reflection

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+1.10-18

Scripture

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God.

Observation

Paul appeals to the Corinthians to be in agreement and be united in one mind and purpose. He is shocked by reports of divisions in the church with people claiming to follow Paul, Peter, Apollos or Christ.

Paul wasn’t crucified for their sins so they shouldn’t be following him. They were not baptised into the name of Paul. His role was not to baptise but to proclaim the gospel. The gospel is the power of God to those who believe, but to those who are perishing it is folly.

Application

The gospel is grace- the grace of God. We don’t have to pay the price of our sin because Christ did that for us,

It offends people who think they are good enough for God and therefore do not need a saviour.

It offends those who see religion as a way of controlling God. How do you appease a God who gives up His right to be angry?

It offends those who refuse to believe in the concepts of sin, holiness and judgement.

It offends those who want a life that is tidy, not a saviour who is covered in blood.

It offends those who recognise the implications of the cross. If God has given all for me, then I must give all for Him.

For those who are being saved, the gospel is the power of God. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

Blessed are those who recognise their sin and receive God’s forgiveness.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for enduring the cross for my salvation. Thank you for coming into my life and setting me free from sin. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 9:1-4

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9.1-4

Scripture

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light-

those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them the light has shone.

Observation

The king is coming who will remove the gloom and anguish from the nation; specifically from those in Galilee and the other side of the Jordan.

People who walked in deep darkness have seen a great light. God is going to multiply the nation and make it great again. Joy will flow like the joy of the harvest or the excitement of a victorious army dividing the plunder.

Application

The darkness over the land is deep. We have turned our backs on God, and the darkness is descending and becoming deeper.

We have people promoting every sexual deviancy as special and worthy of honour. Those who disagree are vilified. Marriages break down as people prefer pleasure and convenience to the hard work of valuing and loving another person. Celebrities are accused of abusing their positions, and politicians from every party seem determined to gain advantage for themselves.

The darkness is here. Even parts of the church prefer the world to the word, the darkness to the light.

As deep as the darkness is, the light is greater. As evil as people are, Jesus is able to overcome.

As a distant headlight seems dim but grows into a blinding intensity as it draws near, so the light of Jesus is drawing closer.

When christians pray and speak out the gospel, the light will overcome the darkness, and people will be set free.

Australia will be set free one person at a time. Revival will come, and the light will bring salvation, joy and transformation.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, as I look at our nation I see so much darkness. You are the light that overcomes the darkness. Shine through me, Lord, and let the people around me see your grace and your unfailing love. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 49:1-7

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+49.1-7

Scripture

“I will give you as a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Observation

The Servant of the Lord was called before he was born. He was commissioned by the Lord. The servant now feels He has laboured in vain because Israel has rejected his message.

But the Lord who called the Servant now says that the task of restoring the tribes of Jacob is too small a task. He will now be a light to the nations (i.e. the Gentiles) so that the Lord’s salvation will be seen to the ends of the earth.

Application

Jesus never set foot outside of Israel, yet His name brings salvation to the whole world. There are christians in every country of the world witnessing to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told His disciples to go to the world making disciples in all the nations. He said we are the “light of the world.”

As followers of Jesus we take from His light and shine it in the dark places as we go. This means we have to be involved with people’s lives, dark and messy as they can be.

The light is spiritual- the possibility of forgiveness and relationship with God. “The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light”- hope for a different life free of sin, guilt and shame.

The light of God repels some while attracting others. Those who are open to the light of the Lord will be attracted to anyone who carries the light. But those who prefer the darkness will flee from the light.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are the light for the world. Help me to take your light into the dark places today. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 3:13-17

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baptism

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew3+13-17

Scripture

When Jesus had been baptised, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

Observation

Jesus comes to the Jordan River where John is baptising. John at first disagrees with Jesus’ request to be baptised. “I should be baptised by you,” he says.

John baptises Jesus. As Jesus comes up from the water, the heavens open and the Spirit of God comes down on Him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven affirms, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Application

The Son of God is baptised by a man, filled with the Holy Spirit and affirmed by the voice of the Father. This passage confirms the doctrine of the Trinity, but it also confirms the partnership that God establishes with human beings. Jesus could not baptise Himself. He voluntarily submitted Himself to the hands of a man.

God rarely acts alone; He chooses to work through people. His Kingdom is not merely the forceful use of power separate from humanity. He achieves His purposes at he hands of people who submit themselves to Him.

“The heavens were opened to him” suggests a connection between heaven and earth. The normal barriers that separate the physical from the spiritual are pushed aside. Jesus had full communion with the Father in the person of the Holy Spirit.

We have that same opportunity also as we have the Holy Spirit in us. The heavens are open to me today.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” May the kingdom of heaven be open to me to allow me to fulfil your purposes in me today.

