Power and Authority

Scripture

Mark 12:12

The demons begged Jesus, “send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them”. He gave them permission, and the evil spirit came out and went into the pigs.

Observation

The demons recognized Jesus from a distance. They knew who he was and the power and authority he had. The demons were great in number; when asked they relied “My name is Legion,” for we are many. These many demons then began to beg Jesus not to send them out far, not to condemn them eternally. Jesus has all power and all authority the demons had to obey, they didn’t have a choice and so they were begging to stay on this earth and not be sent else where. Once Jesus told them where they could go they went- they needed His permission. The words that he spoke, not anything else, just the words had the power.

Application

Jesus was born human; he was a man living on this earth, with the Holy Spirit living in him. We are humans living on this earth with the Holy Spirit living in us. Do l exercise the power and authority l have through what Jesus has done – through his blood, his death and his resurrection. Or do l allow things to overwhelm me? Being anxious over things that may or may not happen? Do l allow frustration to drive me? Or do l listen and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit? It is he that gives me the words to say and through Jesus l already have the power and authority to overcome what ever life throws at me. The demons know that we have that power and authority and they also know that we tend not to use it as we should. To use it as much as we can and should. We have it, lets us it. All we need is speak and we do a lot of that when we shouldn’t. We can and should be speaking words that bring life and words that help change eternity, with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your word. That is shows us things we need to be reminded of things we need to be doing and even how to do them. Lord help me to obey you and use the power and authority you have given me to use. May l use it to further your kingdom and give you all glory and honour. In Jesus name Amen.

Candice Pleiter

God’s Invitation

 

Scripture:

Psalm 27:8  “My Heart has heard you say “Come and talk with me, O my people”  and my heart responds, ‘Lord I am coming”.

 

Observation:

David is assured by God that He is David’s help and saviour in times of trouble.  He is even beckoned by God to come and chat – “Let’s talk”, “Tell me your thoughts”, “Let’s spend time together”, “Stop what you are doing, set aside some time and sit”.

 

This was an invitation that couldn’t be refused, after all it is God almighty, all powerful creator of heaven and earth saying – “Let’s have a chat”.  David of course replies that he is coming.  What a wonderful thought, spending time with God at His invitation.

 

Application:

I have also been invited to come and spend time with God.  I know he is omnipresent so he can chat to me and I to him at the same time as anyone else in this world (How does He do that?).  I do enjoy a chat and as I know, God never sleeps.  I can talk to Him both day and night.  Sometimes it’s just to let Him know that I am trusting in Him.  Other times I question.  But if God has invited me to chat with Him, he obviously wants to listen. I know I must do it more often.   I need to set aside more time to get to know Him more. He’s asking me.

 

Prayer

Lord, I do love our chats.  Thank you for your invitation to spend time with me.  Forgive me Lord for not coming sooner when I am feeling down.  It’s when I need you most and when you comfort me most.  I am foolish to think that I don’t need you or perhaps you are too busy with more important issues in this world.  I accept your invitation as a personal open invite – a ‘24/7 thing’ -  between you and me.

 

I am going to come and chat more often.

 

 

Terry B

 

 

 

 

Is He or isn't He?

Scripture

Psalm 23:3 “…He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to His name”.

 

Observation

As the Lord shepherds us he chooses paths of righteousness to us on. As we obediently follow, a blessing is bestowed because of the atmosphere of the trail and in turn the obedience of our following radiates praise towards the Father. This is obviously a conditional statement based on whether the Lord is granted our permission to lead us as the Shepherd of our lives in turn allowing Him to lead and guide us along the paths He chooses as the right ones. If He is a conditional or part time Shepherd then we could choose whether we want to walk on the path He calls the “right path” or plot our own course. He has then ceased to be our shepherd – we become our own wise guide, choosing our own pathway therefore bringing dishonour to His name. David recognises that the blessings he has received come as a direct result of acquiescing to the guidance of the Master Shepherd and allowing Him to choose the pathway his life is to tread.

 

Application

Is the Lord my fulltime Shepherd or is he my part time Shepherd? Is He only there to lead me out of trouble after I have made poor travel plans or have I laid down my desire to make all of the decisions and allowed Him to guide me along the right paths? The Master Shepherd isn’t like my electronic map (Tom Tom) that looks for alternative routes when I go against its travel advice. “Go back” from where you deviated from the path is the Master Shepherds call – come back to the right path – not an alternative route – there you will find Me ready to continue the journey.

