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Reflection on Philippians 3:1-14

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Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians+3.1-14

Scripture

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call in God in Christ Jesus.

Observation

Paul tells us to beware of the mutilators of the flesh, those who trust in circumcision rather than in Christ. Paul is the peak of Jewishness and if anyone had reason to trust in the flesh it was him.

Now whatever gains he had he counts them all but loss. Everything is rubbish compared with the surpassing value of knowing Christ. His one goal now is to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. He has not yet achieved this but he presses on towards the goal for the prize of knowing Christ.

Application

For Paul there was only one thing in life worth pursuing- a closer relationship with Christ.

Many people are seduced into believing that we can share worldly goals as well as godly goals. As Christians our focus must always be on Christ and Him alone.

Our work must be to glorify God. Our home life and social life must equally be avenues for pursuing Christ.

This means that we are not free to do what pleases us. In everything Christ calls the shots. It is not good enough to plan our own destiny and ask for God to bless it.

A football player who presses towards the goal is not free to pursue his own game. He is part of a team under the direction of a captain and a coach. In the same way, our lives must be subject in every way to he direction of the Holy Spirit, Otherwise we will miss our goal- fellowship with God.

Prayer

Lord help me to press towards the goal of communion with you. May I not be distracted by the things of this world, but rather let me be always focussed on you. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 43:16-21

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WATER

Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+chp43.16-21

I am the Lord your rescuer

Who makes a path through the sea

Who defeats your enemy

And saves your soul

–

Don’t dwell on the past.

Remember where you came from

My mighty deeds

And acts of grace

Remember but don’t live there

–

I am doing a New Thing

Yes for this day, this hour

I am still your rescuer

I still do bold new things

Bringing life where there is none

Blessing you with water for life.

Reflection on Luke 15:11-32

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Reference: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+15%3A11-32

Scripture

“But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of your was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

Observation

The parable of the Prodigal Son is so familiar to us that even people who don’t know the Bible at all well know the story.

The younger of two sons goes away with his share of the father’s property. He spends it all on indulgent living and eventually returns home thinking to hire himself as a servant.

The father runs to meet him, overwhelmed with joy at his return. He orders a feast to be prepared to celebrate.

The older brother is angry at this celebration. He is slighted by the fact that he has, in his opinion, slaved away and never been rewarded.

Application

God’s love is immense, unmeasurable and unfathomable. Anyone who wants to can come to Him, be forgiven and welcomed back to the family. No sin is so big that it cannot be forgiven when we repent.

If God’s love is so big and unlimited, we, his children, need to be people of big hearts. Too often christians can be like the older brother- too focussed on working for God to be able to rejoice at the salvation of a sinner. We need to remember always that we are sinners saved by grace.

Prayer

Lord help me to be as gracious to prodigals as you are. Amen.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

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Scripture

In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

Observation

Anyone in Christ is a new creation- the old has passed away and the new has come. This is God’s gift to us and part of His plan to reconcile the world to Himself.

God has reconciled us to Him, and He now gives us the ministry of reconciliation.

God makes us His ambassadors, carrying this message to a world that does not know Him.

Application

When we came into a relationship with Christ, we became a new creation. Our old life passed away and we became new in every way because the Holy Spirit came into us with a new perspective and understanding about what our life is meant to be about.

We changed from people motivated by worldly concerns to people who desire to please God.

Having been reconciled to God, given a new start and new direction, we become messengers of God’s reconciling work- ambassadors for Christ,

Prayer

Help me Father to live out your reconciling work in every part of my life. Amen.

Reflection on Joshua 5:1-12

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Scripture

“Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.”

Observation

The children of Israel have crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. The neighbouring kings have heard how the Lord has helped His people, and they are afraid.

The Lord commands Joshua to circumcise all those who were born in the wilderness. They remain camped at Gilgal until everyone is healed.

The Lord says to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.”

The Israelites celebrate the Passover in Gilgal, and from that day the manna ceases.

Application

Circumcision was a physical sign of the covenant for the Jews. They had not circumcised their babies in the wilderness, so in one of their first acts in the Promised Land, they remedy the situation.

The Lord’s commentary on this is that it rolls away the disgrace of Egypt from them.

We carry all kinds of emotional scars and feelings of shame and worthlessness. He Lord wants to roll away from us the disgrace of the world.

When we come to Christ we are a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. For many people, it takes time to let the new creation to seep through their hearts and out into their lives.

We need to embrace all that God is doing in our lives so that He can roll away our disgrace.

Prayer

Lord I confess my hurt to you and I ask you to roll away all disgrace, shame and guilt in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 13:1-9

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Scripture

“No, I tell you: unless you repent you will all perish just as they did.”

Observation

Some people tell Jesus about some Galileans whom Pilate has had killed. Jesus asks them, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than anyone else? Unless you repent you will all perish as they did.”

