23 September

Ephesians 2

14 For he himself is our peace,who has made the two groups (Jews and Gentiles) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy templein the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

I like the child’s definition of repentance: ‘being sorry enough to stop’.

God’s blessings were never intended to be enjoyed selfishly (vv.3b–5). They were to overflow to others. You can’t offer to others what you have not received yourself. But when you have enjoyed a blessing, pass it on.

22 September

God loves to use people who have been wounded and then healed because no one can minister better than a person who has had the same wound and then been healed by God (see 2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues. You have peace with God.

 ‘Redeemed’ was the word used for the buying back of a slave – a captive set free for a price.

In the ancient world when a package was dispatched a seal was placed on it to indicate where it had come from and to whom it belonged. You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Power belongs to God, but he has come to live within you and to give you ‘endless energy, boundless strength!’ (v.19, MSG).

God has given you great responsibility. His plans for the universe are now in the hands of the church, which is Jesus’ ‘body’ on earth (v.23). ‘The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church’ (vv.22–23, MSG).

21 September

Churchill towards the end of the speech he said, ‘Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’

In today’s generation, our lives have become so instantaneous that anything requiring patient perseverance can appear unattractive. We require instant returns and instant results. But sometimes the biggest pay-offs are a long time coming.
Churchill did indeed say words to that effect, but as part of a longer speech. Towards the end of the speech he said, ‘Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’

There are so many discouragements around. There are huge temptations to give up. When you sow a seed, you do not see the results immediately; it takes time. Sometimes, it’s only when we look back years later that we can see that the seed we have sown has finally borne a harvest. There are also many seeds sown about which we will know nothing until we see the harvest in heaven. One of the keys to staying positive is to keep an eternal perspective.

20 September

‘The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people!’ wrote G. K. Chesterton.

Conflict is inescapable. Even for those of us who shy away from confrontation, it is impossible to avoid. As we go through life, we will inevitably encounter people with whom we will have conflict. Additionally, for a Christian, an internal conflict exists between the desires of our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit.

Conflict and confrontation are never easy, but they are a necessary part of courageous leadership.
Paul contrasts two forms of slavery: legalism (slavery to law) and licence (slavery to self). You are liberated from these. Avoid both legalism and licence: ‘Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love’ (vv.13–14, MSG).
Paul lists four examples of realms in which this conflictoperates:

Sexual sin: ‘repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness’ (v.19, MSG)Religious sin: ‘trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness’ (v.20a, MSG)Societal sin: ‘cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival’ (v.20b, MSG)Sins of excess: ‘uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community’ (v. 21, MSG)

​We must not gratify these desires. Rather, live and be ‘led by the Spirit’ (v.18). If you choose to live by the Spirit, you will not follow the lusts of the flesh that continually tempt us. Instead, you will produce the fruit of the Spirit: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (vv.22–23). These are the characteristics we see in Jesus.

19 September

He had no one to help him become a lawyer or a politician. He was not interested in the army. He had no desire to be a doctor. Therefore, the only obvious career move in those days for a man of his background was to become a clergyman in the Church of England.

He tried to make himself acceptable to God by keeping the whole law, inwardly and outwardly. He got up early. He prayed. He denied himself. He tried to earn forgiveness and peace by increased effort. But he ‘groaned under a heavy yoke’.

On 24 May 1738, at 8.45 am he heard someone reading a book by the great reformer, Martin Luther. He later recalled, ‘While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given [to] me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’

John Wesley became one of the greatest preachers ever, preaching over 40,000 sermons centred on freedom through faith in Jesus Christ. He had, as he put it, ‘exchanged the faith of a servant for the faith of a son’. He was free at last.

‘Freedom’ is the word that best sums up the Christian life.
In our culture, freedom is often understood as being able to do whatever you want, how you want, when you want. But when you live in that way, you don’t necessarily feel truly free.

According to Paul’s teaching in today’s passage, freedom comes through Jesus Christ. His message is that you are not ‘born free’ but that in order to be free, you must be ‘born again’. True freedom is found in a life of faith in Christ.

Many ideas of freedom fail because they do not realise the true nature of our captivity. A belief in freedom as the birthright of a particular group of people has often given birth to malignant nationalism and racism. It has produced some of the gravest evils of recent times, including Nazism and Apartheid.

