Daily Devotions

 

Following of from Jesus treasure teaching we considered yesterday, today in Matthew we find him saying, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46

What do these words say to us?

Sunday Times’ journalist Matthew Parris – a man, who by his own confession, is not a Christian, wrote:

’The New Testament offers a picture of God, who does not sound at all vague. He has sent His Son to earth. He has distinct plans for each of us personally and can communicate directly with us.

We are capable of forming a direct relationship, individually with Him, and are commanded to try.

We are told that this can be done only through his son. And we are offered the prospect of eternal life – an afterlife in happy, blissful or glorious circumstances if we live this life in a certain manner.

Friends, if I believed that, or even a tenth of that, how could I care which version of the prayer book is used.

I would drop my job, sell my house, throw away all my possessions, leave my acquaintances and set out into the world burning with desire to know more...”

People can give their time and energy for many causes and reasons. We can spend a lot of time making enough money to buy a good house, travel the world. We give up some things we like to get what we want. We sell a car to buy another car. We may give up personal interests to look after the family well. Relationships demand  sacrifices for the joy of the love they bring us. We know that to get something, we may have to give something else up. 

This is the sort of idea Jesus puts before us. His message is that the kingdom of God has come among us now. In him, God is very close to the world and to us. The marks of this kingdom are qualities like compassion, justice, love, mercy, peace of mind and heart, closeness to God. These are treasures of life, and to live by them, we will find ourselves giving up other concerns.

Real and authentic discovery of God brings joy. It is the joy of being in love and of staying in love with the one who never changes. We may let go of other loves then - even of people who keep us from the love of God. We are committed only to the treasure in the field, the love of God and the love of people who bring us to God. Our concern is to bring alive the gospel of Jesus in the world. We pray that others may find the treasure through us.

We treasure many things in life. We treasure some more than others. Our faith and love of God, the love of others and our care for them - these are treasures. Hiding treasure seems to go against the inclination to share the good news. Perhaps there are times when I need to receive God's word quietly, turning it over in my heart, valuing it and considering my life in its light.

Ever giving Lord, I want to fully surrender to your call and serve your Kingdom with wholehearted devotion. You are worthy of my life, and your Kingdom is worth any price I must pay. Please help my faith to remain strong, my vision clear, and my heart set fully on doing your work. In the midst of this, I know you will keep me in your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions

In Matthew 6:21 Jesus continues his treasure discourse by saying, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” or as Eugene Peterson paraphrases, “The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” 

Long ago, in a kingdom far, far away, a rich king hired a fool to entertain him and make him laugh when he was sad. He gave the fool a golden sceptre and told him that when he met a greater fool than he, to pass the golden sceptre to that person. 

Years passed and one day the king grew very ill. As he neared death, the king called for his fool wanting to be made to laugh one last time. 

“I am going on a very long journey,” said the king to the fool. 

“Have you made preparations and arranged for accommodations at your destination?”asked the fool. 

“No,” answered the king. “I've been too busy and I didn't think I would be leaving so soon.” 

The fool handed the king his golden sceptre and said, “Sire, you are a greater fool than me since you have made no plans for your long journey.” 

How many stories have you heard of people chasing after “ultimate” things that turned out to not be very ultimate? The job, the partner, the title - all things that, had we listened closely, we might have heard our heart say we didn’t really need that thing. 

N. T. Wright, offers three applications for us regarding the treasure teaching of Jesus: (1) Keep your eyes fixed on God; (2) Take care about what you actually look at; (3) Look in the direction you should go, so that you are ready for the road ahead. 

