2021-04-12
Acts 2:39 NCV
The idea of family is a complicated one. Some families are exactly what they’re supposed to be, reflecting what God intended for our relationships here on earth. Other families are the opposite, they’re not always easy to be a part of.
But the structure of having dependable people around us, relationships with equal amounts of give and take, is a God-given one. Whether we find that in our blood relatives, or in a chosen family made up of friends, we need a small, close selection of others around us to count on. That’s why diving into our church family is so important. Whatever our home situation looks like, we can depend on our church to be our family. Psalm 133:1 reads: ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!’ (NIV).
Obviously, like any family, our churches aren’t always full of unity but they should always be full of love. They give us a place to build something that matters, and to pass on our own unique gifts and knowledge. Psalm 145:4 reminds us to ‘let each generation tell its children of [God’s] mighty acts; let them proclaim [His] power’ (NLT).
As well as providing us with a support system of people who care for us, our churches give us a chance to fulfil that instruction. We have somewhere that we can take the promises that God has given to us and pass them on. The promise that Peter’s referring to in today’s title verse is the promise of us receiving the Holy Spirit. That is the most important gift that we could ever share with those around us.
Lev 21:1-23:25; Mark 1:29-34;
Ps 50:1-15; Prov 10:3
2021-04-11
Philippians 2:3 NCV
We can learn to love and accept someone without necessarily agreeing with their opinions or endorsing their actions or lifestyle. An important key is learning to see people as individuals. The more we realise that we’re all human and all created by our Father in His image, the easier it is to focus on what we’ve got in common rather than focusing on the differences.
When we don’t understand someone else’s motives, views, or personality, it’s easy to assume the worst about them and become irritated and angered by them. But communication and trust go a long way towards increasing our patience and understanding towards those who do things differently from us. We can show patience and understanding by simply asking the right questions. We’re often afraid to ask someone why they think or act the way they do. And if we do ask, we might do it in a way that just increases the fear and hostility that the other person is feeling. If we ask with kindness, or at least in a respectful and gracious manner, we free the person to open up and we get to know them better. Keeping a sense of humour can help smooth things out if there’s disagreement or conflict. Constructive conversations build trust, which increases the chances of more and better conversations to come.
The Bible sets the bar high when it comes to loving and accepting others: Paul said, ‘If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal’ (1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT). So let’s make the effort to show patience and understanding to everyone, even those we find difficult to get along with.
2 Chr 7:12-16; Matt 6:5-15; Luke 18:1-8
2021-04-10
Romans 10:17 ESV
George Müller is considered to be one of the spiritual giants of the church. Faced time and time again with overwhelming needs, he turned to God in prayer, claimed His promises and experienced amazing miracles.
But great faith doesn’t come overnight; it comes over a lifetime of walking with God. Müller said: ‘My faith is the same faith which is found in every believer. It has been increased little by little for the last twenty-six years. Many times when I would have gone insane from worry, I was at peace because my soul believed the truth of God’s promises. God’s Word, together with the whole character of God as He has revealed Himself, settles all questions. His unchangeable love and His infinite wisdom calmed me. I knew, “God is able and willing to deliver me.” It is written, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NKJV).’
So how can we get this kind of faith? The Bible says, ‘Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17 ESV). Just as nourishing food strengthens us physically, reading and studying God’s Word every day strengthens us spiritually. The ‘secret’ of successful Christian living isn’t a secret at all – we need to get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into us. We can’t avoid anxiety-producing situations in life, but when our faith is strong, we can face any challenge or problem with confidence, knowing that God’s ‘able and willing’ to walk through it with us.
Lev 18-20; Mark 1:21-28; Ps 25:16-22; Prov 10:2
2021-04-09
2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT
Ever heard of the velvet ant? It has a coat of tiny hairs that feel smooth and velvety. But it’s all a disguise. It isn’t an ant at all, but a wingless wasp with a nasty sting. After injecting its victims with a venom, it lays eggs in their incapacitated bodies. And when we try to earn our salvation by rule-following, we can find that legalism is like the velvet ant – it can sting, infect and incapacitate us.
One of Paul’s biggest concerns for the churches was that, after being saved by grace, the people would go back to living under the Old Testament law. He constantly warned them about basing their salvation and their relationship with God on their own performance. ‘I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed’ (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NLT).
Paul also warns, ‘Satan disguises himself as an angel of light’ (v.14 NLT). Our work for God on earth determines our rewards in heaven, but we only get to heaven because of Christ’s work. Scottish minister Horatius Bonar wrote, ‘Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die; another’s life, another’s death, I stake my whole eternity.’
We can’t earn our salvation, no matter how many rules we follow. Salvation is God’s gift to us, and by His grace, our place in heaven is secured as soon as we accept that gift and put our trust in Him.
Lev 15-17; Mark 1:14-20; Ps 25:8-15; Prov 10:1
2021-04-08
John 20:25 NIV
Have you ever felt guilty for crying when you lost a loved one, or felt you needed permission to grieve? Or felt intimidated about admitting, ‘I don’t know for certain’ when someone asked you something about God? The story of doubting Thomas teaches us that not only is it okay to doubt, sometimes it’s necessary. If we don’t, we won’t grow. We’ll end up relying on someone else’s answers, and in many cases they won’t be good enough for the questions we want to ask.
There are some well-meaning people who might try to make us think that any time we question God, we’re offending Him. But this is what Jesus would say to us: ‘Peace be with you. Look at my hands and feet. Look with eyes of faith and believe. You are blessed when you believe in spite of your doubts.’ Jesus didn’t turn away from Thomas, get angry with him, or ridicule him for doubting. He spoke gently to him and helped him work through those doubts.
God will do the same for us when we have questions. It’s okay to pray, ‘Father, I still struggle with some doubts, just like Thomas did. Thank You for accepting me in my struggles, and not ignoring my questions. Thomas finally reached the place where he could say, “My Lord and my God.” Thank You for being patient with me as I strive to reach that place as well.’
So, how do we get through our doubts? Like Thomas did – by facing them honestly, acknowledging them, bringing them to Jesus, and growing spiritually as a result of them.
Lev 13:38-14:57; Mark 1:9-13; Ps 25:1-7; Prov 9:17-18
2021-04-07
John 20:25 NIV
Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to His disciples after the resurrection. And like many of us, other people’s experiences weren’t good enough for Thomas – he had to have his own. And Jesus made sure he got it. He didn’t put Thomas down for having doubts. Jesus understood that any question coming from an honest heart isn’t a sceptical question; it’s a search for truth.
The Bible tells us: ‘A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them…Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”‘ (John 26-28 NIV).
There are two important things we can learn from this story: 1) Our doubts can lead us to a new level of faith. When our world falls apart, when the pain of our circumstances seems unbearable, when some shattering event happens and doubt begins, don’t deny it – acknowledge it. Times of doubt become times of learning when our doubts lead us to ask God for answers. As we work our way through them, we can reach a new level of faith.
2) Our doubts can lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus. The testimonies and experiences of others will only take us so far; ultimately, we each need our own personal experience with God. As soon as Thomas experienced Jesus for himself, his faith was instantly strengthened. We shouldn’t be ashamed to have doubts; instead we should take those doubts to God and let Him use them to build our faith.
Lev 11:1-13:37; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 32; Prov 9:10-16
