reflection

Reflection on Haggai 2:1-9

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Haggai2:1-9

Scripture

“I will shakes all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty.

Observation

Haggai calls to the High Priest, the governor and the remnant of the people. After the rebuilding of the Temple, some of the people who remember the old Temple are feeling that the new building does not match the old one.

Haggai brings the word of the Lord to encourage them. The Lord reminds them that He is still with them, as He has been since He led them out of Egypt.

In a little while the Lord will shake the nations, and people will come from all nations to worship at the Temple. The Lord declares that the glory of the new Temple will be greater than that of the old house,

Application

As we get older we can pine for the “Good Old Days.” We may look to a simpler age, a happier time in our family or perhaps an exciting time when God seemed to be at work in our own lives or in the church.

God is always with us and He is always planning a “new thing.” His glory increases in our lives as we continue to surrender to him.

Sometimes the work of the Lord is exciting and busy, like harvest time. Other times He is working deeply where we cannot see. But always, it is the same God bringing about His purposes.

Prayer

Father please help me to understand how you are working in me at this time. May I trust that the glory of the present time is greater than the glories of the past. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 19:1-10

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zacchaeus

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+19.1-10

Scripture

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.”

Observation

Jesus enters Jericho, where a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of the Messiah. Jesus comes to the tree, looks up and calls Zacchaeus down, inviting himself to Zacchaues’ house.

Zacchaeus joyfully takes Jesus to his house, but the self-righteous people grumble at Jesus going to the house of a sinner. At the meal, Zacchaeus tells Jesus that he is going to give half his wealth to the poor and repay those whom he has cheated.

Jesus replies, “Salvation has come to this house today. The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Application

The issue of salvation confounds those who are religious. They cannot grasp the power of grace to transform sinners. As they don’t consider themselves to be sinners, they have no concept of grace.

Jesus wakes us up to His grace. Every sin, MY sins, even the darkest ones, are capable of being forgiven, repented and removed.

As we see His never ending grace to us, our hearts are changed, and those things that once gave us security, pleasure or power seem so undesirable in the light of His love. Sin stops being fun.

The tricky part is maintaining our awe of God’s grace and remembering where we came from so that we avoid that other awful sin- self-righteousness.

Prayer

Lord your grace is beyond my words. You continue to rescue sinners like me and to forgive sins like mine. Help me Lord to stay on the highway of humility, and free from all forms of self-righteousness that would blind me to grace. Amen.

Reflection on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

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2_thessalonians

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/search?%s=2+Thessalonians+1.1-12

Scripture

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

Observation

Paul tells the Thessalonians that he always thanks God for them because they are growing in faith and in love for one another.

They will be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they are suffering. When the Lord Jesus returns, those who trouble them will receive judgement. All who do not know God will be punished with everlasting judgement and shut out from the presence and majesty of the Lord.

Paul prays for them constantly that God will fulfil every good deed prompted by their faith.

Application

What pleases God about our walk with Him is that we grow in faith in Him and in love for our brothers and sisters. Along with this, naturally, comes opposition. This may take the form of outright persecution or more subtle forms of mockery and derision.

In all of this, we must look to the big picture, that God is working out His purposes in us and through us. Those who remain hostile to God will experience God’s rigthteous judgement, eternal separation from Him.

That judgement will come; we don’t need to make it happen. In the meantime we set our hearts on growing in faith and love.

Prayer

Eternal Father, you are holy and righteous, gracious and loving. Help me to grow in my experience of you each and every day

Reflection on Habakkuk 1:1-2:4

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habakkuk

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/search?%s=Habakkuk+1.2-2.4

Scripture
The revelation awaits its appointed time
It speaks of the end and will not prove false
Though it linger wait for it
It will certainly come and will not delay

Observation
Habakkuk calls out to the Lord and asks Him to do something about the violence and injustice he sees in the land.

The Lord replies that He is going to do something amazing. He will raise up the Babylonians to sweep across the whole earth.

The Lord tells Habakkuk to write down this revelation on tablets so that a messenger may run with it. The revelation awaits its appointed time. It will be proved true, but they are to wait for its appointed day.

Application
Habakkuk prays about violence and injustice, but the answer he gets is not what he hoped for, God deals with things in ways that we do not expect but which are always better and much wiser than we could imagine.

The Lord tells Habakkuk to wait for the right time, the appointed time. There is a revelation, a prophetic word, a destiny for all of us. We sometimes get discouraged because the time of God’s action is not our time.

God deals in seasons and appointments. We want everything now. God works at the right time, the best time. The promised “suddenly” seems to take forever to come and then bursts into existence before our eyes.

God acts in ways that are different to our expectations and with a different timing to what we expect. We have to learn to wait and trust.

Prayer
Father, you do all things well in their time. Help me to trust you even when answers seem slow in coming. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 18:9-14

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/search?%s=Luke+18:9-14

Scripture

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Observation

Jesus tells a parable to confront some people who who are confident in their own righteousness.

In the parable, a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee stands up to pray about himself. He thanks God that he is better than others, including the tax collector.

The tax collector stands at a distance and prays, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.”

It is the tax collector and not the Pharisee, Jesus concludes, who is justified before God. Everyone who boasts will be pulled down, but those who humble themselves will be lifted up.

Application

Pride is an insidious, creeping disease that poisons the spirit, creeping in at every unguarded weak point.

Even christians can become self-righteous and proud. It is ironic that our walk with Christ starts with a recognition that we are not good until God calls us good; that we are so lost in sin that we need a Saviour.

It is so easy, as we gain confidence in God’s grace, to think that we are somehow better than the people who have yet to find salvation.