Heavenly Father, you are the source of all spiritual blessing. Teach me to value the eternal treasures of your kingdom over the temporal things of earth. Let my soul become a storehouse of these blessings for my own sake and for the sake of the people I love. Fill me with love, joy, peace, and all other attributes of your kingdom. Amen

Daily Devotions

Perhaps the most well known treasure text is found in the words of Jesus when he says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”  Matthew 6:19-20

Matthew links together a lot of the wisdom sayings of Jesus in chapters 6 and 7. They are not just a motley assortment but focus on a big theme of Jesus’ preaching: true security and happiness is found in the kingdom of heaven, and in doing our best to live the values of this kingdom. As we continue to explore this theme, we might well ask for God to enlighten us so that we can see where we need most to receive this message.

The world often teaches us to want more, to gather and accumulate. In this time of prayerful contemplation can we admit whether we are restless to have more. In fact perhaps we can take care to note whether our treasure is in the right place and we ask God’s help.

Take time to think of what we admire, of what attracts our attention and arouses our desire. Then bring this before God so that we may see whether this is something that is for our true enlightenment or something from which we might turn away.

As Jesus speaks of treasures, we might ask, ‘In what way was Jesus rich?’ Jesus wants to share with us any wealth we recognise or value in him.

The healthy eye recognises the presence of God, seeing and valuing where there is blessing and goodness. We look on our world and circumstances as God does and pray with appreciation and compassion. 

Majestic Father, I pray that out of the riches of your grace, you may help me find my treasure in you and treasure nothing else above you. Today, I want to offer you all that I am and have so that my life will be lived for your glory. Amen

Daily Devotions

Carrying on with the theme of treasure, in Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:2-4 we find Paul stressing that,   “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”

In the first week of July, 2011 there were media reports of a discovery in poverty-filled South India.

The vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy temple were opened after 130 years. Temple records mention the treasure, and its existence was known to locals. However, no one knew its true size.

The preliminary inventory of the temple treasure may have had King Solomon, the Knights Templar and Indiana Jones rolling their eyes in wonder. Over a ton of gold, sacks of diamonds and precious stones; gold necklaces over three meters long and weighing over 2.5 kilograms, gold crowns, thousands of pieces of antique jewellery, idols, and artefacts studded with diamonds and emeralds.

Initial estimates placed the value of the treasure at £17 billion, which makes this little known temple the richest place of religion in the world. It easily displaces the Vatican, estimated to own about £12 billion in wealth, its nearest competitor.

Antique collectors' valuation of the find, to be confirmed by the Supreme Court, could be over £100 billion. This staggering treasure had been basically forgotten. While children in the region starved to death, this staggering mountain of riches sat gathering dust.

Yet according to Paul we have a greater treasure than all the temples in India. Greater than all the treasure in every synagogue, temple, cathedral. Greater than all that sits in any vault on any continent.

Well might we sing

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ, the true and only Light,

Sun of righteousness, arise,

triumph o'er the shade of night;

Day-spring from on high, be near;

Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn

unaccompanied by Thee;

joyless is the day's return,

till Thy mercy's beams I see,

till they inward light impart,

glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,

pierce the gloom of sin and grief;

fill me, radiancy divine,

scatter all my unbelief;

more and more Thyself display,

shining to the perfect day. Amen

Charles Wesley

Daily Devotions

Continuing this theme of hidden treasure in 1 Corinthians 6:19 we read, “And we also carry His light, deep within our bodies, do you not know that your body is the temple of God -the temple of the Holy Spirit?” 

"The Mystery of the Missing Owner" read the headline on an unusual section of the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, February 6, 2005. The supplement was actually a legal notice published by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office seeking to give money away to rightful owners--the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes, forgotten bank accounts, security deposit checks, uncashed pay-checks, and dividend checks.

More than a billion dollars was owed to nearly five million people and businesses that the Treasurer’s Office could not trace. The front page of the supplement listed the names and last known addresses of 10 individuals or couples each owed over $100,000. And what followed were 116 pages packed tightly with names from Lucilee Aakeberg to Leonard E. Zyzda--113,000 names of people all owed more than $100 in cash and/or stocks and shares!

It seems like such a shame that people could be unaware of their rightful treasures. Yet that is precisely the condition of many Christians who live without taking advantage of God’s promise of peace, strength, comfort, wisdom, love and many other spiritual treasures to which all the heirs of God are entitled. What treasures might God be holding in trust for us to claim?

Loving God, help us to see the hidden treasure in our communities. People who quietly go about doing wonderful things that make a difference, yet not seeking the limelight. Our churches are made up of individuals who tirelessly try to show your love to others, and so bring hope and help to people in need. Often these ‘hidden treasures’ are the catalyst behind a new project that encourages others to try something different. We bring them to you in gratitude for their selfless giving of themselves, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Amen.

Daily Devotions

What do you treasure more than anything else?  On this bank holiday Monday, many a family will make their way to the coast with their buckets and spades with children scouring the beach for ‘treasure’; a perfect shell, a piece of glass that has been ground by the action of the sea and sand into glistening gem.  In the eyes of the world both have little monetary value but in the eyes of child, they are priceless; for indeed beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Joseph Murphy in his book the power of the subconscious mind writes, “Infinite riches are all around you if you will open your mental eyes and behold the treasure house of infinity within you. There is a gold mine within you from which you can extract everything you need to live life gloriously, joyously, and abundantly.”

Over the next few weeks we will consider what the Bible has to say about treasure.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 we find Paul delving into the true value of hidden treasure. “But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.” 

The word "treasure" in the Greek sounds like our word "thesaurus." The idea behind a thesaurus is to explore every possible way of stating an idea. In the same way, everything that really needs to be known or said is rooted in Christ. This treasure is hidden in Him, but He is not hidden. The way to have the treasure is to have the person.

So what is this treasure that Paul refers to? In the previous verse he said writes, “The God who spoke light into existence, saying, “Let light shine from the darkness,” is the very One who sets our hearts ablaze to shed light on the knowledge of God’s glory revealed in the face of Jesus, the Anointed One.”

Well might we pray, Thank You Lord that You are our lamp, You turn our darkness into light, the light of the treasured knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Clothe each of us with Your light. Let the light of your face shine upon each of us, O LORD. Thank You that as each trusts in You, the light of Christ will shine through our lives and touch others. Help each of us share this light. Thank You that You fill our hearts with the treasured joy of Christ. Amen

Daily Devotions

Today we consider the mathematical symbol of Division. 

Being much concerned about the rise of denominations in the church, John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, "Are there any Presbyterians here?" "Yes!", came the answer. Then he asked, "Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?" The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! "No?" To this, Wesley asked, "Who then is inside?" The answer came back, "There are only Christians here." 

In 1 Corinthians 1:13-17 we read “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptise any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptised in my name. (Yes, I also baptised the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptised anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Fred Beuchner in his inimitable way brings clear thinking concerning division within the body of Christ. “When Jesus took the bread and said, "This is my body which is broken for you" (1 Corinthians 11:24), it's hard to believe that even in his wildest dreams he foresaw the tragic and ludicrous brokenness of the church as his body. There's no reason why everyone should be Christian in the same way and every reason to leave room for differences, but if all the competing factions of Christendom were to give as much of themselves to the high calling and holy hope that unite them as they do now to the relative inconsequentialities that divide them, the church would look more like the Kingdom of God for a change and less like an ungodly mess.”

We pray in the words of Graham Kendrick

Lord, end our madness
Carelessness, greed
Make us content with
The things that we need

Lighten our darkness
Breathe on this flame
Until your justice
Burns brightly again
Until the nations
Learn of your ways
Seek your salvation
And bring you their praise.

In Jesus Name, Amen..

Daily Devotions

In Genesis 1:28 we read, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…”

The first thing God asked us to do was multiply. In other words, divine multiplication has been around since the beginning of time. God wants to partner with us to multiply in every area of life.

It’s so important to God that He didn’t just ask us to multiply, He commanded us to multiply.

