Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
TO PONDER
Our verse today starts with a ‘therefore, since we have these promises’. What promises? Chapter 6 reminds God’s people (which includes us today) that He is their God, and they are His people, they are set apart and made holy. This means there are ways God calls them to live (or not live). This is the same for us today. So, is holiness something we can attain for ourselves? No! It is Jesus who purifies us and cleanses us from our unholiness. We can however, avoid situations that are not good for us. God wants what is best for us! Also, by living a life set apart we point those around us to Jesus and the difference He makes in our lives. So today, live a life set apart, as God’s holy child, because that is exactly that God has made you to be!
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for the purifying work you do in my life everyday. Remind me as a walk through my life today that I am your child, set apart and holy because of your work in my life. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Monday Night LifeGroup, LifeWay Newcastle
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
TO PONDER
Do you have a special item of clothing you like to wear? Perhaps a fancy dress or a special tie or a precious piece of jewelry. We can wear these things for ourselves, but those around us also see them. Our outward appearance says something about us to the people we come into contact with. This is true in our walk with Jesus also. We are called to be holy, set apart for a purpose. This purpose is actually not for ourselves, but rather that others will see the Lord. We are living in partnership with Christ and by allowing Him to work through us, we are able to point others to Him. What a wonderful privilege it is! Let’s put on the holiness of Christ each day, live in peace with those around us, and allow them to see the work of Jesus in our lives, which can be theirs too.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you that you call me to partner with you in your work here on earth. Help me to live in peace and allow the people I come in contact with to see the difference you make in my life, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Monday Night LifeGroup, LifeWay Newcastle
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
TO PONDER
Have you ever played ‘Follow the Leader’? The concept is fairly simple, one person is the leader and moves around the space, making funny movements with their body. Those who are following behind need to watch and perform the same movements as best they can. Jeremy, a children’s ski instructor, experienced an unintended consequence of this game. While leading a group of small ski students, who had been instructed to copy everything he did, in order to improve their skiing skills, he needed to adjust his goggles. As he reached up to his face to do this, his ski poles stuck out horizontally, up near his face. At this point he turned around and saw the long line of children sticking their poles out from beside their faces. They had followed the leader, despite not really knowing what or why they were doing it. They were obedient to their leader, the one guiding them. Sometimes obedience can feel like this for us too. We follow a holy Jesus, who calls us to be holy too. Sometimes we don’t fully understand the ‘why’ of what Jesus calls us to, but obedience doesn’t require us to fully understand, simply to follow. Our default of sin will always draw us to evil desires, however we don’t walk this path alone, we have a leader who guides us and shows us a better way. Our leader knows everything, and his Way is always perfect, so even if we don’t completely understand, we can trust Him. So, turn to Jesus, follow and listen to Him in obedience.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you that you are holy and you call us to follow you. We acknowledge that fail to live lives that follow your holy way. Help us to follow you closely and accept your forgiveness when we turn to our own desires. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Monday Night LifeGroup, LifeWay Newcastle.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.
TO PONDER:
Life can be difficult in the sea of life. The waves can be high, the sea rough, the boat of our lives battered and the sails torn. At times it can feel like we are the mercy of the prevailing wind, unable to navigate through, drifting along dangerously towards the rocks. Are you struggling to hang on right now? Are you white knuckled from holding on so tightly in fear? Do you feel like your marriage, your relationship, your family, your career, your finances, whatever you have put your hope in, held on to for security is in danger of capsizing, or disintegrating on the rocks?
Don't give up. We have hope anchored souls in Jesus. When storms hit and life is drifting. When we are struggling to pilot our lives in any meaningful direction, our life is still secure You don't see the anchor. But it's there, deep down in the water. It's there holding us secure. Jesus, through his life, death and ascension is the anchor of our salvation. What he has done for us, will hold firm amidst all the storms and fury of life. It is secure despite all the discouragement and fears that rise up and batter our lives. The hope which Jesus gives anchors our souls for eternity and gives us certainty that we will survive the storm, however bad it seems. Don't give up. Hang on. The anchor of Christ will hold. That's a certainty.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, you are the strength of my heart, the anchor of my soul. When I am overwhelmed by the storms of life, remind me that I anchored to you for eternity and you will never let me go. Amen.
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
TO PONDER:
"Get your hand off it". "Stop it, or you'll cop it!" These are just two of the campaigns the NSW Government have rolled out in recent years to target distracted drivers. A driver who looks at their phone for 2 seconds while travelling at 100 km/h will travel over 55 metres blind leading to serious consequences for the person themselves or for others. It's all about focus. Keeping your eyes on the road. Keeping your eyes on where you are heading. That's the same message the wisdom writer is encouraging us to pursue. Be focussed in your living. Keep focus on the right things.
