Daily Devotions

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

How in tune are we with the wonderful promise that the Father will give us another Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth. He then goes on to declare that we know him. How? Because  the Spirit dwells with us and will be in us. He teaches us that we can know, that the same Holy Spirit joins us to him  as he is joined to the father. Shouldn’t this be the most astounding news that the spirit dwells in us. The promise is an abiding presence whose voice can easily be drowned by our everyday plans and concerns. To be open to the spirit, we must quieten ourselves.

Another amazing thing is that Jesus speaks about being still alive even after his death. Mostly we find Jesus to be alive for us in the love of others. There is an energy of love which is connected to the energy of God, for God is love. This is the working of the Spirit of god, alive in love, care and compassion, and in all other good works.

Love is evident in action and any activity can be tiring. I do not need to rely on my own resources but turn to God who promises to help me, ready to send the Holy Spirit.

N T Wright, the famous New Testament scholar talks about the task of Christians in the world. He says, "Many say, 'Oh yes, the Holy Spirit came in his place to live in us.' Yes, but for what purpose? The Holy Spirit came to empower us to be God's life in the world. We are to do the work of God in the world. We are to be God to the world. And we cannot do that alone.

God of all time and space, 

you initiated the relationship of love and generosity with creation 

at a time before and beyond all knowing. 

Through the Word and the Spirit, 

you continue in eternal love for all beings. 

Fill us with a deep and abiding awareness of your presence, 

your call, and your grace in our lives and in our world. 

Shape us to into the people you have made us to be – 

poured out in creative mercy 

for the sake of Jesus Christ in all creation. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Luke 24:45-49 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

In the world of technology there is a new development called Hyper Sonic Sound (HSS). The inventor, Elwood “Woody” Norris, has engineered sound waves to travel like a laser beam for about 150 yards. This allows sounds to be heard by a person in a particular place but not by those immediately around them. You could be listening to music or specific instructions while those standing next to you would be left in total silence. If you move out of the tightly formed path of these unique sound waves you too will be unaware of any noise.

God's communication with us is very similar to these sound waves. We must be in the right place to hear the Holy Spirit, and when we’re there the message is clear. If we move away from the pathway of His voice we become unaware of the fact that He is communicating with us and we consequently miss the message.\

Lord, teach me to walk through this day with a heart of prayer. Help me to keep my thoughts focused on You, speaking to You throughout my daily activities. I long to constantly communicate with You, relying on Your presence every moment. Thank You for being with me always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

Today we read from Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice.  Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

Isaiah pleads on God’s behalf for Israel to live up to their birthright. While these words are essential for individual Israelites to take to heart, they’re spoken to God’s collective people. To be a society that reflected God’s character, they would have to be a society that was just and compassionate.

Tutors decided to replicate the story of the Good Samaritan with seminary students. First the seminarians were asked why they wanted to go into ministry. The vast majority said they wanted minister to help people. They were asked to prepare a short sermon--half of them on the story of the Good Samaritan and the other half on other topics. Finally they were told to go over to a building on campus to present their sermons.

Along the way, the researchers had strategically positioned an actor slumped and groaning in an alley. The researchers hypothesised that those who said they went into ministry to help people and those who had just prepared the sermon on the Good Samaritan would be the most likely to stop and help.

But that wasn't the case. Before the students left to give their sermon, the researcher said one of two things. Either "You're late -You better hurry.” Or "You're early - why don't you start heading over there?”

Only 10% of the hurrying students stopped to help, while 63% not in a hurry stopped. In several cases, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way!

The researchers concluded that it didn't matter whether someone wanted to help people or whether someone had just read and was preparing to preach on the parable of the Good Samaritan. The only thing that mattered was whether or not they were in a hurry. They concluded, "The words, 'You're late,' had the effect of making someone who was ordinarily compassionate into someone who was indifferent to suffering.”

In Isaiah’s words we need to learn to do right.

Thank you, Lord, for your compassion towards us. Help us to reflect that same compassion in our interactions with others. May we learn to listen deeply and to respond with kindness and care to those who are hurting. Guide us to be patient and non-judgmental, recognising the struggles and challenges that others face. Help us to extend compassion to ourselves, understanding that we too are deserving of care and kindness. Amen

Daily Devotions

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. In fact Proverbs 21:3 tells us "Obedience is better than sacrifice."

This is another theme that crops up in the Bible repeatedly - especially among the prophets - is that God doesn’t want religious sacrifices from stiff-necked and disobedient people. What truly brings the Lord joy is righteousness and justice.

Paul in Romans 12:1-2 explains the nature of true loving  sacrifice with this advice,  “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (The Message)

What does that look like for you? First, think about who you are; identify the different things that make you who you are. 

For me, it looks like the following: I’m a father, grandfather, brother, a son, an uncle, minister, small, friend, husband, former College principal, a mentor, a composer, and a musician. These are just a few of the different roles that make me, me. 

Then, there is my personality and all the different ways it works within these roles…and I haven’t even mentioned the resources that God has given me. All of this makes me distinctly me. Throughout today I will operate within at least one of these capacities. 

Paul said that I should offer it all to God as a “living sacrifice”! Why? Because it is Holy and pleasing to the Lord! Everything I do in all the different capacities of my life are to be done for His Glory.

In deep gratitude for all that You have done for us we offer ourselves and our gifts to You—living sacrifices of worship and praise. Transform our hearts and minds from the inside out; show us what is good and pleasing in Your sight, so that we may be quick to recognise Your call, and quick to respond. In the name of Jesus, our Messiah and Lord, Amen.

Daily Devotions

The Bible frequently tells us that it’s wrong to show favouritism toward the wicked. The problem is that no one thinks that’s what they’re doing. There are a lot of ways that people justify their biases. Maybe they tell themselves that the “innocent” wouldn’t be in trouble if they weren’t guilty. Proverb 18:5 says ,”it’s not good to be partial to the wicked (Proverbs 18:5), Why, because in doing so we deprive the innocent of justice.

There are so many innocents in our world  they live in cultures where wickedness is normalised. If we want to be impartial judges, we need to reflect on our natural preferences. That’s where we discover whether we’re genuinely fair.

Someone has wisely said that God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts! The Gospel truth is that genuine repentance means much more than changing one’s mind or feeling sorry for one’s sins or telling God we are on His side again. Fruit-bearing is the sign of true repentance. The evidence of repentance is to be found in the fruit that is brought forth from our lives. Repentance is a positive action — something that enhances our life and the lives of others.

Time and again, and in many different ways, as mentioned yesterday, Jesus said, “You will recognise by their fruits the persons whose faith and trust in God’s ways brings them into His Kingdom.” You will know them, He said, by the difference this faith and trust has made in the way they live. And because their faith and trust in God has made a difference in the way they live, they are blest, they are happy.

Lord, I come before you today with a humble heart, acknowledging my need for your guidance and wisdom. Help me to cultivate a right attitude, one that is characterised by gratitude, humility, and a willingness to see things from your perspective. May my thoughts and actions reflect your love and grace, and may I always seek to please you in all that I do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

The Psalmist in 106 verses 2-3 sings, “Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”

He is telling us that the ones who can best proclaim God’s mighty acts and declare His praise are the ones who practice righteousness and justice. Why? Because their very behaviour demonstrates that God is worthy of praise.

In Matthew 7:16 we read “By their deeds you you shall know them.”

A good tree and healthy tree needs the particular conditions to flourish. It needs the right soil given at the right time, planted in the place for the weather it needs. It needs to be planted neither too near the other trees nor too far away. We grow if we are well tended - in education, in family, in love. We grow when we mind and nourish ourselves with the food and drink that do not ruin the body. Then the fruit is seen and others can enjoy and benefit from our lives. How we mind others in turn has its effect for many years.

We may well pray, “How practical your words are, Lord. The world is awash with words and we need some way of knowing how to discern the true and good. Whether the speaker is a broadcaster or a bishop, a politician or a policeman, the only safe criterion is the one you give us: you will know them by their fruits, by the way they live.”

As we draw close to Jesus in prayer, may we realise that he is the source of truth, justice  and meaning. Other leaders may inspire and encourage, but we trust Jesus as the Truth.

Lord, grant me the wisdom and discernment to see clearly the truth in all situations, and to act with justice and compassion in all my interactions. Help me to recognise injustice wherever it exists and empower me to stand up for those who are vulnerable. May my actions be guided by your love and truth, and may I always seek your guidance in making decisions that will bring about good and justice in the world. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Psalm 140:12 asserts that, 'I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.' But the question that God’s people need to ask themselves is, “How does He do that?”

The simple yet profound answer is that God secures justice for the poor through the compassionate obedience of His people. That’s why it was so important for Israel to be just and impartial. It was through them that God would take care of the poor and needy. That's quite a tall order for we who follow it n the footsteps of Jesus.

But what does God’s impartiality look like? 

Take parenting  children in different stages of life. It can be difficult because a child sees justice in black-and-white terms. If a seven-year-old gets a certain consequence for disobeying her parent, she will consider it an injustice particularly if her three-year-old brother gets away with the same action. She needs a bigger perspective to realise that her parents know what they are doing, and the immediate situation does not reflect the long-term reality. 

In the same way, we need to keep a bigger perspective when we imagine that God is silently watching injustices take place.

God, you have given all peoples on common origin.

It is your will that they be gathered together

as one family in yourself.

Fill the hearts of humankind with the fire of your love

and with the desire to ensure justice for all.

By sharing the good things you give us,

may we secure an equality for all

our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

May there be an end to division, strife, and war. 

May there be a dawning of a truly human society

built on love and peace.

We ask this in your name. Amen