FTN_141209_201209

THEME: SALVATION COMES WHEN WE BELIEVE GOD’S WORD
MONDAY 14th DECEMBER
Micah 5.2-5a
His greatness will reach to the ends of the Earth

Today we look at this Old Testament prophecy of the birth of Jesus. He would be born in Bethlehem and would rise up to be a great King and Ruler of His people. This is the Bible passage which Herod’s scholars found when the wise men asked where the King was to be born. This was a genuine prophetic utterance because indeed it came true.

Three important aspects of the kingship of Jesus were also foretold by Micah. Firstly, He would be a shepherd to his people, one who really cares for them and looks after them in a special way. Remember, Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd”. His special care and rule would be better than ever because He would rule in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. He could do this because He was born Son of God and was the second Person of the Trinity.

Secondly, He would bring about a tremendous sense of security for His people, because He would save His people from death. They knew that nothing could destroy them or separate them from Jesus’ love.

Thirdly, His influence was to be so strong and powerful that it would reach to the very ends of the Earth. How much this is true today. We find effects of King Jesus in every land and the number of His followers is growing every day. He is so important that even non-believers celebrate His birth.

PRAYER: King Jesus, our Great Shepherd, we appreciate you so much. Thankyou for looking after us so well. We feel so secure in your protection and rejoice that your Kingdom has spread to every land. May every person acknowledge you as King. Amen.

TUESDAY 15th DECEMBER
The Magnificat
Luke 1.46-55

My heart is overflowing with praise for my God. Nothing in the whole universe can make anyone happier than when the Lord begins to move in their lives and when He speaks to them and calls them. This is how Mary felt when the news was given her that she would be the mother of Jesus, God’s Son. She was so happy, so joyful, that she burst into singing the song that we have before us today.

As God called Mary for a very special purpose, so He has a special purpose for each of our lives. To hear His call and qualify for His service, we don’t have to be great or even be great achievers. All we have to be is humble and meek. He can only work with those who yield to His control and who completely surrender their lives to Him.

All who yield to Him become His saints, very much blessed by the Lord. He works powerfully in our lives doing great things for us. He makes us holy for He is holy and He it is who works in us and through us. Isn’t it so wonderful that God can use ordinary people like you and me. God is a great leveller. He scatters the proud, brings down the high and mighty and raises the lowly. He supplies the needs of the poor and sends the rich away empty-handed.

God is always longing to speak to us, to call us and use us. He is willing to give us all the help we need all the time. He promises to give us this and we can be absolutely sure that He will always keep His promise.

PRAYER: Lord, our hearts are overflowing with praise towards you. Just as you chose the humble Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son, so you have chosen us for a very special purpose. As we yield our whole lives to you, show us your purpose for us and give us all the power we need to fulfil it, through Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

WEDNESDAY 16th DECEMBER
Hebrews 10.5-10
A completely new way

In the Old Testament (covenant) days the Jews did all they could to please God and get right with God by offering up a whole host of different types of sacrifices. God sent Jesus into the world to change all that and to establish a completely new way. God was not at all pleased with the sacrifices which the High Priests offered on behalf of the people because they achieved very little. God had a much better, more effective plan to bring His created beings close to His heart. It was His will for His own Son to be both Priest and Victim and sacrifice Himself for the sins of the whole world. So when Jesus came into the world it was said, “a body I have prepared for you”. When Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, the body for this single, unique sacrifice was prepared. Later Jesus proclaimed that He had come to do God’s will and was very happy to offer Himself up for us. It was a hard decision to make as we can see when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Praise the Lord that Jesus gave in to what God had prepared for Him to do and cried out, “not my will but yours be done”. Because of Jesus’ obedience, this wonderful unique sacrifice of Himself has made us holy and made us acceptable to God.

PRAYER: Thank you Father God that when we tried to get right with you in our own strength we couldn’t, so you prepared your Son Jesus, to be that very unique sacrifice to take away the sins of the world and make us holy and acceptable in your loving presence, through Jesus. Amen.

THURSDAY 17th. DECEMBER
John 20.24-29
“My Lord and my God”

Next Monday is St Thomas’ Day, so are looking at readings for St Thomas. At first, Thomas found it hard to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He was absent from the upper room when Jesus appeared on Easter Day. When the apostles told him they had seen the Lord, he said he would have to see for himself before he would believe.

Eight days later, he was with the apostles when Jesus again came into their midst. “Come on Thomas”, Jesus said, “Put your hand into the hole in my side. Put your fingers into the nail holes in my hands. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas was overwhelmed. He fell down at Jesus’ feet, worshipping Him. As His doubt turned into faith, he recognised something about Jesus that no-one else had recognised before. Jesus was God and as God, to be worshipped along with His Father. Jesus said to him, “You are blessed because you have seen me. More blessed will be those who do not see me and believe”.

There is a sense in which we all have to see Jesus before we can believe; that is, by seeing through what Paul calls the eyes of our hearts (see Ephesians 1.18). Thomas was seeing through the eyes of his heart when he could see that Jesus was God.

All fair dinkum born again Christians see Jesus through the eyes of their hearts. That’s what makes their faith so strong.

PRAYER: Father, we thank you that we have a strong faith in you because we see you through the eyes of our hearts. Empower us by your Spirit to help all who doubt you to have the eyes of their hearts opened that they may see you and believe, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

FRIDAY 18th. DECEMBER
Habakkuk 2.1-4
Ephesians 2.19-22

The righteous incorporated by faith into the Body of Christ

We saw on Wednesday that through the single, unique offering of the body of Jesus on the cross we have been made holy. Jesus died for all. Does that mean that all are saved? No - only those who live by faith, who stop trusting in their own power to save themselves and put all their faith and trust in what Jesus has done for them. Remember faith means:

Forsaking

All

Trust

Him

We are all like rough stones sitting in a quarry. God has selected us to be used to build the temple. However, we are living stones and He gives us a choice. We can be built into His church which will stand for ever, or we can choose to be left out. If we choose to be part of His temple, it may hurt a bit as He uses the divine chisel of the Holy Spirit to make us into the right shapes. It’s such a strong building we are part of. Jesus is the chief foundation stone. Together with God’s messengers and prophets we are built onto Him and it’s amazing to see how well we, from such different backgrounds, races and nations, all fit together as one beautiful temple.

God dwells in this temple by His Spirit. This means that wherever these living stones come together in twos or threes or hundreds or thousands, God is present, ever ready to give out His saving love to others.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for choosing us to be living stones in your temple. By faith we choose to let you shape us and build us into your divine dwelling place because you made us holy by the blood of Jesus. May your living presence with us bring faith to all those around us so they can be drawn to you, through Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

SATURDAY 19th. DECEMBER
Luke 1.39-45
Happy the woman who believes in God - He makes His promise to her come true

As soon as the angel Gabriel had revealed to Mary that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, she went up into the Judean hillside to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. The coming together of these two expectant mothers was indeed a fantastic spiritual experience; one that would never be forgotten.

As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice she felt the baby inside her stirring. At the same time she was filled with God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit revealed to her that Mary was pregnant and was going to be the mother of “her Lord”. She knew that Mary’s child was the Divine Son of God. She told Mary that she was extremely blessed to be chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus and how blessed was her child.

Nothing is impossible for God and the Holy Spirit also revealed to the unborn infant, John the Baptist, who Jesus was. He was so overjoyed that he jumped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb!

They were all so blessed by God and all so happy together. Elizabeth saw that their happiness was due to the fact that they believed in God and had no doubt that God would fulfil the promises He had made to them.

Each one of us is really special to God. As He had a plan for Mary and Elizabeth, so He has a plan for us. Surrender to Him, and let Him fill you with His Holy Spirit. Listen for His voice. He has a special promise for you. You will be enormously blessed and happy if you believe His promise to you. If you can hear Him, knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened; you will see Him and hear Him.

PRAYER: Father, what tremendous blessings were experienced when Mary and Elizabeth met together. As we meet together for prayer and worship, may we, too, be filled with your spirit, hear your voice and believe all your promises, through Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

SUNDAY 20TH.DECEMBER
THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE

As we prepare for Christmas, the wonderful birthday of Jesus, we remember the fantastic Christmas present that God had given us through the one whose birthday we celebrate. It is our own Personal salvation. To put it into simple words, it’s our ticket to heaven.

Heaven is our free gift from God. It’s neither earned nor deserved. God gives it to us because He loves us so much.

Each present is nicely wrapped and it has our name on it. There is a special way of opening each present. We need a special instrument. It is called Faith.

It’s only by Faith that we can receive our ticket to heaven.

Faith is very simple. It comes to us when we hear and believe God’ Word. Before Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother, Mary, God had spoken to her through the Angel Gabriel. He told her she was going to be the mother of His Son. He was to be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Mary believed God’s Words Jesus came alive in her womb! Mary’s faith made the incarnation possible. When we believe God’s Word, and receive the gift of salvation by faith, Jesus comes alive in us too. He comes to live in our hearts. He transforms our lives and makes them fit for heaven.

His sacrifice on the cross is what transforms our lives.

God’s Christmas present to us was very costly to Jesus. Let’s all receive it, unwrap it and really enjoy it!

Thomas, whose day it is Tomorrow, found it hard to believe. He could not accept that Jesus had risen from the dead. When he did see the risen Lord a week later, the eyes of his heart were opened, He not only saw that Jesus was risen and alive, but also that he was God! God made a doubter to be the first person ever, to believe that Jesus was God! Let’s all stop doubting and believe.

PRAYER

Gracious God, You chose the Virgin Mary, by Your grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour: so fill us with your grace, that with her we may rejoice in Your salvation, and in all things embrace Your will; through Jesus Christ Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God , now and for ever. Amen.