Month: January 2019

Monday Morning: 21 Jan 2019 – John 5:31-47 ~ The Scriptures point to me!

Monday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 5:31-47 (NLT)

Witnesses to Jesus

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

“Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.

“Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
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Morning Reflection:

Information vs Transformation

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life.
But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”
– John 5:39-40

Is it possible for Bible Study to lead us away from a personal relationship with Jesus? Apparently that was true of the religious leaders that Jesus addressed in today’s reading – they diligently studied the Scriptures, but rejected the one to whom the Scriptures pointed.

Or, to put it another way, they were more interested in information than transformation. They would rather study about Jesus, than leave everything and go with Jesus. Why? Because Jesus challenged their status and security, and offered them instead a guided road trip to the cross.

But isn’t that the choice before us today? The eternal life that Jesus offers is received through a life-changing journey with him to the cross, and beyond. Every morning begins a new adventure that requires the humility and vulnerability to say: “I love you, Lord. Where are we going today?”

Questions for consideration:

+ Are you involved in daily reading / study of the Bible? Do you have a plan? How’s it going?
+ Does your reading / study of the Bible result in learning more about Jesus, or becoming more like Jesus? In what way?
+ Does your reading / study of the Bible result in growing humility and vulnerability? In what way?
+ Does your reading / study of the Bible result in loving God more – Father, Son and Spirit? Does it result in loving others more? In what way?

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Speak to me in the reading and study of your Word. Continue the life-changing work that your Spirit has begun within me – my complete makeover into a new creation through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Secure me in your loving-kindness, and fill me with joy-filled anticipation as I awake each day to a new adventure with Jesus – a journey that leads to the cross and beyond, to eternal life. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“Word Of God Speak” – MercyMe

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – 20 Jan 2019 – John 2:1-11 ~ Jesus’ glory revealed

Second Sunday of Epiphany

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

God of wonders, at Cana in Galilee you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ and summoned all humanity to life in him. Show us your transforming power and give us a foretaste of the new wine you keep for the age to come. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” – Mass Choir, India

https://youtu.be/5_ly9sxfjo8?rel=0
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Gospel Reading: John 2:1-11 (NLT)

The Wedding at Cana

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
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Prayers of Intercession:

God of wonders: Reveal the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ, to every tribe and nation. We pray especially  –

+ For believers everywhere who are seeking to follow Christ – unite us in faith, hope and love….
+ For believers facing persecution and dislocation in Africa and the Middle East – shield and protect them, and deliver them from evil….
+ For believers returning to their war-ravaged communities in Africa and the Middle East – sustain them and restore them….
+ For believers everywhere who are sick in body, mind, or spirit – reveal your glory and show them your loving-kindness….
+ For believers everywhere who are preparing to marry – unite them in Christ, and fill them with joy….
+ For believing families everywhere – unite them in Christ, and give them wisdom and sound judgement….

God of wonders: We proclaim to the nations – ‘God is king!’ Reveal your glory in answer to our prayers, we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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“Open up the Heavens” – Vertical Church Band

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Blessing – Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do far more than all that we ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Saturday Morning: 19 Jan 2019 – John 5:16-32 ~ God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

Saturday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 5:16-32 (NLT)

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.
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Morning Reflection:

God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

Yesterday I wondered why some people are physically healed in this life, while others are not? The answer, I suggested, was to be found in the sovereignty of God who is always at work for our good, whether we recognize it or not.

In today’s reading, Jesus expands on what he and the Father are up to –

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” – John 5:24

The Father has assigned to his Son the life-giving power and authority to forgive sins and to raise us from death to life. Jesus is not indifferent to our human suffering. Indeed, he experienced suffering beyond our imagination on the cross. But healing of sickness in this life is temporary at best – we will all eventually die. And Jesus’ larger purpose is to take us across that divide – “from death into life.”

The signs and wonders of Jesus, then and now, do provide welcome relief of human pain and suffering. But their larger purpose is to invite us to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, so that we who are dead in sin, will not face the judgement we deserve, but will be made alive in him, now and forever.

I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. – John 5:30

Questions for consideration:  God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

+ How do you think healing the sick fits into God’s eternal purpose?

+ Can a person be physically healed and yet remain spiritually dead?

+ Why do you think some people fear death and judgement?

+ How do you respond to Jesus’ assertion – “my judgement is just?”

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Lift our eyes off our present troubles and fix our gaze on eternity. Thank you for your saving grace through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive our sins and deliver us from any fear of death and judgement. Have mercy on all those who are sick and suffering and lead them into a saving relationship with you through your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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“This I Believe” (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Friday Morning: 18 Jan 2019 – John 5:1-17 ~ God works 24/7

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 5:1-17 (NLT)

Jesus Heals a Lame Man

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
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Morning Reflection:

Why did Jesus single out this man for healing when there were crowds of sick people all around him? And why are some people healed in this life, and others are not? Those are the questions that came to my mind in today’s reading.

There’s not much to go on regarding the man’s faith, other than he did what Jesus told him to do – picked up his mat and began walking. But repentance and trust appear to be lacking, especially when he deflects the religious leaders criticism and sends them to Jesus.

Today’s reading doesn’t address my questions directly, but the last verse offers a clue –

“My Father is always working, and so am I.” – John 5:17

+ God the Father is always at work – with everyone, everywhere – there are no boundaries on his mercy, loving-kindness and justice.

+ God the Son, works the same way 24/7 – working out the Father’s will in the lives of the specific people he encounters.

The answer to my questions lies in understanding God’s sovereignty –

There are no limits to God’s rule. This is part of what it means to be God. He is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. He is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss. And in Christ, God’s awesome, sovereign providence is the place we feel most reverent, most secure, most free. – Desiring God.org

Stay tuned, tomorrow’s reading will give us more to go on…
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Morning Prayer:

Sovereign God: Today’s reading is another example of how little I understand your ways and your works. Thank you for the assurance that you are always at work, whether I recognize it or not. My hope is in you – your loving-kindness, your mercy, and your justice. When I bring my requests to you, strengthen me in the conviction that you are working out all things for your purpose and for my good. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“This I Believe” (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Thursday Morning: 17 Jan 2019 – John 4:46-54 ~ from beggar to believer

Thursday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 4:46-54 (NLT)

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
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Morning Reflection:

I am a member of a ministry team that receives online requests from people all over the world. Often the requests received are from desperate people and, while I am not personally able to meet their immediate needs, I can and do point them to the same God who takes care of me.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs
from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 4:19

I do this out of compassion for the person, but also with the hope that as their emergency needs are met, God will be glorified and his Spirit will lead them into a life-changing relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Which leads me to our reading today –

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me
unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” – John 4:48

I want my relationship with Jesus to be based on my faith in who He is – God with us, the Savior of the world – the One who came to give me a full, satisfying life now and forever. Not simply, what He can do for me in an emergency. How about you?

Questions for consideration:

+ What kind of relationship do you have with Jesus?
+ When do you pray? What do you pray for?
+ What happens when you don’t get what you asked for?
+ Does your prayer life need an adjustment?
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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Thank you for allowing us to bring our requests to you through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the mercy and help we have received in our times of need. Fill us with a desire for more of you, for a deeper abiding relationship with you – so that we may always stand firm in our faith – when you give, and when you take away. To the glory of your name. Amen.
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“Blessed Be Your Name” – Matt Redman

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen