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Reflection on 2 Peter 3:8-18

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patience

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+3.8-18

Scripture

The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

Observation

Peter urges us to remember that God’s time scale isn’t the same as ours. A day and a thousand years are the same to Him. He isn’t being slow to keep his promises but patient. He is holding off judgement until everyone who will be saved is saved.

Judgement will come swiftly. The universe will be burned up in fire, and a new heaven and earth, perfect in every way, will be formed.

Application

The Lord isn’t slow in keeping His promises. He does not delay unnecessarily. In fact, His timing is always perfect.

Peter here is talking specifically about the end of history and Jesus’ return. The principle applies to every promise of God.

We measure time in days. God measures in generations and centuries. We desire fast food and instant coffee, but He follows a better way with better outcomes.

God is perfect in all of His dealings with people. This is something that we should rejoice in, especially those who struggle with chronic sins.

When we are impatient with God’s promises we are in danger of falling into doubt and then unbelief. We can be tempted to deny that God will do what He has promised to do.

We must persevere in faith, believing that all of God’s promises come to pass in His way and at His time.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to be patient in waiting for your promises to unfold. Grant me faith to hang on to you even when you seem to act more slowly than I would prefer. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 40:1-11

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isaiah40

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40.1-11

Scripture

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

Observation

“Comfort Jerusalem, speak tenderly to her,” says the Lord.

He promises someone coming through the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord.

People are short-lived like grass, but God’s word endures for ever. Yes the Lord is coming, and He will rule over His people with power and gentleness.

Application

Hope is a force for life. When we lose hope and feel abandoned, we believe that life has no value.

Today I watched someone crumple before my eyes as a person in authority laid out a bleak future for her. He was laying out the worst case scenario- possible but unlikely. We spent the afternoon speaking to her words of hope and an alternative future,

For the people of Israel, the wrath of God smashed all hope for the future. The prophets painted a picture of hope, because the reality was that God had not abandoned them. Forced to a place of punishment for sin, God continued to love His people.

Christmas is a time of hope for christians as we celebrate the unfailing love of God who loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever trusts in Him should have eternal life (John 3:16)

No matter how bleak life seems, we have a God who refuses to abandon us and guarantees eternity to His followers.

That is great comfort for God’s people.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for not giving up on me. Your love never fails, and I will celebrate you today. Amen.

Reflection on Mark 13:24-37

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+13.24-37

Scripture

“No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows.”

Observation

Jesus tells His disciples about the end times. The powers of the sky will be shaken. Then the Son will return in glory with the angels.

Just as we know when trees sprout leaves and blossoms that summer is on its way, we need to be alert for the signs of Jesus’ return.

No one knows the day or the time- not even the angels of heaven or Jesus Himself. Like servants overseeing a household while their master is away, we need to be diligently serving the Lord.

Application

No one knows the day. I get frustrated when I see a new prediction, always false of course. No one knows when this will be except our Father.

Jesus tells us that it could be any time so we need to live in eager expectation of His coming.

In this season called Advent, we prepare ourselves and wait expectantly to celebrate Jesus’ first coming. Although we assign a date to this event, we don’t really know the date of Jesus’ birthday. How much more then should we approach the timing of His return in humility and accept that we aren’t meant to know?

We know that He will come back to judge the living and the dead. We know that He will reign over all of creation and that the great enemies of mankind- sin and death- will be finally vanquished.

So we must wait expectantly. We must go about the Lord’s business each day serving Him as faithfully as if He was right here with us in visible form. He is right here with us (Immanuel- God is with us), but we sometimes forget.

If we daily live in submission to the Holy Spirit, we will be ready for Christ’s return whenever He comes.

Prayer

Come Lord Jesus come! May I be found diligently and joyfully serving your purposes when you do return. Amen.

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

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1-corinthians

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+1.1-9

Scripture

God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observation

Paul writes to the church at Corinth whom Jesus chose to be His own people. He prays for God’s blessing and peace to be with them.

Paul never stops thanking God for the church in Corinth. They will not miss out on any blessing as they await Christ’s return. God van be trusted to care for those whom He has chosen.

Application

In these few verses, Paul uses the word chose (or chosen) three times. Like the nation of Israel, these people were chosen by God to reflect His glory and to carry the gospel of Christ to their city and beyond.

We are chosen by God. He is sovereign.

We often think of the choices we make, including the decision to follow Christ.

But before we chose God, He chose us.

From before time began and long before I was even born, God had a plan for my life that included eternal life with Him.

The Lord arranged my life and manoeuvred key events in my life so that I would be ready to say “Yes” to Him.

This is not to say that my life is predetermined by God or that I am a robot following a divinely ordained program. At the intersection of divine will and human deciding there is always mystery.

God chose me! Why me as opposed to someone else, I do not know. I rejoice that He called and I answered.

As for those who have not said “Yes” to Jesus, I believe they were chosen too, but they have not yet realised the preciousness of God’s grace.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for reaching down and choosing me. Help me to see those whom you have chosen but do not yet realise it, and to share the Good News with them. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 64:1-9

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swapnil-dwivedi-246205.jpg

Photo by SwapnIl Dwivedi on Unsplash

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+64.1-9

Scripture
And yet, O Lord, you are our Father
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We are all formed by your hand.

Observation
O Lord, come down. Our hearts are heavy with grief at the sins of our nation.

If only the Lord would come down and sort things out. No one has ever heard or seen a god like the Lord. There is no one like Him, and when He acts nations are shaken.

We are sinners, even the people who say they belong to Him. Sin is in our DNA from when we are conceived.

We are the clay, and He is the potter. We are His people, the work of His hands.

Application
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glorious destiny that God planned for us. And yet the Lord continues to love us. We do the most crass, stubborn and rebellious things, “and yet” God’s love continues to flow to us.

God is the potter and we are the clay. Life goes better for us when we allow God to mould us, when we respond to events, both good and hurtful, with trust and joy in the Lord.

If we remain pliable to His touch then just a little pressure will mould us to the right shape. But when we are rigid and unyielding, determined to do things our own way, then the Lord has to increase the pressure to push us into that beautiful form He designed us to be.

We all sin, but we are all formed by His hand. We all rebel, but He continues to shape us for His purposes.

Prayer
Lord Jesus I thank you that your love never fails. Your love never gives up or runs out. Help me to see that correction and redirection are a part of your love for me. Amen.

Reflection on Psalm 100

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psalm-100-vs-1-2.jpg

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms+100

Scripture

Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth!

Observation

Rejoice in the Lord! We, the followers of Jesus, must rejoice- even when life seems bad.

Habakkuk said, “Even if the fig trees haven’t blossomed and there are no grapes on the vine and no oxen in my field, I will still rejoice in the Lord.”

Joy is not an emotion. It is a determination of the heart that looks above the problems of this dark age to the salvation that is ours in Christ.

This isn’t just “Don’t worry, be happy” for no good reason. This is choosing to remember that I belong to God.

“For the Lord is good and His unfailing love lasts for ever, His faithfulness to each generation.”

There is much to lament in this world, and there are times when we must lament for the sin and brokenness in creation. For the follower of Jesus there is even more reason to rejoice.

God loves me. I will rejoice.

Christ in me, the hope of glory. I will rejoice.

Emmanuel, God is with us. I will rejoice.

Heaven bound. I will rejoice.

I have so much to be thankful for. How can I do anything but sing with joy to the world?

Prayer

Lord, I will rejoice in you today. Please remind me, when I am tempted to despair or anger, to instead rejoice in you. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 25:14-30

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treasure

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25.14-30

Scripture

“Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who haven’t got anything.”

Observation

A very rich man goes away and leaves three servants in charge of his wealth. He gives 5000 coins to one servant, 2000 to another and 1000 to the third. The first two servants invest wisely and double the funds in their care, but the third takes the money and buries it.

When the master returns, the two who increased their master’s wealth are rewarded with a promotion and more responsibility. The third gives excuses about how the master is a hard man, and so he was afraid. This servant is thrown out of the household because he is worthless.

Application

The sums of money referred to here are huge- equivalent to millions of dollars in today’s currency

The master knows the servants and he gives them responsibility in proportion to their ability.

The Lord gives us resources and responsibility to steward and to invest in His kingdom. Each one of us should rejoice in this opportunity to serve our king.

Responsibility requires accountability. We must find out what God’s call is for us. What assignments or duties has He placed on my life? How can I fulfil that role that He has given me?

The servants knew their master, but one of them focused on what he saw as negative qualities and became paralysed by fear. Out of fear, he buried what he had been given to multiply.

Fear negates faith. When I am afraid of failure, I am saying that God cannot enable my success in His kingdom.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to rejoice in the task you have called me to and to trust you to guide me to success. Set me free from the fear of failing you. Amen.

Reflection on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

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thessalonians

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+2.1-8

Scripture

God was pleased to trust us with his message. We didn’t speak to please people, but to please God who knows our motives.

Observation

Paul relates how he had come to Thessalonica without hidden motives. He wasn’t trying to trick or fool anyone or to please people.

As an apostle, he could have demanded that they support him. Instead he chose to be like a mother nursing her baby, prepared to give his life for them as he gave them God’s message.

Application

As social creatures we all have a need for the approval of other people. We want to be liked by other people and to fit in.

But for the child of God, this is not always an option. To be faithful to God means that we may need to suffer the enmity of people.

This is the way it was for Paul who was imprisoned, beaten, stoned and otherwise mistreated on many occasions. It is the way for millions of christians around the world today.

As western society runs at break-neck speed away from the christian values that have underpinned it for centuries, we have to expect opposition even from our friends and family members.

We must be God pleasers, not people pleasers. We must be determined to stand up for Jesus even at the risk of losing friends or being publicly mocked.

Paul responded to opposition by doubling down on love. He was like a mother to his new converts and was prepared to die for their sake.

In a society increasingly hostile to the gospel, let us respond with the love of God.

Prayer

Help me Lord to please you in all my endeavours. May I always be a God pleaser not a people pleaser. Amen.

Reflection on Deuteronomy 34:1-12

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deut34

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy+34.1-12

Scripture

There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses. The Lord spoke face to face with him and sent him to perform powerful miracles in the presence of the king of Egypt and his entire nation.

Observation

Moses goes up to Mount Nebo from where the Lord shows him the land and territories which would soon belong to Israel.

Moses dies there and the Lord buries him. He was a great prophet who performed powerful miracles, far greater than anything any other person did.

Application

Moses was a man who knew true intimacy with God and consequently was able to do truly amazing things. Later on Jesus would say that John the Baptist was even greater, but the least in the kingdom of God was even greater still (Matthew 11:1).

The level of intimacy with God and therefore the level of power in the Holy Spirit is potentially greater for the christian than was possible even for Moses.

Moses parted the Red Sea, bur Jesus promises that if we have even a mustard seed of faith, we will tell a mountain to move and it will do so.

Every born-again christian has the Holy Spirit within them. Wherever I go the Holy Spirit goes with me. Therefore, as I listen to the Holy Spirit and act in faithful obedience, great things will happen.

The Lord spoke face to face with Moses. This is a relationship hat developed over many years. To see the great deeds of God we need to nurture our relationship with Him, seeking His face every day.

Prayer

Blessed Father there is nothing that you cannot do through me as I walk in humble obedience to you. Please help me to know you more and more and to trust you more every day. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 22:34-46

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jesus-and-the-pharisees.jpg

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22.34-46

Scripture

No one was able to give Jesus an answer, and from that day on, no one dared to ask him any questions.

Observation

The Pharisees get together to try to trick Jesus, One of them asks Jesus, “What is the most important commandment?” Jesus replies that the whole of the Lawcan be summarised in “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind” and “Love your neighbour as you love yourself. ”

Jesus then turns the tables on the Pharisees by asking them some questoins. They are unable to answer Him, and from that time on they do not ask Him any more questions for fear of looking stupid.

Application

Right across New South Wales at the moment, thousands of students are sitting their Higher School Certificate examinations. Thousands of people are answering thousands of questions to determine their level of knowledge in various subject areas.

People challenged Jesus then, and now, not to determine His understanding but to trick Him into some political or theological error. He seemed quite accomplished in seeing through the questions to the true motive of the questioner.

It remains right to ask Jesus questions when our hearts are soft towards Him.

He will give helpful answers to everyone who comes to Him with questions that genuinely seek knowledge, but He will rebuff those who merely want to show how clever they are.

Those who seek Him will find Him.

Those who seek truth will find it in Him.

But those who come to God with arrogant hearts will be rejected. It is only when we recognise that we have no answers, no knowledge and no wisdom from our own thinking that we can begin to know Him.

Prayer

Lord, cleanse my heart from all vain thinking. Let me see you as you really are. Amen.