2022-03-14
Luke 13:12 NKJV
The Bible says: ‘There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God’ (v.11-13 NKJV).
The woman couldn’t walk properly because she had been held captive by ‘a spirit of infirmity’ for eighteen years. That’s a long time to struggle with something. And during that time, she had come to church and received no help. Then Jesus ‘called’ her to the front. We might ask why He didn’t just heal her in her seat.
Here are two reasons: 1) God wants us to exercise faith and act on His Word. When we live with an unsolved problem for a long time, we can start to think, ‘This will never change.’ So, before God changes our circumstances, He changes our minds and enables us to see new possibilities. That’s ‘faith’. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]’ (Hebrews 11:6 AMPC). And today, God wants to see you moving towards Him.
2) God wants us to invest in our own deliverance. When we have an investment in something, we value and protect it. That way, when Satan tries to bring the problem back, we can confidently say, ‘No, I won’t take it. That’s no longer who I am. I’m a new creation in Christ.’
Est 1-4; Luke 16:19-31; Ps 24; Pro 7:24-27
2022-03-13
John 4:23 CEV
Let’s talk about how to become a worshipper. First of all, there is no one-size-fits-all. The Bible doesn’t say we must worship God in a certain way. That’s because worship is such a powerful outpouring of our hearts towards the Lord that it can’t be limited to words or defined by a song, a shout, or silence. Jesus said, ‘True worshippers are… led by the Spirit… These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him’ (v. 23 CEV).
Second, God created us to worship Him. Perhaps you’ve never thought of this: God created us to do the one thing He can’t do for Himself – worship! John the Apostle wrote, ‘You are worthy… to receive glory and honour and power, because you made all things. Everything existed and was made, because you wanted it’ (Revelation 4:11 NCV). Nothing brings more pleasure to God’s heart than the love and adoration of His redeemed children.
Third, worship can be expressed by anybody, anywhere, anytime. The Samaritan woman in Scripture grew up believing that true worship must be carried out at a sacred mountain called Gerizim, whereas the Jews believed it should be practised in the temple at Jerusalem. But Jesus said it wasn’t to be confined to church or a particular day of the week. The psalmist put it like this: ‘Servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down the LORD’s name is to be praised’ (Psalm 113:1-3 NKJV).
So wherever we are, in whatever way we choose, let’s be worshippers.
1 Sam 5:1-6:16; Rev 11:15-19
2022-03-12
Luke 7:47 CEV
One day, Jesus was eating at the home of a Pharisee when a prostitute came in. ‘The woman kissed his feet and poured… perfume on them. The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If [Jesus] really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him!”‘ (v.38-39 CEV). But Simon the Pharisee got it wrong. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know, it’s that He could see beyond her sin. That day, He forgave her and sent her on her way redeemed, restored, and redirected.
This story confirms what we already know; Jesus came to save sinners. No one is beyond the reach of His grace. Let’s keep in mind these two things: 1) Never forget what God saved you from. Jesus told Simon the Pharisee: ‘Anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love’ (v.47 CEV). David remembered his past sins when he wrote: ‘He… brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay… set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD’ (Psalm 40:2-3 NKJV).
2) Remember that Jesus isn’t looking at your past but at your future. The crowd saw this woman as an ugly weed, but Jesus saw her as a beautiful flower, with so much potential that the crowd couldn’t see. So if you need forgiveness today, come to Jesus. And if you have been forgiven, pour out your heart to Him in praise.
Exo 39-40; Luke 16:1-18; Ps 135; Pro 7:21-23
2022-03-11
James 5:16 NCV
While he was on holiday in England, the preacher and evangelist D.L. Moody visited a church in London that was spiritually dead. The pastor recognised him and asked him to preach at the morning service. Reluctantly, Moody agreed. Afterwards, he told a friend the congregation was so unresponsive he could barely finish his sermon. Later, he remembered he had promised to preach there again that night. He wished he had never interrupted his holiday plans, and spent the afternoon dreading what was ahead. But behind the scenes, something was happening that Moody knew nothing about.
After the morning service, an elderly lady met her invalid sister for lunch and told her about Moody’s upcoming visit. Her sister’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, ‘I’ve been praying God would send Moody to England! Put away the lunch. We’ll spend the afternoon fasting and praying for tonight’s service.’
When Moody stepped up to the pulpit that night, an ‘electric’ sense of God’s presence filled the place. He preached like a man on fire, and when he gave an invitation for people to follow Christ, five hundred of them responded. At first he thought they’d misunderstood, so he told them sit down while he re-explained the gospel call and what it meant. But when he gave the invitation a second time, the same five hundred people came forward to receive Christ.
That single Sunday kicked off one of the greatest revivals ever to sweep England. And it was because two elderly ladies realised their church desperately needed the fire of God’s Spirit. They didn’t think, ‘There’s nothing we can do’. They believed God’s promise, ‘When a believing person prays, great things happen.’ There’s so much power in prayer, and our prayers can help ignite the fire of God and make great things happen.
Exo 36-38; Luke 15:11-32; Ps 27; Pro 7:10-20
2022-03-10
Matthew 6:18 NKJV
Have you ever been to a concert where they used the latest audio-visual equipment? Chances are, you were blown away by the multidimensional sights and sounds, and afterwards, left talking about the amazing skills of the performers. If the performance went along with no problems, you probably didn’t think about the sound and lighting techs. Usually we only notice them when the equipment fails. They’re the invisible element; the people who do their job by making the star look and sound great. The real accolades and honours go to those in the spotlight. That’s the order of things in the kingdom of man.
But the kingdom of God operates on the idea that ‘the last shall be first, and the first last’ (Matthew 20:16 KJV). Jesus said when we fast, pray, and give without looking for recognition, ‘your Father who sees [your actions] in secret will reward you openly’.
On a big ship, only the captain and a handful of officers are visible on the bridge. But the crew below deck influence the ship’s progress for most of the journey. And in God’s church, it’s the ‘engine-room crew’ who faithfully carry out a lot of the work: caretaking staff, nursery workers, bus drivers, car park attendants, nursing home visitors, prison outreach workers, and prayer warriors.
The high-profile people tend to get most of the credit, but God recognises and appreciates the faithful workers behind the scenes, and says to them, ‘Well done, my good servant’ (Luke 19:17 NIV). And God’s approval is the best reward of all. So whenever we feel our work isn’t noticed or appreciated, let’s remember that God misses none of it.
Exo 33-35; Luke 15:1-10; Ps 112; Pro 7:6-9
2022-03-09
2 Corinthians 9:11 CEV
It would make no sense for an electric company to generate power and then hoard it, refusing to share it out. Their customers would be in the dark, and the company would close down very quickly! A similar idea applies to our money. ‘God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others…You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous’ (v.7-8, 11 CEV).
Some people refuse to give because they’re greedy, but in most instances, that’s not so. The truth is, we’re concerned that if we don’t look out for our own interests, they might not get looked out for at all. But in God’s kingdom, that kind of thinking doesn’t make sense. It’s like farmers refusing to plant their next harvest because they’re afraid to let go of their seeds. The Bible says, ‘Honour the LORD by giving him your money and the first part of all your crops’ (Proverbs 3:9 CEV).
It’s not because He needs it; it’s because He wants us to sow into His kingdom so that 1) His work and His will can be done on the earth, and 2) we’ll have a harvest when we need it. Jesus said, ‘More than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well’ (Matthew 6:33 CEV).
When we honour God with what we have, we’ll see Him do so much with what we have to offer, and He’ll honour our trust in Him.
Exo 30-32; Luke 14:25-35; Ps 106:24-48; Pro 7:3-5
