DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Lord God thank you for this new day, help today to love and serve you and live according to your word. Once again, I come in all humility recognising, I need you and desperate for you. 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. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 

And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. 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 105:1-4

1 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Worship Song Sung or Said Jesus Is King (Wendy Churchill) 

https://youtu.be/uRfAD7gQPoo

Jesus is King
And I will extol Him
Give Him the glory
And honour His name

He reigns on high
Enthroned in the heavens
Were thou the Father
Exalted for us

We have a hope
That is steadfast and certain
Gone through the curtain
And touching the throne

We have a Priest
Who is there interceding
Pouring His grace
On our lives day by day

We come to Him
Our Priest and Apostle
Clothed in His glory
And bearing His name

Laying our lives with
Gladness before Him
Filled with His Spirit
We worship the King

Oh, Holy One
Our hearts do adore You
Thrilled with Your goodness
We give You our praise

Angels in light with
Worship surround Him
Jesus our Saviour
Forever the same

God’s Word for Today: Luke 9:28-36 28

"About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 
30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 
35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him. 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.”

Devotional/Study: 

Yesterday we looked at Moses on the mountain and the glory of God that shone through him. There is another most significant mountain scene where we see the glory of God It’s in the story of the transfiguration that is found in Luke 9:28-36.   

The context is Jesus had performed some miracles and then He speaks to his disciples about His own death and calls them to deny self and follow Him. And then we are told in Luke 9:28 "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.” On this mountain Jesus asks the disciples to pray but they fall asleep. 

While they are sleeping, Jesus is praying, and then something happens. We are told in Luke 9:29 "As Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” On this mountain top the glory of God was not just on the face of Jesus. Underneath Jesus' appearance the disciples saw the indwelling glory of God, which came from within which caused his garments to be radiant. 

Here was standing on the Mountain the light of the world. Remember Jesus himself said in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world.” Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In the Old Testament God appeared in a cloud and pillar of fire and Now in my opinion God appears in all His glory and light in the person of Jesus (John 1:14). And then two men of God appear in glorious splendour, Moses, and Elijah and dis-cuss with Jesus His exodus from the earth, referring to His death and resurrection which was to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

While this was going on the disciples woke up and saw the God’s glory shining out of Jesus and let me say that this glory will also be seen when Jesus comes again. Matthew 24:30 reminds us that one day "the world will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” 

And in the book of revelation the apostle john speaks of Jesus returning in the clouds we read in Revelation 1:7 "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.” 

Not only they do see the glory of Jesus but also a cloud came over them which resembled the cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt and in this cloud was the glory of God (Exodus 13:21, 40:35). We read in Exodus 16:10 "And as Aaron spoke to the whole community of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness.” There they could see the awesome glory of the LORD in the cloud.”

This was the same glory that had appeared to Moses when he was on another occasion up on the mountain, we read about in Exodus 24:15-17. It must have been an amazing experience to see this cloud because they probably recalled the stories from the Old Testament when God appeared in a cloud and pillar of fire to the Israelites. However, it was not only the cloud that shook them it was also from this Cloud they heard the voice of God speaking to them like He spoke to Moses.

Earlier In Matthew 17:5 God speaks out of a cloud saying: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Listen to him! And now once again God speaks through a cloud and says in Luke 9:35 "This is my son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” In Matthews account we are told in Matthew 17:6-7. "When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.” But Jesus came and touched them.” Get up, he said.” Don’t be afraid.”

Like Moses the disciples fell down face down recognising they were seeing the glory of God in Jesus. Remember what John said in John 1:1 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here God clearly identifies Jesus as his Son and they were to listen to. 

What an amazing event this was for the disciples. Brothers and Sisters in the story of Moses we saw how God revealed Himself to Moses because he spent time with God and the glory of God was on his face. This is a call for us to seek and spend time with God and know Him. We may not shine like Moses, but we can reveal the presence of God and His glory in our lives by how we live. Brothers and Sisters in the story of the transfiguration we see the glory of God not just on Jesus but shining through Him. 

This reminds us He is the light of the world. What God said to the disciples is a call for us to not only believe in Jesus but to listen to Him and follow and live for Him. In Jesus time it wasn’t easy to follow Him and today it’s the same. 

The pressure for us to conform to the pattern and principles of this world are immense. However whatever difficulties and hardships we face now, and, in the future, we know that the one true living God is with us and in us by His Holy Spirit. The more we spend time with God the more Gods presence will shine through us. Let us as the people of God strive to look like Jesus and not like the world and reflect in our lives the glory of God the one triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Personal Prayer: