Daily Journal for Wednesday 28th October 2009

A STIFF NECKED PEOPLE

S - You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers. You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him - you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it". Acts 7:51-55

O - The context for this outburst came from an amazing man - Stephen - chosen by the twelve disciples of Jesus to tend to the care of the widows of the followers of Jesus. He was said to be full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen seemed to have an extraordinary close relationship with Jesus, as at one time, after being interrorgated by the Sanhedrin, his face was like that of an angel. He explained to the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, the entire story of the Old Testament in relation to the coming of Moses and the giving of the Law. As you read, you are drawn into this, and hear and see God's plan for redemption. The Pharisees and Sanhedrin would have known this story well, and been pleased with the knowledge of Stephen. The story was predictable and expected. Then, BANG! Stephen, one so full of grace and angelic disposition, levels this tirade at the religious leaders. He is essentially accusing them of murder. They are stiff-necked and refuse to hear truth, as their hearts are hardened. Here there is no sweetening of the truth. As a result, they stone him.

A - How often our own walk with Christ seems to flow in predictability and the known. How very rarely do we step out into a place of danger and risk, and really tell the truth. The truth that people are really going to hell if they don't follow Jesus. That we all have blood on our hands, because of our unregenerated hearts when we refuse to hear the message of the Gospel of Christ. That before we came to Christ, we too, were guilty of murder; murdering through lack of faith and disbelief, the Righteous One.

P - Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be more bold in explaining to people, the whole truth of the message of salvation. That there is grace, but there is also a sobering truth to your message. Help us to become people who are not frightened by men, but to see you, and speak your message, I pray. Amen.

Daily Readings from Acts 6&7

Daily Journal for Tuesday 27th October 2009

POWERFUL PRAYER

S - "Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus" Acts 4:29-30

O - This prayer is remarkable in the context of what was happening. Peter and John had been preaching, teaching and healing in public in Jerusalem. Many thousands had come to give their lives to Christ. They had been brought in to face the Sanhedrin and it was noted, that "they had been with Jesus". They were warned not to preach or teach again. Fearing a reprisal against them, the Sanhedrin released Peter and John. Upon returning to their fellow believers they all praised God and then prayed this prayer. The threats of death did not stop them from speaking. The threats of imprisonment did not stop them from speaking. They prayed for more power to perform God's purposes not their own. And the prayer was bold and full of faith. It was a prayer to create change. They also understood fully the source and purpose of this empowerment.

A - That we would pray with greater faith and expectation and for God's purposes more than our own. That we would pray every day to believe that more and more people would come into the kingdom of light and know Jesus. Perhaps we would see (know we would!) greater miracles.

P - Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us for not having an enlarged faith to believe in the power and the miraculous. Enlarge our faith, I pray and help us to hunger for the things of God rather than for our own needs. Amen.

Daily Reading plan Acts Chapters 4&5

Daily Journaling for Monday 26th October 2009

THE WONDER OF GOD

S - " - we hear them declare the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Acts 2: 11b

O - Tongues of fire had just descended on the followers who were gathered in together in Jerusalem. The day of Pentecost had arrived. The followers were all from Galilee. Yet strangely, as they spoke, they spoke in languages from every country and tribe. The wider crowd of pilgrims who had gathered at Jerusalem heard them and were amazed because they were speaking in their different languages. Such a miracle of God. In fact, the book of Acts chronicles so many miracles performed, this time, not by Jesus, but by his Holy Spirit through his disciples. Even with all the excitement and marvel at the miraculous, it all comes down to one thing, - praising the wonders of God. Raising people from the dead, healing those who are crippled, speaking in strange languages, becoming emboldened through the Holy Spirit; these are all important, but fade into insignificance, in comparison to praise and worship of our amazing God.

A - Many times I think we get distracted, even in church, how the sermon went, what is our strategic plan, how many people attended the services, what needs are there that we have to provide for in the church etc, and we forget the one very important thing. Like Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet, we forget that we are here primarily, to worship and praise our amazing God.

P - Dear Lord of Heaven, Father God, you are a wondrous and amazing God, and we are in awe of you. Thankyou for your majesty and glory and beauty. Amen

Daily Reading from Acts, Chapters 2&3

Daily Journaling for Thursday 22nd October 2009

DON'T YOU SEE ME? DON'T YOU KNOW ME? DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

S - "Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father?" Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?"

