Daily Devotions

In one sense, Jesus is already King. In another sense, he needs to become King. The kingdom of God can refer to the age to come:

We read, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:31-34

The gospel story does not use fancy words about justice and solidarity, but speaks of practical love in the shape of shared food, clothing, something to drink, protection from elements. It directs compassion that helps people in need.

There was a preacher in 19th century Scandinavia who, in the vestry one Sunday morning, heard that the King would be present at worship. Understandably rattled he ditched his well prepared sermon and spoke on and on about the Christian virtues of their King. Even though the King said nothing after the service the preacher could not help but wonder if he would receive some reward for his loyal support. Sure enough some time later a very large crate was delivered to the Church. Immediately the priest concluded that his reward had arrived. He open the crate to find inside a life sized crucifix. 

He could hardly contain his disappointment "We’ve got lots of crucifixes already," he thought. As he looked inside the crate he saw a letter under the royal seal. Excitedly he opened it. The letter contained the kings instructions as to the placement of the crucifix in the Church. It was to go on the western wall of the Church so that the preacher would always be reminded of which king he should be speaking. King Louis XIV of France, see attached, “There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.”

God, our kind and loving Father,

you no longer call us servants but friends.

There is so much you have entrusted to us,

even the future of your kingdom of justice and love.

Give us the grace to work out with you

the growth of mercy and goodness in this world,

to be united with all Christians

and with all who seek you with a sincere heart

in bringing reconciliation and joy to everyone.

Let us go together the way to you,

our living and loving God,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Daily Devotions

What is meant by God’s kingdom and by God’s will in the Lord's prayer? Let’s start with the word kingdom.

The Greek word for kingdom (basileia) occurs 162 times in the New Testament, so clearly this is an important biblical term. Although the Lord’s Prayer uses the word kingdom as a stand-alone term, it is obviously a reference to God’s kingdom. Any correct understanding of kingdom in the New Testament must emphasise that it is the kingdom of God. Matthew’s Gospel often calls it the “kingdom of heaven,” but that is simply a Jewish way of referring to the kingdom that belongs to the God who dwells in heaven.

A simple definition is to think of the kingdom of God as his reign and rule. Another way to think of the kingdom is as God’s redemptive presence coming down from heaven to earth.

The Living Bible paraphrases the Lord's Prayer that is riven through with Kingdom language in this way. “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honour your holy name.We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.Give us our food again today, as usual, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.  Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.’ Matthew 6:9-13

The kingdom of God does not exist because of your effort or mine. It exists because God reigns. Our part is to enter this kingdom and bring our life under his sovereign will.

Take Matthew, a tax collector, who is making money hand over fist. Despised by all the people for collaborating with the Romans, he absorbs himself in his world of money. Then one day, Jesus passes by, looks at Matthew, and simply says, "Follow Me." And for one brief moment, Matthew has a dilemma. A split-second image of all his gold and his silver and his house and his possessions. Then he looks at Jesus and realises he's got to make a choice - he can't have both. But there was no comparison. He recognised instantly that he was looking at the True Treasure, the true riches. And he left everything: He made a sacrifice that turned out to be no sacrifice at all. He made a choice for the Kingdom of Heaven.

We know that your kingdom 

is a kingdom of love, justice and of peace.

A kingdom of righteousness and abundance for all.

Do not allow us to be deceived by the standard of this world, where unjust wars rule and colonisers become rulers of the nations.

Let your will be done soon,

and vanish the pseudo-kingdom of empire power,

until we can finally say, heaven is possible here on earth. Amen

Daily Devotions

The kingdom of heaven is a central theme running all the way through the Gospel of Matthew. In fact, the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is used over thirty times in Matthew’s Gospel. However, many Christians are confused about what it means.

Interestingly, Matthew is the only Gospel writer to adopt this terminology. The others opt to use the phrase “the kingdom of God” instead. So, what is “the kingdom of heaven?”

Many believe that Matthew uses “the kingdom of heaven” instead of “the kingdom of God” simply to avoid using the term “God.” It is certainly true that there was a Jewish tendency to avoid writing the divine name in the first century. Many bible scholars conclude that Matthew did not want his Jewish readership to misunderstand the nature of the kingdom. 

The Jews were anticipating a physical kingdom, not a spiritual kingdom.  In the gospel we find Jesus teaching, “Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the one who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Jesus points to the tiniest child in the crowd and encourages us to be like infants as in that culture, as in many cultures, the child had no influence, status or control over life. The child was completely dependent on the parent and on the community. Jesus is both pointing out something about how we live our lives, and also about accepting the most humble of people into the community. 

We are members of Jesus' family, his community, his church, his kingdom by virtue just of who we are, before any achievements. Maybe in prayer we might notice what gives us a buzz or a sense of importance about ourselves and put this beside the picture of children, who know that all they have is the gift of others and of God.

God the Holy Spirit, through the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. Strengthen and deepen our commitment to revealing your kingdom through our lives and by our prayers. Grant us, we pray, wisdom to discern signs of your kingdom in the world around us, wherever grace, mercy and truth are present. Enable us to discover, even in unexpected places, the beauty of holiness revealed in personal acts of compassion and sacrifice. Empower all people of goodwill to work towards establishing social structures and relationships that embody justice and peace. Through the faithful endeavour of us and all your people, may your kingdom come your will be done. Amen.

Daily Devotions

So what is the nature of this kingdom we find in the New Testament? We get our answer in the words of Jesus, when he said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

To the crowds who expected the kingdom of God to come with fanfare and drum-beat, Jesus offers two wonderful images of organic growth. The mustard seed grows slowly, but as a tree it has room for all sorts of birds in its branches. Now as in its first centuries, the church has room for all races, colours and cultures. We are not clones but hugely diverse.

Another image of the kingdom: yeast in the dough, working for good even when unseen. Yeast is a less attractive image than spreading trees or a light on a hilltop. If there is anything of the exhibitionist in us, this image will discover it. Lord, I feel safer as yeast, working invisibly and unnoticed. I do not look to see results, just to know that I am an active part of your kingdom.

‘The God of small things' is the title of a popular Indian work of literature. God is the God of the mustard seeds. Not alone do we grow from small beginnings of faith, but we also grow in faith and love through the small and ordinary experiences of life. God, creator of heavens and earth, is interested in the things of our lives which loom large for us but may seem trivial to others - our aches and pains, our hurts and griefs, our daily work and all that goes to make up our lives.

Father, too often we believe only what our eyes see, and we get discouraged. Forgive our faint hearts. Help us to be filled with your hope and your vision for your Kingdom. Expand our seeing, mushroom our understanding. Help us to see the Kingdom of God as Jesus sees it. In his holy name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Today we listen to to Jesus own words in John 18:36-37    When Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus about being a king, He responded, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." This indicates that Jesus' kingship is not earthly but spiritual and heavenly.

No one can read this report without seeing the sheer majesty of Jesus. There is no sense that he is on trial. When a someone faces him, it is not Jesus who is on trial; is it? Pilate may have treated many Jewish things with arrogant contempt, but he did not with Jesus. We cannot help feeling that it is Jesus  is in control and Pilate bewildered and floundering in a situation he cannot understand. The majesty of Jesus never shone more radiantly than in the hour when he was on trial.

Jesus speaks directly to us of his kingdom; it is not, he says, of this earth. The atmosphere in Jerusalem was always explosive; during the Passover it was sheer dynamite. But here Jesus makes it quite clear that he claims to be a king and equally clear that his kingdom is not based on force but is a kingdom in the hearts of men. He would never deny that he aimed at conquest, but it was the conquest of love.

Through his courtroom appearance, Jesus tells us why he came into the world. He came to witness to the truth; he came to tell us the truth about God, the truth about ourselves, and the truth about life.

As William Barclay puts it, “The days of guessings and gropings and half-truths were gone. He came to tell us the truth. That is one of the great reasons why we must either accept or refuse Christ. There is no half-way house about the truth.” We either accept it, or reject it;  Christ is the truth."

