[Monday's Devotional] - Holding on in Worship

I am currently reading 'Now to Him' by the worship leader Neil Bennetts and the theologian Simon Ponsonby. I attach the Amazon link below in case you would like to buy a copy: Now to Him

Neil Bennetts is a New Wine worship leader as well as being the worship leader at HolyTrinity Cheltenham and Simon Ponsonby is a New Wine speaker and a theologian based at St Aldates Oxford. They are both people that have influenced me in my Christian journey, and their book has challenged and rebuked me, as well as inspiring me to deeper depths of worship. As a result, I thought that I would share with you some of the thinking that has resulted from reading this book, over the next few days.

Neil Bennetts relates the story of his friend whose child was born weighing just a pound, the weight of half a bag of sugar. As a member of the worship team, the father sought out the company of the rest of the team, not just to pray with him and for his child, but to worship with him and to help him keep on worshipping. In the direst and most testing of times this man's heart was to give God the worship he is due for who he is. His heart was to keep on saying yes to God and to cling on to him in worship. This challenged me: would I do this now? Have I continued to worship in the darkest times of my life?

Worshipping in dark times is totally Biblical. When Job loses his children and his property, he is able to respond with "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21. This is not Job being stoical or controlled, or self possessed. This is Job saying "yes" to God and "no" to anger and despair.

Let's pray…

Lord, whatever today throws at us, let us say 'yes' to you by blessing your name at all times. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and keep us praising you.

Amen.

John Martin-Jones

[Friday's Devotional] - Living

So we have prepared ourselves, and now can advance through our lives with all that we need to be true followers of Jesus Christ. But are we required to shout it from the rooftops, to be the modern day Paul, or the new Billy Graham? Probably not, for very few will be selected for such a calling.

However, we can proclaim our faith and belief by our everyday behaviour and the way we react with those we come into contact with, and we can strengthen ourselves by continuing to read, pray and listen. Regular meetings with other Christians are also very beneficial when we can hear the words of God, worship and pray together. In this way we all become stronger in our faith. Without the support of others, we can become like a match. When struck it burns brightly for a short time but then goes out, perhaps without lighting the fire in others.

So are we going forth proclaiming our belief and faith to others in a loud and boisterous manner? I think not. For Jesus came to teach and serve in a humble manner and, although he could get angry at the failure of those who should have known better, he came as a servant rather than a master. And he taught us to love others as we would love ourselves and in this way we will draw others towards God the Father. We may not like all those we come into contact with but we are taught to love them and encourage them with our behaviour to seek the Lord.

Lord, we thank you most humbly for the love you have shown us. Help us to show that love to others as we go about our daily lives. Amen.

Jim Finch

[Thursday's Devotional] - Doing

We have read the Bible, we have prayed to our God, we have listened to his response and guidance, now we have to do as He directs. Ah, not quite as simple as it sounds. So far, all that we have done can be done in comparative private, only God has seen and heard what we have said and done – and I accept that can be a bit daunting at times. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

I once told God that I would give up smoking if I won the Lottery. The very next time it was drawn I won - £10. I tried to give up but failed miserably. He knew I was not ready to give up at that time, although I have stopped smoking since then. We are not here to put our Lord to the test.

So we are going to be good Christians and live and behave as close to the way Jesus lived as we can. That sounds a bit patronising doesn't it? Especially when I know it is not always easy to repay evil with good, to turn the other cheek, to offer kindness to those who would do you harm. And if you are being good and kind and helpful do you feel you are being 'put upon', taken advantage of, by those you are trying to help? If others are aware that you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, you are quite possibly going to be taunted about it or made fun of by those who do not believe. So it won't always be easy, but it will get easier the more you try to follow our Lord's lead. In time you may well find that you have earned, however grudgingly, the respect of those who once made fun of you.

We have the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses as our basis for living and showing God our love for Him. Jesus has shown us how to live and obey those Commandments and is our way to God.

Time to be a 'doer' and see what happens. God bless you all.

