Reflection

Reflection on Romans 13:8-14

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armour of right living.

Observation

We must love our neighbour, for in doing this we will fill every command of the law.

The day of salvation is getting closer. Therefore we must live holy lives. We must take off the old clothes of darkness and put on the shining armour of God’s light. Our lives must be decent and proper, reflecting the fact that we belong to the light.

Instead of all the sinful, fleshly ways of living, we must clothe ourselves with the presence of Jesus.

Application

It is wrong when christians do not live lives that are materially different from their neighbours. Many claim to be born again but their deeds deny this.

Our lives must first be marked by love for those around us. We love people because God first loved them. In doing this we fulfil every requirement of the Old Testament law.

Our lives must also be marked by holiness. We have been “called out” from the world, living in it but set apart from sin.

We must “clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ”, allowing His love, His holiness, His grace to lead every aspect of our lives.

Prayer

Lord you have called me to a high path, a way of living very different from the world. Please help me to live a life that is honouring to the name of Christ. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 12:1-14

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

“But the blood on your door posts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Observation
The Lord gives the people of Israel the instructions for celebrating the Passover.
As a permanent part of their annual life, the Israelites are to celebrate the Passover. They are each to take a special lamb, care for it and then slaughter it at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and smear it on their door posts.

They must be dressed ready to travel, for the Lord will strike down every first-born son in the land, except for those houses marked with blood.

Application
What a terrible price the people of Egypt paid for the intransigence of their leader- the death of every first-born son in every family- except those whose houses were marked with the blood of the Passover lamb.
This was judgement against a nation which refused to obey God and placed its economic prosperity above righteousness.
The Passover is also a sign of salvation. We were headed towards death but we have been marked by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Thank you Lord for saving me from sin. Thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ which makes any sin clean. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 16:21-28

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

“What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

Observation
Jesus begins to tell His disciples that He must suffer and be crucified, but on the third day He will rise from the dead.
Peter reprimands the Lord for this negative confession, but Jesus says, “Get away from me, Satan!”
Anyone who wants to follow Jesus must die to their old selves. To give up our life for Him is to save it, but to hold onto our life is to lose it.

Application
Everything about following Jesus us counter-intuitive. This is not because God’s ways are crazy, but because sin has so overturned our values that what seems right and natural is often wrong and sinful.
This is why Jesus was so strong in His rebuke of Peter. Peter was looking at things from a human point of view when a different (God) perspective was needed.
To follow Jesus means that God always comes first. We lay our lives at His feet and allow Him to determine the course of our lives.
In human terms this seems really stupid, but in God’s eyes there really is no other way.

Prayer
Show me your ways, Lord. Help me to live in that constant sense of being dead to my own ambitions and alive to your plans for me. Amen

Reflection on Exodus 3:1-15

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

Observation
Moses is in the wilderness tending his father-in-law’s sheep. At Mount Sinai the Lord reveals Himself as a blazing fire in a bush.
God calls to Moses from the bush. He tells Moses that He has heard the cries of distress from His people, so He is going to rescue them and take them to their own land. Moses is to go to Pharaoh and lead Israel out of Egypt.
Moses asks “What name will we know you by?” The Lord says His holy name, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Application
The Lord announces in verse 8 that He has come down to rescue His people and lead them out. Then immediately He tells Moses, “Now go, for I am sending you.”
God does nothing without raising up people. His “coming down” consists often of “calling up” a person or a people.
Moses asks “Who am I to do this?” The answer is “It doesn’t matter who you are, for I am the Lord and I am with you.”
We might feel that we are inadequate for the task before us- no training, no ability, no background. To God that doesn’t matter. The only qualification He looks for is obedience.

Prayer
Father I stand here in your presence, aware of your calling and my weakness. Lead me, direct me, empower me. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 16:13-20

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

Observation
Jesus asks His disciples who people say He is. They offer suggestion of Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
Jesus then asks the more important question, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter’s response is to declare that Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus says that this has come as a revelation form the Father and Peter’s declaration will be the foundation of the church, which nothing will overcome.

Application
The most important question every person has to answer is the one Jesus posed: Who do you say I am? This is the question that settles our eternity.
Many people can answer the question “Who do people say I am?” but acknowledging someone else’s opinion is not faith.
Faith is when we decide that Jesus is really who He says He is and risk everything in following Him wherever He leads us.
Who do you say Jesus is?

Prayer
Lord Jesus I know that you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Help me to live in this conviction every day of my life. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 12:1-8

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Observation

Paul appeals to us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. Instead of conforming to the world we should allow God to transform our minds.

We belong to one another in the one body of Christ and so we should not think too highly of ourselves. We all have spiritual gifts so we should use those gifts to serve one another according to the grace God has given us.

Application

The gifts listed in vs 7,8 are often referred to as motivational gifts because when we are surrendered to Christ these gifts motivate our service for the church. We all have one or more of these gifts and we should make every effort to discover our motivational gifts.

As always, Paul lists the gifts of the Spirit in the context of the Body. Our gifts are there to edify the church, to help others discover the grace of Jesus Christ. They are not given for the lifting up of the giver but for the service of the church in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Understanding that we belong to a Body of believers, to a community of faith, is essential to our growth in Christ.

Prayer

Father, show me how to serve you today. I lay myself- body, mind and spirit- before you to serve you and your people. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 1:1-2:10

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

Observation

Generations pass by and the Israelites prosper in the land of Egypt. The king becomes afraid of them, fearing they are a threat to national security. He brings in a regime of forced labour for the Israelites and treats them harshly. Still they prosper in adversity.

The midwives are commanded to kill any newborn baby boy, but they refuse to carry out this order. When questioned about this, the midwives say that the mothers give birth too quickly. So the king orders all Egyptians to throw any Hebrew baby boy into the Nile.

One of the Hebrew women gives birth to a son and manages to hide him for three months. She gets a wicker basket, makes it water proof and floats the boy in the water. Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe as the baby’s sister looks on. She discovers the baby, and the sister offers to get a woman to nurse the baby for her. So the baby’s mother is paid by Pharaoh’s daughter to nurse her own baby, now named Moses.

Application

Recently we have seen many scenes of violence and oppression in the world. People might ask “Where is God?” This story shows that God is working even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations.

God blesses those who remain faithful in impossible situations. The women of Israel were determined to bring life and not death, despite the opposition of the king. And God blessed them, even giving the midwives families of their own as they refused the evil demands of a despot.

Whatever our situation, we need to be asking ourselves every day, “What is God wanting me to do here and now?” “How can I bring life rather than death?”

Prayer

Lord please help me to be light in the darkness today, life in a culture of death, a faithful follower of Jesus. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 15:10-28

/ newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Scripture

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Observation
Jesus tells the crowd that holiness is not about what we eat but more about the words we speak. The disciples don’t understand him so he explains further. The food we eat passes through the body and doesn’t stay in us so it cannot defile us. The words we speak show the sin in our heart and that is what makes us unclean.
A Gentile woman comes to Jesus pleading for deliverance for her daughter. Jesus first ignores her then fobs her off. She persists and Jesus tells her that her great faith has healed her daughter.

Application
What is more important- acting in certain ways to seem good or having our heart transformed by God’s goodness?
Most religious behaviour aims to win God’s approval through doing something good. God doesn’t judge by visible actions but the motives that drive us.
It is faith that connects us to God- the desperate, unshakable faith that holds on to God even when He seems to not care. Persistence is the key to breakthrough.

Prayer
I am desperate for you Lord- desperate enough to know that faking goodness won’t impress you. Help me to hang on to you. Amen.