is that when we can’t seem to discern or work out what is the will of God in these situations, the Holy Spirit knows, and he sorts it all out for us, 1 Corinthians 2:11 ‘So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.’

Now of course it is important to realise that this doesn’t mean we don’t need to worry about praying, thinking ‘O well, the Holy Spirit knows. He’ll deal with it’, no. he comes to help us, we need first to be doing all we can, then when we have reached the point of intercession where we just do not know what to say, then he takes over for us, we leave him to search our hearts and to make groanings on our behalf.

The word intercede is linked to advocate, the Holy Spirit as come to be an advocate among us and in Hebrews we read that Jesus is an advocate for us in the very presence of God, as the family of God we are in a win, win situation!

I don’t usually send devotions over bank holidays, but I will send a devotion out tomorrow which will just include some Scriptures to read over the weekend, and for those who were at the services recently where I was taking us through the Old Testament references that pointed to the death and resurrection of Jesus I will also add the references which we didn’t get to do from Isaiah 53 so that you can go through them in your own time. There won’t be an audio version. I am having a few days holiday next week, so will resume the devotions on Monday April 8^th.

WEDNESDAY March 27^th

Romans 8:26-27

‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.’

Well, so far Paul has highlighted the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believer and as we come to verse 26, he says ‘Likewise’, we pause and look back at what the Spirit has already done or is presently doing and then say ‘Likewise’, in the same way he will help us in our weakness.

The Holy Spirit understands the world in which we are living in, he would have understood what it would have been like for Jesus to enter this world as a babe and to grow up as man, going through the same temptation as we do (yet he was without sin) Hebrews 4:15. It was Jesus who said that he would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to come alongside us as a Helper or a Comforter. That is to do amongst other things to ‘help us in our weakness’.

I wonder how often we have been faced with a situation through which we did not know how we were going to manage or cope. Maybe even a situation that has raised itself against us and we just did not know how to rise against it, but somehow, we look back and are amazed at how we manged to get through it or rise above it—the Spirit helped us, supported us and brought us through victorious.

We should never ever forget this aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit for and toward each one of us. Maybe we of a Pentecostal persuasion highlight (and rightly so and possibly should be getting back to it) the empowering and infilling of the Holy Spirit with the accompanying gifts to the detriment of forgetting that he also wants to be alongside us to assist us, and not just upon us to anoint us.

He wants to elevate us above our circumstances as well as to energise us in our Christian walk.

But here as Paul continues, he highlights a particular weakness we have and it is in prayer, ‘For we do not know what to pray as we ought’ and continues to remind us that the Holy Spirit comes to help us, and we will continue to look at this in the next devotion. For today, consider honestly those areas which you would consider to be a weakness in your Christian experience and ask the Holy Spirit to draw alongside you to help you overcome them.