Jim Finch

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Listening

Yesterday we thought about talking to God, and it's just as important that we listen to Him too. I expect all of us ask for things we think we need from time to time, but do we take a bit more time to listen for an answer? Probably not, we just carry on with our lives and wait to see if anything happens. And do we feel let down if we don't appear to get what we have asked for? Quite possibly. But did we really need that promotion at work, the new car, a miraculous recovery for an elderly relative, or help with an awkward situation?

The work promotion that means longer hours because of more responsibility, the new car that is newer but not really any better than our present one, the elderly relative who will now need extra care for a few more years which will put us under a bit more pressure, or that situation which only required a little time and patience to clear.

It is unlikely that God will speak to many of us in the way that He did to Moses or Samuel. But we often get an answer in one way or another. Try a little hindsight.

Thirty years ago I had my own business. I had started as a one man business a few years earlier and now had two staff, but needed to work long hours to meet the needs of my customers. Then Rolls Royce, who supplied over 90% of my work, decided that they would now work without using sub-contractors like me. I was stunned, the business could not continue, the big house and nice car would have to go. I had built the company up, increasing the turnover by 200% and all to no avail. The company had to close within a few short months and I was redundant. It's just not fair!

Looking back, I recollect working 36 hours or more with just a catnap in the office now and then. I fact, one week I got up Monday morning and never got back to bed until Friday night, and I thought I'd done serious damage to my back. Now I think God knew what he was doing all the time, I just wasn't listening.

The Prayer Ministry team in our church clear their minds and simply wait on God for 20 minutes or more before each Service. They are listening for any words or pictures that God might place before them. Not every team member receives something every time, but they are listening anyway. 2,000 years ago there were only a handful of Christians in the world, today there are billions – so we need to be patient as God handles all our problems.

Let us remember to listen and look out for God's answers to our prayers and for His guidance on matters we hadn't thought to ask about.

Jim Finch

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Praying

From early childhood, many of us will have learned to pray every day, or at least every evening. As we kneel at the side of our bed saying the words our parents have taught us, we probably have little understanding of the importance it will have in our lives. As we grow into adulthood, hopefully we begin to appreciate it. Although over the years it can become something of a habit, it is a good one.

Many of us look for a 'quiet time' either early morning or in the evening when we have a little time. We can thank God for the good things we have received and ask for his forgiveness for the mistakes we invariably seem to make, even though we are trying not to make them. Then we can ask for things that we need, or help that is required. Amen.

That's it then, all done.

But no it's not! It doesn't always work quite like that – well not for me anyway. It had become a habit to which I gave little thought really, and began to wonder why it felt like a waste of time. No sincerity seemed to pervade through my words, it had become just routine. Then I remembered someone telling me that praying was simply talking to God and you could do that any time at all. So I suppose that I don't technically just pray at certain times anymore. I find myself talking to God at any time of the day and if it looks like I'm talking to myself, does that matter? So, if something isn't quite going according to plan and then just seems to click into place, or if something nice happens unexpectedly, I find myself saying a little "thank you". Or if I realise I've got something wrong a quick apology is in order. We can carry on using our 'quiet time' to share our thoughts with God just the same.

So however you choose to pray, or talk, to God, just do it whenever and wherever you are. God loves you to talk to him and you can be sure He is listening.

Jim Finch

[Monday's Devotional] - Reading

We are often encouraged to read our Bibles and read them regularly, either during our church services or in our Small Groups, or in other Christian books we read. In 2011 some of us read the whole Bible in a year and we have just completed "40 Days in the Word" inviting us to read and learn verses which will help us to grow as Christians.

Now, in our church in Rugby, we are preparing to take part in a "Bibleathon" where we will be reading the whole of the Bible aloud over four days during May, each person reading for a short time and possibly more than once. Overall we are to be encouraged to read a few verses of the Bible each day and think about what we have read and what we might learn from it. Then we can go forward and put what we have learned into practice.

This may sound like an awful lot of reading and some parts of the Bible can be hard going. Then again, if you are like me, you may read a book (other than the Bible) and not be interested in reading it again for quite some time – even if it's a favourite. This also can apply to the Holy Book. Many people go to Bible Study Groups which can be helpful, but sometimes these can dissect the passage being studied so much that you come away more confused than when you started.

So am I suggesting that you don't bother to read the Holy Bible except just occasionally, perhaps when you have nothing to do for a short time? Not a bit of it. I know that I don't read the Bible every day, and perhaps not as often as I should, but if I think about the events of the day in the quiet of the evening they can sometimes reflect a story in the Bible in a modern way, and a brief read of that story can help 'put the day to bed', as it were. I also have to read the stories so that I can re-write them in a way that the children I tell Bible stories to can understand and, hopefully, enjoy them and learn from them.

In truth, I also encourage you to read your Bible. To read as often as you wish and feel comfortable with. Then to think about what you have read and how it can assist you to continue being the Christian you want to be. And enjoy, it's not a task it's a treat.

Jim Finch.

[Friday's Devotional] - The Guiding Light

One evening recently I was walking with my family on a beach at dusk. It is a beach we know quite well, but as the daylight faded and the sun set it felt rather more unfamiliar. We knew we were heading towards a tower at the far end of the beach, and that once we reached the tower we would know our way off the beach and back to where we were parked. We could see lights in the distance so just kept on walking towards them. As we climbed over a dune we could finally see the tower we had been looking for. One of the children said to me " God provided the light and it led us to our destination. Isn't that kind! "

I had to agree, and as I pondered on his wise words it reminded me that that is what God does for us every day through his word. He gives us daily light in times of darkness, and words of direction to lead us on the right paths. If we follow that daily light, He will indeed lead us to our destination, he'll show us the way, and he'll be beside us every step of it.

Much as I tried to learn and recall the memory verses from 40 days I struggled quite a bit. But one verse came back to me as I finished the walk back to where we were parked that night.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path" Psalm 119:105

I like the picture of a lamp for my feet – so that even if I cannot see through the darkness ahead, even though I may have to totally trust and just keep going even though I cannot see the outcome, God's light will shine on the path I need to follow and keep guiding the steps I take. Even though I cannot see what is before me, as long as I stay focused on following God's path He'll be there lighting the way.

Lord, thank you for the light that your word sheds on our daily challenges, and for the way it leads us to the right destination. Please keep us committed to reading your word daily, and continue to lead us in your heavenly light. Amen

Corinne Mason

[Thursday's Devotional] - An Incomprehensible Peace

The last few months have been quite difficult, with several family members and friends suffering with ill health, and at times I felt quite overwhelmed by it all. Just as one situation seems to improve, there would be more bad news or new challenges to face, and I was getting very weary with it all. I wanted to support all those who needed it, but sometimes it was just too much!

One blessing of 40 Days was the chance to join a new small group, and I felt immediately at home with the group. Within the group were several people facing similar challenges with ill parents and friends, and so there was an empathy there which really comforted me. I knew I had a larger family around me who were "for me" in my challenges.

In a recent prayer time, we each chose a few verses that spoke to us, and I chose these words:

" Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 6-7

These verses were prayed over me as a blessing, and as they were I felt completely overwhelmed by God's presence as they prayed. I felt a calm come over me, and the burdens physically lifted from me. It was a beautiful release from all the things that I was anxious about. Since that evening, every time I have felt my anxiety or worries begin to sneak in I have spoken those words to myself, and just handed it back to God and asked that his peace would guard my heart and mind and not let the worries take hold again. It has been a very reassuring promise to hang on to.

Do you have anxieties that you need to hand over to God? Offer them to Him and ask Him to fill your heart and mind with His peace. Remain faithful in prayer and He will remain faithful to you.

Corinne Mason

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Humble Hearted Servants

I consider myself very fortunate that I do not have to do paid work. I have a husband who is very supportive of that, and I have the freedom and opportunities to fill my time with things I enjoy. For me this generally involves being around and helping others. I have several voluntary things I am involved in, all of which involve me being around other people, and generally helping. I like to feel I am making a difference and helping others with the mundane things. I enjoy making a very small difference.

However, I’ve found recently that I have had a little less enthusiasm for some of those things, and as such have also had a little less patience with those people I am around. I know I have, on a few occasions, acted in a manner unlike me and said things I would not normally say. The little things have got to me, and I have become frustrated very easily. On one particular day, I clashed with a group of people who were in the same premises as me, both of us trying to fulfil tasks, both of us busy at our jobs of helping and serving others. I got more and more annoyed by things they said and did, and acted in a manner I was very upset about afterwards. I was very disappointed with myself for letting it get to me.

The reading that I probed that day put me back on track very quickly.

“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God?” Mark 9:33

I realised I was not acting with the humility I should have had. I was getting annoyed when people did not thank me or were ungrateful for what I was doing. I realised I needed to humble myself again and not expect things in return for my serving others. I reminded myself that I wasn’t doing it for my gain, but doing it in God’s service. I knew I had to ask God to change my heart again and restore a humble servant heart as I served God and his children, and not seek recognition or reward for what I did. It is all for God and God alone, I don’t need thanks or recognition. My father is watching and knows, and that is all I need.

Is there a situation you need to ask God to come into and change your heart? Do you need your humble servant heart restoring? If so, ask God to come and change it so you can serve in humility once again.

Corinne Mason.

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Unexpected Angels

Today's passage is probably the one that had the most effect on me, and has had ongoing blessings ever since. It has deepened my faith, and has given me new encouragements to speak out about God to my non-Christian friends.

A close friend recently discovered that her breast cancer had returned, and initial concerns were that it was now in her lungs. She and her husband had been told it would be terminal if it was in her lungs, and had been given a very bleak prognosis. She was understandably devastated, particularly as she still has relatively young children – our daughters have grown up together.

I had arranged to go and visit her on her birthday, and before I went I had been studying the passage in Mark 2 about the men who lowered their crippled friend through the roof to Jesus. You can read the story in Mark 2:1-12. We were encouraged to picture ourselves as one of the characters, and I really related to those men. I was desperate for my friend to know Jesus, to feel his healing touch and the peace He could bring in such uncertainty. I knew I had to somehow get her closer to Jesus, and so I prayed before I went, and in the car outside her house, that God would guide my words and actions and that I would be able to bring God's peace and healing touch to her. We spent the afternoon talking, crying, hugging and thinking about the future. At times I was at a complete loss as to what to say and said some really silly things, but we still had a laugh in the midst of the tears.

When the time came for me to leave I was amazed when she stood up with a huge smile on her face and said she had no idea what had happened, but she felt so much more at peace since I'd arrived. She texted me later on too and said she truly believed I was some kind of angel looking after her, and that my visit had made her feel so much more positive. I told her I wasn't an angel, but that I did believe that peace was from God, and that as well as me praying there would also be many people from church continuing to pray for her. A week later she was told her cancer was not in her lungs and that her prognosis was far better than originally thought. Praise God! I've since been able to pray with her and she is very touched that so many are praying for her, and she is aware of the peace that is bringing.

I've learned it's not so scary to talk about God with my non-Christian friends, and certainly from this example they can be far more open than you expect. And God honoured that step of faith too, and went way beyond my expectations.

Why not give it a go yourself this week – go on – I dare you!

Corinne Mason

[Monday's Devotional] - God's Glorious Riches

Hopefully the last 40 Days have been a blessing to you as you have learned new ways of studying God's word. It has been for me, and this week I would like to share some of the encouragements I've had and the lessons I've learned.

During the "Pronounce It" week, I was particularly helped by this verse from Philippians:

" My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches." Philippians 4:19

I was reminded that no matter how big a situation I found myself in, no matter how much it felt like I couldn't escape the things that were dragging me down, I had a promise that those needs would be met. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually too. Even though I may not have what I felt I physically needed, God had promised that He would meet me and my needs, and not just basically but richly – abundantly, and beyond what I could imagine.