 

Prayer

The Lord is my Shepherd. To His call I obediently follow bringing honour to His name as I do. Forgive me Lord when I make poor route decisions and decide to take shortcuts, help me to patiently and obediently follow your guidance through the streets of righteousness.

 

Jim Jung

'Know the Truth"

 

 TITLE:  “KNOW THE TRUTH”

 

SCRIPTURE:  Acts 25:5

“Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”

 

OBSERVATION:  Paul’s circumstances of false arrest exposes distinct differences between the 2 factions accusing him. He had taught the truth of who Christ actually was, carefully applying scripture to his words of declaration. Pharisees were zealous for the Law and stressed meticulous formal correctiveness. Jesus had denounced them in the Temple, so their opposition to Him was inevitable. The godless Saduccees were politically based, opposing the authority of the legitimate high priest. They sought the comfort of the Greek life style and were persuasive to the Roman oversight.  Paul’s defence was God- inspired and spoken in truth. Advancing Christianity was an embarrassment to their self- justification, hence the plan to remove Paul permanently with false accusation.

 

APPLICATION:  As a believer, I must first declare Jesus Christ as my High Priest and all Truth is contained in the Word of God, the Bible. Jesus is my advocate and is my judge. He charges me to read and understand the living Word and understand truth so that I am not controlled and manipulated by legislated Law which prevents me from operating in His purposes. The lifestyle that I choose to live reflects His influence in me by the level of wisdom that He alone gives me.

 

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for today’s revelation and confirmation that you are the source of everything for my life.  I aspire to be a witness for You and not be swayed in my lifestyle by others. Each day, I ask for your wisdom to inspire others. Amen.

SOAP 15/2/08

 
 
FEBRUARY 15TH 2008
 
'Light my path Lord'
 
SCRIPTURE:  PSALM 25:4-5
 
Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.
 
OBSERVATION:
 
Cultivating our relationship with God requires the discipline of waiting upon Him. To sit with him. To dwell in his Word. To know His presence and His promptings which quietens our business and focuses our minds on His ways as we allow Him to reveal any subtle attitudes or forgotten sins that would dull our sensitivity to His Spirit. David knew that God's truth would sustain him, that was the steadfastness that even David had to rely upon.
 
APPLICATION:
 
How often I cry out to the lord for direction, to show me the right path where I should walk, the right road for me to follow. In the business of daily life, so often I follow routines, agendas and answer to the calls of others rather than saying, 'Lord, what do YOU want me to do today?' I also know how different my day is when I DO spend time with Him first and ask Him to show me His divine appointments for the day or to show me things, problems, or people's situations through His eyes. If I do this in my strength, my attitudes and soloutions can become frayed. How different a day can be if I stop and pray and wait on the Lord to direct my path. How my spirit needs to be quietened before Him so that I can hear the truth of His Word as He not only guides but corrects my ways.
 
PRAYER:
 
Dear Abba Father, teach me your ways and don't let me stray from your path. Please keep me intertwined and grafted in to your presence all day, every day, that I hear your voice clearly and I rejoice and praise you Lord.
 
 
Joan Bognuda

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Each Generation

Scripture: Leviticus 23:43 “This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt.  I am the Lord your God”

 

Observation:  In these chapters, the Lord instructs Moses about the festivals that the Israelites are to celebrate every year.  Each one has both past & future significance for Israel.  The remembrance of the past is to continually remind Israel of where the Lord has brought them from – out of the captivity of Egypt and into the promised land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk & honey.  The prophetic significance points to the future provision of the One who would once & for all time make the way for all of humanity to be restored to relationship with the One true God.  But the future significance would be lost unless each successive generation was made aware of what the Lord had done for Israel in the first place.  That was the responsibility of each generation to pass on to their children, a responsibility that the Lord saw as so critical that He enshrined such remembrances in the ebb & flow of every year, as celebrations for the whole community and as instructions to be obeyed.

