19 November

Harsh, unjust words have destructive power: ‘With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness’ (v.9). To curse means to speak evil. To bless means to speak well. Don’t speak negatively. Learn to control the tongue so that you speak words of blessing to people and about people.

Speak words of life. Your words have tremendous power for connection. You can bring healing, encouragement and edification. Your words can change a person’s day or even their life.
However, wisdom from heaven ‘is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness’ (vv.17–18).

If you live like this, your life will have great influence. This is ‘the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour’ (v.18, MSG). If you work hard at your relationships with those around you, then you will ‘reap a harvest of righteousness’, and you will have a huge impact on society.

18 November

As John Calvin put it, ‘Faith alone justifies, but faith which justifies is never alone.’ You cannot earn your salvation. You are not saved by your good works, but you are saved in order to do good works (Ephesians 2:9–10). The book of James does not contradict the apostle Paul (as some have suggested). James’ point is not that you can earn your salvation by good deeds. Rather, he is saying that genuine faith will be evidenced by how you live.
 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

 Bask in his blessings. Live a life of love. Strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, search for the lost and look after people with justice. This is how you should live today.

31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

17 November

As Lance Watson wrote, ‘Every storm is a school. Every trial is a test. Every experience is an education. Every difficulty is for your development.’

Joyce Meyer writes, As Lance Watson wrote, ‘Every storm is a school. Every trial is a test. Every experience is an education. Every difficulty is for your development.’

Joyce Meyer writes, ‘I finally realised that God was not going to do things my way. He placed people and situations in my life that caused me to want to quit this whole process, and he did not want an argument from me. He only wanted to hear, “Yes, Lord. Your will be done.”
In the midst of your trials you need wisdom. As Eugene Peterson says: ‘Wisdom is not primarily about knowing the truth, although it certainly includes that; it is skill in living.’ James says, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you’ (v.5).

16 November

The local church is the hope of the world,’ writes Bill Hybels. ‘There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right.’ The community of Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep (v.20), is the most wonderful community on earth. It is ‘held together by love’ (v.1, MSG). This love is not just about feelings.

Let’s seek to be a community that grows like the mustard seed and becomes a place where the lost, the broken and the lonely can perch in its shade – a community that knows the Lord, where people really matter, and where we enjoy the leadership of our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep.

15 November

As you draw close to Jesus in worship there are, as C.H. Spurgeon pointed out, ‘three results of nearness to Jesus’ – happiness, holiness and humility.

More spiritual progress can be made in one short moment of speechless silence in the awesome presence of God than in years of mere study,’ wrote A.W. Tozer.

You are called to be like him: ‘Make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord’ (v.14b). As Mother Teresa said, ‘.’You are called to be like him: ‘Make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord’ (v.14b). As Mother Teresa said, ‘Our progress in holiness depends on God and ourselves – on God’s grace and on our will to be holy.’ You can decide to let Jesus make you holy.You can decide to let Jesus make you holy.

14 November

‘Nothing great was ever done without much enduring,’ wrote St Catherine of Siena.

As Henri Nouwen writes, ‘If I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.’

Jesus ‘never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God’ (v.2, MSG). Jesus ‘never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God’ (v.2, MSG). The only way to make ‘straight paths for your feet’ (v.13, KJV) is to be looking ahead at the goal rather than looking down at your feet. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. For every one look within, take ten looks at him.

13 November

‘Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark,’ wrote Sir Rabindranath Tagore.

Forsaking All I Take Him (FAITH)

Feeling Afraid I Trust Him (FAITH)

When I interviewed Rick Warren at the HTB Leadership Conference, he asked rhetorically: ‘Why does God use me?’ And he gave the answer: ‘Because I expect him to use me.’ Joyce Meyer defines expectancy as ‘a joy-filled looking forward to receiving a desired result’.

Faith is not shelter against difficulties, but belief in the face of all contradictions’ wrote Paul Tournier.

12 November

Faith and ‘being sure’ are not opposed. The writer of Hebrews says, ‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:1). St Augustine wrote, ‘God does not expect us to submit our faith to him without reason, but the very limits of our reason make faith a necessity.’

Whenever John Wimber received praise he used to say, ‘I’ll take the encouragement but I’ll pass the glory on.’ The person of faith recognises that God is always the primary cause of any success we have. He created us, and gives us the gifts and opportunities that come our way.

Augustine pointed out, ‘Faith is the first step to understanding; understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.’

Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans at the height of its prosperity (2006–1950 BC). He heard God’s call and ‘obeyed and went’ (v.8). He did not ‘know where he was going’ (v.8). But he knew with whom he was going.
His faith brought blessing to him, his family, his nation and to you and me.

Abraham believed God (see Romans 4). It was not that he never had any doubts. In fact, he got fed up with waiting and had an affair with his maid. Thankfully, God does not judge us on the basis of our lapses, failures or mess-ups. He saw their settled attitude of faith (Romans 4:3,18).

Faith sees beyond this life
Abraham took a long-term view. We live in an ‘instant’ culture. Everything is about instant satisfaction. Abraham was in it for the long haul. He was ‘a stranger in a foreign country’ (v.9). He lived in tents. Yet he knew where God had called him.
Hebrews 11 ¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

 Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Trust in him. Abide in him. Serve him with all your heart. Live a life of faith. Stay faithful to him and pray faithfully for others. This is the way of true satisfaction. Faith pleases God.

11 November

Joss Billings wrote, ‘Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.’ ‘Stickability’ is also a key to the Christian life. If you want to learn to read the Bible, to pray, to resist evil or whatever else, learn to persevere. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to be ‘quitters’ but ‘to stick it out’ (vv.34–39, MSG). 
It is this passionate concern of God for the poor, the downtrodden and the lost that inspired Ezekiel, and that has inspired go, in and out, in and out, I’ll fight; while there is a poor lost girl upon the street, I’ll fight; while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight – I’ll fight to the very end.’

10 November

‘The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the power of God,’ according to Blaise Pascal. Holiness is beautiful and it has nothing to do with outward beauty. It is a beauty that radiates from within. This is the way the world will be changed. It starts with you and me. St Francis of Assisi said, ‘Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.’

Holiness is not an optional extra. It is not just for saints and special Christians. It should be something we all aspire to in this life. Holiness is not the same thing as intensity. Intensity is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit! The ability to laugh at yourself is key to holiness. A sense of humour is the link between holiness and humility.

Holiness is not boring. As C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing... it is irresistible.’

You have been made holy. The Holy Spirit lives in you. Put God first in your life and avoid anything that spoils your relationship with him. The serene beauty of your holy life will be influential and irresistible.

9 November

Regret looks back. Fear looks around. Worry looks in. Faith looks up.

8 November

Sin often starts with unbelief, trusting in something other than the Lord. It leads to idolatry – worshipping something other than the Lord, and then to increasing sin (v.26), often from our weak wills (v.30).

They are the common sins of any prosperous society – arrogance, overeating and a lack of concern for the poor and needy.

When people do not have any needs they frequently turn away from God.Their worst sin was not to help the poor and needy.

7 November

Mother Teresa said, ‘Loneliness and the feeling of being uncared for and unwanted are the greatest poverty.’ Loneliness is one of the greatest problems facing humanity today.

‘The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms,’ writes Desmond Tutu. He continues, ‘We are made for complementarity. We are created for a delicate network of relationships, of interdependence with our fellow human beings... We belong in one family – God’s family, the human family... the greatest good is communal harmony.’

6 November

Many people pray, but not all prayer is Christian. Christian prayer is distinctive – it is Trinitarian. St Paul writes, ‘Through him [Jesus] we have access to the Father by one Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:18).

This is why prayer is such an immense privilege. You are able to speak to God, the creator of the universe, as your Father. You come to him through Jesus, the man who is God, our Lord, brother and friend. Your prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, who lives within your heart.
‘A.C.T.S.’:

A – Adoration
Praise God for who he is and what he has done.
‘Let me live that I may praise You’ (v.175, AMP).C – Confession
Ask God’s forgiveness for anything that you have done wrong.
‘I have gone astray like a lost sheep’ (v.176, AMP).T – Thanksgiving
Thank God for health, family, friends and so on.
‘My lips shall pour forth praise (with Thanksgiving and renewed trust)’ (v.171, AMP).S – Supplication
Pray for yourself, for your friends and for others.
‘May my supplication come before you’ (v.170).

Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813–1843) wrote:’‘If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.’

5 November

God is the God of promise. Faith involves trusting the promises of God. God makes a promise; faith believes it, hope anticipates it, patience quietly waits for it.

The words of God are his promises to you. Discovering them is like discovering a great treasure trove. As you keep digging into it you will find more and more amazing and beautiful treasures. This leads the psalmist on to say, ‘Seven times a day I praise you’ (v.164).

I have often found the gap between the promise of God and its fulfilment to be much longer than I had anticipated. I am learning to be more patient. God’s promises to us are the anchor of our souls (6:19). They are solid and secure. He keeps his word, even when it seems impossible, even when the circumstances seem to point to the opposite. Delay does not negate the promises of God.

Those who feed on God’s promises will never spiritually starve. But many people put their trust in the wrong things. Some put their trust in money for security. However, God says that ‘their silver and gold will not be able to save them’ (7:19a). Their wealth ‘will not satisfy their hunger’ (v.19b).

Aristotle Onassis, one of the richest people in the world, said at the end of his life: ‘Millions do not always add up to what a man needs out of life.’ Many people try to fill the emptiness deep inside of them in ways that ultimately do not satisfy. They are looking for joy in the wrong places.

4 November

In other words, maturity comes through practice – applying God’s words to our lives. As John Wimber used to say: ‘The meat is on the street.’ Maturity is not just about head knowledge. You learn as you live out your faith. You learn discernment ‘on the street’, and that enables you to receive the ‘meat’.

Generally in life it is much easier to start things than to finish them. When the initial enthusiasm wears off, follow-through requires hard work, patience and courage. Success, fruitfulness and reward come to those ‘who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them’ 

Today, we are so worried about sounding negative or judgmental that there is a danger of us being unloving by not being sufficiently bold in warning people of the dangers ahead.

3 November

Joyce Meyer writes that God ‘will use everything in our past. No matter how painful it was. He considers it experience... I am a specialist in overcoming shame, guilt, poor self-image, lack of confidence, fear, anger, bitterness, self-pity, etc… [Be] positive about your past and your pain, and realise that it can all be used for good in God’s kingdom.’

2 November

I love this verse: ‘I rise before dawn and cry for help’ (v.147). Over thirty years ago I wrote next to it in my Bible, ‘How vital it is to meet with the Lord before the day starts – “before dawn”. From now on I intend always to read and pray immediately when I get up in order to be prepared for the battles each day brings.’ I have not always succeeded in doing this. However, that decision has made a huge difference to my life.

The way to find ‘rest’ for your soul is to listen to God’s promises, believe them and show that you believe them by living in obedience to the word of God.

The prophet Joel instructs the people: ‘Be glad... Rejoice in the Lord your God’ (2:23). As Joyce Meyer writes: ‘.. Through joy, you can receive strength to do things that would otherwise be impossible.’

1 November

A faith that has not been tested cannot be trusted. Sooner or later all of us go through times of testing. In these times the challenge is to stay faithful to God – not to harden our hearts but to keep them soft and tender towards God – to keep on trusting in spite of all the difficulties and challenges to our faith.

During these times of testing, every time you feel like doing the wrong thing but choose to do right, you grow in to spiritual maturity, wisdom, character and faithfulness.

