8. Fri 27th Mar: And this was his message
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:4-8 NIV).
I wonder – how big are your prayers? I guess our prayers are as big as our view of the one who hears those prayers.
Jesus came into the world as a helpless baby and He lived His life in the confines of a human body but through this human body He did more through his words and actions than any other human who has ever lived.
John knew that his cousin was no ordinary cousin, He was after all ‘the Messiah’ and ‘Lord’. In today’s reading we are told that John recognized how great and powerful Jesus was as he says he (John) is unworthy to untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals.
As we read Mark’s gospel we see how Jesus has authority like no one else. Jesus demonstrates His authority over sickness, evil spirits, the weather and even death itself.
John the Baptist could only baptise people with water and yet Jesus had the authority to baptise with the Holy Spirit. When we follow Jesus we follow the one who gives us his Holy Spirit. This means many things but today know that the Holy Spirit is your Comforter. Call on Jesus today to bring you comfort.
What a promise and what a Saviour. Worship Him today!
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Much love
Tim
7. Thurs 26th Mar: The Gratitude Attitude
Dave’s daily Gratitude list of 10 things he is thankful for has stirred each one of us to think of how we may be thankful every morning. It is so easy to slide into the rut of misery, moaning, discontent and dissatisfaction and we then forget to “count our blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
So let’s return to Philippians 4v6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The other day we considered this verse and what it says to us about our anxiety. Today let’s focus on the words “thanksgiving” and “requests”.
As disciples of Jesus we frequently present our requests to God in prayer; and God says we can, and so we can! These are our “prayer lists”. But note that the Bible says we should present these requests to God “with thanksgiving”. We should also have our “Gratitude lists”. So let me ask: Is it the case that over the years, with our struggle in the Christian life and the awareness of so much need in the world, that our “prayer lists” have murdered our “Gratitude lists”? Does our prayer life merely consist of requests for our own needs and the needs of our loved ones? Where is the thanksgiving in our daily prayers? Praying only with requests is like a bee trying to fly with just one wing… round and round he goes in circles. Adding the wing of thanksgiving moves us forward and sets us spiritually buzzing.
Let’s read the verse again: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
How about resetting your prayer life during this time when the habits of your life have changed? I find the acronym ACTS helpful for daily prayer.
Adoration. Praise, worship and adore the Trinity, Father, Son, Spirit.
Confession. Own up to God about your sins and failures.
Thanksgiving. Thank God for all He has done for you and given you.
Supplications. Make requests for the needs you are aware of.
And there is always something to give thanks for even if it is simply using this statement by John Newton: "I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be… but I thank God I am not what I once was, and can say with the great apostle, 'By the grace of God I am what I am."
Thanksgiving immunises us from bitterness and dullness, and injects us with praise and energy and joyfulness
Love from Paul
Further Reading: Tim Keller’s book on “Prayer” page 195,196. https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/prayer-1
Listen to: What a Friend we have in Jesus
6. Wed 25th Mar: Nothing is a surprise to God
Mark 1 says:
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”
3 A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’
(Mark 1.2-3)
On Monday evening we all sat around our TVs and laptops to hear the Prime Minister give a ministerial address to the nation, it was one of those moments that all of us will remember for a very long time. The news was momentous for many people and their lives would look different in the short term and for some, the long term, as people not only have to consider their health but their livelihood.
If you had said at Christmas we would be in this situation none of us would believe it and therefore this whole situation has taken us all by surprise.
However, Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus coming into the world was the most momentous news (Mark 1v1).
In these uncertain times it is really important that we hold on to this momentous news about Christ’s coming but also to know that nothing is a surprise to God. You see, Jesus coming into the world was a surprise to nearly everyone, we know this if we read the Christmas story but it was all part of God’s sovereign plan.
Mark’s gospel bypasses the birth and jumps straight into the time just before Jesus starts his earthly ministry. Mark in the early verses sets up Jesus’ ministry by looking at how John was to prepare the way for Jesus. We know in verse 3 that John was a lone voice in the wilderness and yet he had the confidence to proclaim the coming of the Lord.
One of the main reasons he could proclaim the coming of the Lord, is God had spoken already. God had spoken through a variety of prophets who looked forward to the Messiah. Mark knew his Bible (or his Old Testament) and so he would know the many prophesies that looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. quotes both Malachi and Isaiah in his gospel.
These prophets knew their God and they were used by God to bring hope to the nation that one day one would come who would be the rescuer of the world.
So, this morning as you listen to the news about the world, meditate on the best news about Jesus and know that it was news brought into the world by God the Father and He is in control. He, in His wonderful plan, brought our rescuer into the world and nothing takes Him by surprise.”
Much love, Tim
5. Tues 24th Mar: When all around us is shaken
We need to hear these words from God today: “..since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12v28.29)
In a time when we are shaken and all around us is shaken, these words remind us of what is unshakeable.
We are shaken.
