Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
TO PONDER
Some of the ‘resisting the devil’ has been done. Most of you won’t remember it, but your Godparents certainly can. It was at your baptism, when your parents and Godparents responded to the questions by the pastor to renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways. And then soon after, the miracle occurs with the promises of God through water and word. Splashed with promise. That can be comforting for us.
If the devil can’t get a foothold, he’ll back off. He isn’t weak and insignificant, but because you are now joined to God, his chances are diminished. This God who claimed you, and who has written your name in the book of heaven, and who watches over you even when you forget, is in control of all things over your life. Sometimes we need to remember to let him!
PRAYER: God who is in charge, thank you for offering us a refuge – a place we can go and be still – a safe place where you will fight off all that life sometimes throws at us. Bless our journey of walking with you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
TO PONDER
When I played cricket, we had a weapon to repel that hard cricket ball coming at us. The weapon was a bat. If you had a good eye, that’s all you needed. The bat stopped the ball getting you out or hitting you. But if you didn’t have a good eye, there was more amour available. I was very thankful then for pads to protect your legs, a thigh-pad, padded gloves, and later in life, a helmet. There were a couple of other protective pieces of equipment that could be used if you were a little wary of the opposition. In the competitive world or sport, this gear protects you from the enemy.
As followers of Jesus, we also have some protection against the enemy. And one of the best items of amour is the Word. The Word of God withstands all bombardment. When the pastors of Lifeway do a pre-baptism visit, we encourage the families to know, and repeat The Lord’s Prayer (or the Our Father) out loud, whenever they are in strife, or can’t sleep, or are tempted.
It's a good reminder that the closer we are to God, the further we are from the devil. It’s an easy piece of amour to have close to you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the amour you provide for us when the going gets tough. Keep reminding us that with that protection, you have our back, you are in control, and you will lead us through the battle. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
TO PONDER
What trap? What’s the psalmist talking about here?
Hidden traps, that will often appear. Trap such as temptation. Now, it’s not a sin to be tempted, but falling to the temptation is where we can get caught.
So we ask God to watch over us in everything we do. To keep an eye out for the things we’ll miss. To remind us that he’s in control anyway, despite us often forgetting or not caring.
And do you recognize the last part of the verse? Where have you heard that? ‘Into your hands I commit my spirit’…
Look at the readings for Good Friday, and the Words Jesus says on the cross. It’s some of his final words on earth, before the great awakening of Easter Sunday morning. It’s some end words before death is defeated forever. It’s the last bit before life begins again.
Our reading today is a plea for God to keep watching over our lives, whilst being reminded that we have a faithful God, and he will turn up – no matter what our circumstances.
PRAYER: Thank you, God, for turning up. Give us a watchful eye to avoid those things which get in the way of walking with you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
TO PONDER
‘If? There are no ifs among believers’, says another translation. Sometimes we have doubts. Sometimes we’re unsure. Sometimes we’re nervous, especially if it’s talking about our faith to others. That can be scary!
And in your Christian walk, in your journey of discipleship, you might also be thinking, ‘I’m not worthy’. I’m not good enough’. Or ‘I should be a better Christian’. You can stop thinking that, because there isn’t such a thing in the vocabulary of our Christian faith. Here are some reassuring facts. You are a Christian. Full stop. That happened at your baptism. You belong to the kingdom revealed in Christs transfiguration. The truth is that the more we concentrate on the saints that we are through Christ, the more we will act like the saints that we are! That’s what a vibrant disciple is. Acting like the saints we already are. So, you’re halfway there. God has already set you free. We who are Gods people are the ones who are free to be vibrant. Only by God’s grace are we set free never to have to justify our existence – we never have to prove to others that we are wonderful. We are declared important, beautiful, saints – by Gods’ forgiveness and reconciliation. Therefore, you and I can go out from wherever we are, and begin to change the world, and not have to worry that we’re not good enough. All things then, are possible.
