In step

[RiverOL]

Joyful
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
Many people would see Paul as the first, and certainly the most influential, Christian theologian. The book of Acts tells how he turned from being a persecutor of the earliest Christians to being one of their most vocal supporters. Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his life and he was never the same again. His letters to some of the early Christian communities were seen as so important that they form a large part of the Bible known as New Testament. This week we will explore sections of Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christian community which he kept in close touch with whilst he was imprisoned. Paul’s body may have been physically restrained in prison – but his mind is sharp and free. Despite poor physical conditions this letter is full of love, joy and hope.

Read:
You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows that I care for you in the same way that Christ Jesus does. I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.
(Philippians 1.7-11)

Reflect:
Despite the difficult circumstances that Paul is experiencing, this is a letter full of joy. He is joyful at the support of the Philippians, joyful that the gospel is spreading, joyful that the church is growing. Paul had every reason to be bitter, tired and worn down – but he is strong, courageous and full of joy. This is the fruit of a spiritually mature life formed in Christ.

Respond:
How can you recover or grow in joy today? How might God want you to express joy and love today – both for him and for others? Joy begins with thankfulness. Why not begin making a list of all the things you are grateful for today? Add to the list as often as you can.

Midday Meditation:
‘Joy is at the heart of God’s plan for human beings. The reason for this is worth pondering for a while: Joy is at the heart of God himself. We will never understand the significance of joy in human life until we understand its importance to God. I suspect that most of us seriously underestimate God’s capacity for joy.’
(John Ortberg The Life You’ve Always Wanted)

Evening Reflection:
Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying,
“Praise the Lord!
Our Lord God All-Powerful
now rules as king.
So we will be glad and happy
and give him praise.

The wedding day of the Lamb
is here, and his bride is ready.
(Revelation 19.6-7)

 

[RiverOL]

Living With Purpose

"Praise be to God … who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."1

It was Emily Dickinson who spoke so eloquently when she said,

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life from aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his voice again,
I shall not live in vain."

I have had the privilege of publishing the gospel message of Jesus Christ since 1968 … starting in an extremely small way. I never cease to be amazed at what God will do with a life that is committed to serving him. And my prayer today is that God will use me to achieve more in the next decade of my life than I have in the past four-plus decades.

I hope that you, too, will pray a similar prayer so that when you and I meet God face to face we will both hear his welcome words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please use me to achieve more in the next decade of my life (should you grant me this time) than I have in all of my past years. And please help me to so live that my life will not be lived in vain. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Single-minded
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I will keep on being glad, because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honour to Christ. If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. I don’t know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. But I know that all of you still need me. That’s why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me.
(Philippians 1.18a-26)

Reflect:
Paul’s extraordinary confidence in God comes out when he says: If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. Paul is not suicidal, or depressed; this is not some kind of death-wish. He knows that it is possible that the authorities will decide to execute him. Yet he also seems optimistic that there is still much work that Christ wants him to do here. Paul is so single-mindedly committed to Jesus, that quite literally going to be with him would be the best option.

Respond:
Paul was extraordinary in his single-minded commitment to Jesus. Reflect today on your life with Christ and pray for that same single-minded, love for Christ to flow through you today.

Midday Meditation:
We can become like Christ by doing one thing -- by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself.
(Dallas Willard)

Evening Reflection:
‘My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I cannot see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But, I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.’

 

[RiverOL]

Where’s Home?

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest—Matthew 11:28

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:2-3). How does God restore your soul, brother? Where do you find rest? How are you most able to forget, even for a few moments, the pressures of this life? Where do you get reset and realigned? How do you connect with God most easily? Where are you most able to hear his voice or feel his guidance?

Is it in praying at your breakfast table in the early morning, before anyone else wakes? Or in reading Scripture on the treadmill or in your car over the lunch hour? Is it in a few minutes of stillness and solitude in the evening? Or in boisterous community around a table, with brothers or with family? Is it in walking or running or biking through streets or through hills? Is it in listening to music? Or in making your own music, singing in church perhaps? Or in something else entirely?

Recognize that God designed you, uniquely, to have ways—even amid the busyness—to find him, to find rest and restoration through him. You were designed to, every so often, just come home. So open your eyes. Search your heart. He has, no doubt, already shown you how.



Think back on times when you most felt God’s peace, most felt his presence. That you have experienced him in particular ways, in particular places, in particular activities, means he has spoken . . . right to you. He’s given you permission to do those things, whatever they are. He’s told you he wants you to do those things—that you’ve got to do those things. Now, you simply must choose to do them, consistently and often.

 

[RiverOL]

United
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought.
(Philippians 2. 1 – 5)

Reflect:
Paul is aware of divisions and differences in this church that he loves. He doesn’t ignore it, he doesn’t even ask them to superficially bury their differences and live in peace. Instead he inspires them to focus on Christ and his example of true humility. Our identity and our significance are in Christ and in belonging to God’s family – therefore we don’t need to raise our own status. We should live like Christ who came as a servant, in love for others.

Respond:
Are you aware of following your own agenda or trying to increase your importance? Are you causing division or manipulating others for your own ends? Can you make a start today to follow Christ’s example? Serving others is a great way to practice humility. Look for people to serve today in small ways. Show kindness and look for ways to help people. Be a servant of everyone who God connects you with today.

Midday Meditation:
‘The thing we often remember after an encounter with a truly gospel-humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. It is an end to thoughts such as 'I'm in this room with these people, does that makes me look good? Do I want to be here?' True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self forgetfulness.'
(Timothy Keller)

Evening Reflection:
Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.
Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.

Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honoured his name
above all others.

So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”

(From Philippians 2)

 

[RiverOL]

Where Is God - Part I

"The heavens declare the glory of God."1

Splashed with bright white paint right across the side of the garbage truck in large, bold letters, a baffled university student had written, "Where is God?"

Most people wonder about this same question at some time or other. If there is a God, how can we know that he exists and how can we find him?

In some ways God is like an atom. You can't see him with the naked eye but you can see evidence of his presence and power everywhere you look.

For instance, God shows himself to us through creation. As David the psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world."2

In My Search for the Ultimate, research scientist Lambert Dolphin Jr. writes, "Confronted every day with the mysteries of space and the atom, I continue to be amazed at the complexity and order of our universe. From the sub-microscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galaxies, our universe runs like intricate and well-oiled clockwork according to great physical laws which never change or falter.

"Our sun, which is the nearest star, a hundred earth diameters across, is 93 million miles into space. Each day the sun supplies our solar system with heat, power and light at the rate of a million billion, billion horsepower! Yet it is only an average star.

"Our island universe of stars which we call the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. If we could travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it would take us 100,000 years to traverse the Milky Way! Yet this is only one of a billion or more such island universes stretched out in every direction from our earth to distances measured in billions of light years."

However, one doesn't need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. (To see how, be sure to read tomorrow's Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself through creation and that the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the vastness of the universe all declare your glory and show that all have come into existence through Intelligent Design and that you are the Master Designer. Thank you for this great revelation of yourself. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 19:1 (NIV).
2. Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Shine
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.
(Philippians 2.14-16)

Reflect:
Paul is asking the church in Philippi to shine as lights amongst the people that surround them. This call to live distinctly differently so that Christ will be glorified starts with learning to live without grumbling and arguing (a reference here to the days where Israel as a nation wandered around in the desert moaning about Moses’ leadership and the bad food). This is what it will mean for them to live obediently in a dark world that is hostile and indifferent to the gospel.

Respond:
Grumbling, moaning and being negative is not glorifying to God. Try to live today out of gratitude, thankfulness and peace. Ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and be with you throughout this day.

Midday Meditation:
‘I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.’
(G.K. Chesterton)

Evening Reflection:
Through the dark hours of this night
protect and surround us
Father, Son and Spirit, Three
Forgive the ill that we have done

Forgive the pride that we have shown
Forgive the words that have caused harm
that we might sleep peaceably
and rise refreshed to do your will

Through the dark hours of this night
protect and surround us
Father, Son and Spirit, Three.

 

[RiverOL]

Where’s Home?

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest—Matthew 11:28

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:2-3). How does God restore your soul, brother? Where do you find rest? How are you most able to forget, even for a few moments, the pressures of this life? Where do you get reset and realigned? How do you connect with God most easily? Where are you most able to hear his voice or feel his guidance?

Is it in praying at your breakfast table in the early morning, before anyone else wakes? Or in reading Scripture on the treadmill or in your car over the lunch hour? Is it in a few minutes of stillness and solitude in the evening? Or in boisterous community around a table, with brothers or with family? Is it in walking or running or biking through streets or through hills? Is it in listening to music? Or in making your own music, singing in church perhaps? Or in something else entirely?

Recognize that God designed you, uniquely, to have ways—even amid the busyness—to find him, to find rest and restoration through him. You were designed to, every so often, just come home. So open your eyes. Search your heart. He has, no doubt, already shown you how.



Think back on times when you most felt God’s peace, most felt his presence. That you have experienced him in particular ways, in particular places, in particular activities, means he has spoken . . . right to you. He’s given you permission to do those things, whatever they are. He’s told you he wants you to do those things—that you’ve got to do those things. Now, you simply must choose to do them, consistently and often.

 

[RiverOL]

All I Want Is You
Morning Encounter:
Read:
But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him.
(Philippians 3.7–9a)

Reflect:
Whether Paul came to faith through a dramatic encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, or whether God was already at work in his life and the encounter was the final turning point is open to debate. Either way Paul’s life was never to be the same again. Everything had changed. So much so, that he could say that ‘Christ has taken hold of me’ – Jesus captivated him and there was no going back. For Paul, nothing is as wonderful and knowing Christ.

Respond:
What are you doing to keep your life with Christ growing, fresh and dynamic? Taking time out to deliberately seek God is key to developing a deeper life with God. We can learn from Jesus and the example of many others and take time to withdraw to quiet places in the midst of our busy lives to replenish and nourish our heart. Create quiet space, by yourself, to simply be with God today.

Midday Meditation:
Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside me. I want you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter want. Amen.
(St. Augustine)

Evening Reflection:
‘O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have made the sun to know it’s going down: Dispel the darkness of our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever and ever. Amen.’

 

[RiverOL]

Where Is God? - Part II

"From one man he [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"3

As we noted yesterday, one doesn't need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. Vacationing on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, I marveled at the wonders of nature—the grandeur of rolling hills, the brilliance of spring flowers, the majesty of cliffs rising from the sea with the waves crashing rhythmically against them and pounding lonely, deserted beaches.

I watched a sea gull, beautiful and agile, swooping over the waves, tipping its beak into the water to pluck a tasty meal from the sea. I marveled at the grace of a huge pelican, stretching his wings to a span of eight to ten feet as he soared effortlessly above me.

So many marvels to see: a playful porpoise dodging beneath the bow of our boat, gliding with ease through the crystal clear water; a curious fur seal, popping out of the sea in answer to a child's call; a kangaroo bounding across a distant field; and a koala high in a eucalyptus tree. Later, a million stars shone above to dance in chorus with a brilliant full moon and mirror their beauty in a now calm sea.

I have stood breathless at the sight of millions of gallons of water plunging over the Niagara Falls, and speechless at the splendor of the Grand Canyon. I have walked in amazement in the Yosemite Valley where mountains of granite seem to reach up out of nowhere to stab the sky in unparalleled artistic beauty.

"Did all this happen by chance?" I ask myself. For me it would take more faith to believe that than to believe that our world and universe were created by a Master Designer whose power and greatness are beyond human understanding.

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. (To see how be sure to read tomorrow's Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself to mankind in varied ways. Open the eyes of my blindness so that I can see with my spirit all that you are and have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

For help to find and know God, read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

3. Acts 17:26-28 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Keep Running
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.
(Philippians 3.12-16)

Reflect:
Paul may be physically imprisoned, but his heart and mind are certainly not. Here he changes gear and uses metaphors from running tracks and to athletic games that were popular in his time. When Christ takes hold of us, everything changes, there is no going back, there is no plan B, this is all that matters. The resurrected Christ has taken hold of Paul and now holds out a breath-taking vision of the future for us all. Paul likens our lives to a race, in which we don’t look back, but only keep our eyes on the finish line. Paul is encouraging the Philippians to keep going. Like him they haven’t finished the race; he is still going and so must they.

Respond:
Are you flagging? Have you been spectating rather than running the race? What might God be saying to you today about your race with him?

Midday Meditation:
For us as individuals the danger is that we might never develop an inner life. It is easy to live by the duty, the expectations of others, the routines of our work and the inertia of culture and religious tradition. Surely what we long for, though, is an authentic interior life in which we know to the core of our beings that the Spirit of God is present to us and speaking life to us. With a well-developed interior life, we live our lives in response to the Spirit. We choose to live that which we are called to live- our life, not someone else’s life.
(Gordon T. Smith)

Evening Reflection:
I run to you, Lord,
for protection.
Don’t disappoint me.
You do what is right, so come to my rescue.
Listen to my prayer and keep me safe.
Be my mighty rock, the place where I can always run for protection.
Save me by your command!
You are my mighty rock and my fortress.
(From Psalm 71)

 

[RiverOL]

Where is God? - Part III

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus Christ] was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." 4

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. As well as being a physical, rational, and emotional being, man is a spiritual being with a living soul in which is implanted a consciousness of God. This consciousness is made up of a "religious and moral instinct" which acknowledges a supreme being upon whom man is dependent and to whom he is responsible.5

Anselm, the famous Italian theologian who lived in the eleventh century, stated that the idea of God in the mind is proof that God exists. Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, spoke about the "God-shaped vacuum in every life that only God can fill."

Furthermore, if God didn't exist in the mind of the atheist, why would he feel compelled to disprove God's existence?

God has also revealed himself to us through his Word, the Bible. The Bible doesn't seek to prove God's existence. It accepts it as fact and simply says, "In the beginning God. . . ."6

In the Bible God speaks with authority, stating that it is his Word and that he is the one and only God.7 It is God's written message to mankind. Fulfillment of scores of prophecies in accurate detail, some of which were written hundreds of years ahead of their fulfillment, is sufficient evidence to confirm the validity of the Bible.

God can be seen in creation, in the human soul, and in the Bible, but his final and clearest revelation of himself to us is in his Son, Jesus Christ.8 Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but also God the Son. Referring to Jesus, John the disciple wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . The Word became flesh and lived among us."9

When Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked to see God, Jesus said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father [God]."10

In life we all see and believe basically what we want to see and believe. If we want to see and believe in God, we can. If we don't want to see him, we won't. Most people do believe in God but it is an entirely different experience to find and relate to him personally. The only way to do this is through Jesus Christ.

As Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and life; no man comes to the Father [God] except through me."11

It is our sin that has separated us from God and prevented us from finding him. But because God loved us, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for us and thereby pay the penalty for our sins, which is death.

To find and know God is very simple. You can do this right where you are. Simply pray and confess your sinfulness to God, tell him that you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all your sins, ask God to forgive you for all your sins, and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior. When you do this, God forgives you for all your sins, cancels your guilt and gives you the gift of eternal life. His invitation is to all who will come.12

For help to find and know God, read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for all the revelations of yourself given to mankind, but most of all I thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, the Christ, and how he gave his life on the cross as a ransom to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I do believe and accept you, Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord. Please help me to live for you always in all ways. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Where is God? - Part III

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word [Jesus Christ] was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." 4

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. As well as being a physical, rational, and emotional being, man is a spiritual being with a living soul in which is implanted a consciousness of God. This consciousness is made up of a "religious and moral instinct" which acknowledges a supreme being upon whom man is dependent and to whom he is responsible.5

Anselm, the famous Italian theologian who lived in the eleventh century, stated that the idea of God in the mind is proof that God exists. Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, spoke about the "God-shaped vacuum in every life that only God can fill."

Furthermore, if God didn't exist in the mind of the atheist, why would he feel compelled to disprove God's existence?

God has also revealed himself to us through his Word, the Bible. The Bible doesn't seek to prove God's existence. It accepts it as fact and simply says, "In the beginning God. . . ."6

In the Bible God speaks with authority, stating that it is his Word and that he is the one and only God.7 It is God's written message to mankind. Fulfillment of scores of prophecies in accurate detail, some of which were written hundreds of years ahead of their fulfillment, is sufficient evidence to confirm the validity of the Bible.

God can be seen in creation, in the human soul, and in the Bible, but his final and clearest revelation of himself to us is in his Son, Jesus Christ.8 Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but also God the Son. Referring to Jesus, John the disciple wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . The Word became flesh and lived among us."9

When Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked to see God, Jesus said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father [God]."10

In life we all see and believe basically what we want to see and believe. If we want to see and believe in God, we can. If we don't want to see him, we won't. Most people do believe in God but it is an entirely different experience to find and relate to him personally. The only way to do this is through Jesus Christ.

As Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and life; no man comes to the Father [God] except through me."11

It is our sin that has separated us from God and prevented us from finding him. But because God loved us, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for us and thereby pay the penalty for our sins, which is death.

