2022-05-31
Hebrews 2:14 NCV
The thought of death can be scary, but we don’t need to be trapped by this fear. The Bible says: ‘Since these children are people with physical bodies, Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death – the devil – and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death’ (v.14-15 NCV). Through the resurrection, Jesus proved He has power over death, and that by believing in Him, we need not have any fear of it. We can look forward to an even better life in heaven.
Paul wrote: ‘When our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NLT).
The chapter ends with these words: ‘Be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless’ (v.58 NLT). Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that we each have a place in heaven. There is hope, even right to the last second of our earthly lives, because when we put our trust in God, we know we’ll be reunited with Him. Death has no power to scare us, no victory over us, because we are God’s redeemed children.
1 Kings 8-9; Matt 13:24-35; Ps 108; Pro 12:14
2022-05-30
Psalm 17:15 NCV
Through centuries of history, there have always been people who believed in some kind of future life. Ancient Egyptians believed that they would travel to the afterworld; some Native Americans believe that they are reunited with their ancestors when they die; Muslims believe in Paradise. Belief in some kind of afterlife is seen across different countries and in different cultures. But whatever form they think the afterlife will take, so many people, in the past and in the present, believe that death isn’t the end of our story.
The psalmist was certain of it: ‘LORD, save me by your power from those whose reward is in this life. They have plenty of food. They have many sons and leave much money to their children. Because I have lived right, I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied’ (Psalm 17:14-15 NCV). The psalmist looked forward to the time when he would meet God face to face. That would be his reward, more precious than any earthly gains he could gather during his life.
In Revelation, John got a glimpse of what a heavenly life with God would be like: ‘I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever”‘ (Revelation 21:3-4 NLT). When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we can be sure that there’s a place for us in heaven where we can experience God’s presence like never before!
1 Kings 6-7; Matt 13:10-23; Ps 101; Pro 12:12-13
2022-05-29
Philippians 1:23 MSG
In a 1909 lecture, William Jennings Bryan said: ‘Christ gave us proof of immortality, and yet it would hardly seem necessary that one should rise from the dead to convince us that the grave is not the end. If the Father deigns to touch with Divine power the cold and pulseless heart of the buried acorn and to make it burst forth into a new life, will He leave neglected in the earth the soul of man, made in the image of his Creator? If He stoops to give to the rosebud whose withered blossoms float upon the autumn breeze, the sweet assurance of another springtime, will He refuse… words of hope… when the frosts of winter come? If matter, mute and inanimate, though changed by the forces of nature into a multitude of forms, can never die, will the spirit of man suffer annihilation when it has paid a brief visit like a royal guest to this tenement of clay? No, I am as sure that there is another life as I am that I live today!’
Paul wrote: ‘As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better’ (v.22-23 MSG). So no matter how difficult, or how blessed, our lives are right now, the best days are still ahead, when we’ll get to experience the joy of heaven and spend eternity with God.
Gen 1:1-2:3; John 1:1-18
2022-05-28
2 Corinthians 5:1 MSG
The law of conservation of energy and the law of conservation of mass both tell us that neither energy nor matter can be destroyed. They can be transformed into other things, but they can’t cease to exist. The amount of energy and the number of atoms that existed at the time of creation still exist in the universe today, just in different forms. So what if we applied the same idea to our souls? When we die, what happens?
The Message paraphrases 2 Corinthians 5 this way: ‘When these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven – God-made, not handmade – and we’ll never have to relocate our ‘tents’ again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move – and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less’ (v.1-5 MSG).
When we die, we just leave a lesser form of life and step into a greater one. It’s like taking off an old, worn, and dirty set of clothes and swapping them for the most beautiful outfit we could imagine. Think of it like this: our last day on earth will be our best day ever! How amazing is that!
1 Kings 3-5; Matt 13:1-9; Ps 128; Pro 12:10-11
2022-05-27
Job 14:14 NCV
After 616 AD, the first Christian missionaries came to the courts of King Edwin in Northumbria, in the north of England. In his great hall, ablaze with the light of many torches, they presented the gospel. The king listened, then consulted his advisors. One nobleman said: ‘Life is like a banquet hall. Inside is light… fire… warmth and feasting, but outside it is cold and dark. A sparrow flies in through a window at one end… and out through a window at the other end. That is what life is like. At birth we emerge from the unknown, and for a brief while we are here… with a fair amount of comfort and happiness. But then we fly out into the cold… dark… unknown future. [Can] this new religion… lighten that darkness for us[?]’
When we believe in the resurrection, we can answer, ‘Yes!’ An illness or a tragic accident can end life as we know it. But we also know that death isn’t really the end. ‘If Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves.
If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries’ (1 Corinthians 15:17-20 MSG). When we put our trust in God, the end of life on earth is just the beginning of a glorious new life with Christ in heaven!
1 Kings 1-2; Matt 12:38-50; Ps 45; Pro 12:7-9
2022-05-26
Philippians 2:3 CEV
Paul wrote, ‘Consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought’ (v.3-5 CEV). That kind of thinking doesn’t always come easily to us, but Jesus showed us how to do it. Hanging on the cross, He took time for the condemned criminal hanging next to Him (see Luke 23:39-43). As Stephen was being stoned, he prayed for those who were killing him, asking God not to lay the sin at their door (see Acts 7:60). Paul and Silas were beaten and wrongly imprisoned, but that didn’t stop them taking time to minister to their jailer. Even after God sent a powerful earthquake that broke their chains and opened their prison doors, they stayed to minister to their captor. It must have been so tempting to escape while the opportunity was there. It would have been easy to look out for themselves and not worry about anybody else. But their act of love moved the jailer to ask how he could be saved, with the result that he and his entire family accepted Christ (see Acts 16:25-34).
In a world whose philosophy is often ‘look out for number one’, we need God’s help every day to overcome feelings of selfishness. And when we do, other people will notice that we’re different, and they’ll want to know why. Just think how many of your friends and loved ones could come to know God if you refused to judge, unfairly criticise, or ignore them, and instead, consistently showed that you genuinely love them! ‘Consider others more important than yourselves’, and be ready to have conversations about the One who makes us different.
Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 12:22-37; Ps 47; Pro 12:4-6
