[Thursday's Devotional] - Obedient to God

Jesus did not only come to live on earth to go to his death on the cross but also to show us how to live!

"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 – I have come to do your will, O God.'" Hebrews 10:5-7 [NIV]

Throughout his life on earth Jesus remained obedient to God's will, even unto death.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
Luke 22:42 [NIV]

Yesterday we briefly touched on putting the needs of others before self. Obedience to God is all about putting the will of God before your own. Again, Jesus demonstrates this to the ultimate. As we follow Jesus we are called to both live as he would want us to live, proclaiming and demonstrating his love to others, and to serve him. When we feel the call of God on our hearts do we respond, 'Here I am; I am ready to do your will', or in some other way?

We all have our own fears and desires. We all have our own comfort zones. It is only as we step outside those zones when God calls do we learn more of ourselves, do we grow more in faith, grow more as disciples and become more effective for Jesus.

Is God calling you to something different, something new (great or small)? How are you going to respond?

Mike Iredale

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 122:1-9, Ezekiel 19:1-20:44, Hebrews 10:1-18

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Sacrifice of Himself

Today's reading expands on that of yesterday.

"For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with the blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews 9:24-26 [NIV]

This emphasises the point that it was through the sacrifice of the Son of God that sin was ultimately defeated; the final payment made. It was through Jesus rising again, entering heaven to appear for us in God's presence that death was defeated. As a result, we too have the expectation of a life beyond our current earthly existence. We can never remind ourselves often enough of the Good News of what Jesus has done for us all.

There is also a lesson here in humility. Jesus is the Son of God, yet allowed himself to be made man, live a life within the confines of the human form, and allowed himself to be killed; the ultimate in putting the needs of others before oneself. The way of this world is to put the needs of oneself well before the needs of others. I wonder how often, how much, we live according to the ways of the world rather than according to the way of Jesus in this respect. How much do we need to change?

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen

Mike Iredale

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 121:1-8, Ezekiel 17:1-18:32, Hebrews 9:16-28

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Once for all

Over the next two days we will look at something of the nature of Jesus sacrifice for us.

"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:11-12 [NIV]

In the old system animal sacrifice was used as atonement for sin; as a sort of payment for the sin of those making the sacrifice, using the sacrifice as a substitute. The problem was that with each new sin more payment was due. As we saw yesterday, the high priest had to enter God's presence every year, with in effect a new payment.

Jesus came to live among us as part of God's master plan for world salvation. Jesus went to the cross in our place, paying the price for the sins of all of us in one fundamental, earth-shattering event. Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," John 1:29b, God's own son, the ultimate sacrifice; once for all.

So, because of what Jesus has done no price is left to be paid, our slate has been wiped clean, we are no longer bound by the power of sin and we are free. I wonder if we truly understand the magnitude of what Christ has done for each of us. Our response is reflected in how we live; if we were Jesus, would we consider our own response adequate?

Today, take time to reflect on what Jesus has done for each of us; and then offer up a prayer of thanksgiving.

Mike Iredale

Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 27:5-14, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Hebrews 9:1-15

[Monday's Devotional] - New Covenant

This week we will concentrate on the readings from Hebrews, which look at what Jesus achieved through his death on the cross, from the point of view of this letter written to a Jewish community.

"But God found fault with the people and said, 'The time is coming, declared the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.

This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour or a man his brother, saying; 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'" Hebrews 8:8-12 [NIV]

In the Old Testament system it was only the high priest who could enter into the Most Holy Place, into the presence of God; and then only once a year, with a sacrifice to atone for the sins of himself and the people. Jesus, through his death on the cross, brought an end to the old system, the old covenant, and brought in a new system; the new covenant that he had promised. In atoning for the sins of the world Jesus broke down the barrier between God and his people so that now all could know God, and be known by God, personally.

The Holy Spirit was given as a gift to cement the connection. We can all now have a personal relationship with God, because of Jesus. And we live in the certainty that our sins have been forgiven and our wickedness remembered by God no more.

Today, make the most of what Jesus has done. Set aside time to focus on God and enter into his presence and think on how great is the love of God; that he died for you.

Mike Iredale

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 120:1-7, Ezekiel 13:1-15:8, Hebrews 8:1-13

[Friday's Devotional] - More

"It's as simple as praying a prayer like this". As a preacher, I find myself saying this quite often (and particularly on the Alpha course). Becoming a Christian is really that simple, and I have seen so many lives transformed when people pray a simple prayer turning to Christ in repentance and asking him to be their friend.

 

It's the start of a great adventure, and there is so much more that God wants us to experience and to do.

 

God gave Ezekiel a wonderful vision of this in Ezekiel 47.

 

Ezekiel saw a river running from the temple. First of all it was ankle deep, then waist deep, then so deep you had to swim in it. And the river brought life to parched land, and even to the Dead Sea.

 

This speaks of perseverance, of choosing to be in God's life-giving river and of going deeper.

 

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul writes:

"Follow the way of love, and eagerly desire spiritual gifts and especially the gift of prophecy"

 

As a church, we encourage people to seek to hear God speaking and we share prophetic words and insights with each other. It never ceases to amaze me that God speaks to us as we choose to listen to him. I love spending time with people who have made it their aim to get close to God and to hear him speaking.

 

Recently Vanessa and I were having a pub lunch, and Vanessa said to me that she felt God saying she should tell one of the other customers that God loved him. She went up to him, and he soon told her that he had been considering suicide that day.

 

"But why would God send you to speak to me, and not to any of the other customers…" And then it dawned on him that the reason might be that he needed to hear this.

 

There is a challenge here – we can all hear God speaking if we choose to listen, but why did Paul write 'eagerly desire …..the gift of prophecy'?

 

Talk to people who hear God clearly, and you find that having this as an aim takes effort: choosing to put God first, pressing in to hear him, choosing to obey his promptings (even at the risk of getting it wrong). But they wouldn't want it any other way – they would rather walk in step with the Holy Spirit than merely live a life that looks Christian. And they began with small steps into God's ankle-deep water, as they gained confidence in their relationship with God before living a life more fully committed to God.

 

It is a challenge that God clearly wants us to take up.

 

Tim Norman

 

Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 26:23-27:4,   Ezekiel 4:1-6:14, Hebrews 5:11-6:12