Category: Bible

Principles to live by

October 13, 2024

What principles define how you live?

I do my best to live by the Kingdom principles found in the Bible. Three key Bible passages come to mind that help me do this…

Love God and love your neighbour

Mark 12:30-31 NLT – And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ [31] The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Make disciples of Christ

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT – Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Show the fruit of the Spirit in how you live

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT – But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I changed my mind about Jesus

October 4, 2024
The tract and prayer I prayed to receive Jesus

What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?

As a teenager and in to my early twenties I did not believe in Jesus or the salvation He offers. I believed He was a historical person that some people believed in.

I can look back at times when people would talk to me about Jesus and I would reject them and their message. Some I even ridiculed and told them they were crazy.

At the age of 22 I came to believe in Jesus as more than a historical person. A friend gave me tract explaining that Jesus loved me and He died on the cross for my sin. This got my attention.

The more I read, the more I realised this was true. I realised I was a sinner, Jesus died on the cross for me, and I needed to repent and accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I realised what people told previously me was true.

Accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour was the best thing I have ever done. It truly turned my life around. Without Jesus I had no hope, no purpose or no meaning. With Jesus that all changed.

In the image above is a copy of the tract my friend gave me back in 1989. It contains the prayer I prayed to receive Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

Reminders from Philippians

September 29, 2024

Today for my devotions I looked back over the things I had been reminded about from Philippians. There was a few things that were quickened to me again.

Paul wanted the Philippians to grow in Christ – In verse 1:9 Paul says, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding”.

Paul’s life was all about Christ – In 1:21 explains Paul’s heart. “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better”.

We need to live as citizens of heaven – 1:27 says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.

We need to have the humble attitude of Christ – 2:7 says, “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being”.

Knowing Christ is everything – 3:8 says “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”.

We need to press on in Christ and His will – In verses 3:12 Paul says, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

We need to focus on what is good – In 4:8 it says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”

These are seven reminders I got from this reading and reflection of Philippians. There is a lot more than this in the Book, but these are the ones that spoke to me this time around.

Paul thanks them for the gift

September 23, 2024

In today’s reading Paul thanks the Philippians for the financial gifts and support. It is found in Philippians 4:10-20.

As I read this passage two main ideas jumped out at me…

The importance of supporting church planters

Verse 10 starts with, “How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me”.

Paul thanked them for their support in the past and said they were the only ones who supported him on his work through Macedonia. In verse 18 he says there gifts were a sweat smelling offering to The Lord.

This reminds me of the importance of supporting people who travel and plant churches. As history tells us, church planting is the best way to reach people for Christ and make disciples.

Paul knew what is is to be content

Philippians 4:13 says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength”.

This is a verse we often quote when we are nervous or trying someone new. Paul used it in the context of trials, suffering, and hunger. He knew what it was to be content in the good times or the bad.

Paul said in verse 11, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have”. Paul knew Christ was enough. If he had lots, it was enough. If he had nothing, that was enough too.

As I am coming to an end of my devotions in Philippians these two thoughts will stay with me. It is important to support those who reach others for Christ and that if we have lots or nothing, if we have Christ we have all we need.