[Tuesday's Devotional] - Paul's ministry to the Thessalonians

Paul's ministry to the Thessalonians   In our reading today Paul continues to tell us more about his missionary trip to Thessalonica.  At first glance it can read like someone justifying their actions before others, however Paul is emphasising his integrity as one sent from God.  Communities in the ancient world were no strangers to wandering salesmen and travelling preachers, some of whom would be genuine and others using tricks to make money before moving on.  When Paul and his friends arrived in Thessalonica telling of a man who had died and rose again many people must have thought he was just like the other con-artists who tantalised the crowds with stories and then demanded payment.   Paul, in contrast, reminds them that:   '…when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.' 1 Thessalonians 2:13 [NIV]   As Paul continues in verses 14 onwards we realise that the Thessalonians haven't had a smooth ride and have faced persecution for their new faith.  This reminder, then, that the word of God is at work in them coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit in chapter 1 is timely and important.   The Christians in Thessalonica had work to do in sharing the gospel to those around them despite the persecution they were facing. What do you think God might be calling you to?   Emma Higgins Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Monday's Devotional] - The faith of the Thessalonians

The faith of the Thessalonians   Over the next five days we'll look together at the five chapters of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians.  It's interesting to read about Paul's mission trip to Thessalonica as Luke tells it in Acts 17:1-9 alongside looking at Paul's letter to the Christians in Thessalonica.  From the account in Acts it's clear that this particular mission trip was successful both amongst Jews and non-Jews, however this did cause some opposition and persecution which the community in Thessalonica are still recovering from when Paul writes to them.   Knowing that the early Christians in Thessalonica had experienced some persecution and violence and also that the community is largely made up of non-Jewish converts, Paul opens his letter to them thanking them for their faith in times of adversity, and reminding them of their conversion.  He writes this:   'For we know, brothers and sisters, loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.' 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 [NIV]   The Christians in Thessalonica experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and their lives were transformed.  Paul encourages them that they've made a name for themselves across Macedonia and Achaia (1:7-9) and their faith is widely known and is an example to new Christians elsewhere.   How can we as a community of believers live in such a way that the story of the gospel becomes known around us?   Emma Higgins  Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Friday's Devotional] - The Blood Covenant

The Blood Covenant    God swore by His Name and by an oath that He would bless Abraham (Hebrews 6:13-20).   Abraham is the one who made an offering by cutting a heifer, a goat and a ram in two and then God walked in the blood between the animal carcasses signifying that He had entered into covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:9-21). Abraham is also the one who offered his one and only son Isaac to God but God gave him back to him. (Genesis 22: 1-18).   In ancient cultures dating back to the time of Abraham, if one family swore that they would do certain things for the other family during a blood covenant ceremony, failure to do so spelt certain death by the shedding of their blood by the betrayed family. That is how serious blood covenants were.   Many years later, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for God to "let this cup pass me by", God did not grant that request because under the blood covenant with Abraham, God had determined in His heart to reciprocate what Abraham had done for Him!  He gave His One and only Son to die for us on the cross.  Some say God would not allow the blood covenant with His friend Abraham to be compromised lest He would self - destruct!   This is why the blood covenant between God and Jesus is so powerful.  Instead of the blood of rams, goats and heifers, under God's covenant with Abraham, God replaced this with the blood of Man to establish a more superior covenant to take care of us - Abraham's descendants.   Because of this, there is now no more condemnation of those in Christ. There is nothing we or anybody else including angels can do to separate us from the love of Christ. This is because the blood covenant was between God and Jesus and it covers all the needs of mankind.   Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll l— I have come to do your will, my God.'" Hebrews 10: 5-7 [NIV]   Today build up your faith knowing every promise in the bible is a sworn blood covenant fact that is as good as done!   Whenever Jesus performed miracles for people He always commented "your faith", has healed or saved you.   Farai Mutsambiwa Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Thursday's Devotional] - When God is silent