 

Application:  Just as my parents passed on their faith to me in the form of regular Church attendance, modelling regular devotional Bible reading, etc, so, too I have tried to do the same with my own children.  And even though my children are now adults, I continue to pray for them and encourage them where I can in the Lord.  But my responsibility doesn’t finish with the adulthood of my own children.  There will always be future generations – new generations – of believers to teach and remind of the things of the Lord.  And today, we still have regular celebrations to remind us of what the Lord has done for us – such as Christmas and Easter.  Such times are times for special reflection.  But even as I continually need to remind myself of what my Lord has done for me, so I have an ongoing responsibility to do the same for others.  Each generation has their own responsibility to respond to the Lord for themselves (God has no grandchildren), but if they’re not told of His goodness to past generations, and if every opportunity of remembrance is not used as such – how will they ever be in a position to surrender their own lives to Him & see Him to do mighty things in their generation?

 

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, Thankyou for all the wonderful things you have done for me in my life.  Thankyou for rescuing me from the “land of Egypt”.  Thankyou for being my God.  May I always remember to take every opportunity to remind each new generation what You have done that they might desire to know You and walk with You for themselves.

 

In Jesus’ Name

 

Amen

 

Sue Otto

What Matters Most

 

Scripture:

What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

 

Observation:

I am constantly challenged by Acts 20:24’s words from Paul- a man apprehended by the love of God, a love that transformed his life, changed his course and thrust him across the world.  Paul was a pioneer, not a settler, and his life was marked by an apostolic passion for God’s glory to be spread throughout the earth.

These words are from Acts that Paul spoke to the elders of the church in Ephesus as he was leaving for the last time.  He was on his way to Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost and then hoped to go to Rome.  His passion was to extend God’s Kingdom.  He knew that chains and tribulations were ahead, that suffering was just around the corner; yet he was unmoved. He was not moved off the course or distracted from the destiny God had given him.  His life was not dear to him; God’s purpose mattered- not his own.

 

Application:

God calls me to take hold of this apostolic passion.  We may not all called as apostles as Paul was, but we are all called to be apostolic and participate in God’s global purposes.  A life of apostolic passion is one that is abandoned to God’s purposes to redeem no matter what the cost.  This life is not moved off course or deterred by internal or external issues.  Apostolic passion is born in those arrested by the love of God.

 

Prayer:

Father, help me hold onto what matters most.  I get so distracted and disappointed by what I see and hear that is contrary to your truth and purposes for my life.  To see your purposes become realities is what I long to see.  Arrest me with a greater measure of your love, so that I may live a life recklessly abandoned with apostolic passion to see your Kingdom extended throughout the nations.

 

 

Hayley

Scripture: 

 

Leviticus 9:23  Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle and when they came out again – they blessed the people.  And the Glory of the Lord appeared to the whole assembly.

 

Observation:

 

The whole procedure of Moses and Aaron washing themselves, preparing and killing the animals for sacrifice was a very detailed and precise requirement.  God wanted obedience and everyone involved needed to be in agreement that the requirements would be carried out exactly as set out.  The result would be the appearance of God – God turned up.

 

Application:

 

God’s requirement for me is obedience.  If I desire God to appear – His glory to show up – I need to be righteous in His sight, washed and cleansed through accepting Jesus as my Lord and saviour.  I need to stay close to Jesus and do His will.  I desire to see God’s glory so much that I look for Him continually with an expectant heart.  I am excited when I go to church, I desire Him to ‘show up’ in front of His people – just like in Leviticus.

 

Prayer:

 

Thank you Lord that you are my Lord, and your son’s sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice.  We no longer need to shed anymore blood for the forgiveness of our sins – it is done – an unblemished sacrifice – once and for all.  Thank you that your glory can be seen to us in this day and age just like in the old testament. 

My eyes are looking for your glory, your presence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partnership

Scripture:

Acts 14:27 “Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported about their trip, telling all that God had done and how he had opened the door of faith to the gentiles too”.

Observation:

The church had sent Paul out as there missionary representative and even though they themselves weren’t physically present with him during his time away, the church was clearly the sending force. Paul shared with them the things that had been achieved through their joint efforts – the church as the sender / supporter and Paul as the sent.

Application:

Celebrating together after a mission trip is meant to be a time of rejoicing and praise for all that God has done through the joint efforts of the senders and the sent. Both are required to ensure a successful expression of generosity to those beyond the boundaries of home. Both share in the victories of things achieved.

Prayer:

Thank you Lord for the privilege of celebrating often as a sender or as one sent. The miracles, the salvations, the blessings are so wonderful especially when I realise it was through partnership that this was achieved.

Jim Jung