One physical way I saw this lived out was in our Micah project. As a small group we hosted a breakfast morning with the aim of purchasing 30 bibles for Messy Church. We anticipated a certain number of people coming along, bought food accordingly, and prayed for God's blessing on the event. We were a little anxious when we only had half the number of people we'd anticipated coming along. BUT God's glorious riches were there in abundance. We raised almost exactly the right amount of money required to buy the 30 bibles! And those riches were then passed on to the families of Messy Church who were each blessed with a bible as a gift from the church. God's blessing was doubled. Praise the Lord!

Whatever your need is, significant or insignificant, be sure of God's promise to you, and trust that He will meet all your needs. It's a promise!

Corinne Mason

[Thursday's Devotional] - Delight in the Law

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1: 1-4 [NKJV]

The Word of God is our wise counsel. The ungodly are full of advice on what we should do, as we saw earlier this week. However, the Word of God is timeless and true advice. Usually, when we need it most we don't have a Bible in our hand – for this reason we need to "hide it in our heart" and memorise it, then the Holy Spirit can call it into our minds when we need to quote a verse to give us the vital armour of protection and direct the way in which we should go.

"I've hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 [NIV]

Do you have God's word in your heart? How many verses have you memorised? Don't stop learning verses, even when the 40 Days are over.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your Word - help me to meditate day and night on your Law – help us to bring forth fruit in its season. Amen.

Memory Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 [TNIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Food for the journey

In order to thrive in our Christian journey we need to make sure that we are feeding ourselves with the Word. We need to take in the Word regularly to avoid being malnourished. The Word is our water, milk, bread and meat of our spiritual life.

How do we take in this food?

We can:

• Listen to the Word – hear it being read
• Read the Word – see it on the page
• Write down our thoughts on the Word – keep a journal
• Reflect on the Word in our thoughts - meditate
• Remember the Word in your heart - memorise it
  

Unlike physical food, the more we take in of the Word, the hungrier we become. How are you doing with your intake of the Word – is there something you plan to do going forward to make sure you take in more food from the Word?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly." Colossians 3:16

Heavenly Father, thank you for providing me with your Word to guide me – help me to feed regularly on your Word and apply it to my life.
In Jesus name. Amen.

Memory Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 [TNIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Foundations

Our lives are built on the foundations we choose to build on. We can build on the Word of God, or the things of this earth. People often build their lives around what seems right according to:

• Popular culture – everyone else is doing it
• Tradition – that's how we have always done it
• Reason – it makes sense to do it like that
  
• Emotions – if it feels right do it

But none of these things is as reliable as living our lives based on the Word of God – this is a truly solid foundation, one that won't wash away in the storms of life:

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24 [NIV]

Have you reviewed your foundations in the light of our 40 day journey? Do you see anything that needs to be changed?

Lord, help me to build my life on something that will last for ever – thank you for the directions you give me in your Word. Help me to follow you and remain in the light of your word. In Jesus name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 [TNIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)

[Monday's Devotional] - Integrity

Now that we are nearing the end of our 40 day journey, how should we live the rest of our lives in a way that puts into action what we have learned from the Word? The first thing we need to achieve is integrity - achieving lives which are integrated into a whole. We should behave and react in the same way throughout our daily and weekly lives.

Who are we when nobody is looking? Are we living joined-up lives where we exhibit the same standards on Monday lunchtime or Friday evening as we do on Sunday morning? We need to integrate our home life, our work life and our church life to ensure we are consistently pulling together all the parts of our life into an integrated whole – not segregated parts.

"What I want most of all and at all times is to honour your laws." Psalm 119:20 [CEV]

King David is saying here that he wants to honour God at all times – not just part of the time. I would love to be able to do the same, wouldn't you?

Heavenly father, I want to honour your laws in all the corners of my life. Help me to be consistent and constant in my behaviour and my actions. Help me to have integrity in my life this week and beyond. Amen.

Memory Verse: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 [TNIV]

Dave MacLellan
(based on Saddleback Church resource material)