reflection

Reflection on Luke 7:11-17

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+7.11-17

Scripture

Fear seized all of them, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favourably on his people!”

Observation

Jesus and His disciples go to Nain. As they approach the town, they encounter a funeral procession of a man who was the only son of a widow.

Jesus has compassion on her. He commands the young man to rise. The man sits up and begins to talk.

Everyone is moved by fear and they exclaim praise to God.

Application

The Lord has compassion on us, a far deeper compassion than we comprehend.

We may think that God is distant and too great to be moved by our suffering. This is not true! He feels for us.

God is not wanting anyone to suffer, This was not His plan for the world. Death, sickness, violence and poverty are the result of sin in the world and they deeply grieve the Lord.

God reaches out to us in our pain. If we hand it all over to Him, we will see Him act even in the midst of our hurt.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your compassion. Thank you that you are with me always even when I am not aware of it. Amen.

 

Reflection on 1 Kings 17:1-24

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Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+17.1-24

Scripture
“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Observation
Elijah says to King Ahab that there will be no rain or dew in the land except by his (Elijah’s) word. The Lord then tells Elijah to go to the Cherith Wadi where the ravens will feed him. So Elijah goes there, and the Lord provides for him, but the wadi eventually dries up.

The Lord sends Elijah to Zarephath, where he finds a widow gathering sticks to cook a last meal for her son and her self. Elijah declares to her that her jar of meal and jug of oil will not run out until the drought is over.

The son later becomes ill and dies. Elijah stretches himself over the child and calls out to the Lord, and the son revives.

Application
God cares for His people. When we trust Him with our possessions, no matter how meagre, and our family and life, we can know that He will provide what we need,

It’s not always in a way that we imagine or are comfortable with. Who wants to be feed by ravens?

The Lord feeds our bodies and our spirits. The word of God is the bread of life. Without regular reading and meditation on God’s word our spirits will shrivel to nothing.

We live in a land that is the reverse of Elijah’s situation- we have plenty of material resources, but there is a famine for hearing God’s word.

Prayer
Lord help me to be attentive to your word in every situation of my life. Grant me understanding and wisdom as I study the Scriptures. Amen.

Reflection on John 16:12-15

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Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16:12-15

Scripture

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

Observation

This is a part of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples at the Last Supper.

Jesus tells them that He has many more things still to say to them. The Spirit of truth is coming and He will lead them into all the truth.

The Spirit does not speak from His own authority but only what He hears. He will glorify Jesus by taking all that is His and passing it onto the disciples.

All that the Father has belongs also to Jesus. The Spirit will take all of this and declare it to the disciples.

Application

The Trinity- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- is a mystery to us. Three persons in one God. Not one God totally homogenised. Not three gods living separately. Rather, a community of love expressed in three distinctive forms.

Every follower of Jesus has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The Spirit is the Spirit of truth who will not allow us to be deceived. The Spirit takes all the truth about the nature and personality of the Father and the Son and leads us to a place where we “understand” the mysteries of God.

We never have to fear being alone because He is always with us. And, to the extent that we surrender our will to the Holy Spirit, He will lead us always in the ways of truth.

Prayer

Blessed God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- you are a mystery too deep for human understanding. Thank you for the grace of knowing you. Take me deeper into your ways. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 5:1-5

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Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5.1-5

Scripture
Therefore, since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Observation
We have been justified by faith and that brings with it peace with God. Jesus has given us access to this grace.

We can boast in our hope of glory, but Paul tells us also to boast in our sufferings. Suffering produces endurance, character and hope. Our hope is in God’s love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Application
When we come to God we come with nothing. God is not interested in our money, talents and achievements, not even those we direct towards Him.

The only human trait that can influence God is our faith- our ability to trust that He loves us and wants to be in relationship with us.

With faith in the blood of Christ we can know peace with God the Father. Through Christ’s blood all my sins are washed away and all the power of satan is blown away like chaff.

Faith is a little thing- tinier than a seed. But when directed to God it moves the mountain of sin that separates us from Him. Instead of being at war with Him, we experience His peace, grace and love.

Prayer
Lord, I thank you for your love for me. Thank you for the blood of Christ that washes me clean from all sin. Amen.

Reflection on John 14:8-17

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holy-spirit-fire

Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14.8-17

Scripture

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth.”

Observation

Philip says to Jesus, “Show us the Father.” Jesus replies, “”Whoever sees me sees the Father. The Father and I are one.”

Jesus then goes on to say that whoever believes in Him will also do the works that He does, and even greater things. Anything we ask for in His name, He will do it.

Jesus is going to send another Advocate, the Holy Spirit. The world cannot receive Him, but the disciples can. He abides with them and will be in them.

Application

Jesus promises to give them the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Advocate.

This promise is to all who follow Jesus. The miracle of Pentecost is that the Spirit is poured out on “all flesh,” to all who call on the name of the Lord.

One of the limitations in the contemporary church (actually all through history) is the ongoing desire for a priestly class. Even in Pentecostal or charismatic churches there is a veneration of the “Man of God” who alone has the anointing.

The Bible is clear that God calls and equips certain people to lead the church. But the Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers. All followers of Jesus must engage in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Holy Spirit come and fill me. Give me faith today to do the “greater things” that Jesus promised I would. Amen.

Reflection on Romans 8:12-17

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holy-spirit-fire

Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8.12-15

Scripture

All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Observation

We are debtors, not to the flesh, but to God’s Spirit. If we live by the works of our flesh (our unredeemed natural self) then we will die. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to put to death the sinful ways we will live.

Everyone who is led by the Spirit is a child of God. When we first believed we received the spirit of adoption that calls out “Abba Father.”

The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and therefore heirs with Christ.

Application

One of the great works of the Holy Spirit is to teach us that we are sons and daughters of God. We don’t have to prove how good we are to Him because He has adopted us into His family. He already loves us.

Many people have an orphan heart. That is, they have been badly hurt by the lack of a father in their life or by abuse by their father. This makes it hard for them to receive the love of the heavenly Father.

The Holy Spirit is given us to reveal to us how much we are loved by the Father.

Prayer

Father I thank you for your never-failing love. Help me to receive your love and to walk in it every day. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 2:1-21

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holy-spirit-fire

Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2.1-21

Scripture

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability.

Observation

On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples are together in the one place when the Holy Spirit comes with a noise like a violent wind and the sight of flames like tongues. The Holy Spirit fills all of them and they begin to speak in tongues.

At the commotion, people from around rush to see what is happening. They are amazed to hear these uneducated Galileans praising God in various languages. They are amazed, but some of them sneer saying, “They are drunk.”

Peter stands up and preaches, showing how this is the promise of the Spirit prophesied by Joel.

Application

The Holy Spirit is power- the mighty rushing wind that disrupts our comfortable existence.

The Holy Spirit is fire- burning away the sin and vain lifestyles of sinful people.

The Holy Spirit is language- prayer language bringing us into the throne room of the Father.

The Holy Spirit is confidence to preach with conviction and power to bring people to salvation.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit. Come and fill me so that every action, every word, every minute speaks of the glory of Jesus. Amen.

Reflection on John 17:20-26

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Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17.20-26

Scripture

“The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Observation

Jesus prays for His disciples- those He already has and those yet to come.

He asks that they will have the same kind of unity with Himself and the Father that He and the Father have with one another so that they will be one with one another.

The world does not know the Father, but the disciples do. As they understand the Father they will grow in love and in Him.

Application

Everything comes down to our oneness with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are one and they invite us to one in Him.

As we go deeper into relationship with the Three-in-One God, we will discover a deeper love for those who also seek a deeper walk in Him. Love for God transfers into love for God’s people.

Unity in God is not about agreement on doctrine of worship styles. It’s not aobut a structural unity. No, this is about love for one another, a genuine affection based onj mutual love for the Lord.

Prayer

To grow in love, Lord, I need to go deeper with you. May I become one with you, so that your love and holiness grow in me and flow out into the world through me. Amen.

Reflection on Revelation 22:12-21

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Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+22:12-21

Scripture

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come”

And let everyone who hears say, “Come”

And let everyone who is thirsty come

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

Observation

Jesus is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, and He is coming.

Those who wash their robes can freely enter the city and access the tree of life. Those who love sin remain outside.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come Lord Jesus”, and everyone who is thirsty may come to Him.

Application

The Bible ends with two invitations to come. First there is the request, the passionate call for Jesus to come and take full possession of the earth. Paul tells us all things must be put under Him.

Perhaps surprisingly there is also the invitation for everyone who is thirsty to come and drink. Right at the end of the Bible, at the conclusion of the end of the created order, there is sill an invitation to come. The New Jerusalem is a place of welcome and fulfilment for all who thirst for Jesus.

The work of the gospel never stops. The Lord is not willing for any to perish. The invitation to “come” must keep going forth.

If you are thirsty for the Lord, for justice, for righteousness, for forgiveness, for LIFE- then come and drink the living water.

Prayer

Lord I look forward to your return. Come Lord Jesus. But I look forward also to seeing your glory being shown in more and more people turning to you. May they say “Yes” to your invitation to come. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 16:16-34

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paul-silas

Read passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+16.16-34

Scripture

They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Observation

A demonised slave girl follows Paul and his team, calling out a testimony that Paul has a message of salvation. Paul grows tired of this and commands the demon to come out of her.

With the spirit of divination gone, the slave now has lost her earning potential. Her owners have Paul and Silas dragged before the magistrates, who have them flogged and thrown into prison.

About midnight, Paul and Silas are praising God. Suddenly there is an earthquake and the prison doors are opened. Expecting the prisoners to have escaped, the gaoler is about to kill himself, but Paul tells him that they are all still in there. Paul then tells him the gospel, and his entire family is baptised.

Application

When the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed, people are forced to react one way or another. Those who are in bondage to the things of the world will react with violence, but those who are looking for salvation will eagerly receive the gospel.

It is no good preaching the Good News without prayer and without the presence of the Holy Spirit. The message is just heard as a jumble of words unless the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of the listeners. Then their whole world is shaken and put right.

Prayer

Lord let me be a Paul, led by your Spirit, directed in all my paths and testifying powerfully to your salvation. Amen