As Christians, it is easy to be distracted by things in the world. We spend our energy being jealous about what others have and pursue things that the world tells us we are supposed to have - money, a house, stuff, the latest gadget or fashion accessory - you know exactly what it is for you. That desire of the heart is real. The danger of losing focus is also real. But that momentary lapse of concentration can cause a lot of hurt to those around us, to ourselves, to our relationships, to those we love. Sometimes it can also be fatal. That's why the writer says make sure you stay focussed. Focus on the Lord. Focus on what is truly and eternally important. Focus on road that God has called us to travel down, focus on Jesus and you will arrive home safely...no matter how long the journey takes.
PRAYER:
Lord God, keep me focussed on living and loving your way today whatever distractions the day throws at me. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
TO PONDER:
Do you consider yourself to be rich? Maybe this little exercise in part can help you reflect on that question.
- Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds.
- Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or top. Leave only one pair of shoes.
- Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish of dried beans.
- Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring in your house.
- Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed.
- Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines.. This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway.
- Lop off twenty-five or more years in life expectancy.
That puts things in a different light doesn't it. Command those who are rich. Paul is talking to us. The food we eat, the house we live in, the bed we curl up in, the medical care available to us are all gifts from a God who is blessing us. What are we trusting in to give us hope, to be the measure against whether life is good and we are blessed? Living with certainty, living the resurrection life, is living with a humility that recognises the giver of these gifts and so lives generously and expansively for others, because we know the greatest treasure we have received is a restored relationship with the God of all blessing.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the everyday blessings I enjoy. Help me not to put my faith in what I have, but in you the giver of all good things who has given me life forever. Amen.
“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
TO PONDER:
'The church is not a building. It is people.' That's what the writer of the book of Hebrews is telling us unmistakably. The church is the people of God whose lives live the certainty of the resurrection, who are on the move with Jesus, the faithful Son, who dwells in their midst. In recent months, I have read quite a number of articles/posts that talk about the closures of God's house, aka Church buildings. But the house of God never closes, because it is the people of God! The resurrection of Jesus means that our bodies are now the place that God owns! As the writer tells us, unlike a servant (Moses) who prepares the room for what is to come, the Son, is alive and present now and is free to use the house for whatever he desires!
What would it mean for you to approach today with the mindset, that Jesus is living in you and he has free reign to do what he likes in his house; free to use every part of you, your hands, your feet, your voice, your mind, your heart to display his glory? What if we began today saying, Jesus make yourself at home...this is your place? Would love to hear from you what a difference that makes to let your life be an open house for Jesus! One thing is for certain, he will use every part you give him access to!
PRAYER:
Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to you. Take over my hands, my feet, my intellect, my will, my life and use them as you choose today, risen Lord Jesus. Amen.
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
TO PONDER
Most of us are familiar with famous last words like Martin Luther - "We are beggars. This is True.' But what about famous first words? Think of the novel, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' They are significant words which set in motion a tale about resurrection,
But there are some even greater first words here to open up the Gospel of Luke; words that tell the story of Jesus, whose life, death and resurrection will revolutionise the world usher in a new dawn that continues to change lives today. Luke is a doctor, a historian and a great story teller, who investigates everything from the beginning and speaks with eye witnesses who were there, to tell us the who, what, when, why, where and how of the cross and the resurrection so that we may have certainty in our foundations and in our salvation. If we don't know the story, we can't know Jesus the one who transforms everything, past, future and today! So grab a coffee or tea, make yourself comfortable and open up the Gospel of Luke. Let him take you on a journey that will not only blow you away but give you certainty in everything you do and encounter!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, give me ears to hear and eyes to see my place in your great story, that I may live everyday with certainty in you and celebrate your power to resurrect to life all that seems lost. Amen.
For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
TO PONDER:
It was a lesson learned early on while training to be a Pastor. I was serving on vicarage, and had one of those call outs on Saturday night to the hospital where I spent four or so hours with the family of a young person who was dying, By the time I got home, it was 4am and just a few hours later I was in the pulpit sharing God's Word. I was exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open and my mind was functioning properly. So much so, that by the time I got to the announcements at the end of the service, I think I said something like 'Join us for a wup of cloflee in the hall. In trying to correct myself, I made it even worse. Yet on the way over to a hall, a dear old lady pulled me aside and said, "Thank you so much for what you said this morning. it was just what I needed to hear because this week....'
In any given situation, God will give us the words to speak...on a phone call...in an email...in a conversation. It's not about you and I thinking that we are giving the right or wrong words, God will use our voice to speak his truth to the hearts and lives of those he has prepared for the message. Be confident of this...be certain that God is using you and sending you! Be certain that God is speaking through you! The resurrection says it's true.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus. help me live with the certainty that every situation you push me out into today, you will also give me the words to say. Amen.