Loving God of power and justice and peace, 

In our broken world 

We seek a new order 

Where there is courage to speak truth to power 

We seek a new order 

Where there is mutual support in church and community

We seek a new order 

Where there is abundant time for healing 

We seek a new order 

Where there is peace and freedom for all

Daily Devotions

During this week, following the last Sunday in the liturgical year designated as Christ the King, we will take a fresh look at what Jesus Kingship means in our day and age.

The phrase "Christ is King" reflects the Christian belief that Jesus Christ is sovereign ruler over the universe, rooted in various Bible passages. While the exact phrase "Christ is King" may not appear verbatim, the concept is strongly supported in Scripture, particularly in the New Testament. 

We start with the announcement of Jesus' birth, the angel Gabriel tells Mary, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:32-33

This declaration is a powerful and significant verse that underscores the exalted kingship and divine nature of Jesus Christ. It situates Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament promises regarding the Messiah and emphasises his authority and sovereignty. This verse is a pivotal part of the narrative of Jesus' birth and lays the foundation for understanding his role as the Saviour and King. It is a cornerstone of Christian belief and a source of hope and inspiration for believers around the world.

George Mc Donna wrote, “They were looking for a king to lift them up on high. He came a little baby thing that made a woman cry.”

We may well ask, how many have recognised the kingship of Christ. Steve Brown tells the frustrating story of some British social scientists. Following the end of British rule in India in the 1940s, a group of researchers wanted to study the impact of the end of British rule on the life of the nation. After six months, the British social scientists gave up and went home. Though the British had been present in India since the 1600s, many people in the villages of the country were not aware that the British had ever been there!

Could it be that God himself has visited the world and people have lived and died without ever being aware of the event? 

Even the magi at first found difficulty in recognising the King of Kings, and certainly Herod had his preconceived ideas concerning the news that he had a rival.

This world would deny you, Lord,

and rely on human wisdom

in their search for answers

to questions they have yet to ask,

but we will praise you,

and exalt your name,

for we know that you are Alpha,

the beginning of all things,

and Omega,

the end,

and all that is between.

We have known your healing.

We have known your provision,

We have known your victory.

Our sorrow has turned into dancing

and our tears to songs of joy.

We shall praise you ever more. Amen

Daily Devotions

In Luke 22:31-32  we find Jesus talking to Simon Peter, “Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.”

There is an intent intimacy in the way that Jesus speaks to Simon Peter that reflects a deep love for this rough diamond of a disciple. Perhaps for a moment place yourself into this close encounter. 

Imagine Jesus leaning forward, speaking your name and saying: ‘I have prayed for you.’ Feel the support of that prayer. Jesus might add, ‘When you pray for people you care about, I am praying beside you.’ We pray together for the whole world to have the strength to come through hard times knowing you are with us. Jesus I place all my trust in you.

The theologian Chardin speaks of the two hands of God: with one hand God holds you carefully, with the other he shapes your life and the whole universe. Notice how his hand works to restore the damage done to us, like a painter carefully restoring a damaged masterpiece – remember you are that work of art!

Pray this prayer slowly and intentionally 

Lord work on my heart
until it becomes like your Sacred Heart.
Give me hope.
Then I can love you and all my sisters and brothers
with the respect, compassion, and forgiveness
that you have for everyone. 

(Take time to voice your concerns for yourself and others)

If what I ask is not for my own good
and the good of others,
grant me what will most help
to build up your kingdom of justice, love and peace.
I make this prayer with confidence in your love.
Amen

Daily Devotions

You may recall in the musical Mary Poppins how the children's Nanny uses her magic tape measure to discover the characteristics of the two children, Jane and Michael Banks. Yet on measuring herself, Mary Poppins declares, “As I expected, practically perfect in every way.” In the real world perfection by any measure is an illusionary phenomenon.

In today's verse from 2 Samuel 22:33 we find David proclaiming that, “God is my strength and power: and he makes my way perfect.” So, what is this perfect Godly way and how does it strengthen the believer?”

In Old Testament Hebrew, the word translated here as perfect, refers to that which is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact. 

A man once came up to C. H. Spurgeon, the great English preacher, at a Christian retreat, and said that he had reached a state of spiritual perfection. Without a word Spurgeon picked up a pitcher of ice-cold water and poured it on the man's head. When the man became angry and reacted like any normal person would if cold water were poured on his head, Spurgeon said, "Well, now I know exactly what spiritual perfection you've come to!"

One of the most common excuses given  for rejecting the God is the opinion that His ways are unfair. We are prone to complain at the way God deals with us. But the fact that we may not understand God’s ways hardly gives us the right to pass judgment on them.

We need to settle in our hearts that, whether we understand them or not, God’s ways are always perfect. What He does is right, and whatever He says must be true by definition. His ways are always in the context of eternity, but we leap to judgment in terms of present inconvenience.

And what is that perfect way, it is none other than Jesus Christ who still declares to us, “I am the way the truth and the life.” 

Today we prayer  14th century prayer. Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Devotions

So often, in the battleground of the soul, we fail to understand, as it says in Exodus 15:2 that, “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.”

Have you ever considered that the Lord has more need of our weakness than of our strength: our strength is often His rival; our weakness, His servant, drawing on His resources, and revealing His glory. Our extremity is God’s opportunity. God’s way is not to take His children out of trial, but to give them strength to bear up against it.

One day a small boy was trying to lift a heavy stone, but he couldn’t budge it. His father, passing by, stopped to watch his efforts. Finally he said to his son: “Are you using all your strength?’

“Yes, I am,” the boy cried, exasperated.

“No,” the father said calmly, “You’re not. You have not asked me to help you.” The child needed to learn to depend upon his father, as an added source of strength.

Another way of exploring Godly strength is to imagine children at home being told to pick up their play things. They’ll resist parents with a passion because they don’t want to do it. But the minute the parent enters into the mess of the playroom and starts to help, they’ll jump at the task and start to pick up. That is what grace does for us. It reminds us that God jumped into the mess of our lives and worked to clean it up without us lifting a finger. And so we are strengthened and motivated by the power of God’s grace to continue to obey him.

Dear God, please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil. In Jesus name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

Paul writing to the Philippians  reveals how boldness is contagious. “When we are bold for Christ, enduring hardships for our faith, others are provoked to do the same.” (Philippians 1:14).

A missionary legend is told that Boniface of Crediton, an 8th century Christian missionary, who once traveled to a German shrine hidden in the sacred forest of Thor, the god of thunder. When he realised that the native folk were not going to willingly relinquish their native spirits, Boniface took his axe to a huge oak that served as the holy altar of their worship. With one blow of Boniface’s powerful axe, God felled the mammoth oak with the breath of a mighty wind. The pagan barbarians were awestruck and converted to this new God who was mightier than their old gods. Boniface, not weak in conscience when it came to pagan things, then took the wood and built a church.

In one of Aesop’s Fables we come across a Fox who had never yet seen a Lion. Whilst walking through the forest the fox fell in with the lion for the first time. The fox was so frightened that he that he  nearly died of fear. Meeting the lion for the second time, the fox was still much alarmed, but not to the same extent as at first. On seeing him the third time, he so increased in boldness that he went up to him, and commenced a familiar conversation with him.

Aesop’s conclusion being,  “Acquaintance softens prejudices.”

Once more we take a lead from Fred Beuchner when speaking of the Lord’s Prayer says, “You need to be bold in another way to speak the second half (of the Lord’s Prayer). Give us. Forgive us. Don't test us. Deliver us. If it takes guts to face the omnipotence that is God's, it takes perhaps no less to face the impotence that is ours. We can do nothing without God. We can have nothing without God. Without God we are nothing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful witness of Paul and for the many instances where You took simple people, absurd equipment, and seemingly inappropriate circumstances, to forward Your plans and purposes. Fulfil Your will in my life, I pray. May I be a willing witness in whatever circumstances I may find myself. In Jesus' name, AMEN.