Category: Devotionals

0 comments

Biographical Study of the Life of Joseph

TEXT: GENESIS 37 – 50

INTRODUCTION

This study shows how Joseph’s life went from “Riches to Rags to Riches”.  It is also designed to teach how the characters of total forgiveness and unconditional love can be built and developed in one’s life.

Joseph, as a type of Christ, like many other types in the Old Testament, was a “shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the thing” (“not the realities themselves – Hebrews 10:1 NIV).

Joseph was a type of Christ in many ways, but here I want to emphasize it particularly in the way he became a victim of his brothers’ jealousy and cruelty.  The attitude that his brothers had towards him is precisely the way men looked at Jesus.  There emerged in the life of Jesus a conspiracy to set Him at naught.  This happened when Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.  Judas went to the priests of Israel, who took Jesus to Herod, then to Pilot.  The whole thing was a conspiracy.  Similarly, Joseph’s brothers, when they saw him coming said among themselves, “let us slay him” (Genesis 37:20).  He was sold into slavery and later rose to an important position in the Egyptian government.

Joseph was a young man who was born of a father and mother who loved him very much.  In fact, he was his father’s favourite son.

His name means “may God add” and indeed God did add to his life.  There was also something at work in his life that was wonderful and positive, a gift that God gave him.  

More →

0 comments

Worship – Pt 5

WHAT HINDERS OUR WORSHIP

Worship that honours God flows from a life that is open and in tune with Him, but there are times when we allow all kinds of things to obstruct and hinder that.  Some people seem to think that worship happens the moment the minister announces the first hymn or song on a Sunday morning.  An honest appraisal of what constitutes real worship places the responsibility firmly on us as individuals – not on a style of worship or a particular leader.

We therefore must be prepared to examine our hearts before a Holy God and identify those things which would hinder or prevent us bringing a praise offering to the Lord.

Such questions as “Is my attitude wrong?”  “What am I expecting God to do this morning?”  And “What am I prepared to give to Him today?”  All demand honest answers if we are to be clean and open channels for worship to flow.

More →

0 comments

Worship – Pt 4

THE PLACE OF BOTH THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD IN WORSHIP

We need to understand these two (2) dimensions:  What is the place of the Spirit and the Word in worship?  Sometimes I hear people say, “If only we could have longer times of worship without preaching.  But according to the Scripture, preaching is worship. Paul says, “Be filled with the Spirit!  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in hearts to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19).  In this case, the Spirit produces worship, but then we read, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).  Here the Word produces worship.  So New Testament worship is always in Spirit and Truth.

THE SPIRIT IN WORSHIP

The natural result if the Spirit filled life is worship.  When the apostles were baptized in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they spoke in tongues and glorified God. Tongues release our heart to worship and help us to express our deepest feelings to God.

The Greek word translated, ‘worship’ in John 4 is ‘proskuneo’ which means to come towards, to kiss.  This implies great intimacy.  When Paul says, “We … are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3), he used the word, latreuo.  This word has nothing to do with expressing intimacy.  Rather it is about worshipping God in everything that we do.  So we need the help of the Spirit to express intimacy with God in our worship times, and in the way we live with others.

More →

0 comments

Worship – Pt 3

JESUS EXPLAINS WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF ST. JOHN 4: 1-26

THE TRUE NATURE OF WORSHIP (1-10)

In the time of Jesus, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along too well – which is why the Samaritan woman was so astounded when Jesus asked for a drink of water.  When Jesus put His finger on an area of personal need in her life, she realized that He was a prophet and began to engage Him in a religious discussion.  We do not know whether she asked her questions out of curiousity or genuine interest, but we do know that Jesus’ answer tell us what worship is really all about.

WORSHIP IS NOT LIMITED TO A PLACE! (V.20-21)

The woman wanted to know where people should go to worship God.  At that time the Samaritans and Jews both followed the Law of Moses but disagreed about where to worship.  The Samaritans said that true worship should take place on Mount Gerizim near Shechem, whereas the Jews favoured Mount Zion in Jerusalem.  There was a certain amount of logic in both arguments.  God had revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Gerizim but He had spoken a bit later about worship on Mount Zion.  So there was tension between the two nations.

The focus on a place for worship was an old covenant idea.  When Jesus told the woman, ‘It is not important where you worship’, He was pointing to a New Covenant arrangement which superseded the Old.  Sometimes we can get sentimental about places.  Maybe we remember the building where our Church first started, or where God met with us powerfully.  We must be careful not to build a shrine to it.  Rather, we must remember that we can worship God anywhere.

More →

0 comments

Worship – Pt 2

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

We have a problem understanding what worship is.  Why?  Because we English speakers are limited by our vocabulary.  You see, when the Old Testament speaks about people rejoicing before God, we translate this as ‘praise’ or ‘worship’.  We do not realize that in the original Hebrew there are lots of words for worship and that they all have different shades of meaning.

W. Tozer called worship ‘the missing jewel of the church’. Each Hebrew word for worship is like one facet of that jewel and together they bring the sort of colour, sparkle and rich variety that we should see reflected in our personal and corporate times of worship. It may sound uninspiring to go through these words, but I assure us that it is not.  If we know what they mean, see them in their context and meditate on them, we will have a broader understanding of what worship is all about – and that should make us a better worshipper.

True worship springs from deep within the heart and is expressed in our relationship with God and also with others.  It should actually affect everything that we do – in church life and outside it.  We worship God and work out that worship by loving one another.  If we are critical or negative with others, we are not really expressing our worship to God.  So a good definition of worship is: ‘loving God in the presence of His people and loving God’s people in the presence of God.’

More →

0 comments

Worship – Pt 1

INTRODUCTION

As human beings, we were created by God to worship Him and to have fellowship with Him. Worship prepares us for an outpouring of the Spirit in us as individuals, in our churches and in our nations.

Paul recognized a basic need in man – the need to worship.  God gave mankind a capacity for worship but man rebelled and tried to fill that vacuum with anything other than God Himself.  Rather than worship the Living God, man chose not to acknowledge or give thanks to Him – with catastrophic consequences (Romans 1:21-24).

Man was made for a relationship with God and God wants to receive His worship.

Worship becomes more meaningful as we meditate on scriptures and apply what we discover to our lives.

We will never get our work right until we get our worship right. This means that effective service is rooted in a heart that is overflowing with love for the Lord.

Our aim in worship is to please God – nothing more, nothing less.  (To put a smile on God’s face).  To give Him pleasure and joy as He sees His children giving Him His rightful place in their lives.

Worship should cost us something (Hebrews 13:15).  Sacrifice implies giving something that is costly – self-denial, tithes and offering, obedience, and total commitment in our lifestyles.

As we bless the Lord in our worship, so by His Spirit He lifts our hearts and reminds us that we are His children.

The word worship in the English Language is a derivative of an Anglo-Saxon word Wercscipe, which simply means, “to appreciate the worth of”.  It is used to express value that is on an object or a person.  Therefore, when we worship something or someone, we lavish our love, attention and praise in that particular direction, whether it is our wife, our husband, our children, a close friend, or even a car!  So when we talk of worshipping God, we imply that we are appreciating His worth in all that we do in order to communicate our love for Him.

More →

0 comments

Adversity: Count It All Joy

TEXT: James 1

On this topic of “Adversity” we would like to explore why we should count it all joy when we are faced with various trials. It is observed that through adversity we learn who God really is, who we are, and our strengths and weaknesses. We need to understand that there are facts of life to be mindful of when facing adversities (trials); reasons for our trials; our response to trials must be appropriate and at the end a reward is received. 

Facts of life to be mindful of when facing adversities (trial):

  • Realise the reality of trials. Problems are inevitable. “Blessed [happy, to be envied] is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). See also 1 Peter 4.
  • Trials are custom made and come in various types.
  • Our trials have purpose.

Reasons for our trials:

  • Problems purify our lives
  • Problems are test of faith (testing of our faith)
  • Problems (as testing of our faith) bring or produce perseverance. “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

More →

1 comment

Living a Life of Worship unto God in the Holiest

TEXT: Hebrews 10:19-25

As I studied this passage of scripture I was enlightened and encouraged by the truths that came alive to me, thus, I am delighted to share them with you. May you too be enlightened and encouraged, enough to let the Word be manifest in your life.

Firstly, I was reminded of the fact that, since we have access to the Holy of Holies by the power and virtue in the blood of Jesus; we can enter in at any time with full freedom and confidence, knowing that Jesus has initiated, dedicated and opened a fresh (new) and living way for us through the separating curtain, which is the veil of the Holy of Holies, through His flesh by dying on the cross.

More →

0 comments

Talitha Cumi – Daughter Arise from the sleep of Death

TEXT: Mark 5: 22-43

Have you ever experienced a situation that was at the point of death, for which you had hope it will be restored to life but the process of waiting on God seemed too long, therefore death occurred? 

The story is told in Mark 5:22-43 of one of the rulers of the synagogue name Jairus who went to Jesus for help because his daughter at the age of twelve (12) years was at the point of death. There was a sense of urgency as the text states Jairus prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and begged Him earnestly to go and lay His hands on the girl so that she may be healed and live. However, on the journey to Jairus’ home, there were some delays as Jesus had to stop to deal with the issues of others which included the woman with the issue of blood for twelve (12) years. While He was dealing with the woman with the issue of blood persons from Jairus’ home arrived with the news that his daughter had died, therefore, they need not bother Jesus any more. Apparently Jesus stayed too long. I like Jesus’ response to what he overheard. He ignored what they said, turned to Jairus and told him, “Be not afraid, only believe”.

More →

0 comments

When the Odds are Against You

It is said that the cemetery is the richest place on the earth. Why is this so? Because it holds millions of people who died with numerous gifts, talents, potentials, dreams, et cetera that they never used to accomplish their divine purposes and God given assignments in their life time.

When I think of this saying, I can’t help but wonder, what could have prevented those persons from accomplishing their purposes and assignments in life?

The reality of this phenomenon hits home to me when I think about my own father who passed on in June 2009. He was a man of many talents and very intelligent. He was a musician with a dream to build an academy of music for the youths in his community (Steal Pan in particular). He desired to pass on his musical skills to the younger generation but he died without realizing his dream even though he tried. Why? The odds were against him.

More →

1 2