When God is silent I was reading the Book of Job recently, and sensed I needed to share with you the following lessons when God seems silent:   If you have repented of your sins and made the Lord your Saviour, you are righteous before God.  Nothing happens without God allowing it. From God's conversation with Satan concerning Job, we learn that every painful experience or circumstance you are going through has been instigated by Satan (Job 1 – 2). God is silent from chapter 3 to 38 (35 chapters) because of wrong conversations between Job and his well meaning friends. Job thought God was oppressing him and yet he was not guilty of any wrongdoing (chapter 10). On the other hand, Job's friends accused him of being a sinner hence why he was suffering. Both Job and his friends were saying wrong things about God. A wise lesson to shorten the time for God's restoration is to pray for all people you have conversations with, always forgiving those that persecute you and blessing them. We get this insight at the end when God told Job's friends to go to Job and have him pray for their sins. When a person is in trouble because of sin, God will always show him the evil he has done and if he repents he will quickly be restored (Job 36:8-12). Here is a checklist of key areas we may have compromised our relationship with the Lord: Unforgiveness (forgive others as we want to be forgiven by God, daily) Unhealthy marriage relationship (this hinders prayer). Wives and husbands - what do you gain if your spouse's prayers are hindered because of your anger? Both of you lose. Unfaithfulness with God's money (tithes & offerings - Malachi 3). Don't rob God and expect blessings from Him. Again both husband and wife need to be faithful in this area. Wrong deeds unrestored (cheating or offending people). Find ways of restoring them quickly (example Zacchaeus) Disobedience. Is there a place God wants you to go or something God wants you to do and you have not obeyed? Unconfessed sins - in Psalm 66:18 the Psalmist says "if I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" to my prayers. Loving and rationalising sin will cut you off from answered prayers. Calm down. Be still and know that God is God. Repent of the sins God shows you.  Job spoke of things he did not understand. When God finally challenged him on what he and his friends had been saying, he repented. (Job 38-42). When we pray for one another and together God responds. God commanded Job's friends to take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and together they offered this to God.  Job immediately started experiencing his turnaround. When in trouble and applying these lessons, we are closer to the truth and have the hope of coming out better than we were before the adversity began. Don't worry about how God will restore you. In His goodness God gave Job a double portion of everything he had lost without explanation.   Farai Mutsambiwa Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Thank God for the gift of righteousness

Thank God for the gift of righteousness   In Colossians 1:22-23 [NIV]:- It says:   "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel." (Author's emphasis)   I specifically like the phrase - "if you continue in your faith", implying that there will be many times in life when we want to give up on our faith. We feel down-beaten, down-trodden, unsuccessful and unholy. During those times, we need to reactivate our faith and believe that God has freely given us a gift of righteousness. Not because of our works but by what Jesus did for us on the cross.   Today I want to stir up your faith to believe that despite how you feel and how much you have stumbled, Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the law.  Confess and repent from your sins and know that God is ready to accept you as His blameless, holy and righteous child.   When God's promises in your life seem to be violated by life circumstances, there is high temptation to think that God does not love you anymore and that somehow, you are being judged for your sins. If that sounds like you, then here is some good news. The bible is full of promises and explanations about what happens to the righteous.   "…for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes." Proverbs 24:16 [NIV].  According to this, when you fail many times in life but still have the faith to pray and trust in God for your salvation, God sees this as righteousness. What you do when you fall is what matters.   Listen to what God will do if you do not give up seeking Him in your failures and circumstances: "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!" Hebrews 10:35 [NIV]   After a long period of suffering (financial and career loss, loss of his children, suffering from a terrible disease and condemnation by well-meaning friends), Job was eventually restored by God.  The bible says: "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part." Job 42:12 [NIV]. Job was a righteous man yet he suffered a lot.   "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all"   Psalm 34:20 [NIV]   "Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work.  Be patient like that.  Stay steady and strong.  The Master could arrive at any time....You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail." James 5: 7- 11 [MSG]   Farai Mutsambiwa Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!