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Daily Devotion June 7th

SUNDAY 7th

Hebrews 11:3 ‘By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.’

In this chapter, the Hebrew author takes the readers of his letter right back to the very beginning, Genesis Chapter 1 and to the account of creation.

He was writing this Hebrew letter to Jews who had come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ but were mixing their old Judaism religion with the new covenant of grace and some were even possibly being drawn back to the old rituals and rejecting afresh the new covenant because of the fear of impending persecution.

And as he starts to encourage them from the example of their ancestors in chapter 11, he first takes them right to the beginning of their Hebrew Scriptures and the account of creation.

What he is saying to them is, ‘you are holding fast to what you have believed about creation, you stand firm on your confidence in the one true God who made everything. In the same way I want you to grasp a stronger hold on to genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by seeing faith at work in the report of your ancestors lives’ and then as he gets to Hebrews 12 he wants them to see their ancestors as a large crowd standing in the arena of life cheering them on, encouraging them not to give up the new found life of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ but to persevere to the end.

Verse 3 is a good starting point for us as well. If we are going to doubt the first few chapters of the Scriptures, and not believe in the creation account, then what is there to stop us from doubting everything else that follows through the rest of this book? None of us were present at the beginning to witness what took place, but by faith we believe what has been recorded for us.

We believe by faith that ‘In the beginning God . . .’ That is, God was already there. We believe by faith that God spoke and as he spoke whatever it was he spoke came into being, the land, the sea, the creatures in the air and in the sea and upon the dry land, the fruit and the flowers and the trees and the shrubs, the moon and the stars and the sun and the galaxies which are still being discovered billions of miles away in outer space, and we believe by faith the creation of man from out of the dust of the ground. YES, humanly it does seem difficult to fully comprehend, but we believe BY FAITH,  faith enables us to believe that the universe was created by the word of God, and exactly as the Genesis writer says, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. The term used to describe this is ‘ex nihilo’ ‘out of nothing’. David the psalmist records in Psalm 19:1 ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork,’ and Psalm 24:1-2  ‘The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,  for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.’

And I declare today in this devotion that BY FAITH, I believe. I also believe in the work of creation taking 6 literal days of 24 hours as it records for us ‘and there was evening and there was morning, the first day, the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day and then on the seventh day God rested from all his work that he had done.

And it is BY FAITH that if we were to move further into the Scriptures and read the characters, accounts, stories, happenings etc, I believe them to be literal and true. Noah and the flood, the Egyptian plagues and the Israelites exodus, David and Goliath, Jonah and the Whale, Daniel and the den of lion’s, the Hebrew lads and the furnace, and moving into the New Testament, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, his full and complete atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and the many more accounts which speak of seeming impossibilities having taken place but by faith I believe because I believe in the God of the impossible and the Hebrew writer makes it very clear that Christian Faith requires this kind of faith. 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.’

Let us remind ourselves that it is possible to have this kind of faith, though not out of ourselves but as a gift from God to all who would believe. (Ephesians 2:8)

How is your faith to believe today? Remember we only need to have faith as small as a mustard seed to accomplish great things with God (Matthew 17:20) but however we feel our measure of faith is we can call out with the same plea as the disciples, ‘Lord, increase our faith.’ (Luke 17:5)

Incidentally if Jesus said we could remove a mountain with mustard seed sized faith a seed which is about 1 or 2 mm in size, imagine what we could do with faith the size of the world’s largest seed, a coco de mer from a palm tree which is about 12 inches in size (30cms) and weighs about 40 pounds (18kg). Wow, Lord I will be grateful for the mustard seed sized faith, I have not even yet started to move mole hills, let alone mountains!

Today I am repeating the same song as last Wednesday

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward

Till the race is finished and the work is done

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the power to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go

In the power of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In every corner of the earth

We will stand…

By faith this mountain shall be moved

And the power of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

Keith and Kystyn Getty  CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion June 6th

SATURDAY 6th

Hebrews 11:39-40

Continuing in Hebrews 11, these heroes of faith have been recorded for our benefit, to learn from their example, so that in turn we can learn to live by faith as well.

Let us remind ourselves of something vital that the writer records in this chapter: ‘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’ (v6)

By reason of our choosing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ we should be people who live ‘by faith’ a phrase which appears in this chapter about 17 times.