PRAYER:Thank you for that gift, Lord, that gift of grace we don’t deserve but you give us anyway! What a wonderful present you’ve given us. Help us to share that gift with others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
TO PONDER:
We are a culture that doesn't like to deny ourselves anything. We have immediate access to endless entertainment, shopping on demand, food delivered at any time of the day, communication with others around the world around the clock. Putting it simply, we can get what we want whenever we want. And if you can't afford it...there's a whole lot of buy now, pay later services that are glad to indulge our insatiable desire to get what we want now. That makes it really hard for us to embrace this call of Jesus to every disciple to deny ourselves.
The life of a disciples is a call to leave things behind. When Jesus called James and John, they had to leave their father in the boat, leave their business behind, to follow Jesus. Along the way, Jesus showed them that they were not going to be part of a movement that would successfully overthrow the empires of the world, but their following of him, their daily cross-bearing would lead to one place. Death of self. Denying oneself is not simply denying certain luxuries for ourselves. It is denying ourselves completely. It's leaving behind all self-indulgence to daily take up our cross and follow Jesus. Only Luke adds this word 'daily'. It's a daily surrender of our agenda, our self-indulgence to live so that the mission of God wins. So that the world is transformed. Bonhoeffer says it best. 'When Christ calls a man (person), he bids him come and die.' For it is at the cross, that we discover the greatest love of all, for all. When we witness Jesus' self-denial there, our hearts and our lives are transformed.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, you call me to deny myself and daily take up my cross and follow you. Forgive me when I cling to my agenda, my distorted view of what fullness of life is all about. Transform me in the journey so that your Kingdom comes and your will is done. Amen.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
TO PONDER:
'If I could just fix _____ then everything would change in my life.' How would you fill in the blank? If I just fix my finances, my health, my family, my work situation, my anxiety...then everything would change in my life. What's holding you back? Restricting you? Paralysing you from fully living the life you've been given?
Recently I took in our camper to get some warranty work done after our big trip last year, The company were great to deal with. When I went to pick up the camper, however they told me that they had also fixed a deeper issue that they had discovered on closer inspection; a crack in the frame of one of the swing arms which could have had far more serious implications if not detected and fixed. It made me think about how we often see the issues that need to be fixed, we notice the things that fail, but are sometimes oblivious to the deeper issues that lie behind them, the things that are far more serious.
That's what I love about this incident in Mark 2, four friends have enough courage to overcome the obstacles, dig a hole in the roof and lower a paralytic man, their friend, down before Jesus to heal him. They see his problem as being paralysed. He can't walk. It's something that isolates him from community and prevents him from fully living. They care enough to realise that this man can't fix himself. But Jesus can. So they do whatever it takes to bring him to Jesus. But Jesus sees a deeper issue...that has eternal ramifications. A brokenness in his relationship with God. So Jesus 'fixes' that first for he know that this fix, a restored relationship with the Father, will change everyone else in this man's life. 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'
Maybe the thing you think needs fixing, the thing holding you back, paralysing you is bigger than what you think. Jesus can fix it. Jesus has fixed it. He came to fix the root cause of all problems...a broken relationship with the Father. When that is fixed, it transforms everything, freeing your from all the paralyses, so you have the freedom to live.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you alone have the authority and desire to fix all that paralyses me and stops me living the life you have given me. Daily free me to walk in the freedom of your ways. Give me the courage as a friend, to bring others to you, so you might also restore them. Amen.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
TO PONDER:
While at the Chinese New Year celebration the other night, I had to smile. I watched as two young boys came in with their parents and immediately walked (or crawled in the case of the younger brother) to where the toys were at the back of the Church. The older brother, about 3 years old, started playing on the toy piano, while his younger brother made a straight line for the hot car. He was about to grab it when his older brother reached over, grabbed it so his brother couldn't have it. The younger brother, tried to take it off his sibling but the older brother clung to it tightly, turning his body to shield the car, speaking loudly, "No, mine. It's mine." There was no way he was going to surrender it. Not even when dad tried to intervene to stop the brewing commotion!
