DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father, I thank you for this new day, please teach me your word today and as I open my heart shine your light in the darkness of my heart. Father God, I come before your throne of grace and mercy, I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord, I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 75:1 

"We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.”

Worship Song Sung or Said: There Is A Redeemer (Melody Green)

https://youtu.be/MboAvzpvz58

There is a redeemer

Jesus, God's own Son

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah

Holy One

Jesus my redeemer

Name above all names

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah

Oh, for sinners slain.

Thank you, oh my father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

‘til the work on Earth is done. 

When I stand in Glory

I will see His face

And there I'll serve my King forever

In that Holy Place.

Thank you, oh my father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

‘til the work on Earth is done.

There is a redeemer

Jesus, God's own Son

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah

Holy One.

Thank you, oh my father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

‘til the work on Earth is done, 

And leaving Your Spirit

'til the work on Earth is done.

God’s Word for Today: Corinthians 2:2 

"he said For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  

Devotional/Study: (Part 2)

Ever since I became a follower of Christ, my desire was to serve Him and to live out the words of Psalm 105:1 "Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” It was in 1985 when my life was changed, I spent a year at Capernwray Bible school, and it was there I resolved to know Christ more. 

I would say was a turning point in my life and from then my desire and passion was to know Christ and love Him more than anything else in the world. One of the reasons I have grown to admire Paul is because He loved His lord more than anything else in the world and served God with boldness and courage. In Acts 20:19 Paul tells us how he served the Lord; he says "I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.”

Paul’s passion for Jesus and his love for the gospel was amazing. The gospel was everything; it was consuming his life and ministry. Paul was never ashamed of the Gospel because he knew its power. He said in Romans 1:16 "it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” 

When he was in a Roman prison awaiting his execution, He urges Timothy to guard the gospel, the truth of God word, all that he heard from Paul. He said in 1 Timothy 6:20 "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.” Just like in Paul’s days, false teaching has crept into the church, that has and is leading people from what the Bible teaches.

In Acts 20 we see how Paul warned the Ephesian elders of the false teaching that would come from people he described as savage wolves. He said to these elders in v20 "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”

Paul was always concerned that Gods people would not be led astray by false teachers who he saw as the enemies of the cross. Paul said in Philippians 3:18 "For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” One thing that upsets me, is the false teaching that has been creeping into the life of the church. A teaching that I believe goes against the teaching of God’s word. Paul wept because of the enemies of the cross, false teachers who taught things that was contrary to what Paul believed and God words. 

The sad thing for me today is that many professing Christians do not believe in the Bible and have and are being deceived and conforming to pattern and principles and values and philosophies and that are on conflict with the values of the Kingdom of God.

When Christians conform to the world, they are agreeing with its lifestyle and live according to the world’s ways. 

Do you and I look like the world or do we look like Christ. Does our lifestyle show Christ or the world? 

Today many people’s minds are being changed by the false, yet attractive, messages being spread by popular speakers and writers. Paul warned us that Gods people would be deceived and would follow false teaching. In 1 Timothy 4:4 he said, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 

This should not surprise us because the devil has been deceiving people since the beginning of time. We only need to see how he deceived Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Jesus Himself warned his disciples in Matthew 24:4. He told them "Watch out that no one deceives you.” And again, in v24 Jesus said, "for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” One of the reasons why deception has crept into the church is because Christians are not rooted in the Word of God.

We need to pray we are never deceived and pray the prayer the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:125 "I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” I love Paul because he never conformed to the pattern of the world, he never compromised God’s word or watered it down. He loved God more than anything else in the world. His passion for God was shown by how he lived, how he prayed and how he suffered.

Despite all the trials and persecution Paul went through, he never lost confidence in his God and was able to say in 2 Corinthians 8-11 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 

Throughout his life he praised and thanked and trusted God even when he suffered brutal physical pain persecution, and finally martyrdom. Paul was willing to die for his faith, once he told his friends in Acts 21:13 "I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

One day we may have to face the choice between life and death. What would you do if you were in a situation where you were asked to renounce Christ and live or embrace Christ and die? What would your response be? I do not think it is easy to die for Jesus. If you were to ask me, would I be willing to die for Jesus the only thing I can tell you with all honesty. I would be crying out to God to give me all the strength and courage to remain strong and be able to say "not will but yours be done.” 

I also believe in that situation God would give us the grace we need to respond in a way that honours him. Going to prison or suffering for Christ may not be a reality for us at this time. But there are Christians around the world that wake up every day with the possibility of going to prison and facing martyrdom because they refuse to renounce Jesus. 

It is getting much more difficult to preach and live out faith in Christ, but thanks be to God that whatever we will experience in our lives like Paul we know nothing could separate him and us "from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:28. 

As we journey with God in these difficult times let us in the power of the Holy Spirt continue to believe and trust in the one triune God, knowing that one day will be with Him and where there will no suffering, pain, or death. Brothers and sisters whatever we face today and, in the future, let us continue to love and remain faithful to our God to the very end of our life,

Personal Prayers: