1st January 2016

God Knows

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

Spoken by George VI in his Christmas 1939 broadcast to the Empire these words struck a chord with a country facing the uncertainly of war. 

 

December 31st

In the end, it is all about Jesus. It always has been about Jesus. It always will be about Jesus. Begin now to focus your life, your thoughts, your ministry, your evangelism and everything else on Jesus.

The Bible begins with Jesus. As we will see in the BiOY tomorrow, when we look at Genesis Chapter 1, the creation of the universe was through Jesus. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Through him all things were made’ (John 1:1,3).

The Bible also ends with Jesus: ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen’ (Revelation 22:20b–21). He is ‘the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End’ (v.13).

Faithfulness .....

Joyce Meyer comments, ‘Do you know how God tests our faithfulness? He assigns us to do something for a period of time that we do not want to do, something that is not fun or exciting, something that may require us to submit to someone else’s authority for a while, and he will speak to our hearts, “Just be faithful.”

‘Faithfulness is not showing up day after day; it is showing up day after day with a good attitude and an excellent spirit. God will reward that kind of faithfulness. Luke 16:12 tells us that if we are faithful over what belongs to someone else, God will give us our own. If you are being tested in the area of faithfulness, be unwavering in your resolve to be faithful and dependable. You will be glad you did.’

December 30th

There will be ‘a new heaven and a new earth’, but Christ says, ‘I make all things new’ (v.5, NKJV) – not, ‘I make all new things’. This is an indication of the continuity with this creation. That is why Martin Luther said, ‘If I knew the world was ending tomorrow, I would plant a tree today.’ This has huge implications for our understanding of the resurrection (and also for how we treat the environment now).

The Earth will continue, we need to look after it as it is our inheritance, even after the second coming

Jesus will satisfy your thirst for God: ‘He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To those who are thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”’ (v.6).

There will be a new relationship with God. You experience a foretaste of this today through the indwelling presence of God in the church by his Spirit. On this great day you will be brought into a place of complete intimacy with Jesus. Take the most beautiful relationship you have ever seen, multiply it a million times, and you will get some idea of the sheer beauty of the relationship you will experience with God in eternity.

St Augustine explains how we should respond to this hope for the future: ‘He who loves the coming of the Lord is not he who affirms that it is far off, nor is it he who says it is near, but rather he who, whether it be far off or near, awaits it with sincere faith, steadfast hope, and fervent love.’

December 29th

Saw Tdcaster Bridge fall on TV today. That strong structure, serving the community for generations, lost to the flooding river. We think we are strong and self sufficient, but we can easily be swept away by life's problems. Help me yo stand firm this year, relying on Christ as my rock and foundation, whatever lies before me.

Life can be like a raging flood, sweeping all before it. Can be easier to go with the flow, but better to stand firm, not in our own strength , but in his.

28 December

The idea of covenant is so important in the Christian Bible that the two parts came to be called the Old and the New Testaments (‘Testamentum’ being the Latin word for covenant). Although the New Covenant was different from the Old one, both covenants came from God’s abounding love for you.

Do you ever find yourself in a desperate situation crying to God for help, and making all kinds of promises of what you will do if he answers your prayer? Then, when God does answer, you forget and begin to drift away from him again?

The history of the people of God is very similar. When God blesses us, we can become complacent and start to compromise and fall into sin. Then we cry out to God and he delivers us and has mercy on us. Then we become lax again. Certainly, I have sometimes found this to be a pattern in my own life. But this is not how we are meant to live.

God wants you to trust in him. Make a decision today not to worry about tomorrow. Trust him to provide for you every day, one day at a time. God does not just love you; he abounds in love for you. He loves you as if there were only you to love.

27 December

The word Hallelujah is an invitation to worship – it literally means ‘Praise (Hallal) the Lord’ (Yahweh).

To raise hands in worship was the common practice of both the Jewish people and the early Christians (‘hands raised high’, v.6). ‘The oldest gesture of prayer in Christendom is prayer with arms extended’ writes Pope Benedict. This gesture is ‘the radical form of worship’. It expresses opening ourselves to God and at the same time opening ourselves in love to others.

As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Each day that God gives us is holy and a precious gift from him. We should enjoy it fully. Joy is powerful. Nothing releases supernatural joy in our lives more than being a blessing to other people.’

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

26 December

Money

The Bible has a lot to say about it. Money matters. It matters to us and it matters to God. How should you handle money?

 As John Wesley said, ‘Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.’

Money is not a neutral, impersonal medium of exchange. Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). ‘Mammon’ was the god of wealth in Carthage. Money has all the characteristics of a god. It seems to offer security, freedom, power, influence, status and prestige. It is capable of inspiring devotion and single-minded preoccupation. Yet, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, ‘Our hearts have room only for one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord.’

Help me to spend my money as you intend 

Christmas Day 2015

When the birth of Jesus was announced to the shepherds, the angel described it as ‘good news of great joy for all the people’ (Luke 2:10). The heavenly hosts praise God for ‘peace on earth’ (v.14). Jesus had been born in Bethlehem (meaning ‘the house of bread’). He is the one who satisfies the spiritual hunger in the heart of every human being.

As Mother Teresa said, ‘God does not call me to be successful; he calls me to be faithful.’ If you are faithful to Jesus you will ultimately be successful, because Jesus will ultimately succeed.

Celebrate today the privilege of being one of those called, chosen and faithful followers of Jesus. Jesus, the baby, born that first Christmas day, grew up, died as the Lamb of God and was raised to life.

Ultimately the Lamb will overcome because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. That is wonderful news to celebrate this Christmas. As one of the great Christian carols puts it, we have a saviour ‘to free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might. O tidings of comfort and joy!’

Nehemiah 3-4... Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem

In this passage we see that everyone was needed. Everyone went to work shoulder to shoulder, side by side, rebuilding, restoring and repairing. Each was given a portion of different lengths. The key is not to compare, but simply to get on with whatever God calls you to do.

God notices what you do and values what you do. 2,500 years later, we are still reading what the people of God did here. Their names are listed.

They were all volunteers. None of them appear to have been professional builders by trade. They were businesspeople, entrepreneurs, rulers, nobles, goldsmiths and perfume-makers. Yet they were willing to offer themselves for the task of rebuilding. All ages were involved (3:12).

As you look around at the state of the church, get involved in this task of rebuilding. Be willing to work hard and not to be put off by opposition.

Lord help me see where I can impact on your work in the year ahead.