The phrase living by faith does not mean that we should all be living by faith in that we shouldn’t have gainful employment, and just expect God to prompt someone to drop an envelope through the door with a wad of money to get us by, (although in spiritual  ministry there are times when God does call some to live this way, but it is not the norm’) work is part and parcel of how God expects us to get by, (Genesis 2:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12) although there may be times when God does bless with unexpected gifts especially in tough times. It also doesn’t mean that when we are ill we refuse to take any medication or get medical help, living by faith means that we trust God firstly in the realm of salvation, then we trust God in the circumstances of our lives and we finally trust God in his provision for us into eternity.  It is putting our faith, or trust and confidence in an invisible God and in things we cannot see or maybe not even fully understand, and having an assurance in our hearts and a confident conviction and hope in the unravelling of God’s purpose in our loves. Our faith is linked to God’s faithfulness, and he is a faithful God. Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’

In Romans, Paul writes this 1:17 ‘For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.’ This is linked to the previous verse where we read (1:16) ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.’ That is, that within the gospel of which Paul was not ashamed, the righteousness of God is revealed, and the righteous, (that is those who have been justified by faith and transformed by this gospel) shall live by faith.

In John 14:1 just prior to his crucifixion, Jesus speaking to the disciples said this: ‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.’ The NLT uses the word TRUST, we have been called to a life that totally, fully relies on, believes in or trusts in God, that is a life of faith, and at the end of the journey a report will be given, and what will it say?

The Apostle Paul said this in his first epistle to Timothy (6:12) ‘Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.’

In his second epistle to Timothy he says this: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ he continued: ‘Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.’

In these two Scriptures  when Paul talks of having ‘fought the good fight of the faith’ and of ‘keeping the faith’ here the word faith is used to describe his keeping or holding onto the message of the gospel, but at the same time he has held onto it by faith. 

We know what we have believed, that is the ‘Faith’ to which we have been called to by God’s grace, but we continue in it by faith, faith which also is a gift from God.

In Matthew 25:23, Jesus perhaps gives a hint of what we should seek to be attaining for, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Thinking of the old school reports probably my most frequent comment from the teachers was ‘Could do better’ well spiritually, within the context of this devotion I know I could do better in regard to attaining the final end of life report and by God’s grace I aim to attain a better standard, to be approved rather than ashamed at his appearing. May God help each one of us as we run the race to finish the course and to receive a good commendation at the end.

Over the next week we will look at some of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.

Turn, turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace

CCLI 788682

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Daily Devotion June 5th

FRIDAY 5th

Hebrews 11:17-31

Yesterday I left off by suggesting that I would choose the words ‘God’s approval’ from the different translations of Hebrews 11:2. Here is why, the best reason or answer I can give is based on something that is sentimental,  something from my past, a memory, the memory has also been a real challenge to me over the last 40 years. I only have one other possession beside my teddy bear that I can recall that my mother gave to me and it is a Schofield reference Bible that she gave to me at the time when I was studying at the Apostolic Church Bible College back in 1980. (My mum died in 2003)

I valued the Bible of course I did and still do, but it was another one of the few that I already owned, and my Bible collection has also grown significantly since then as well and I hardly ever use that actual Bible now! What was the challenge to me then was the verse that my mum wrote on the inside cover alongside the words: ‘To Haydn from Mum.’ It was a Scripture which has been a constant challenge and reminder to me when preparing and preaching the Word of God. It was 2 Timothy 2:15, as it was a KJV translation, I will quote that translation first and then from the ESV.

KJV ‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth’

ESV ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth’

Notice the challenge? DO YOUR BEST or try your hardest as a worker or an individual that handles the word of God to handle it in such a way that you gain God’s approval.

I believe with all my heart that God will call every man or woman who handles the Word of God in a preaching and teaching sphere to account on the way in which we have handled it. Therefore, we need to be careful how we interpret it or how we use it. This is a challenge to me! (James 3:1 ‘Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.’)

The words approved or approval, to be approved by God comes up again in some other scriptures:

Galatians 1:10 ‘For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ’

1 Thessalonians 2:4 ‘but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts’ 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.’

The lesson I want to bring from our look at this word today is this, whose approval are we looking for, or whose approval do we seek, man or Gods?

