After his suffering, he [Jesus] presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
TO PONDER
One of the things I used to love (and still do) about mathematics is how beautifully it can be used to articulate a truth. Some of my favourite memories of my own experience as a student of maths was giving geometric proofs as to why a certain angle was a particular size or demonstrating and providing proofs for why two shapes were congruent or similar or different. It didn't really matter what I was proving, I just liked the certainty of demonstrating a truth with mathematics.
We live in a world that want's proof. It seems that even Jesus had to provide a certain amount of proof concerning his resurrection. Easy enough to do when those who had physically lived and worked with him for three years suddenly saw him in the room among them and were able to physically touch his nail scared hands and feet. What proof do we have today of Jesus resurrection?
One of the greatest proofs we have is our own lives. When our lives look different, when our faith in Jesus causes us to live differently, when it enables us to experience the suffering and uncertainty of this life with hope and purpose rather than meet it with despair and anxiety, then the world encounters the proof of the resurrection alive in us. What a privilege to be part of the proof of the greatest truth in the history of creation!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, just as you presented yourself to your disciples and gave them many proofs of your resurrection, help me to live in a way that my life is also evidence of the reality of your resurrection and salvation. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
TO PONDER
The question of suffering is always a tricky one. Why does God allow it? What purpose can there possibly be in it?
I don't pretend to have the answers to those kinds of questions but one thing that has always brought me comfort in the midst of those questions is this - God understands our suffering.
In Christ Jesus, God took on and experienced the worst of human pain and suffering - he knew what it was to be rejected by his own people. He knew the pain of abuse and violence. He experienced hunger as he fasted in the desert, he felt grief at the death of his friend Lazarus. Whatever reason God might have to allow suffering, he has made sure that we never have to go through it alone. He has promised to be with us and demonstrated his commitment to that promise as he suffered for our sake on the cross.
So no matter what you might be facing, know this - you are not facing it alone. The Lord your God is with you, especially in your suffering.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, just as you won life for me and all those who find their hope and trust in you through the suffering of your son Jesus, make my life and my tough times opportunities for me to bear witness to your goodness and your salvation. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.'
TO PONDER
I love to cook, especially on a BBQ. I'd like to think that I cook a pretty mean BBQ. Those who have been to our house will know that the back patio area is dedicated to a variety of meat cooking and smoking equipment. Whether it is a steak quickly seared on the BBQ hotplate or a brisket, lovingly cooked low and slow in the smoker over 18 hours, the smell of smoke and cooking meat always makes me hungry. But unfortunately, no matter how much I over cater at my BBQ's, no matter how full I get, I always end up hungry again.
While I enjoy cooking, as a parent with three hungry kids it can be easy to spend most of the day thinking about the next meal. It is difficult to imagine the situation described in this text - to never be hungry. While I'm sure that physical hunger is part of the equation that is being addressed here in today's reading, I think we are probably better served by thinking more broadly of our appetites. When God's plan of salvation reaches its ultimate fulfilment, no longer will we suffer from misplaced appetites. No longer will we hunger for things that don't really satisfy.
Yet we can start living in that reality today. When we let Jesus be the central focus and desire of our lives then we begin to realise more acutely that he is all we need. Jesus invites us today to let him guide and direct us to ultimate fulfilment in this life and the next as we learn to love and worship him in all circumstances.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, please help me to learn and understand more deeply that you are all I need. Please fill me with you love so that I might help others also find their fulfilment in you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
TO PONDER:
Let us worship; let us prostrate ourselves which is the highest act of adoration by which the supremacy of God is acknowledged. Let us bow down; let us acknowledge that we stand in the presence of a holy God who alone is worthy of our worship and our lives. Let us kneel, let us come before him with humility acknowledging our unworthiness and adopting the posture of one who is dependent. Don't miss the grace in these verses. We are invited to come into the presence of this Holy God. We are given access to the King, the creator and controller of the universe, the God who promises to Shepherd. lead, protect, care and rescue his people. So come boldly into his presence today.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are our God, and we are your people; totally dependent on you and your grace and mercy. Give us what we need today to live wholly devoted to you. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is shared with you by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
TO PONDER:
In the Kingdom of God, God reigns among people, and he reigns in the hearts of all that believe; his kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It can never fail. It cannot be shaken. What a gift that is, especially when we are confronted with events or circumstances in this world that leave us shaking, or when structures we have erected or put our hope in start crashing down. God invites us to hold fast and build our lives on the foundation of the heavenly kingdom which he has given us; a kingdom which will stand forever. When we live with that certainty, our lives become an act of worship and service that is lived for others, and which is pleasing to him. It's a life that flows from a deep sense of awe and amazement and gratitude for what God has done for us in Jesus; forgiving our sin and purifying our hearts, so that we can boldly enter his presence and live in his Kingdom forever.