The title of the film Cry Freedom expresses something we all long for. Whether it’s racial and political freedom (as in the case of this film), free speech, free assembly, free worship, a free conscience, or economic freedom and individual freedom, the whole world cries out for freedom.

All of these forms of freedom are important, but you can have them all and still be in slavery. Alternatively, you can have none of them but still be free. The gospel contains within it the promise of other forms of freedom, but it begins with a freedom that is more profound than any other.

18 September

When you know God’s love for you – that of a parent for a child – and his Spirit comes to live within you, he gives you a love for others, which again is like a loving parent for a child. It was this kind of love that Paul had for the Galatians.

17 September

What, then, was the purpose of the law?’ (v.19). The law had at least two main purposes. First, it pointed us to our sin (v.19). It exposed the problem. It defined sin. It was intended to put a brake on sin.

Second, the law points us to Jesus. It is intended to lead us to Christ (vv.21–25). ‘The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for’ (v.24, MSG). It leads us to Christ through whom we are justified by faith (v.24).

Jesus Christ, the ultimate servant of the Lord, through becoming a curse for us, has removed the curse of the law. By his death he justified many. You are set free from the law to become a servant of the Lord.

16 September

God knows that perfect people do not exist. We all fail. God’s love for you is bigger than your mistakes. God loves imperfect people.

Everyone knows that their marriage partner’s not perfect, their children are not perfect, their parents are not perfect but we love imperfect people and if we love imperfect people perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us that God loves imperfect people even more.
God is also a power-sharing God. He ‘energises those who get tired… those who wait upon God get fresh strength’ (vv.29–31, MSG). Quietly wait on God, study his word, pray, worship and meditate on his love for you. He will restore you, re-energise you and empower you to face everything you need to do.

15 September

President J.F. Kennedy once remarked that ‘when written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.’ Every crisis is, at the same time, an opportunity. Crises are often caused by unexpected difficulties.

14 September

On one occasion he was approached by a zealous undergraduate who asked him, ‘Are you saved?’ ‘Ah,’ said the Bishop, ‘a very good question. But tell me: do you mean…?’ And then he mentioned three passive participles of the Greek verb ‘to save’, indicating that his answer would depend on which of the three the student had in mind (the English translation is given here in italics). ‘I know I have been saved,’ he said; ‘I believe I am being saved; and I hope by the grace of God that I shall be saved.’

‘Salvation’ is a huge and comprehensive word. It means ‘freedom’. As the Bishop pointed out, there are three tenses of salvation: you have been set free from the penalty of sin, you are being set free from the power of sin and you will be set free from the presence of sin. 

13 September

How healthy is your heart? Have you filled it with God’s wisdom? Just as what you put in your mouth affects the health of your body, what you put in your heart really matters.
The heart of wisdom is more than good advice. It is about putting ‘your trust… in the LORD’ 

Self-examination is important and is totally different from self-condemnation. He urged them to ‘examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it’ (v.5a, AMP). The purpose of self-examination is so that you can see what is wrong in your life, admit it, turn from it and be set free by Jesus.
The outpouring of the Spirit leads to great fruitfulness, righteousness and peace (quietness, confidence, security and rest). It leads to generous sowing and freedom. God promises you that if you walk by the Holy Spirit you will enjoy great blessings in this life and into eternity.

12 September

Sometimes we make our own independent plans or run straight to other people for help. We don’t ask God first. As Joyce Meyer says, ‘When you’ve got a problem: don’t go to the phone, go to the throne.’

The prophet Isaiah criticises God’s people for the way in which they made their plans. They failed to consult God (30:1–2). As a result, they had gone off in the wrong direction. They had gone off to Egypt without so much as asking God.

The trouble is, they didn’t really want to know God’s plans. Their worship is a mere formality (29:13): ‘These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it. Because they act like they’re worshiping me but don’t mean it’ (v.13, MSG).

Jesus says these words were not written simply for the people of Isaiah’s day. He says to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules”’ (Matthew 15:7–9).

11 September

The people of God depend on the grace of God. Mother Teresa wrote, ‘I don’t think there is anyone who needs God’s help and grace as much as I do. Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. I think that is why God uses me. Because I cannot depend on my own strength, I rely on Him twenty-four hours a day. If the day had even more hours, then I would need His help and grace during those as well.’