On a wall in the Museum of Natural Science in Chicago there is a chessboard with 64 squares. In the lower lefthand corner is a grain of wheat. The display includes this question: "If you doubled the amount of wheat as you move from square to square, how much would you have when you reached the 64th square? A carload? A trainload? In fact you would have enough wheat to cover the country of India six feet deep."

That is the power of multiplication. Suppose you go out and reach one person for Jesus. Stick with that person for six months. Help, encourage and strengthen him. At the end of six months there are only two. At the end of the year there are four of you. At the end of 18 months there are eight; two years, 16. Do you know how many people there would be at the end of 20 years? More than the entire population of the world-more than 8 billion. Makes one Stop and think, doesn’t it !

A worthy prayer of Paul can be found in 2 Corinthians 9:10 “Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;”

God of multiplied seed, gardener supreme, you place us at the centre,  feed us, equip us and, having provided for us, look to a different harvest— a fruitfulness of lives in service to you  and others.

Multiplying God, feed us prune us harvest us that our lives  might bring glory to you. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Daily Devotions

Today we consider the mathematical notion of subtraction. “This statement contains threee mistaks.”

What are the mistakes? "Three" is spelled incorrectly, and so is "mistakes." That's two mistakes. Oh! So the third mistake is that there are actually only two mistakes. But wait! That means there really are three mistakes. So that means it's not a mistake to say there are three mistakes.

The world and even the church has become fixated on numbers. This reminds we of three ministers who  were discussing their Easter Sunday results with one another on the Monday after Easter.

The Methodist minister said, "Easter services worked out great for us! We gained four new folk at First Methodist!" Praise God! The Baptist preacher grinned and said, "Well, we did better than that over at First Baptist! We gained six new additions!" Hallejuah! Then the Pentecostal pastor who had been silent and then finally blurted out, "Well, praise God, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus! We did even better than that over at First Pentecostal! We got rid of our 10 biggest troublemakers!

It perhaps gives a new meaning to the words, ‘The Lord give to and the Lord taketh away.’

In John 1:29-30 we read, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’

John the Baptist was able to see who Jesus was because he was clear about who he was himself. Help me, Lord, to know my need of you, to learn to rely on you and to turn to you in trust.

Jesus, as I look at your life I discover what it is to live in harmony with God and with other people. You take away the sin of the world and call me to live as you did, healing me from anything that might hold me back, allowing me to let go of inhibitions. Amen

Daily Devotions

 In the next few days we will move from actual biblical numbers to how the bible uses mathematical   symbols starting with addition. In Mathew’s gospel 5:18 we read, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

In one sense there is nothing within that grasp or ability of we humans that can add anything to which God, in Christ has ordained. On the other hand, the New Testament has instructions on what by the grace of Jesus Christ, we are given to add as his followers to our lives and actions. In Colossians 3:14, according to the Darby translations we read, “And to all these [add] love, which is the bond of perfectness.” Elsewhere, other translations speak of putting on love as an all encompassing  outer garment.

In 1975, John Molloy wrote a book called Dress For Success, which became the fashion guidebook for many people trying to climb the corporate ladder. Molloy's advice centred on a basic premise--always dress like your boss.

Every day, for work, school, or recreation, we all have to decide what to wear. And even in the dress-down 90s, people strive for the right look.

But we must also make choices about another wardrobe--our attitudes and actions. If we claim to be followers of Christ, our spiritual apparel is of far greater significance than our physical clothing.

Take a look at God's dress code for us. As His chosen people, we are to clothe ourselves with "kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering. We are to demonstrate patience and forgiveness.. And above all, we must add love, to complete our spiritual outfit.

What are you adding to your spiritual wardrobe today?

Father of all who live in the Spirit,

you have brought unity through your Son Jesus Christ:

help us who profess his name to show in our lives,

   in our worship,

      and our sharing your good news

that oneness which springs from the truth 

as it is found in Jesus,

and fill your church with the desire 

both to seek and find that unity

throughout the world; in his name. Amen.