PRAYER:
Lord, we belong to a kingdom that is permanent and unchanging; the kingdom of your Son which will never pass away. Help us live boldly in your grace and favour today, that our lives may reflect the confidence and certainty that comes from having received your Kingdom. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is shared with you by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
TO PONDER:
Realizing how easily people forget God, the Psalm reminds us of the many blessings, physical and spiritual, that God has given us. Gratefully, we should praise God for all He has done for us. Who is it who cannot make the spirit of this worship his own? Every one of us has received countless benefits at the hand of the Lord, has been healed of many diseases, has received forgiveness of sins, has experienced the redemption of our life from destruction threatened by many dangers, and has enjoyed countless satisfactions from the good things which the Lord has provided. The word “bless,” as applied to God, means to praise, always implying a strong affection for Him as well as a sense of gratitude. The soul of every person was “made” to praise and bless God; to enjoy His friendship; to delight in His favour; to contemplate His perfections. It can never be employed in a more appropriate or a more elevated act than when engaged in His praise.
PRAYER:
Almighty God, let all this is within me, my heart, my will, my affections and my emotions, praise your holy name this day. Amen..
Today's Daily Verse is written by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
TO PONDER
Let our words be right, and our actions upright. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus — Begin with him, and end with him; invoke his name, and pray for his direction and support. Doing everything in the name of God, and referring everything to his glory, is as rational as it is pious. All our actions are to be accompanied with thanksgiving. We are to engage in every duty, not only in the name of Christ, but with thankfulness for strength and reason; for the privilege of acting so that we may honour him; and with a grateful remembrance of the mercy of God that gave us such a Saviour to be an example and guide.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we come to you, not because you require and command it, but with a deep desire to honour you. Your authority is our warrant, your glory the aim of all our actions and words. Let all we do be in harmony with what you have revealed to us in Jesus Christ that our lives may flow with thanksgiving that brings honour to your name. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is written by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
TO PONDER:
Christians are saints, God’s holy people, who live their lives in union with Jesus Christ. We should offer praise to the triune God. God’s blessings, which we receive because of our union with Christ, are not limited to the things of this world. The blessings lift our lives above everyday things so that now, in the present world, we can enjoy the spiritual blessings of the heavenly world. What is the chief purpose of our lives? The answer is to glorify God; that is why he created us and redeemed us. The praise should be ascribed to him as the result of our salvation. Having heard the word which brings the truth, the good news of our salvation, Christ enables us moment by moment, to praise GOd's glory and reveal his presence to others.
PRAYER:
God, my glorious Father, give me the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit which brings me new revelation, that I may come to know you more and more fully. Open the eyes of my heart and enlighten me, so that I may know the hope your calling has brought to me, and proclaim that hope in my living. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is shared with you by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
TO PONDER
When Christians go through times of trouble, they should not complain or swear, but pray. Christians should realize the power that is available to them through prayer. God will provide healing to all the afflictions we face. It does not matter what the form of the trial is, it is a privilege which all have to go to God in prayer. And it is an inestimable privilege. He never fails us or disappoints us if we trust in him, and his ear is ever open to our cries. That's the beautiful gift we have access to at the throne of grace. One of the designs of affliction is to lead us to the throne of grace; and it is a happy result of trials if we are led by our trials to seek God in prayer. On the other hand, if our mind is free from trouble and is cheerful and present, it is proper to express that in notes of praise. Praise is appropriate to such a state of mind. The heart gives utterance to its emotions in songs of thanksgiving. Christian singing is supposed to be the medium of the light and joyful as well as more serious sentiments. Songs stir the soul and direct our hearts to the God who is worthy of our worship and honour .
PRAYER
When sickness, bereavement, disappointment, loss of health come upon us, to whom shall we go but to you, God? In every pain I bear, I seek relief in you Lord. In every joy that crowns my days, my heart shall find delight in praise, for you alone are worthy. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is written by Francis Leung, our Chinese Ministry Pastor.