Paul expresses this dependence when he writes about the thorn in his flesh. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to take it away. But God said to him, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). His grace is not only amazing; it is ‘sufficient’. It is enough.
2 Corinthians 12:9

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’

This is another of my favourite verses. It is one I have hung on to time and time again when I have not known quite how I was going to get through a situation. God has been gracious and helped me. 

10 September

Bear Grylls
He writes, ‘Faith in Christ has been the great empowering presence in my life, helping me walk strongwhen so often I feel so weak.’ In the midst of extraordinary challenges, Christ is the empowering presence who brings us peace.
The second-century Letter to Diognetus described the Christian’s lifestyle in the following way:

‘They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land… It is true that they are “in the flesh”, but they do not live “according to the flesh”.

‘They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require… They are poor, and yet they make many rich… Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.’
The second-century Letter to Diognetus described the Christian’s lifestyle in the following way:

‘They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land… It is true that they are “in the flesh”, but they do not live “according to the flesh”.

‘They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require… They are poor, and yet they make many rich… Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.’

The second-century Letter to Diognetus described the Christian’s lifestyle in the following way:

‘They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land… It is true that they are “in the flesh”, but they do not live “according to the flesh”.

‘They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require… They are poor, and yet they make many rich… Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world.’

Isaiah 26:3

‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.’

9 September

All intimate relationships, including your relationship with Jesus, require effort and time if they are to grow and flourish.

Sometimes we make life too complicated. We can make our faith too complicated. You are called to ‘simplicity that is in Christ’ (v.3, KJV). Simplicity does not mean being simplistic. It means having a ‘wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ’ (v.3, AMP).

8 September

The great Welsh preacher, Dr Martin Lloyd Jones, once said, ‘There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering a life of ease with no battle and struggle at all... sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.’
Don’t compare yourself with other Christians, your gifts with their gifts, your ‘success’ with their ‘success’. We are all on the same side. We should be trying to help, love and encourage one another as we fight the spiritual battle together.
Thankfully, you do not have to appear impressive, nor do you have to be an exceptional communicator to preach the gospel. Paul’s power came from the ‘gospel of Christ’ (v.14). His desire was to ‘preach the gospel’ (v.16) to people who had never heard it.

Ultimately it is the ‘message of Christ’ (v.14, MSG) that will change your culture. It is the most powerful message in the world. It is life changing. It is culture changing. It is world changing.

7 September

Again, I have written in my margin: ‘This is the history of my Christian life – for a day or two, or even a week or two, I believe his promises and sing his praises… but then I soon go out and forget what he has done and fail to wait for his counsel, or to ask his advice about everything.

Let’s not be as they were – complaining every step of the way and always wanting what they did not have (v.14). They ‘lusted exceedingly’ (v.14, AMP) and God ‘gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls’ (v.15). Sometimes God says ‘your will be done’ and gives people what they ask for, even if it is not the best thing for them. Rather than craving after more, enjoy and thank God for what you have through his grace and kindness to you.
In this passage Paul gives us at least ten reasons to give generously:

Giving is the best investment you can make
Like the harvest, giving is planting seed. The farmer will reap far more than what was sown (v.6): ‘A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop’ (v.6, MSG).

This applies to everything in life. What you give to the Lord he multiplies – your time, gifts, ambitions and money.Giving should be fun
Giving should never be forced or grudging, but rather voluntary and cheerful ‘for God loves a cheerful giver’ (v.7). The Greek word for cheerful ishilaros. We always quip at HTB that our giving should be hilarious! It should be fun to give.Giving takes away the burden of financial worry
Paul writes, ‘and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (v.8). Giving does not mean handing over financial responsibility to God – but it does mean handing over the worry and the burden of it.Giving ‘enriches’ you
When God invites you to give, he is pleading not just to your emotions but also to your reason: ‘Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way so that you can be generous’ (v.11, AMP). Materially, you will have enough to give away generously (v.11). Your characters will be enriched (v.10). God will be praised (v.11).Giving transforms your character
Paul speaks of ‘the harvest of your righteousness’ (v.10b). Giving purges the character from the constricting grip of materialism that destroys lives.Giving inspires others
‘Your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Because of the service of which you approved yourselves, people will praise God’ (vv.11b–13a).Giving meets people’s needs
Generous giving blesses other people and supplies the needs of God’s people – ‘helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians’ (v.12, MSG).Giving is evidence of real faith
Generous giving is an act of obedience, which should accompany ‘your confession of the gospel of Christ’ (v.13). Giving is an act of trust – in doing it you are saying that it is God, not yourself or anyone else, who ultimately provides for your needs.Giving makes you a stakeholder in the church
Paul speaks of ‘your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else’ (v.13b). In the same way as when you share a flat or apartment you share in the bills, as you share in the needs of the community you reap the benefits of that community. For example, every time someone comes to know Christ through the community you share in the blessing.Giving is a response to God’s gift to you
God so loved you that he gave his one and only Son so that you might have eternal life (John 3:16). Our giving is a response to God’s amazing grace. His ‘indescribable gift’ (2 Corinthians 9:15) is the gift of his Son. ‘Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!’ (v.15, MSG).