Because the people of God kept on complaining, they never entered God’s rest – which was the one thing they wanted.
They did not trust God to provide. They were 'unbelieving’ (Hebrews 3:12). They were not able to enter God’s rest ‘because of their unbelief’ (v.19). When we do not trust God we lose the peace of God. Find peace by fixing your thoughts on Jesus, trusting him and listening to him as he continues to speak to you through the Scriptures.

31 October

‘I have on my table a violin string,’ wrote Rabindranath Tagore. ‘It is free to move in any direction I like. If I twist one end it responds; it is free. But it is not free to sing. So I take it and fix it into my violin. I bind it and when it is bound, it is free for the first time to sing.’

True freedom comes when we bind ourselves to Jesus and fix our eyes on him. As the violin string comes alive when bound into the violin, so we come alive in Christ. Jesus is the great liberator. He sets us free.

30 October

The key to life is Jesus. The key to understanding the Bible is Jesus. The key to understanding God’s character is Jesus. The key to getting our lives sorted out is Jesus. No one, not even angels, can compare to Jesus (Hebrews 1:1–14).

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He said, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). Everything you read and understand about God through the Bible needs to be read through the lens of Jesus. He is the ultimate revelation of God.

29 October

Forgiveness involves extending love and mercy to someone who has wronged or hurt you. It clears the way to reconciliation and restoration of a relationship.

28 October

John Wesley, ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’

This is the secret of doing good: stay close to the one who went around doing good. Hand over your burdens to Jesus and receive his rest. Take his yoke upon you as you learn from him – from his gentle, humble heart – because he is the source of doing good.
Titus 3:14

‘Our people must... not live unproductive lives.’

I wonder what God thinks is productive in our lives. Life is busy. Choosing what to do is hard. In God’s upside-down kingdom, something we think is insignificant is probably the most important thing to God.

27 October

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Our culture dislikes the idea of holiness, but when people see a holy life they are captivated by it. True ‘holiness’ is when you leave every person more alive than when you found them.

There is something beautiful about lives of ‘dignity and wisdom’, ‘healthy faith’ and ‘love’ (v.2, MSG); people who are ‘models of goodness’ and ‘virtuous and pure’ (vv.3,5, MSG); lives of good character shining through action; ‘God-filled, God-honouring lives’ (v.12, MSG).

Jesus died for you and me ‘to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness’ (v.14, MSG).

Faith involves believing what God has said in spite of the difficulties you face: 

26 October

There is a line in the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: ‘Everything will be alright in the end… If it’s not alright, then it is not the end.’ Way beyond its context in the film, these words convey a profound theological truth. 

25 October

Without God our lives make no sense. As we read his word we understand the meaning and purpose of our lives: ‘With your instruction I understand life’ (v.104, MSG). Nothing could be more important or more valuable than this.

At her coronation the Queen was handed a copy of the Bible with these words, ‘We present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.’

24 October

The eighteenth-century philosopher and critic of Christianity, Voltaire, said, ‘Within a hundred years the Bible will be obsolete and will have gone out of circulation altogether.’ A hundred years later the Bible was more popular than ever. His own house in Paris was converted into a Bible factory, churning out Bibles by the hour! When we hear attacks on the Bible, it is good to remember that this is nothing new.

God’s word is ‘eternal’ (v.90). 

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, Scripture is ‘written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, [with] God as [its] author’.

There are two great things that the Lord promises to those who hear his words, put their trust in him and put his words into practice.

First, he promises satisfaction. Your spiritual appetite can only be satisfied by a relationship with God (Jeremiah 50:19), which Jesus came to make possible.

Second, he promises complete forgiveness of your sins and removal of your guilt: ‘They’ll look high and low for a sign of Israel’s guilt – nothing; search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah’s sin – nothing. These people that I’ve saved will start out with a clean slate’ (v.20, MSG). What God promised to Israel and Judah was fulfilled through Jesus on the cross. However careful a search is made, no one will be able to find any sin or guilt in you because of what Jesus has done.

23 October

Why was this man – the Reverend E.J.H. Nash – so useful to God? How can you be useful to God?

St Paul writes, ‘Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing’ (2 Timothy 2:20–21, MSG).

John Stott writes, ‘ Being ‘useful to the Master’ and ‘instruments for noble purposes’ (v.21) starts with dedicating your life to him and re-dedicating it regularly to his service.

22 October

Paul mentored, trained and discipled Timothy and passed wisdom on to him. He sets a model and example of how to develop the next generation of leaders.

• Love them
  ‘The son I love so much’ is how Paul describes Timothy (2 Timothy 1:2, MSG). Paul constantly thanked God for him (v.3). Paul was a passionate and emotional man – when people said goodbye to him there were often tears of emotion: ‘I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful goodbye, and look forward to a joy-packed reunion’ (v.4, MSG).
• Pray for them
  ‘Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers’ (v.3). Praying for other people is not a waste of time, it makes a difference. Intercessory prayer is an act of love.
• Believe in them
  ‘I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also’ (v.5). Paul trusted Timothy with responsibility at a young age. The people who influence us are the people who believe in us.
• Minister to them
  ‘I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands’ (v.6). Previously Paul had written, ‘Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you’ (1 Timothy 4:14).
  
  They may have prayed for him for the gift of evangelism or ordination to leadership in the church. It may have been to be filled with the Spirit and possibly to receive the gift of speaking in tongues or prophecy. We do not know exactly what it was, but it shows the importance of prayer ministry. This is why we lay our hands on people, for example, in the ministry at the end of every church service.
• Encourage them
  Timothy needed encouragement. Encouragement is like oxygen to the soul. Timothy was young. He had physical weaknesses (‘frequent illnesses’, 1 Timothy 5:23), and he was possibly a shy and introverted character.
  
  Paul writes, ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear)’ (2 Timothy 1:7, AMP). We are not cowards if we feel afraid. In fact, there can be no courage unless you are scared. Courage is doing what you are afraid to do, and not allowing fear to rule your decisions.
  
  To overcome your fears, God has equipped you with the Holy Spirit and with ‘power, love and self-discipline’ (v.7b).
• Challenge them
  Paul urged Timothy to ‘stir up’ (v.6, KJV), to ‘fan into flame’ (v.6) the gift that he had been given. Other people can help you but at the end of the day you are responsible for your own spiritual development. Stir yourselfup. Fan the flames of your faith through worship, prayer, Bible reading, community – or whatever it takes.
• Trust them
  ‘Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you’ (v.14). The good deposit is the gospel of which Paul has been appointed a herald, apostle and teacher (v.11).
  
  The gospel is all about Jesus (‘our Lord’, v.8). It is about a relationship with him: ‘I know whom I have believed’ (v.12). We have been saved by grace, ‘not because of anything we have done’ (v.9). Jesus, our saviour, through the cross and resurrection, ‘destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light’ (v.10).
  
  Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of their friendship, nor to be ashamed to testify about the Lord (v.8). They had the gospel to proclaim and to guard (vv.9–14). Paul was confident that he had chosen the right person to pass it on to the next generation ‘with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us’ (v.14).
• Share with them
  ‘Join with me in suffering for the gospel’ (v.8). Even though Paul served God ‘with a clear conscience’ (v.3), he did not escape suffering. He was in ‘chains’ (v.16). He had been badly let down by other Christians: ‘You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes’ (v.15).
  
  Yet one person stood out. Don’t run away from those who are suffering, but be like Onesiphorus who, Paul says, ‘often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains’ (v.16).

21 October

NipHer hands were full of rings, bracelets, necklaces, chains and other treasures. Torrents of lava were erupting and pouring down from Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. As she fled, this woman was not prepared to leave behind her valuable jewels. Encumbered by her treasures, she was overwhelmed by the rain of ashes from the volcano and was buried under it.

During the course of modern building operations, her petrified body was found outside the area of the buried city of Pompeii, an ancient Roman port. Her body was unearthed in a sea of jewels. She lost her life in an attempt to save her treasures.

Jesus warned us that ultimately you have to choose between money and God (Matthew 6:24). In the New Testament, there is no ban on private property or making money, or even enjoying the good things in life. The command to the rich, however, is that they do not ‘put their hope in wealth’ (1 Timothy 6:17). A selfish accumulation of wealth and an unhealthy obsession with material things leads us away from God. What promises security leads to perpetual insecurity.

Ultimately, contentment only comes from putting your hope in God: ‘godliness with contentment is great gain’. The promise of God’s word is that those who ‘put their hope in God’ (v.17) find ‘a firm foundation’ and ‘take hold of the life that is truly life’ (v.19).

Francis Bacon said, ‘Money is like manure. It’s not good unless it is spread around.’

1 Timothy 6:3-21

¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

20 October

Life was not always easy for Smith Wigglesworth. He went through some very hard times. He wrote, ‘Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.’

19 October

Timothy is called to ‘Get the word out. Teach all these things’ (v.11, MSG). He is to be an example to the believers in speech (as well as in life, in love, in faith and in purity). Paul urges him to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, of preaching and teaching(v.13). This must always be a high priority for Christian leaders (see 5:17).

All this is part of training ‘yourself to be godly’ (4:7). It is good to exercise and keep fit: ‘Physical training is of some value’ (v.8a), but training in ‘godliness’ is far more important than physical training. ‘Exercise daily in God – no spiritual flabbiness... making you fit both today and forever’ (v.8b, MSG).
Paul urges Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely (v.16). Watch your life and your lips. ‘Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching’ (v.16, MSG).

18 October

Leadership

Faithfulness, loyalty, trustworthiness is key to leadership and it starts with faithfulness in marriage.

They need to be ‘sensible’ (v.2, AMP). Being a Christian does not mean abandoning common sense. Quite the opposite. Much day-to-day decision-making simply involves godly, spirit-filled leaders prayerfully using their common sense.

The word for ‘overseer’ is sometimes translated ‘bishop’. It is not wrong to desire to be a bishop, ‘Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task’ (v.1).
There is a danger for all Christian leaders of falling into spiritual pride.

The test for deacons is very similar to overseers. A deacon literally means ‘a servant’. Originally they were people set aside to serve at tables (Acts 6:1–7). Jesus provided the model for servant leadership (Mark 10:35–45).

Albert Einstein once said, ‘Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living.’ If service is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.

Above all, leaders are to be people of godly character. In fact, the sole quality in the list that is not directly linked to our character is being ‘able to teach’ (v.2). Church leaders are to be Christians of good character who are able to teach.

Mark Twain quipped, ‘To do what is right is wonderful. To teach what is right is even more wonderful – and much easier.’ The task of Christian leadership is to align our life and character with our teaching. That is a challenge for all of us and will be a lifelong process of becoming like Jesus who is the model of ‘godliness’ (v.16).

Of course, before anyone (bishop or deacon) is put in a major position of leadership they need to be ‘tried and investigated and proved’ (v.10, AMP). A faith that has not been tested cannot be trusted. We are tested by difficulties, disappointments and desert times. Hopefully these mature us, develop our character and make us ready for leadership.

17 October

Do you ever complain about the government or our politicians? If you want good government you must pray for it. Paul prioritises prayer ‘for kings and for those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’ (v.2

It is interesting to note in passing that there was an expectation that people would lift up their hands in prayer. ‘Not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God’ (v.8, MSG). It was taken for granted that Christians, like Jews, would lift up their hands in prayer (v.8).

This was the traditional form of prayer. I often jest that ‘if you go into a church and see everyone with their hands in the air say, “This is a traditional church practising ancient forms of worship.” If they all have their hands down by their sides that is fine also. Just say, “This is a modern, trendy church experimenting with new forms of worship!”