If we want to win the approval of mankind or society today, then there is no doubt that we would have to mishandle the Word of God! Sadly today, to gain approval, many are watering down the Word of God, instead of preaching the full gospel, the message of the cross, they are as Scripture says twisting the Word of God to please the itching ears of those listening. (2 Timothy 4:1-5) It is a sad reality that the message of the Cross which is considered foolish by the world has also become an offence to many who claim to believe, and to preach the need for us to daily take up our cross to follow him goes against the message preached in so many places. I have had personal experience of this where I was told by someone who attended the Church(not in Gateshead) that I preach too much about the Cross and the resurrection. Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  For, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. (Galatians 6:14, Romans 1:16)

This is only one of many applications, but what about in our morality, integrity, righteousness etc.

Do we act in ways that God’s approval would be upon us as a people who should be living by faith or, do we act in ways in which if we were to stand before God today we would be ashamed? We close today with the words of the Psalmist David, Psalm 139:23-24 ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’

We will continue tomorrow.

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,

Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;

See if there be some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;

Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;

Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;

Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;

Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;

Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;

I now surrender, Lord, in me abide.

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;

Send a revival, start the work in me;

Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;

For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.

Edwin Orr CCLI 788682

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Daily Devotion June 3rd

WEDNESDAY 3rd

Hebrews 11:1-6

Over the next few days, and into next week, we will look at this chapter and look at the verses that cover Abel, Enoch and Noah and if lockdown continues, we will get to look at some more of the characters that are mentioned in Hebrews 11 at a later date, we often give them the title of ‘heroes of faith’, they became heroes because they believed God in their circumstances.

The circumstances of each one of them was different, but they all looked toward and served the same God, the true and living God, the God of the impossible. They learned that without faith it is impossible to believe in the God of the impossible. 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.’

In the following chapter, 12, the Hebrew writer encourages us to learn from these heroes or examples of faith, to let their testimony and experience be a model to encourage us in our personal relationship and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ to help keep us focused and to spur us on to finish the race. 12:1-2 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’

We all need encouragement and we all need to encourage one another, we all need at times to be given a reminder or a boost or a lesson or an experience to spur us on, life can become wearisome, ofttimes it can become challenging, there are moments when life even causes us to doubt or falter, but the testimony from these heroes of faith should remind us and encourage us that in the midst of it all the God of the impossible is with us. In fact, when we think we have got it tough, it is a good thing to read verses 32-38 of chapter 11 and then line up our circumstances with their circumstances and realise life is not too bad for us after all! This is just from verses 35-38, ‘. . . Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.’

The Hebrew writer commences this chapter with (1-3) ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.’

Faith enables us to believe the unbelievable and the invisible because what seems unbelievable and invisible is possible with the invisible God of the impossibility! The invisible God has made himself known, he has made himself known through that which he has created, and through his upholding of that which he has created. (Romans 1:20, 1 Timothy 1:17) He has revealed himself through his Word and he has also made himself known through his Son, the Lord Jesus. (Hebrews 1:1-3) By faith we see the hand of God in the created world around us, by faith we see God at work in the cross and as a result it is also by faith we see the hand of God in the circumstances of our lives.

But how do we get the faith to believe? Ephesians 2:8, the chapter of grace reminds us that we are given the faith to believe as a gift from God, faith to believe in his mercy and grace, faith to believe unto salvation, and the faith he gives to us is not limited to the realm of salvation but it is also given as an essential component toward our ongoing walk as believers, faith to believe that in all of our life situations God is working out his eternal plan and purpose, and Hebrews 11 helps us to see that this faith that was outworked in the Old Testament heroes can also be outworked in our lives as well.

Peter in his first epistle, shows to us that God’s saving faith given as a gift to us is also what guards us and keeps us till we receive the outcome of our faith – an eternal inheritance. 1 Peter 1:3-9 ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’

By faith we see the hand of God

In the light of creation’s grand design

In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness

Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand

A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise

We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward

Till the race is finished and the work is done

We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day

When the longed-for Messiah would appear

With the power to break the chains of sin and death

And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go

In the power of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news

In every corner of the earth

We will stand…

By faith this mountain shall be moved

And the power of the gospel shall prevail

For we know in Christ all things are possible

For all who call upon His name

Keith and Kystyn Getty  CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion June 2nd

TUESDAY 2nd

Psalm 139:1-6

We continue today with the attributes of God:

Omniscient – God is all knowing.