8 September

Just as physical warfare is a serious global issue, so, according to the apostle Paul, is spiritual warfare (see Ephesians 6:10–20). This is unseen, but it is just as real. The great Welsh preacher, Dr Martin Lloyd Jones, once said, ‘There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering a life of ease with no battle and struggle at all... sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.’

In this battle we are called not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). We are given the weapons with which to win the battle. Paul writes, ‘We do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:3b–4).

The powerful weapon of prayer is available to you. Pray for your family, friends and all those who the Spirit inspires you to pray for. ‘Stand in the breach’ and intercede on behalf of others. As Jeremy Jennings says at the end of every prayer meeting at HTB, ‘Thank you for praying. You have made a difference.’

Don’t compare yourself with other Christians, your gifts with their gifts, your ‘success’ with their ‘success’. We are all on the same side. We should be trying to help, love and encourage one another as we fight the spiritual battle together.

Thankfully, you do not have to appear impressive, nor do you have to be an exceptional communicator to preach the gospel. Paul’s power came from the ‘gospel of Christ’ (v.14). His desire was to ‘preach the gospel’ (v.16) to people who had never heard it.

Ultimately it is the ‘message of Christ’ (v.14, MSG) that will change your culture. It is the most powerful message in the world. It is life changing. It is culture changing. It is world changing.

Every time you tell a friend about Jesus, invite them to church or bring them along to Alpha, for example, you are in engaging in the spiritual battle with the powerful weapon of the gospel (see Romans 1:16).

7 September

Again, I have written in my margin: ‘This is the history of my Christian life – for a day or two, or even a week or two, I believe his promises and sing his praises… but then I soon go out and forget what he has done and fail to wait for his counsel, or to ask his advice about everything.’

Let’s not be as they were – complaining every step of the way and always wanting what they did not have (v.14). They ‘lusted exceedingly’ (v.14, AMP) and God ‘gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls’ (v.15). Sometimes God says ‘your will be done’ and gives people what they ask for, even if it is not the best thing for them. Rather than craving after more, enjoy and thank God for what you have through his grace and kindness to you.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15New International Version (NIV)

In this passage Paul gives us at least ten reasons to give generously:

• Giving is the best investment you can make
  Like the harvest, giving is planting seed. The farmer will reap far more than what was sown (v.6): ‘A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop’ (v.6, MSG).
  
  This applies to everything in life. What you give to the Lord he multiplies – your time, gifts, ambitions and money.
• Giving should be fun
  Giving should never be forced or grudging, but rather voluntary and cheerful ‘for God loves a cheerful giver’ (v.7). The Greek word for cheerful is hilaros. We always quip at HTB that our giving should be hilarious! It should be fun to give.
• Giving takes away the burden of financial worry
  Paul writes, ‘and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (v.8). Giving does not mean handing over financial responsibility to God – but it does mean handing over the worry and the burden of it.
• Giving ‘enriches’ you
  When God invites you to give, he is pleading not just to your emotions but also to your reason: ‘Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way so that you can be generous’ (v.11, AMP). Materially, you will have enough to give away generously (v.11). Your characters will be enriched (v.10). God will be praised (v.11).
• Giving transforms your character
  Paul speaks of ‘the harvest of your righteousness’ (v.10b). Giving purges the character from the constricting grip of materialism that destroys lives.
• Giving inspires others
  ‘Your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Because of the service of which you approved yourselves, people will praise God’ (vv.11b–13a).
• Giving meets people’s needs
  Generous giving blesses other people and supplies the needs of God’s people – ‘helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians’ (v.12, MSG).
• Giving is evidence of real faith
  Generous giving is an act of obedience, which should accompany ‘your confession of the gospel of Christ’ (v.13). Giving is an act of trust – in doing it you are saying that it is God, not yourself or anyone else, who ultimately provides for your needs.
• Giving makes you a stakeholder in the church
  Paul speaks of ‘your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else’ (v.13b). In the same way as when you share a flat or apartment you share in the bills, as you share in the needs of the community you reap the benefits of that community. For example, every time someone comes to know Christ through the community you share in the blessing.
• Giving is a response to God’s gift to you
  God so loved you that he gave his one and only Son so that you might have eternal life (John 3:16). Our giving is a response to God’s amazing grace. His ‘indescribable gift’ (2 Corinthians 9:15) is the gift of his Son. ‘Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!’ (v.15, MSG).

6 September

 The kind of relationship God calls you to is a:

Relationship based on faith
The prophet Isaiah looks forward to a time where his people ‘will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel’ (10:20). He goes on to say that on that day they will say, ‘Surely God is my salvation; I will trustand not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation’ (12:2–3).

Here, at the heart of the Old Testament, we see that faith (‘I will trust’) and salvation are strongly linked. The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that you are saved by your faith in the Lord (Jesus).Relationship based on respect
Isaiah speaks of ‘the fear of the Lord’. Isaiah calls the people of God to fear God but says ‘do not be afraid of the Assyrians’ (10:24). If you truly fear God (in the biblical sense of holy respect) you need fear nothing and no oneelse.Relationship brought about by the Holy Spirit
Knowing the Lord involves watching and listening to the Holy Spirit, allowing him to lead you in your hearts. Isaiah writes:

‘The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,
   the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
   the Spirit that instils knowledge and Fear-of-God’ (11:2, MSG).
God has a global vision: ‘The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, aliving knowledge of Godocean-deep, ocean-wide’ (v.9, MSG). So should we. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, ‘I am thinking up a plan, that when it is hatched, will bring blessing to the whole wide world.’

Jesus has made it possible for you to know God. The same Spirit of the Lord who rests on Jesus is given to you. He will give you wisdom and understanding, counsel and power so that your life can have a huge impact.

5 September

Reputation is far more important than riches.

‘A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank’ (22:1, MSG).

It is better to do what is right than to make more money by cutting corners, dubious practices or greed. As Billy Graham has said, ‘When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.’

Our culture values those on the ‘rich list’ far more than those dying of starvation in the poorer parts of the world. But the writer of Proverbs says, ‘The rich and the poor shake hands as equals – God made them both!’ (v.2, MSG).

The way of true riches is ‘humility and the fear of the Lord’ (v.4a). This brings ‘riches and honour and life’ (v.4b, AMP). It may sometimes bring material wealth. But the New Testament tells us that it always brings something of far more lasting value –spiritual riches in Christ.

Put God first in your life. His plans for you are ‘good, pleasing and perfect’ (Romans 12:2). And ‘there is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord’ (Proverbs 21:30).

4 September

However bleak things may appear, God always seems to raise up people who are instruments ‘for noble purposes… useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work’ (2 Timothy 2:21). How can you and I be useful to God?

3 September

‘So,’ Paul writes, ‘leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good’ (2 Corinthians 6:16, MSG). He goes on, ‘Let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God’ (7:1, MSG).
Jesus is the true branch and the true vine. He is the one who was totally faithful and fruitful beyond any human being (even Joseph or Paul!). He now invites you to be part of his vine, to stay close to him and to bear much fruit – fruit that will last (John 15:8,16).

2 September

Paul writes that we are ‘Christ’s ambassadors’ (2 Corinthians 5:20). The Greek word translated as ‘ambassador’ is presbeuo. It shares the same root as ‘presbyter’, which is one of the words used to describe church leaders. Whether you are in a recognised leadership role in the church or not, you are an ambassador of Christ, with the extraordinary privilege and responsibility of representing Jesus in this world. You are God’s representative on earth.
As is often said, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’
The characteristic name for God in Isaiah is “The Holy,”’ writes Eugene Peterson. ‘Holiness is the most attractive quality, the most intensive experience we ever get of sheer life – authentic, firsthand living, not life looked at and enjoyed from a distance… Holiness is a furnace that transforms the men and women who enter it.’

1 September

Love should be your aim: ‘Sinners are always wanting what they don’t have; the God-loyal are always giving what they do have’ (v.26, MSG).

The irony is that those who pursue righteousness and love find what the hedonist is seeking: ‘life, prosperity and honour’ (v.21b). But these are by-products. They should not be your aim or purpose. Rather it should be God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Jesus promises ‘all these things will be given to you as well’ (Matthew 6:33).

Many people today lead hedonistic lives. ‘Hedonism’ is the pursuit of pleasure as the ultimate goal. Hedonists become addicted to the things that give them pleasure.

‘You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied’ (v.17, MSG).

There is nothing wrong with pleasure: ‘In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil’ (v.20). But relationships are far more important than riches:

31 August

Our culture emphasises the outward and the seen. The media is dominated by money, possessions, houses, cars, food, physical beauty and outward success. The Bible is very different. It stresses the importance of the inward and unseenaspects of our character: the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that determine our outward behaviour. ‘For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal’ (v.18).

If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate! All you need to do is change what you think about and you will be practising Christian meditation.

‘Meditation’ (v.34) means what we think about, what we allow our mind to dwell on. Our actions and our words are vital. But it is not just our actions and words that can please the Lord or not; it is our inward and unseen meditation as well.

The psalmist praises God for the entire created universe. He says, ‘I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live’ (v.33). Then, he prays, ‘May my meditation be pleasing to him’ (v.34).

What does this mean practically? The apostle Paul has some good advice: ‘whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things’ (Philippians 4:8).

30 August

Paul goes on to write something absolutely amazing: ‘And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognised as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him’ (vv.17–18, MSG).

The whole Trinity is involved. The glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus our Lord. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are so closely connected that Paul can write, ‘The Lord is the Spirit… the Lord, who is the Spirit’ (vv.17–18). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7).

The Spirit of the Lord brings radical freedom to our lives. Freedom from legalism, guilt, shame, condemnation, self-hatred and self-rejection. Freedom from the power of sin, selfishness, manipulation and control. Freedom from the fear of death and fear of what others think of us. Freedom from comparing ourselves with others.

You are free to know, love and serve God. You are free to use your life and energy to love others. You are free to be yourself. You can approach God with boldness (2 Corinthians 3:12). You do not need to veil your face.

As you look into the face of Jesus, he changes you into his likeness. The change is gradual, little by little, ‘from one degree of glory to another’ (v.18, AMP). When you spend time with another person you tend to become more like them. People gaze at celebrities and reproduce their mannerisms and their appearance. If you are captivated by Jesus, you will be transformed into hisimage.

We see a thousand faces a day, images are everywhere, but the Spirit reveals the most important face of all to us. As you spend time in the presence of the Lord you become more and more like him. You are transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.
Without change there is no growth.

29 August

We often associate the word ‘minister’ with leadership, whether by governmentministers or by churchministers. In fact, the word really means ‘to serve’. Politicians are called to servetheir countries. Pastors are called to serve the church. Doctors, who administertreatment to their patients, are called to serve the sick and the dying.

The Holy Spirit ministers to us. He brings authority greater than any politician, comfort deeper than any pastor, and healing more wonderful than any doctor. God ministers to us in the deepest part of our lives by the Holy Spirit.
The apostle Paul speaks of ‘the ministry of the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:8). John Wimber defined this kind of ministry as ‘meeting the needs of others with the resources of God’. Wonderfully, this type of ministry is available to us all.
Because the people could not keep the law that was written on tablets of stone, ultimately it brought death – ‘the letter kills’ (v.6). On the other hand, the ministry of the Holy Spirit –written in your heart – is a ministry that ‘gives life’ (v.6).

The Holy Spirit brings a change in human nature. Never say, ‘I can’t change’. With the Holy Spirit you can change.

It is the difference between a religion of rules and regulations (which ultimately none of us are able to keep) and a relationship with God through Jesus, which brings life, and life in all its fullness (John 10:10).

28 August

Forgiveness is absolutely vital in the Christian church. Lack of forgiveness is one of the ways that the devil can get in – it opens a door for his schemes. Forgiveness shuts him out: ‘In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes’ (v.11).