God is still opening the heavens to us. He is still filling people with the Holy Spirit. He is still partnering with ordinary people, inviting them to be a part of His Kingdom.

Prayer

Today, Lord, I choose to believe in an open heaven with all your blessings pouring into the world through me. Fill me with your Spirit. May your will be done through me and in me. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 10:34-43

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10.34-43

Scripture

“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Observation

After a series of events, Peter finds himself in the house of a Gentile named Cornelius.

Peter testifies to the household of Cornelius that he now understands that God does not have favourites based on race, but He loves everyone who seeks Him and does what is right.

The message about Jesus started in Galilee but is spreading everywhere. God anointed Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil. Jesus was crucified, but God raised Him. Now those who witnessed these things are testifying about salvation through Christ.

Application

The message of the gospel is very simple- everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness through Him.

We all sin- everyone falls short of God’s perfect standard of holiness. Even on our best days we can all be proud, angry or fail to love others in some way.

All have sinned.

All may be forgiven.

You don’t have to keep the Jewish Law or be born Jewish. Forgiveness is available to everyone in Christ,

It is the death of Jesus that paid the price for our sin. Trust in Him and you will be forgiven.

No sin is too big, no life too depraved. When we turn to Jesus and trust in His salvation then forgiveness comes.

This is not a magic formula or a religious incantation. It is about honesty before God. As we learn to walk in this freedom, we also learn to place all of our cares and fears in His hands- a relationship of trust and love grows.

Prayer

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for your offer of forgiveness. Help me to confess my sins to you and to trust you for forgiveness of sins in your name. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 2:1-12

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wisemen

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+2.1-12

Scripture

And, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Observation

Some wise men come from the East looking for a child who is to be the King of the Jews. King Herod is very perturbed about this and asks his own “wise men”- the priests and scribes- where the Messiah is to be born. They tell him Bethlehem.

Herod sends the wise men to Bethlehem and tells them that when they find the child they are to let him know so he can come and pay homage.

The wise men go to Bethlehem where the star leads them to the house where Jesus’ family is staying. They worship the child and offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they return home by a different road.

Application

These wise men were Magi, wealthy and respected astrologers and soothsayers from Babylon. They were most likely descendants of the wise men of Daniel’s day and may well have been aware of Daniel’s prophecies which indicated the time of the Messiah. Today these people would be the gurus and elites of the New Age movement.

It is interesting that the first worshippers of Jesus were the poor deplorable shepherds and the Gentile idolaters.

The Magi used their human wisdom and common sense to get them to Bethlehem. They knew from their astrology that a king had been born in Israel. They naturally went to the powerful people at the palace. Then the star led them to the child they were seeking.

But, after encountering the Lord, they were warned in a dream from the Lord to go a different way home and not to go back to Herod.

An encounter with Jesus will change your course.

Common sense, human wisdom and what we know will take a person so far in the christian life. It is only when we meet Christ, have an encounter with the living God, only then are our lives truly changed. Inly then can we go by a different road.

The way of religion is to make myself right with God. Say the right prayers, live a good life, go to church. Religion may change what we do but it does not change our hearts.

It is when I realise that I cannot make the grade, that I am hopelessly trapped in my sin, only then can I reach out to God and receive His gift of salvation in Christ.

It is a choice that sends our lives along a different road; a road of grace and freedom in Christ,

Prayer

Lord Jesus I pray today for my friends and family members who do not know you. Please give them an encounter with you that will change the path they are on. Amen.

Reflection on Hebrews 2:10-18

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+2.10-18

Scripture

Because [Jesus] was himself tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Observation

Jesus is not ashamed to call us His sisters and brothers. He regards us as the gift of the Father to Him.

If we are children to Christ, sharing flesh and blood, it was necessary for Him to also take on flesh and blood in order to die and defeat satan, the one who has the power of death.

He became like us in every way in order to become our High Priest to make an atoning sacrifice on our behalf. He was tested by what He suffered, and is therefore able to help those who are tested.

Application

Jesus was in every way human, just like us. We often think of Him sailing serenely through life on His way to the cross. But He suffered all of the same trials, tests and temptations that we face, but remained without sin.

Jesus got hungry, thirsty, tired, happy sorrowful, frustrated and angry, but did so without sinning.

Jesus was subject to all of the limitations of human flesh in order to be just like us. He did this so that we can relate to Him and know that He knows what it is like to be human.

The Greek word translated “tested” also means “tempted.” In the wilderness Jesus was tempted by satan and was victorious. In Gethsemane and on the cross itself, He was tempted to give up and disobey the Father, but He remained firm in His resolve.

We think of testing and temptation as negative words, but they in fact are positive. Temptation makes us stronger by driving us into the arms of the Father.