Jesus tells a parable of a man who had a fig tree that refused to bear fruit. He tells the gardener to cut it down. The gardener asks him to give the tree another year in which he will fertilise it. If it doesn’t bear fruit then he will cut it down.

Application

Part of our sinful nature is that we try to minimise our sin by comparing ourselves favourably with other people. I might sin, but at least I don’t do that terrible thing. When others suffer it must be because they did something awful to deserve it.

We can assume that just because we aren’t judged or punished now, then we can’t be too bad. The fig tree got another chance, but its fate was not guaranteed. The time of reckoning will come.

While offering us another chance, God makes it clear that there is not an infinite number of chances.

The only remedy for sin is to take it seriously and trust in the forgiveness that God offers us in Christ. We are then in a position to be able to receive His ongoing work of sanctification which makes us more like Him.

Prayer

Father forgive me for judging others as more sinful than me. Help me to be honest with you about the state of my soul. Thank you that Jesus died for my sin. Amen.

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

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Scripture

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he shall also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Observation

The Jewish ancestors were all under the glory cloud and all passed through the sea, being baptised into Moses. They drank from the rock that followed them and that rock was Christ.

The lives of these people were given as examples to us. We must avoid idolatry, sexual immorality and complaining as some of these people did and were punished.

God does not let us be tested beyond our ability to endure, but He also provides a way through the trial.

Application

We often see trials and temptations as negative things designed to trip us up. The Old Testament saints were tempted in many ways and often failed and were subsequently punished.

God allows us to be tested to take us deeper into Him. Temptation can be a cause for deeper trust, not just an undermining force.

As christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not condemned to sin. No, our destiny should be to overcome sin as we are increasingly transformed into the image of Christ,

We must learn to recognise temptation and our unique individual weak points. When temptation comes, and it will, we should be so aware of our dependence on the Lord that our eyes are on Jesus and not the source of sin. As we learn to do this, we learn to overcome in every test.

Prayer

Help me Father to discern the weaknesses of my heart and to trust in your strength to stand firm against temptation. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 3:1-15

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Scripture

Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”

Observation

Moses is tending his father-in-law’s sheep. He comes to Mount Horeb where he sees a bush enveloped in flame yet not burning up.

As Moses approaches, God speaks to him. He identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Lord says that He has heard the cry of His people and He is going to rescue them and take them to their own land.

The Lord tells Moses he is to go to Pharaoh to set His people free. Moses says, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” The Lord promises that He will be with him.

Moses’ next question is “Who are you?” The Lord says, “I am who I am.”

Application

The Lord appears to Moses with a big mission- go to the leader of the world’s biggest power and demand that he set the Hebrew people free. This is huge, even for Moses who was raised in Pharaoh’s palace.

Moses asks for a sign and God tells him, “I will be with you. And you will know this because you will bring my people back here to worship me.”

In other words, God is telling Moses to trust Him, and after he has completed the task then he will see the sign.

I wonder how many people have missed out on God’s call because they wanted a sign up front. Sometimes God gives us a sign before we start, but His way often is to ask us to trust Him.

Prayer

Lord help me to trust you. Help me to see that you are with me even when it all seems too hard. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 13:31-35

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Scripture

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”

Observation

Some Pharisees come to Jesus with a warning that Herod wants to kill Him. Jesus tells them to tell “that fox” that He is curing people and working miracles until the third day when His work is done. He must go to Jerusalem because it is there that prophets are killed.

Jesus laments over Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets sent to it. He longs to gather her children together, but they will not see Him until the time is right.

Application

Jesus was very aware that His mission was to die in order to be the sacrifice for our redemption.

He resolutely walked onwards to Jerusalem, not flinching from His purpose.

As christians, we need to be certain of God’s purpose for our lives. He tells us that we must die to ourselves, allowing Him to live in us and through us.

Prayer

Lord I confess my selfish ambition to you. It is not easy to die to my own desires. Please help me to live for you and you alone. Amen.

Reflection on Philippians 3:17-4:1

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Scripture

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Observation

Many live in opposition to the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction because they worship the flesh, and their minds are set on earthly things.

Our citizenship is in heaven, and our bodies will be transformed form a place of humiliation to a place of glory. Therefore we must stand firm.

Application

A christian’s allegiance is not to this world but to heaven. The people of the world pursue worldly goals and seek to maximise their personal pleasure.

As citizens of heaven, we must not merely pursue earthly desires. We have a much higher destiny in view.

To some extent we all compromise in some ways with our culture. We must not look to the world to tells us how to live. It is Christ, through the Scriptures and the conviction of the indwelling Holy spirit who directs our thinking and our actions.

For this reason we will always be at odds with unbelievers and with the culture. We can expect to be vilified and hated because God’s values are so different from those of sinful people.

Regardless, we must stand firm and, at the end of the age, we will be transformed into the glory of Christ,

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that this world is not all there is. I thank you that you have called me to eternity. Amen.