In Saturdays devotion we saw that David was acknowledging the omnipresence of God in Psalm 139:7-16, in the same chapter he also acknowledges that God is omniscient in verses 1-6, ‘O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.’ And again, in verse 16 ‘Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.’

The fact that God is omniscient means that he not only knows everything that has happened, but that he also knows everything that will happen! It means that God will never be caught out, there will never be a situation in time in which God will not know what to do, because he already knows what will yet happen and God out of his omniscience and omnipotence has already planned ahead for it. It also means that God knows everything about us, every detail, he knows all our thoughts and all our desires, he knows before we know exactly how we are going to react or respond to any given situation. He knew us before we were born, he knows the number of days that he has determined for each one of us to live in this world, and he knows how we are going to live out each of those allotted days.

In Jeremiah we read ‘Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.’ (v33) God was going to reveal to Jeremiah things that he (Jeremiah) knew nothing about in regard to the future, they are great and hidden things, but they were not hidden from God, because he knows the future he can reveal it even before it happens and on this occasion he was going to reveal to Jeremiah the future plans he had for the children of Israel.

There is a popular song, that includes the words, ‘I do not know what lies ahead’ but it continues with the words, ‘But I know who holds the future, and he’ll guide me with his hand; with God things don’t just happen, everything by him is planned, so as I face tomorrow, with its problems large and small, I’ll trust the God of miracles give to him my all.’

As we consider the omniscience of God, it should first be an encouragement to us, reminding us that God knows everything about the circumstances of our lives. Whatever your situation at this moment God knows, he is not an afar off, distant God, he is with you and at the same time knows everything about you. And he is working for you, working all things out for the good of those who love him and who are called according to his purpose. (That is Romans 8:28 cropping up yet again!) Secondly it should cause us to realise that God not only knows all there is to know about us, but that he also sees us all the time, it should cause us to want to ensure that we are living daily in a way that is God honouring. The Hebrew writer reminds us, 4:13 ‘And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.’

These truths about God and his attributes should inspire us, may we rest in the knowledge that God is all powerful, all-seeing, and all-knowing, remembering this, Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT) ‘What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.’

I do not know what lies ahead,

The way I cannot see;

Yet one stands near to be my guide,

He’ll show the way to me:

I know who holds the future,

And he’ll guide me with his hand;

With God things don’t just happen,

Everything by him is planned.

So as I face tomorrow,

With its problems large and small,

I’ll trust the God of miracles,

Give to him my all.

I do not know how many days

Of life are mine to spend;

But one who knows and cares for me

Will keep me to the end:

CCLI 788682

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Daily Devotions June 1st

MONDAY 1st

Genesis 18:1-15

Over the next two devotions we will continue where we left off on Saturday with some short devotions to continue looking at the attributes of God.

Omnipotent – God is all powerful.

In Genesis we have the account of when the LORD came to visit Abram and Sarai to inform them of the news that they were going to have a son. They were old in years and Sarai was considered barren, she laughed at the news as if it were nonsense. The LORD responded to her mocking laugh with ‘Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (18:14)

Is anything too hard for the LORD? We get our answer a few chapters later in Genesis 21:1-7 ‘The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’

Is anything too hard for the LORD? Let us listen to what Jeremiah’s answer 32:17 ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’ He continues to say, ‘Your name is the LORD of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed.’

What Jeremiah is saying is this, If God has made the heavens and the earth, and stop and think about how vast it all is, how beautiful it is, and how magnificent it all is, and even how it all came about, out of nothing, then there cannot be anything that is too difficult for him to do. Now of course, God will never and can never do anything that is outside of what and who he is, as it says in Hebrews 6:18 it is impossible for God to lie.

We have two other well-known verses first in Matthew 19:26 ‘But Jesus looked at them and said, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ and Luke 1:37 ‘For nothing will be impossible with God.’

What about in the circumstances of our lives? Our answer is that with God all things are possible, there is nothing that we can bring before God that he cannot do, but there is a caveat that we need to add, all things are possible, but not all things are permissible. We can ask amiss, and for God to do what we ask in these situations could have negative and devastating results for us, taking us outside of what is his perfect will for our lives. Therefore, in our asking not only in the impossible situations of our lives but in every area, we should always seek to ask according to or for the unfolding of his will. In the prayer that the Lord taught his disciples, he included the words, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ In asking this we are asking his will not only on earth but in our own lives. This is one reason why the theology of the word of faith movement / prosperity gospel is so dangerous, in that you are taught to name it and claim it or blab it and grab it. They teach that we should always be healthy and wealthy, and yes, health and wealth are all within the boundaries of Gods power, but not necessarily within the boundary of his will for our lives. Paul the apostle never went around telling the early Church to demand or to claim health and wealth, rather his own testimony was ‘I have learnt in whatever situation I am found in to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ (Philippians 4:12-13) See when it comes to the omnipotence of God, he can make his power known even in and through our weakness, as the apostle Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ‘But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

To close, consider some of the evidences in the Word of God where we see his awesome power at work, as a starter, consider the Hebrew lads in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the den of lions, what about his power on the cross and at the resurrection of Jesus. This is our God! What about in his pardoning grace, the power to forgive us, to pardon us and to cleanse us.

Great God of wonders! all thy ways

Display the attributes divine;

But countless acts of pardoning grace

Beyond thine other wonders shine:

Who is a pardoning God like thee?

Or who has grace so rich and free?

In wonder lost, with trembling joy

We take the pardon of our God;

Pardon for crimes of deepest dye,

A pardon bought with Jesus’s blood:

Who is a pardoning God like thee?

Or who has grace so rich and free?

Pardon-from an offended God!

Pardon-from sin of deepest dye!

Pardon-bestowed through Jesus’s blood!

Pardon-that brings the rebel nigh!

Who is a pardoning God like thee?

Or who has grace so rich and free?

0 may this strange, this matchless grace,

This God-like miracle of love,

Fill the wide earth with grateful praise,

As now it fills the choirs above!

Who is a pardoning God like thee?

Or who has grace so rich and free?

Samuel Davies CCLI788682

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Daily Devotion May 31st

SUNDAY 31st

Acts 2

Today if we had been able to be gathered as Church, we would have been considering Pentecost as it is Pentecost Sunday, so instead it will be the theme for today’s devotion. We touched on this subject of Pentecost toward the end of April so there will be some overlap here in the thoughts I will be sharing.

What happened on the Day of Pentecost was a pivotal moment in the experience of the disciples because it was:

1) A fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (Joel 2)

2) A fulfilment of the promise of Jesus (John 7: 37-39, ‘On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’  John 14:16-17 ‘And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.’)

3) It was the day that the building of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ commenced.

4) It was also the day in which the disciples were empowered for the task in hand, which was to fulfil the commission given them by the Lord Jesus Christ prior to his ascension which was to go into all the world and preach the gospel. (Mark 16:15) Or as it says in Act 1:8 to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

As we read through this chapter and through the book of Acts, we discover that on being filled with the Holy Spirit the disciples and those working with them did amazing exploits for God. Souls were saved, bodies were healed, the tormented and possessed were delivered and in the words of the city officials in Thessalonica, they had turned the world upside down! (Acts 17:6) Some translations say that they had been causing trouble!

It would be wonderful if all over the UK once this Pandemic is over that the local newspapers were to report that those who call themselves followers of Jesus have turned their towns and cities upside down! For it to be a possibility, we who are believers need to be found in a place where we seek God to come afresh and to empower us again with Pentecostal power and anointing so that like the early disciples we can demonstrate the power in the setting where he has placed us with our preaching, witness and testimony.

Back in 1904/05, God poured out his Spirit afresh in various places around Wales, bringing about what we now call the Welsh Revival, I found this quote on the internet ‘The effects of the 1904 Welsh Revival’. Souls were saved, individual lives were changed and Society itself was changed. Countless numbers of souls were saved. No records were kept of the actual number converted, but 150,000 is a very conservative estimate during the first six months. Wales again became a God-fearing nation.’

In reality although the suggested number of converts is at 150,000, this would be small in comparison to the long term effects of the revival, for as a result of that revival, even if it came to an end in Wales, some of the main stream Pentecostal denominations were born and with them being established there was a new and fresh desire for world mission, evangelization. And from out of these newly formed Churches, many went to serve God, sharing the gospel on the continents of the world with the result being that countless thousands have since responded to Jesus.

As the Church in the UK eventually comes out of lockdown, we need to be crying out for the Lord to do it again, as he poured out his Spirit on the waiting Church in Jerusalem, as he has poured out his Spirit in times of revival, we need God to do it again. Do it Lord, in Gateshead, do it in Emmanuel Pentecostal Church, do it in my heart, make me burn with the flame of Pentecostal power so that our nation will be shaken again by a powerful outpouring of the Spirit again.

We have the words again of the well-known hymn, ‘send the fire’

O God of burning cleansing flame:

Send the fire!

Your blood-bought gift today we claim:

Send the fire today!

Look down and see this waiting host,

And send the promised Holy Ghost;

We need another Pentecost!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

God of Elijah, hear our cry:

Send the fire!

And make us fit to live or die:

Send the fire today!

To burn up every trace of sin,

To bring the light and glory in,

The revolution now begin!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

It’s fire we want, for fire we plead:

Send the fire!

The fire will meet our every need:

Send the fire today!

For strength to always do what’s right,

For grace to conquer in the fight,

For power to walk the world in white:

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

To make our weak hearts strong and brave:

Send the fire!

To live, a dying world to save:

Send the fire today!

Oh, see us on Your altar lay,

We give our lives to you today,

So crown the offering now we pray:

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

William Booth CCLI788682

Categories
Devotions

Daily Devotion May 30th

SATURDAY 30th

Psalm 139:7-16

In a previous devotion, (Thursday) I made mention of the attributes of the Godhead, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and immutability. Although they look like big complicated words, the wonder is that they describe something of the nature and character of God which can bring us great comfort and peace in a time of instability in the world around us. These attributes are known as the incommunicable attributes, in that only the triune God can possess them This is compared to his communicable attributes such as love, kindness, etc which are attributes that we also can possess.

Omnipresent means that God is everywhere at all time.

Omnipotent means that God is all powerful

Omniscient means that God knows everything.

Immutability as we discovered in the previous devotion means that God is unchanging.

In this devotion we will just take a brief look at some Scriptures that help us understand his Omnipresence – God is everywhere and what it means for us in our lives.

A. W. Tozer describes God being everywhere at all time in this way, ‘We should never think of God as being spatially near or remote, for He is not here or there but carries here and there in His heart. Space is not infinite, as some have thought; only God is infinite and in His infinitude, He swallows up all space.’

David the psalmist is extolling the omnipresence of God in Psalm 139, especially in verses 7-10 ‘Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.’

Jeremiah in 23:23-24 ‘Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away?  Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.’

1 Kings 8:27 we read ‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!’

This truth should encourage us in that it reminds us that whatever circumstance we are going through, the omnipresent God is with us. The wonder is this that just as God is present with me here where I am at this moment preparing this devotion, so at the same time he is present with you wherever you are, be that next door or thousands of miles away. When man landed on the moon, God was present there as the first steps were taken and yet at the very same time, he was present 238,855 miles away in the depths of the earth where the miner was at work mining the coal and yet also at the same time he was seated way up in the heaven of heavens! Mind boggling? Yes, but as well as being boggled let the thought bless you and inspire you!

In Exodus 33 we read ‘And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ (v14) Rest in this wonderful truth today. That God is with you at this very moment in time, and he will be with you as you step forward into whatever the future holds. Jesus made the same promise to his disciples, ‘And behold, I am with you always.’

There is also the wonder of the truth of the special presence of God. Although he is present everywhere, there is his special presence with his people. He comes by his Spirit to dwell among his people, he comes to dwell in our hearts, he comes to fellowship with his people.

Exodus 25:8 ‘And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.’

1 Kings 6:13 ‘And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.’

Matthew 18:20 ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’

1 Corinthians 3:16 ‘Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?’

1 Corinthians 6:19 ‘Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.’

Revelation 3:20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.’

Colossians 1:27 ‘. . . the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’

Be still for the presence of the Lord

The Holy One is here

Come bow before Him now

With reverence and fear

In Him no sin is found

We stand on holy ground

Be still for the presence of the Lord

The Holy One is here

Be still for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around

He burns with holy fire

With splendour He is crowned

How awesome is the sight

Our radiant King of light

Be still for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around

Be still for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place

He comes to cleanse and heal

To minister His grace

No work too hard for Him

In faith receive from Him

Be still for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place

Be still for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place

CCLI7888682

Categories
Devotions

Daily Devotion May 29th

FRIDAY 29th

Today is a very special persons birthday, Happy Birthday Elaine. Today, had we been in Australia as planned, we were intending to visit the town where Elaine was born (Cessnock NSW) and to find the house where she lived for about three years. But it has not happened. Instead we will spend the day in Middlesbrough. Disappointed, yes there is a measure of disappointment, as although the trip was only arranged last year it is something we had planned to do for a long time. But alongside the disappointment is the realisation that it is far better to be safe during this period of uncertainty. See, we can plan, but the future is out of our hands, it is in much safer hands, it is in the hands of the One who made all things and who sustains all things.

The word for today is disappointment. I wonder how many of us can look back at a time in our lives when we were disappointed in some way or another, maybe with someone or something? It may have been a job that did not work out, a relationship that went sour, a business venture that did not work out, a holiday that didn’t happen, a dream we did not realise! We can plan, but very often what we plan, what we hope for, what we expect does not always happen or turn out as we would have wished. But when I use the word disappointment today, I want to use it in-line with the theme where we have been all week and that is the Lord Jesus Christ and say that ‘HE’ is not a disappointment. We used to sing an old chorus, ‘Never failed me yet, never failed me yet, Jesus’ love has never failed me yet, there’s one things I know everywhere I go, Jesus love has never failed me yet.’ I mentioned in a chorus yesterday that ‘he’s omnipotent, magnificent, all-glorious, victorious’. Jesus is this and so much more. When it comes to describing who Jesus is, we can use words that we would also use to describe God, because he is God. Take the word already mentioned, omnipotent, this means that Jesus is all powerful, there is nothing he cannot do, then there is the word omnipresent, which means that he is everywhere, then the word omniscient which means that he knows everything, and then another word is immutable which means that he is unchanging – in Hebrews 13:8 the writer declares, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’ That is one of the reasons why he could call himself the ‘I am’ (John 8:58), as the unchanging one, he will never change his mind and he will always keep his promises. This is what we read in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20 ‘For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.’ This reassures us that when everything around us may falter or fail Jesus will never fail, while family and friends or circumstances may disappoint us Jesus will never disappoint, he is dependable, he trustworthy and he faithful. His love never changes, his mercies are new every morning, his grace is sufficient, and his promises are sure.

Some of you may recall the old hymn, ‘He is not a disappointment’ I will use it as todays hymn, to help us remind ourselves in this ever shifting and changing world, that oft times can disappoint us,  Jesus never changes and he will never disappoint.

He is not a disappointment!

Jesus is far more to me

Than in all my glowing day-dream

 I had fancied He could be;

And the more I get to know Him,

So the more I find Him true,

And the more I long that others

Should be led to know Him too.

He is not a disappointment!

He has saved my soul from sin;

All the guilt and all the anguish,

Which oppressed my heart within.

He has banished by His presence

And His blessed kiss of peace,

Has assured my heart forever

That His love will never cease.

He is not a disappointment!

He is coming by and by.

In my heart I have the witness

That His coming draweth nigh.

All the scoffers may despise me,

And no change around may see,

But He tells me He is coming,

And that’s quite enough for me.

He is not a disappointment!

He is all in all to me –

Blessed Saviour, Sanctifier,

The unchanging Christ is He!

He has won my heart’s affections,

And He meets my every need;

He is not a disappointment

For He satisfies indeed.

Mary Warburton Booth CCCL 788682

Categories
Devotions

Daily Devotion May 28th

THURSDAY 28th

John 1

Having had six children, Elaine and I have known the difficulty in deciding what names should we give them. Shall we use family names, shall we be different and use obsolete names, shall we just choose names we like, but then what if we both do not want the same name. One name or two, or what about three? Well, we chose, and between the six we have used 14 names. Some are family names carried on and others are names we chose because we liked them and although some of our children have chosen to shorten their name’s we will still only call them by their full name. i.e. Robert goes by Rob to many, but we will never call him Rob, it is always Robert, the same with Andrew / Andy. To me, one of the joys when they were born was going to get the birth registered and having the names put on record by the registrar.

Can you imagine Mary and Joseph going to register the birth of Jesus? Name please? Jesus. Middle name? Yes, but how much time have you got, he’s Messiah, Word, Lord, Christ, Redeemer, Saviour, Lamb, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God . . .

