MONDAY 18 JANUARY
Nehemiah 8:2-10
The marvellous effect of God’s Word
The Jews had returned from exile in Babylon. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, Jerusalem had been rebuilt and its walls mended. To celebrate this restoration, the people were assembled for a big rally. It was like a huge evangelistic crusade. A special platform was erected and Ezra, armed with his Bible – The book of the Law of Moses – took his place where everyone could see him. When the crowd had settled down and all were listening very attentively, he led the people in a time of praise and worship. He did this by lifting up his hands and praising the Lord. All the people responded by lifting up their hands, joining in the praise with loud “amens.” Then they bowed down and worshipped God.
Praise which leads into worship draws us close to God. It is a very important part of our prayers. As it draws us closer to the Lord, it opens up our lives to Him and also enables us to hear Him speaking to us through His word, the Bible. When the people had drawn very close to the Lord in praise and worship, the Bible study began. The leaders, the Levites, read from the book of the law and preached from it, giving real meaning to it, so that everyone could understand. Soon the message from the Lord began to get right through to their hearts. They became full of sorrow for the fact that they had strayed away from the Lord and disobeyed His law, so much so, that tears began to stream from their eyes. When Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites saw them weeping they pulled them up in their tracks. They told them to celebrate with great joy for the Lord had forgiven them. “Have a great party,” they said, “do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Soon all the tears were dried up and everyone had a really good time.
Doesn’t God’s word have a marvellous effect!
PRAYER: Father, we lift up our hands to praise you and we bow down to worship you for you are so marvellous. Speak to us all through your word. Lead us through repentance and sorrow to knowing the joy of forgiveness and that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Amen.
TUESDAY 19 JANUARY
Psalm 19:7-14
God’s Word – more precious than Gold
What would you rather have, all the gold in the world, or the ability to hear God’s word? Only a fool would want the former, for it is the pavement on the road to hell. When we hear God speaking to us it has a tremendous magnetic effect. It draws us so close to Him and brings us right into eternal life.
This Psalm shows us some of the wonderful things God’s word does for us. It revives the soul: that means it causes us to be born again into a wonderful new life that only the Spirit of God can give. It gives wisdom to the simple. It gladdens the heart and fills us with joy. It is so clear it gives light to the eyes so that we can see more clearly. It gives us a reverence for God that makes us so pure that we live forever. It leads us to the truth that rescues us and saves us. It is the foundation of our lives, the rock on which we build.
PRAYER: Father, help us all to hear and speak your word so that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts may be pleasing in your sight, O Lord our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Baptised by the Spirit into one Body
When we are born again into God’s Kingdom by the working of the Holy Spirit, He baptises us into one body. By a great miracle we all become part of the Body of Christ – the Church. Here Paul describes this body and likens it to a normal human body. He points out that just as a body is made up of many parts, which are all different yet all very necessary, and all very dependent on each other, so when we become members of the church we are all different and all have different functions to perform. It’s important that we all perform the functions that God has equipped us to do because we are called to serve each other and we all need each other. We can’t function as an effective Body of Christ unless we all co-operate and work together. Some roles within the body of Christ, especially the leadership roles, seem to be more honourable and attractive. The people fulfilling them seem to be more important. Paul teaches that this is not so. The less honourable parts of a human body are just as vital as any other part. Every person who makes up the body of Christ is just as important as anyone else. Above all it is important that there are no divisions in the body. A divided body just cannot function properly.
PRAYER: Father we rejoice that you honour each of us so much that you baptise us by your Holy Spirit into your body. As members of the Body of Christ, preserve our unity by the mighty power of your love. Help us to find the function you have called us to and help us to fulfil it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THURSDAY 21 JANUARY
1 Corinthians 12:27-30
Different gifts for different functions
When God pours out his Holy Spirit on His Church He gives different gifts to different people just as He wills. There are different kinds of service and different jobs to do and the same Lord gives us all the ability to do what He wants us to do. Some are called to be apostles; those sent with God’s authority to lead the Church. Some are prophets, who are given the gift of being able to hear God speaking to them and to share God’s word with others. Then others are called to be teachers. Some are called to be workers of miracles and are given gifts of faith and healing which enable them to pray for people who God heals. Others are called into special intercessory prayer and some of these are given the gift of being able to speak in tongues, a special prayer language that enables them to have more faith and pray effectively. Some are called to help with administration, etc., etc.
Now is the time to get on our knees and find out what God’s will is for each of us. What jobs does He want us to do? When we feel the call, we need not fear so much if we do not think we are able, because God will give special supernatural gifts to enable us to do exactly what He wants.
PRAYER: Father, we know that you do all things well and have a wonderful plan for our church. Please show us exactly what you want each of us to do and then give us the ability to do it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FRIDAY22 JANUARY
Luke 1:1-4
Certainty of God’s Word
The Bible is very important to all Christians because it contains the truth about God. We believe it is the truth because we believe that God has revealed it to us. Many people have different ideas and different types of spiritual experiences and sometimes we are not sure who is right and who is wrong. The Bible is like a measuring stick by which we can see what is true and authentic and what is false. In this introduction to St Luke’s Gospel, the Gospel writer gives the reason for his writing this book. His friend Theophilus wanted to know more about Jesus and whether all he had heard from various sources were really true. Luke did a lot of research and found just how authentic it all was. He spoke to those who were eye witnesses and those who had been preaching the Word of God handed to them by Jesus and those who had been with Him as apostles and disciples. Having done a thorough investigation, Luke wrote down this account in an orderly fashion to help his friend to “know the certainty of the things he had been taught.”
PRAYER: Father, thank you for your Word given to us in Luke’s Gospel. We praise you for all that it reveals to us, and the certainty of the truth that it gives us. Thank you for the assurance your word brings us, through Jesus your living Word. Amen.
SATURDAY 23 JANUARY
Luke 4:14-21
The Holy Spirit gives Power for Ministry
The Bible says in Luke 4:1 that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit came on Him when He was baptised. The Holy Spirit led Him into the desert to prepare for His ministry. The Holy Spirit helped him to pray and to resist the temptations of Satan.
Today we see how the Holy Spirit really empowered Jesus for His ministry. Although Jesus was fully God and had been conceived in the womb of His mother by the Holy Spirit, He was also fully human. His human side had to rely on the Holy Spirit to give Him power for His ministry.
When Jesus went to the Synagogue (the Jewish Church) on the Sabbath He was asked to read a passage from the Bible and speak about it. He chose the wonderful prophecy from Isaiah 61. He began to read God’s Word, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me,” and ended by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The prophet had foretold, hundreds of years before how Jesus would be anointed by the Holy Spirit for a really fantastic ministry. His ministry was to bring very, very good news to the world, especially to those who are poor. His ministry brought real freedom. He set people free who were enslaved by sin and who were in the clutches of the devil. He healed the sick, and made the blind to see and the deaf to hear.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever. Now He ministers to the world through His body the Church. He is always ready to go on and on pouring out His Holy Spirit on us so that He can carry on His ministry through us. He gives us power to do great things for Him.
On Australia day today let’s pray that we will truly be the great south land of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER: Father, fill your whole Church with your Holy Spirit that we may receive the power to do the same mighty things that you did, that all of Australia may be saved and your mighty name glorified, through Jesus our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
SUNDAY 24 JANUARY
THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE
WE HAVE ALL BEEN CALLED TO SERVE
As we begin a new year in Australia God challenges all of us in the readings for Today. He challenges each of us to take up our cross and follow Him. That means laying aside all the things that we want to do for ourselves and being willing to do all the things that God wants us to do.
When we surrendered our lives to Jesus and became Christians (when we were baptized), we became part of Jesus Body, the Church. As God’s word says to us in our second reading: “We were all baptized by one Spirit into one Body!” That means Jesus relies on us to be His Hands and Feet, His voice and ears and every part of His body.
Jesus had such a wonderful ministry when He was on Earth. He healed and helped so many people. He was a true servant of everyone. When He died and went back to heaven this ministry did not stop it continues through all of us who make up his body.
As Jesus makes us into different parts of His body, He gives us different gifts. Although the gifts some are given may seem more important than others they are all of equal value in God’s sight. Those who keep the church and grounds tidy or serve Tea and Coffee are just as valuable to God as those who preach His word or sing or play in the music group.
Whatever we do to serve in the ministry of the Church, because it Jesus’ Ministry, He gives us the power we need to do all the jobs he asks us to do. As Jesus conducted all His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit so He Makes the Holy Spirit available to us.
He said, “How much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:13). It’s so important that we keep on praying that God will fill us with His Holy Spirit every day so that we may be empowered to serve.
Sometimes we think we are not worthy or not good enough to serve for Jesus. When we gather together to praise and worship God every Sunday He soon makes us worthy.
This happened to the people in Nehemiah’s day. When they were led to praise God and when Ezra preached the Word of God, the people burst into tears because they felt so unworthy. Then they were reminded of God’s forgiveness and that He was very pleased with them. “The joy of the Lord is your strength”, they were told.
As God is calling us to serve let’s all draw close to him and let him purify our hearts and our motives. May He fill each of us with the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be effective servants.
PRAYER: Father God, fill us all with your Holy Spirit and give us all the gifts we need to serve our country and our church well. Through our wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.