To find and know God is very simple. You can do this right where you are. Simply pray and confess your sinfulness to God, tell him that you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all your sins, ask God to forgive you for all your sins, and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior. When you do this, God forgives you for all your sins, cancels your guilt and gives you the gift of eternal life. His invitation is to all who will come.12

For help to find and know God, read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for all the revelations of yourself given to mankind, but most of all I thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, the Christ, and how he gave his life on the cross as a ransom to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I do believe and accept you, Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord. Please help me to live for you always in all ways. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Prayer and Peace
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
(Philippians 4.6–7)

Reflect:
Paul draws this part of his letter to an end with a brief lesson on prayer. Through simple prayers we can bring to God all that worries us and causes anxiety. Paul had much to worry about, life was far from easy and yet the secret of his life with God was to pray and trust in God’s care for him.

Respond:
Prayer is how we come to God and continue our relationship with him. Prayer is the key to a deeper life with God. We should follow the example of Jesus and others in Scripture and talk to God as often as possible and in a quiet space when we can. Dallas Willard says: ‘Prayer is interactive conversation with God about what we and God are thinking and doing together.’ If you need to find a new rhythm of prayer, why not consider using a notebook and writing down prayers? This practice requires more effort than just talking to God – but it does help to shape our prayers and remember what or who we have prayed for.

Midday Meditation:
‘In solitude, at last, we’re able to let God define us the way we are always supposed to be defined—by relationship: the I-thou relationship, in relation to a Presence that demands nothing of us but presence itself. Not performance but presence’
(Richard Rohr)

Evening Reflection:
Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near
And danger afar.

Circle me, Lord
Keep hope within.
Keep doubt without.

Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near
And darkness afar.

Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within.
Keep evil out.

 

[RiverOL]

Who Are Your Enemies?

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you—Luke 6:27-28

Who are your enemies? Do you have any? Who hates you? Anyone? Most of us would probably answer, no. We might even conclude that these words, spoken so long ago, have become a little irrelevant in our present, everyday lives. And we might try to just move on to the next set of instructions. But, should we? Can we? The answer is, absolutely not. These particular instructions are as relevant to us, right now, as they are challenging—and as they are important. Our King, Jesus Christ, is simply calling on us to love even those who are hardest to love. And we know people like that.

Who’s mistreated you? Who’s let you down? Who’s taken advantage of you? Maybe someone at work? A family member? A friend? A neighbor? Someone you barely know? “Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst” (Luke 6:27-30 MSG).

We must treat well those who’ve treated us badly (Luke 6:27-29). We must help those who will never help us back (Luke 6:31-34). We must be generous to those who are anything but (Luke 6:29-30). And we must be merciful to them all (Matthew 6:14-15). But, not only that, we must be merciful again and again and again (Matthew 18:21-22). You see, what Jesus is teaching us—what we must grasp and embrace—is that we don’t fight evil with yet more evil; we fight evil with good (Romans 12:21).



Who’d be the hardest person for you to pray for? Got him? Got her in mind? Okay, that’s your person. Pray for them. Let God the Holy Spirit lead you in how to pray. Pray tomorrow too. Write their name down and pray for them every day for a week, at least.

 

[RiverOL]

Colossians 3
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
Whilst in prison, Paul writes to the young church at Colossae. Paul uses his wonderful intellect combined with a humble heart to remind them that Christ reigns supreme. Towards the end of the book of Colossians, Paul deals with how Christians are meant to live and how they are to become more like Christ. Each day this week we will work our way through part of the third chapter of this incredible letter.

Read:
You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth.
(Colossians 3. 1-2)

Reflect:
Paul is reminding the Christians in Colossae that they have already died in Christ and just as Jesus died and lived a resurrected life, so we too are living a new life with Christ. They have been forgiven, healed and set free. We too have entered a new age; we belong now to Christ. We haven’t earned it - it is given to us freely. We live this new life by setting our hearts and mind on Christ. We are to dwell, meditate, remember and enjoy focusing our thoughts on the risen and glorious Christ. We are residents, citizens of a new kingdom.

Respond:
Make it your aim today to think and reflect on your life now being with Christ. As often as you can today, recall these important verses. Dwell on them and delight in them.

Midday Meditation:
‘I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights. I live in the strong and unshakeable kingdom of God.’
(James Bryan Smith)

Evening Reflection:
Come, Holy Spirit, and open our eyes and our ears to what you are doing around us today in our homes, our offices, our community and anywhere else we may find ourselves. Make us sensitive to your presence. Quiet our hearts and slow us down so that we may see you more clearly. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

God of the Minority

"Come, follow me," Jesus said [to fishermen Peter and Andrew] and I will make you fishers of men."1

Some of us have the idea that our life can't make much of a difference. Sometimes we think, "What can one person do?" This reminds me of the man who, when walking along the beach, kept picking up starfish that had been washed ashore. There must have been hundreds of them. One by one he picked them up and threw each back into the ocean.

A stranger watching said to the man, "Why are you doing that? There are so many starfish on the beach. What you are doing makes no difference."

"Makes a difference to that one," the man replied as he threw another starfish back into the ocean.

Robert Kennedy once said, "Many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single person. A young monk began the Protestant Reformation … It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and it was the 32-year-old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal."

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a bus to a white man on December 1, 1955, she triggered the civil rights movement in the U.S.A. In so doing she played a key role that changed a nation.

And it was a motley band of twelve very ordinary men—unsophisticated and uneducated—whom Jesus chose for his disciples to introduce the Christian message to pretty much a hostile world.

You and I may not achieve such greatness but we can make a difference. We do so every time we stand up for what is right, lend a helping hand to a friend or stranger in need, and help communicate the love of God and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Added up, our small ripples blend together to reach ever-widening circles. In so doing, one life does make a difference and can make an impact for Christ in our corner of the world.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available. Please help and use me to make a difference in somebody's life today. Help me to be as Jesus in some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."


1. Matthew 4:19 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Colossians 3
Morning Encounter:
Read:
You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.
(Colossians 3.3-4)

Reflect:
Paul reminds us that we have died and one day we will appear glorious like Christ (either at the end of our life or when Christ appears). For now this real life is hidden from view (from ourselves and other people) – but one day our true, beautiful and complete life with Christ will be revealed. One day we shall see Christ face to face and we shall see each other as we really are in Christ.

Respond:
Reflect on what is might mean for you today to see your true status as ‘with Christ’ – that your primary identity is not as a parent, a father, a mother, a child or an employee– but as one in whom Christ dwells.

Midday Meditation:
Behold Him there the risen lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I am
King of glory and of grace

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God
(From the hymn: Before the Throne of God Above)

Evening Reflection:
Live under the protection of God Most High
and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.
Then you will say to the Lord,
“You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.”

(From Psalm 91)

 

[RiverOL]

The Beauty and Meaning of Life

"When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind."1

In speaking about the meaning and purpose of life, one insightful writer said, "It is not about writing great books, amassing great wealth, achieving great power. It is about loving and being loved. It is about savoring the beauty of moments that don't last, the sunsets, the leaves turning color, the rare moments of true human communication."

King Solomon, one of the wisest and richest men of antiquity said about his life: "I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks … reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves …. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces….In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."2

When we realize that the essence of life is not in power, performance, or possessions but in loving relationships—both with our fellow man and with God—and in appreciating the beauty of his creation, and fulfilling his purpose for our lives, we will have discovered what Solomon took a lifetime to learn.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, give me the wisdom to understand that the beauty and true meaning of life is not found in power, performance, or possessions, but in loving relationships the human heart yearns for, and in loving and serving you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NIV).
2. Ecclesiastes 2:4-8, 10-11 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Colossians 3
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Don’t be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex. Don’t be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don’t be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols. God is angry with people who disobey him by doing these things. And that is exactly what you did, when you lived among people who behaved in this way. But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.
(Colossians 3.5-9)

Reflect:
Paul affirms that we are in Christ, we are part of a new age – but the old age still has a grip on us. We are still dragged back by old habits. Paul presents two lists – one related to sexual sin, the other to speech and anger (both are central in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount). Paul urges the Colossians to kill off these wrong desires and habits by cutting themselves off from lusts, anger and lies and to make a clean break and live a life shaped by God.

Respond:
We all struggle with some of the issues listed here. How might God be inviting you today to make a clean break from one of these? Is this something you can bring to God in honest prayer and ask for his help?

Midday Meditation:
‘The very first step is to try to forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking at Him.’
(C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity)

Evening Reflection:
Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near
And danger afar.

Circle me, Lord
Keep hope within.
Keep doubt without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near
And darkness afar.

Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within.
Keep evil out.