It's human nature to cling to what we think is ours. We have been so conditioned to think of, assert and claim what is rightfully ours, that like these two brothers, we end up in a stand off, or even a shouting match as we refuse to budge, to yield, to surrender our rights, our privileges, our status, our possessions, our comfort, our space, for the sake of others.
How different a way, Jesus models for us. Instead of clutching and hanging onto his privileges as God, Jesus was willing to set aside what he could rightly claim as his, to surrender, let go, relinquish and empty himself to become a human being, to think of others, to live for others, to serve others, to raise up others.
What are you willing to surrender today, to serve those around you. Will you give up time? Will you leave the comfort of the circle of friends at work to reach out to a colleague who is struggling to fit in, will you look up from your own little world to see the needs of others around you and make life a little easier for them? Jesus did that for you...so you can in turn, do that for others. That's what it means to have the same mindset as Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, give me the humility and willingness to release, let go and surrender my life to you, so other's may experience and receive your life today. Amen.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
TO PONDER:
'Never ask anyone to do something that you are not prepared to do yourself.' It's a word of wisdom that my dad shared with my as a teenager that I have never forgotten! I often accompanied him as he would go to an elderly couple's place to fix up something they couldn't do themselves. I painted alongside of him on weekends as we prepared the second hand transportable classrooms that would become the first classrooms of our new Lutheran School. I pulled down a tennis court fence on a 40 degree day along with my dad and two others, because the school couldn't afford to pay for a new one around its court. But it wasn't just my dad. I had other role models who showed me the same thing. A willingness to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty to help others, to serve others, to improve the life of others. Through these role models, I witnessed a joy in their giving, a humbleness in their serving, a love that was motivated by the surety of their identity in Jesus. I learnt that serving is not always convenient, that it can sometimes take up a day that you have planned to do something else. I learnt that it can be costly and can also be taken advantage of by others. But I also learnt what it meant to do as I have done for you. I am so thankful for those who shaped and formed me in my walk with Jesus, who taught me to serve, and my prayer is that my willingness to do likewise is shaping the next generation.
What about you? How is your serving an example and inspiration for others? Who can you ask to join you so that together you experience the blessing of serving others with the love of Jesus that you have received? Go with joy, to serve the Lord today.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, you have never asked us to do what you were not prepared to do yourself. Grow in me your heart that I may serve as your have served me. Amen.
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
TO PONDER:
He was clearly frustrated. He had put his money into the vending machine, pressed the button for his chosen snack...and nothing happened. He pressed the buttons again. Still nothing...except this time his money was gone. He got mad. He repeatedly thumped the buttons. He hit the glass. He hit the side. If the station manager hadn't intervened, I'm not sure what his next move would have been. He had put in his coins, he expected to get what he had paid for and instead he got nothing.
Sometimes, I think we have the same approach to prayer as this man did to the vending machine. We offer our coins to God, make the selection and tell him what we want and we expect to push open the door, reach in and retrieve what we asked for. When God doesn't deliver but just takes the coins of our beliefs and trust and we end up with nothing, we feel betrayed by God, even angry at God for withholding what we really want. Perhaps we resolve never to waste the coins of our trust on the vending machine of prayer again.
Have you ever treated prayer like that?
Prayer is not a process. It's not a transaction. It's a relationship. That's what Jesus tells his disciples when they ask him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.' As disciples, we are always learning to pray. 'When you pray", Jesus says, start at the beginning...'Father.' In prayer, always go back to the relationship that exists. A Father who is present now...in the midst of struggle. In the midst of need. In the midst of confusion. In the midst of uncertainty. In the midst of life. A Father who has always been there, will always be there. A Father who will lead and guide us through the moments of life, changing us, transforming us, strengthening us and reminding us of who he is in every moment, high and low, through every season, good and bad.
Prayer reveals what we believe about God...I wonder as you reflect today, what your prayers reveal?
PRAYER:
Lord, I need help so teach me to pray again today and discover who you are to me. Amen.