Month: December 2013

A Christmas Devotion #6

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Luke 2:13-14; And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased”.
Several years after the angels had proclaimed this, Peter and John were on their way to the temple and as the past through the Gate called Beautiful they saw a lame beggar asking for alms. We all know the story, that this beggar was healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. When all the people saw this miracle they were amazed, but it is what Peter said that really catches my attention. He said to the people ‘why do you look so intently at us, as if by our own godliness we made him walk, it is by the name of Jesus Christ that this was possible’. It was Peter’s intent to make sure that all the Glory goes to God. This is a good example for us today. We now live in what is quite possibly the most narcissistic and self-glorifying age yet. An epoch of time where the spirit of man is so strong that the words ‘I did that’ or ‘I deserve this’ seem to come from people thinking that is their inalienable right to be number one. Apparently it is so easy to take credit for something that we have been a part of, when really the credit and the glory should go to God and to God alone. It was Isaiah who wrote, ‘I am the Lord, that is my name; I will not give My Glory to another’. Sometimes we can quickly forget just how ‘Awesome’ God truly is and that He is the Maker of all things and one day every knee shall bow before Him. This is the God that we serve, a God of supreme Sovereignty, an all powerful God. Let us not forget this fact.
If God has said He will not share His Glory with another, let us remember that when God does something through us of Eternal significance, that we are merely a willing tool in the Hands of an almighty God. Through our obedience we become that piece of clay that Jeremiah talks about, being molded by our Creator into a shape and a design for His purpose. I say that there is nothing more satisfying in life than to know that you have made yourself pliable in the Hands of our Lord. He is the One who has done the great things in our lives today.
So, be like the angels heralding Glory to God and be like Peter and John and make sure that the people who witness the Power of God through you, see Jesus and not you.
“Glory to God in the highest”.

A Christmas Devotion #5

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Isaiah 9:6,7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of Peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this”.

What an unbelievable portion of scripture this is. There is so much prophecy in this Messianic text that we could delve into but it is the phrase, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of Peace” that we shall fix our gaze upon. If there is anything that the enemy will try to rob us of, it is peace. Unfortunately, at this time of the year many people are losing their peace and getting stressed over things. Whether it is looking for that perfect gift for someone, only to find someone else got the last one or worrying about the financial implications of the season, a lack of inner tranquility seems to raise its ugly head. It is saddening that our peace can be taken from us, in what should be the most peaceful season of all. We sometimes need to take a step back and look at who is the ‘reason for the season’ and who it is that we joyfully serve. It is a Lord whose increase of Peace will never cease in its expansion. Peace ever-increasing! That is something we simply can’t understand. I say, ‘thank the Lord for the fact that we can’t fathom His Peace’. The Word of God tells us that the Lord will give us the Peace that surpasses all understanding. Just take a moment to think about that. If God gave us a peace that we could understand via our own intellect, it would not really be the peace we need. It has to be a peace that surpasses understanding, a peace that we can’t bring under the submission of our own knowledge. This type of peace we can truly rest in, knowing that the Lord’s Peace to us is a gift that is far above anything we can comprehend.

The 1st Century writer Epictetus said this: “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy; he cannot give peace of heart, for which man yearn for more than even outward peace.”

Don’t let your Peace be robbed from you this Christmas season but look to the Ancient of Days who will never cease to increase in Peace.

A Christmas Devotion #4

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Luke 2:10-11; But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord”.
Have you ever felt special? Have you ever had that moment when everything is about you? Where all of the affection in your world seems to be directed towards yourself…..
Well, growing up I felt special every time December 25th rolled around. Waking up Christmas morning in a home full of joy, love and excitement. Trying my hardest to get to the presents as fast as I could only to be prevented by the Christmas routine of looking in every room but the room with the tree in, just in case there had been presents left there. This childlike frustration/anticipation only added to the growing glee with my heart. Whether I was unwrapping all of the He-Man Figures that I had asked Santa for, or as I grew older and saw the love that my family showed, by picking out gifts that they knew I would love, I always felt special. Opening these gifts as a child felt like the best time of my life because I felt so loved. I felt special at the dinner table wearing my tacky paper hat, sitting next to my granddad as we would all partake in the meal and Christmas pudding that my mam had made for us. As a child I felt like that day was just for me. Sure my brother and sister had a great time too, and the day was for them as much as it was for me, but, I felt like it was all done for me. This feeling that I have had over the years on this day (which I am sure many of you share) was an overwhelming sense of joy and personal elation.

Now, as the years pass by these feelings find a new deeper root within the very citadel of my soul when I read passages such as Luke 2:10-11. “Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour”; this blows my mind. The angel from the Lord was very specific when he said “born for you”. It tells us of the very deliberate plan of Christ, that He came to this earth as a Saviour for you and for me. Verses such as these only go to add to the already highly personal plan that God has for our lives. You can imagine how special these shepherds felt when the angel came to say these things to them? As we read on in the text we see something extraordinary happen. A heavenly host, a multitude of angels appeared proclaiming peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Around 1264, Thomas Aquinas penned these words in a hymn; “Panis angelicus, fit panis hominum, Dat panis cœlicus”. (Bread of the Angels, Is made bread for mankind; Gifted bread of Heaven). Truly, in this moment the ‘bread of Angels’ was given to us….. Our true Bread of Life, Christ Jesus.
My prayer this Christmas, is that you will feel like the special chosen person in Christ that you are and that you will have great joy this Christmas season because there has been a Saviour born for YOU!

A Christmas Devotion #3

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Isaiah 42:1; “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My Elect one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations”.

In England we have a chocolate covered variation of Turkish Delight which is one of sweetest and most delicious bars of sugary goodness I have ever tasted. As a child entering into the confectionery shop it would always be the candy bar that would carry a unique ‘aura of specialness’. To the point that if you purchased it over any other candy, you would leave the local shop feeling giddy. And yet, although my young taste buds delighted in consuming my sweet purchase, it was a delight that lacked depth and gone as soon as it had arrived. However, if I could bottle the delight I felt and magnify it several thousand times, I may scratch the surface of the depth of delight that we find here in Isaiah, as he pens words about the coming Messiah.

What a blessing it must have been for the Father to say this about His Son. The part of the verse which stands out to me here is, “My Elect one in whom My soul delights”. This really gives us a picture of how the Father feels about His Beloved Son. Not only does it state that Jesus was the Elect One, the only one that could come to this earth and give Himself as an offering on our behalf to save our lives, but also, that the Father delights in His son. This reminds me of Jesus’ Baptism, where the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a dove and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Notice that this statement from the Father comes before Jesus had started His earthly ministry. This is a proud Father indeed.

For all of us that are found in Christ, this principle applies to us. No matter what we do here on earth, whether it be good acts that we do or in the times that we stumble, it does not change the fact that we have a God that loves us beyond our wildest comprehension. Not only this, but I am convinced that His soul delights in those who are found in Christ, who have been chosen to be the Fragrance of Christ. (That notion is still a mystery to me. Why the Father would choose us to play a part in making Christ ‘smell good’).

God can delight in us due to the obedience of His Son, Jesus Christ, that came in the flesh and dwelt among us. Let us be joyful together this Christmas season that Jesus Christ our Lord has given us this opportunity to delight God’s Soul.