Like the Pharisee in the parable, we look down on evil-doers and forget that is what we once were.

Prayer

Lord, who am I in this story? Please identify pride or self-righteousness in my heart, and grant me grace to truly repent. Amen.

Reflection on 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

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runners4480

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/search?%s=2+Timothy+4.6-8,16-18

Scripture

I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith

Observation

Paul believes the time is close to his departure from this life. He has fought the good fight and kept the faith. Now he looks forward to receiving the crown of righteousness that is waiting for him- not just for Paul but for all who await the coming of the Lord.

At his first court hearing, there was nobody with him, but the Lord gave him strength so that he was delivered from the lion’s mouth. Paul knows that the Lord will rescue him from every evil attack and bring him safely into the heavenly kingdom.

Application

As he approached the end of his life, Paul could honestly say that he had fought the fight, finished the race and kept the faith.

My calling his not the same as Paul’s. We are all running our own race.

The key is to be faithful in the stewardship of the life God has called us to,.

There may be times when I feel like I have failed or pulled up short on what I should have done. There may be times when I feel like I have done the best I possibly could to honour God,. And there are the times when my life is so ordinary that God seems to be right out of the picture.

In all of these times I must determine to stay the course and remain faithful to Christ.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me to always seek you. No matter what comes my way, may the name of Christ be praised in my life. Amen.

Reflection on Joel 2:23-32

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Passage: https://www.biblegatesway.com/search?%s=Joel+2.23-32

Scripture

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Observation

The Lord tells Israel to be glad for He will bring the rain they need. There will be showers of abundance, and the grain and wine will overflow.

God will repay what the locusts have taken- the great army of destruction. Then there will be plenty to eat, and they will praise the name of the Lord for the wonders He has worked.

Then, God promises, He will pour out His Spirit on all people. Sons and daughters will prophesy, old men will dream dreams, and young men will see visions. There will be wonders in the heavens above and on the earth below. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Application

We live in the age that Joel prophesied about- the era when the Holy Spirit is poured out on all God’s people. In the Old Testament the Spirit was available only to those whom God had called and anointed- prophets, priests and kings. But in the New Covenant, everyone who calls on the name of Jesus for salvation is filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter calls us a “royal priesthood” so all who are in Christ have the Holy Spirit.

We can all dream dreams, see visions and prophesy. The Spirit of prophecy is in us. Many do not, but I think the blockage is in them, not in God. We need to still our hearts and minds and learn to hear the still small voice of God and to discern the visions and dreams He gives us.

Prayer

I believe your promise Lord. Ever since I asked Jesus into my life your Holy Spirit has been in me. Help me to hear your voice and activate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Reflection on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+3.14-4.5

Scripture

Preach the word of God. Be prepared whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

Observation

Paul encourages Timothy to hold on to what he has been taught. He has been taught the Scriptures from childhood. All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching and correction so that God’s people are equipped for every good work.

We need to proclaim God’s word whether is is favourable or not. A time is coming (I suspect that time has always been with us) when people will not listen to sound teaching, but will look for teachers to tell them what they want to hear, rejecting the truth for myths.

Application

Scripture is the bread of life. As Paul tells Timothy, it is inspired by God.. It teaches us and equips us for every good work.

Too many christians are unfamiliar with the Bible. Very few ever read it right through. Too many fail to spend time in the word each day.

Like someone who only ever eats potato chips, we ignore a full diet and wonder why we lack stamina. The biggest reason that the church is losing ground in many Western countries these days is that many christians neglect the word of God. Instead we settle for the latest fad teaching that sounds good but carries little power.

If you want to do the works of God in this world, you need the word of God.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to establish a time for your word and for prayer in my daily schedule so that I can be equipped for the work you have for me to do. Amen.

Reflection on Jeremiah 31:27-34

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holy-spirit-fire

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31.27-34

Scripture

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.”

Observation

The days will come when the Lord will plant Judah and Israel amongst the children of men. Just as the Lord watched over them to pull down and uproot, He will watch over them to plant and build up.

The Lord will make a new covenant, a very different covenant from the old one. In the new covenant the Lord will write His commandments in their hearts. No one will need to encourage his neighbour to know the Lord because they will know Him.

Application

We are the people of the new covenant. The Lord writes His covenant in our hearts so that we are motivated by the indwelling Holy Spirit rather than by the written law.

The church is the community of people who don’t have to exhort one another to know the Lord.” Again it is the Holy Spirit living in us who stirs up within us a love for the Lord so that we want to know Him and grow in Him.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit. May I always be attentive to the Holy Spirit so that I walk in the ways of the Lord. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 17:11-19

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17.11-19

Scripture
Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Observation
Jesus is travelling to Jerusalem. At one village ten men with leprosy call out to Him.

Jesus sends the ten of them to show themselves to the priests to confirm their healing. Along the way, they discover they are healed. One of them, a Samaritan, goes back to thank Jesus.

Jesus asks where the others are. Only one of the ten, a foreigner, has returned to praise God. He then tells the man to rise for his faith has made him well.

Application
There is no consistent pattern to Jesus’ healing ministry. That is really frustrating for those of us who like to work out principles and procedures. It is as if Jesus deliberately sets out to prevent us from producing four step programs for healing.

In this case, he sends the lepers off to show a priest to receive confirmation of their healing. They are healed along the way. Nine go on their way, presumably to see the priest. One of them praises God and only then is he told his faith has healed him.

God still heals those who earnestly seek Him. His methods may not always be expected, and no sure fire recipe can be written up. When faith, worship and thankfulness come together, heaven comes down and miracles emerge.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, please send your healing grace to me today. Tank you. Amen.