Well, he is all of these and so much more. This new-born baby had a lot to live up to and live up to it he did.

In John’s gospel chapter one, Jesus is identified in many ways. First in verse one as the Word, then he is identified as the creator (v3), life (v4), light (v5), the true light (v9), full of grace and truth (v14, 16), God (v18), Lord (v23), Jesus (v29), Lamb of God, (v29, 35), Baptiser (in the Holy Spirit) (v33), Chosen One (v34), Rabbi or teacher (v38), Messiah, Christ (v41), Son of God (v49), King of Israel (v49), Son of Man (v51). It is a comprehensive list of names, titles etc. When you add in the ones I have listed earlier and many more such as Great High Priest, Advocate, and others which Jesus used to describe himself, the ‘I am’ the door, the Good Shepherd, etc his names would have taken some registering at birth!

But for us today what matters is not the registering of his name at birth, but our receiving him for our new birth, as John records in 3:3 Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And in 3:5 Jesus said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Earlier in chapter 1:12 John had said,  ‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.’ Being born again, brings us into a relationship with Jesus which then opens up to us everything that Jesus is and everything that he has to offer! But, whichever of the names and titles we use for him, we first and foremost need to go back to the name that God told his earthly parents to give him – that is Jesus, for he was to be the Saviour of the world. It is only when we come to know Jesus as our own personal Saviour that we can really start to get to know him in all the other ways. For example, he can only become my Shepherd after he has become my Saviour!

What I want to share briefly this morning is that once we do get to know Jesus as our Saviour, (that is we have believed in his name), we then begin to get to know him in all the other ways, and we will begin to realise that Jesus is all or everything that we need.

Need saving – he is our Saviour who saves us

Need help – he is our Helper, our Advocate and Great High Priest

Need direction – he is our Shepherd who leads us, he is our Light, he is our Doorway, he is our Way

Need healing – he is our Healer and the restorer of our soul

Need strength – his grace is sufficient for in our weakness, his strength is made perfect

Need peace – he is our Peace

Need comfort – He heals the broken hearted

Need resources – he is our provider

Feeling lost and helpless – he is our Hope

Need I add any more? There was a new chorus that became popular in the late 80’s early 90’s which I think we almost wore out with singing at the time when it became known in our local Church, but the truth of the words could never be worn out. It is ‘Shout for joy and sing’ and the second part continues, ‘You are my Creator, you are my deliverer, you are my Redeemer, you are Lord; and you are my healer, You are my provider, You are now my Shepherd and my guide; Jesus, Lord and King, I worship you.’

What are you in need of today? Look to Jesus, the all sufficient One. We used to go to an annual convention in South Wales and one year a new chorus was introduced as was often the case and it must have been sung over and over and over again, after returning home I popped into Hereford to the bank, and queued outside the ATM, Steven our second son was with me, he would have been around 6 years old and suddenly in the queue he started belting out loud and clear the song, he had obviously learnt it!  ‘I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord . . .’ But what surprised me the most was that he had remembered the bigger more complicated words in the song, ‘He’s omnipotent, magnificent, all-glorious, victorious, I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’ We need to keep reminding ourselves, or instead like Steven, sing to ourselves till we not only know the words but the reality of the words, that Jesus Christ is Lord, he is omnipotent, he is magnificent, he is all-glorious, he is victorious. Because we have come to know him as Saviour, Jesus is all we need.

It was the words of the following song that prompted me to do this devotion today, He is all I need.

He’s all I need when I just need someone to talk to,

He’s always there to hear my prayer each time I call him,

All my need he supplies my thirsty soul he satisfies,

He’s the Lord of and he’s all I need,

He comforts me when I am weary eases every pain,

Fills my deepest longing, time and time again,

He’s my souls inspiration, my hearts consolation,

He’s my everything, He’s all I need

He’s all I need I will not turn to any other,

For he’s my friend who’s closer than any brother,

On this friend I can rely to be my strength as life goes by,

The Lord of all is all I need

He comforts me, when I’m weary, eases every pain,

Fills my deepest longing, time and time again,

He’s my souls inspiration, my hearts consolation,

He’s my everything, he’s all I need.

He is all I need, He is all I need, All, Jesus is all I need,

He is all I need, He is all I need, He’s my everything, He’s all I need.