We live in a world where tests of faith abound in every direction. Almost every minute we are faced with a choice- to follow our sinful nature or to trust God’s better plan. As we make these daily choices to stay faithful to the Lord, we set in place a habit of thinking in which we prioritise God’s pleasure above our own.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank you that you faced testing and temptation on an even greater level than I do. Just as you remained faithful to the Father’s will, please help me to do the same. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 63:7-9

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nativity

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+63:7-9

Scripture

It was no messenger or angel but His presence that saved them.

Observation

Isaiah remembers the praiseworthy acts of the Lord for His people Israel. He loved them and showed them His great favour.

The Lord said, “These are my people, my children.” He became their saviour. It wasn’t an angel who saved God’s people; it was the Lord Himself.

Application

No messenger or angel can save us. Only God’s presence can do that. We need no other Saviour, no other Redeemer than the Lord.

At Christmas, we have just celebrated the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Emmanuel, God is with us.

This is the greatest miracle the Lord could ever give us. God, our Lord, the Creator of all things entered into His own creation- weak, frail and ready to show the world what a saviour really looks like.

Some christians – and even some non-christians- become fascinated by angels. Angels are awesome creatures, but they are not God.

God did not send an angel into the world to save us because an angel could not do this. No angel could pay the price for our sin on our behalf. Only God can do that.

He didn’t send a preacher or prophet to save us. They are merely human and an only point us to the Saviour.

God has saved us. God has redeemed us. God has killed death and sin.

Now He makes His dwelling place in the hearts of men and women. Emmanuel- God is with us.

God is with me! God’s saving presence is with me!

This is the most amazing Good News.

Prayer

Lord, it is true that no angel or messenger could save me from my sin. It was only your presence in the form of Jesus that saved me.

Thank you for saving me. Thank you for making me a new creation through Jesus your Son. Amen.

Reflection on Isaiah 7:10-16

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+7.10-17

Scripture

But the king refused. “No,” he said. “I will not test the Lord like that.”

Observation

The Lord sends a message to King Ahaz inviting him to ask God for a sign. But the king refuses, saying he will not test the Lord.

Isaiah responds that the lord will send him a sign anyway. A virgin will conceive and bear a son who will be called Immanuel. By the time the child grows up, he will be eating yoghurt and honey because the lands of the kings that Ahaz fears will be deserted; it will be a time of peace and prosperity.

Application

There is a religious spirit that blinds the heart of its victim to the grace of God. Everywhere there are people who despise the mercy of God, preferring to prove their own righteousness.

If the Lord tells you to ask for a sign, it is because He wants to show you something amazing. It is arrogant and stupid to refuse to do what the Lord tells you to do on the grounds that you are too religious. Who are we to think that we are more righteous than God?

In Acts 10, Peter has a vision of a sheet containing all sorts of animals considered unclean. A voice tells him to eat, but Peter refuses because they are unclean. God rebukes him for calling unclean what He has declared to be clean.

We are not saved by religion. We are not put right with God by following rules. God forbid that we should ever get to the place where we start to believe that we know more than God about what pleases God! But this is the distortion that the religious spirit bring to our thinking.

Often our refusal to obey God comes from fear of people. We fear what people may say about us. We fear people more than we fear God.

The Lord wants us to break out of the prison of blind adherence to rules and regulations in order to walk in the freedom of the Holy Spirit.

True faith comes from at the point where we delight in the will of the Lord, regardless of religious fear or the fear of man.

Prayer

Holy Spirit come and make me more sensitive to your commands. When you tell me to do things that offend the religious spirit, may I have the grace to obey you. Amen.

Reflection on Matthew 11:2-11

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greater

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+11.2-11

Scripture

“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”

Observation

John the Baptist is in prison and he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus’ response is to point out the miracles and the healings and the preaching of the gospel.

Jesus then tells the crowd about John. He asks them “What did you expect him to be?” He tells them that John is more than a prophet- he is the messenger preparing the way of the Lord.

Jesus concludes that there was no one greater than John until the present day. But even the least important person in God’s Kingdom is greater than John.

Application

What does It mean to be great? Why is John the greatest of all men until the Kingdom?

John was great because he saw and recognised Jesus the Messiah. He was uniquely called to proclaim “The King is coming!” His greatness was in his calling.

All the prophets in the Old Testament saw a partial picture. Looking back we can see that they saw the coming of the Messiah and how it would happen.

Nobody, until John, saw the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Even John had his doubts.

John was greater than Moses, Abraham, David, Isaiah and Elijah.

But the least in the Kingdom is greater than John.

Me in my ordinary humdrum existence, far from perfect, not always hearing God’s voice– I am greater than John the Baptist, greater than Moses, David, Abraham and all the “heroes” of the Old Testament.

Goodness in God’s Kingdom is not about heroic deeds and famous sermons. It’s about walking with God and listening to the Holy Spirit, determined to live the best life I can for Jesus.

Prayer

Lord it is too marvellous for words to think that you consider me to be greater than John the Baptist. Show me how to be even greater as I walk in surrender to you. Amen.