O - Jesus was preparing for his death. The death that would bring about redemption for the whole of mankind. He had spent the last three years with Philip. Philip had witnessed the faith, the miracles, the teaching, the healing, the wonder. This was Jesus' time of need. The need to be fully known. And those closest to him were still unable to fully know Him. That He was the complete representation of God, in fact, that He was God, incarnate. All this time, didn't Philip realise who was really with him. Who was eating with him, who was sleeping with him, who was intimate and involved and concerned with every aspect of his life! Even now, at this time, Philip had failed to see the real Jesus, failed to see that He was God, and failed to see his daily presence in his life.

A - How often must Jesus ask these questions of us. Don't you see me? Don't you know me? Don't you know who I am? Even when he is intimately involved and concerned with every aspect of our lives, how often do we acknowledge, or even allow, his presence, which is God himself, to journey with us; to comfort us, to empower us, to perfect us, to challenge us, to.........

P- Dear Jesus, please forgive me for so often causing you to ask these questions of me. I am also like Philip, a child of yours, yet, who so often, lives my life independently from you. Please help me to acknowledge your divinity, you majesty, and your life in my life daily, I pray. Amen.

Daily Readings John Chapters 14

Daily Journaling for Wednesday 21st October 2009

GOD'S GLORY

S - "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28

O - Jesus had just finished telling us that we must die to self (a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies), in order to produce a harvest. This is the expectation of a servant of God. Now he applies this teaching to himself. But here, he is talking literally about his physical death ( and possibly his spiritual death, which was the separation from God). How comforting to know that he too, experienced trouble and consternation when considering what lay ahead. Here Jesus has almost a "mini talking to himself " time., wrestling with his humanity and his divinity. But as expected, chooses to continue to obey and fulfil his purposes. And his purpose was not about his life (the seed dies), but his Father's glory.

A - The path to service and surrender to God is not always easy. There is often a huge cost.
The cost of family, friends, rejection, being misunderstood etc. But if we follow Jesus' example, there is a most wonderful result. The God of glory is glorified! Jesus' name is honoured! And others who shun Christ, might just sit up and listen when they see God in us.

P - Lord help me to take this daily challenge of choosing to die to my needs and my wants, and instead to make your purposes my delight and focus I pray. Amen.

Daily Readings John Chapters 12&13

Daily Journaling for Thursday 15th October 2009

THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK

S - "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life"
John 5:39-40

O - The Pharisees and the scribes were well read and learned men. They knew the Scriptures and the law. The whole of the Old Covenant with the Mosaic Law foreshadowed the New Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ. These men would have understood that the Messiah was yet to come. Earlier in our readings we see how the disciples immediately left their careers, family and life to follow Jesus, the Messiah. Simple fishermen were able to understand who Jesus was. They were not able to read the Scriptures. They heard them through the priests, who diligently studied the Scriptures. Here, Jesus challenges those who had advantage and access to truth but were completely blind to his divinity. Not only blind, but rebellious (you refuse to come to me). In contrast, simple men, who were unable to read the Scriptures for themselves were able to see who Jesus was.

A - So often we have so much in our modern era to know Jesus more deeply. We have the Holy Spirit. We have organised religion. We have Bibles and Scriptures in abundance and in every conceivable translation. We can read. We go on to study further through books, commentary's and other resources. We can even read this blog and others like it. We have so much. Yet, are we like the Pharisees, who at times refuse to "come to Jesus", to surrender completely, to make him Lord as well as Saviour of our lives and to live our lives in obedience to his will. Sometimes I wonder if the abundance knowledge about Jesus, leaves little time for real communion with Jesus. This is something we have to watch.

P - Dear Jesus, help me to always see you in the reading of your word. May it never be, that I read the Scriptures for personal ends other than to know you more deeply I pray. Amen.

Daily Reading John Chapter 5

Daily Journaling for Wednesday 14th October 2009

GOD'S LOVE FOR THE WORLD

S -For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life"

John 3:16

O - We have heard these words so many times. Most Christians can recite them. They have the potential to be the words that just roll off our lips, and yet they are some of the most majestic words ever spoken. In these words, we have the summary of God's character (God is love), who that love is expressed to (the world and all things, including us, in it), the way that love is expressed (by giving us His Son), how that love is accepted (by believing in Jesus), and the outcome of accepting that love ( we will not perish, but have eternal life)

A - If I truly understand all that God is, all that he has done for me, all that I need to do for him, and all that he has for me in the future, I am truly a blessed person, and nothing that I worry about or concern myself about is really of any significance. I am with Jesus now, and will be with him forever. I think of those who don't know God's love, and this makes me more determined to let others know so that they too, will live with this greatest hope and life.

P - Dear God, thankyou so very, very much for loving us to very very deeply. Thankyou for sending your Son so that we can live with you forever. Amen

Daily Reading John Chapters 3&4