Last night’s announcement by our Prime Minister was expected and necessary, but it has shaken us in our hearts and thinking. Every area of our normal life and existence is touched by the new restrictions. Personal life, Family life, Church life, Social life, National life, Work life… the whole of life has been shaken for us.
And we feel fragile, emotional, tearful, uncertain, troubled. Our minds are like an old fairground Waltzer twirling around in circles whilst at the same time going up and down: it’s hard to think straight.
In one of our group chats, Liz Chang summed up our situation and feeling: “To those who are anxious, grieving, afraid, I want to acknowledge those emotions & fears that are rooted in the uncertain reality that we live in now. Our lives have been abruptly curtailed whether we had joys or ongoing sorrows - our legitimate earthly hopes, dreams, healing, routines & whatever else have been disturbed & disappointed. Many of us have shed floods of tears for all sorts of reasons these past weeks & we've heard the loud cracks of our hearts breaking. You're not alone in that - we stand together in our sadness & shock. Let us only wait, in our brokenness, on the One who has wept with us & for us & shows His compassion to those who fear Him.”
And this is us; shaken and uncertain and troubled
But God is not shaken.
Let’s lift our hearts and thoughts to the unchangeable, unshakeable God to whom we belong; whom we love and worship. The Bible describes Him in all sorts of unshakeable imagery: a rock, a fortress, a strong tower, unchanging and ever-present.
King David brought many of these images together in Psalm 18v2: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Just stop and reflect on every image used by David in that verse. Write it out and blutac it somewhere visible for you throughout today. And remember that this unshakeable God, who is able to keep us every moment of every day, is our God forever and ever.
Seeking to live an unshakeable life
We are men and women of faith; we need to exercise it. A lot. When we use our faith (no matter how small and feeble) and trust in the unshakeable God then three things will happen (as outlined in Hebrews 12v28,29 above):
1/ We will Remember we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. God’s Kingdom is unlike the United Kingdom, or any other Kingdom of this world. We await the return of Jesus Christ who will usher in the final form of God’s Kingdom (heaven on earth) and that Kingdom will never be shaken because its King will not allow anything into it that can ever shake it: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21v4) Remember we are receiving this kingdom and so pray “Lord, your Kingdom come.” We cannot even imagine what it will be like, but let this blessed thought occupy your heart and give you stability today.
2/ We will be thankful. There is a lot around to make us miserable and discontent. Misery and discontent breed ingratitude and make us think wrong thoughts of God and affect us mentally and spiritually in a very negative way. But with God there are always things to be thankful for And God tells us to be a thankful people. In the midst of a list of commands on how to live, the Bible will suddenly say “And be thankful.” (Eph 5v20; Col 3v15; 4v2). Why not use this time to get into the habit of writing a gratitude list? What are you thankful for today? This will give you some stability in these uncertain times. “Gratitude is the pulsating heartbeat of every positive response to the gospel.”
3/ We will worship God acceptably. God made us and saved us so that we can enjoy Him forever. We enjoy Him when we worship Him. In worship we turn our minds away from ourselves and focus on how great, beautiful, majestic and wonderful our God is. We do not need to be in church on a Sunday to worship God. Our hearts are the sanctuary in which He dwells. Remember who He is and give Him praise, adoration and worship throughout your day, throughout these next 3 weeks, throughout eternity. “Worship flows from and is a manifestation of the response of our love to God.”
Please click this link to listen to a song that will help you worship our unshakeable God, be continually thankful, and patiently wait for his unshakeable Kingdom.
Love from Paul
4. Mon 23rd March: ...and now for some good news
At the moment there doesn’t seem to be much good news around.
Last week I was listening to the news and for 55 minutes of the 1 hour programme it was full of the C Virus.
The presenter paused and then said ‘and now for some good news’. The news was about a rugby player from a first class rugby team who had a terrible spinal accident and it didn’t look like he would walk again. However, the medics announced to the world that there had been a miracle, this young man should have never walked again and yet after 11 weeks on his back he had started to walk. This was great news after a depressing 55 minutes of listening to the news.
In the course of these next few weeks during these ‘devotions at 11ish’, I want us to look at Mark’s gospel. Mark doesn’t wait to the end to tell us good news after all the bad news but he begins his book with these words -
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,
Mark 1 v1.
The word ‘good news’ here isn’t a passing good news that makes us feel a little better but it is momentous news.
The momentous news is Jesus , the Son of God, has come to earth, that “the kingdom of God is at hand,” and that all should “repent and believe in the gospel”.
As believers this morning let’s make the Gospel (the Good News) our first thought that affects how we view the bad news.
Remember when we know the Good News it changes everything because it doesn’t just affect the end of our story but it puts light on all parts of our story. So today when you hear the distressing news today - remember
• who Jesus is (he’s King and ruling),
• why He came into the world (to save us) so
• Live for Him (through repentance and faith)
The Gospel, my friends, changes our life not because we might feel it or because the circumstances do or don’t fit but because Jesus is King!
Much love
Tim