Month: February 2023

What did Jesus mean... 'I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly'? Jesus was making his intentions very clear, He came to bring abundant life to His people - present and future.

“The Greek word for ‘abundance,’ perissos, has a mathematical meaning and generally denotes a surplus… The abundant life is above all the contented life, in which our contentment is based upon the fact that God is equal to every emergency and is able to supply all our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.” (Boice)

The truth is abundant life isn’t an especially long life. It isn’t an easy, comfortable life. It is a life of satisfaction and contentment in Jesus.

Someone with abundant life has stamina, increased energy and a large sphere of living. Someone with abundant life has the ability to do things, an overflow of enjoyment and what it takes to win.

Someone with abundant life gives honor to Jesus because He is the One who gave them life. Do you want abundant life? Choose Jesus and live abundantly in Him today! - Sophia Peart

Today is the day my little island of Grenada celebrates its independence. True spirituality shows us the tragic consequences of sin and our search for independence. We are all born with a missing dimension caused by the sin of wanting to live independently of God. This sin separates us from Him. The only way to fill that void is through repentance of sin, faith in Jesus Christ, and the indwelling power of God’s Spirit. This is the spirituality that makes us whole.

It is only when God’s Spirit opens our blind spiritual eyes, that we truly begin to understand ourselves and recognize our own darkness and moral corruption. True spirituality helps us recognize that our desperate inner longing is not a need for independence, but rather our need for dependence – dependence on the Saviour.

Biblical spirituality leads us to know the light of the world, Jesus Christ and makes it possible for us to experience wholeness of body, mind, and spirit in becoming like Him. This healing comes only as the Holy Spirit of God is invited to do His ongoing work of transformation in our lives. We are made whole when we reflect the character of Jesus Christ.

Today, as we embrace our spiritual dependence and turn away from our sinful independence, why not ask the Lord to reveal to you the true answer to your inner longing and to help you understand that your heart is made whole the moment you receive Christ as the Saviour? Today, ask God to help you walk in the light of His Son through all of life’s challenges that you are facing.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, because of Your great love for me, You made me alive in Christ even when I was dead in my sin. Father, thank you for accepting my dependence on you. I denounce my sinful dependence on myself, the world and the media. God thank You for sending the light of the world, Jesus. I pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

The little boy’s hand was dirty, so his mum asked, “Are you planning to get the dirt off your hand?” “Sure, Mom” he said “I’ll just wipe it off with my other hand.” There was only one problem with the boy’s plan. One dirty hand and one clean hand rubbed together equals two dirty hands.

We are like this little boy. Deep down we are conscious of our sin and rebellion and of our need for cleansing, but we think we can clean ourselves by doing some good deed. Just as the mother had to put her son’s hands under running water to clean them, so you must put your life under the fountain of Christ blood. Only the resurrected Christ can cleanse you from sin. Only the resurrected Christ can transform your destination from hell to heaven. Hallelujah!

Today there may be a need in each of us to do things for ourselves and to be self-reliant. If we have a problem, we want to fix it. If we want something, we try to get it. This need to be independent carries over into our relationship with Christ. But we soon discover that we cannot redeem ourselves from our sinful nature. We cannot work our way into God’s favour. We must come to Him in complete surrender and obedience, seeking His forgiveness for our sins. Without Christ, our lives are dirty, meaningless, and empty.

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the cleansing blood of Yahshua the Christ, that though my sins were as scarlet, He has made me white as snow. Father, today I rest in Your salvation by grace, that I may be free and able to share this Good News with others. I pray and receive my cleansing in the name of Christ. Amen.

A Christian actress was asked how she could live and work in Hollywood and still be true to her convictions. Her answer was simple: “I always try to remember whose I am.” For her, the most important thing was to keep her identity as a Christian, no matter what.

It’s easy to forget whose we are. For a student at a public university, surrounded by people sceptical about Christianity, it can be awkward to hold to your beliefs and try to live God’s way. At a wild frat party with friends, it may be tempting to forget that you have committed to live for Jesus. When working with people who have little use for religion, it may seem safer not to mention that you are a Christian. On a business trip with little to do at night it may seem easier to go along with others who engage in immorality than to resist because you are a Christian.

It would have been easier for the early Christians to forget whose they were. Life had become difficult for them because they were followers of Jesus. That’s why Peter wrote to them and to us and said “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” It’s only when we remember whose we are that we can call others out of darkness into the light of Christ.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me to always remember who you have made me to be, and to never compromise. God, help me to praise you through my life at all times. In Christ’s name, Amen

In the beginning, God placed human beings in a garden sanctuary, where God could live and work with them to bring about the flourishing of His world.

 

Through the deceit of the snake, humans were tempted to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. They desired to be “like God, knowing good and evil.” But the hidden reality was that, unlike God, human beings could only know good and evil by becoming a mingled mess of good and evil. As they ingested the fruit, brokenness moved into every part of their being.

 

The brokenness that followed the fall, Genesis describes as a “curse”. Especially regarding relationships. Humanities relationships with themselves, with one another, with nature, and with God became damaged. At the same time, though, God pronounced that someday the serpent, along with the curse of sin and death, would be defeated.

 

Today through the finished work of Jesus on the cross and by His resurrection, the curse is being undone. When we accept the Lord and believe in Him and partake of the supper, our damaged relationships can begin to mend. We receive God’s restoring nourishment in our own lives, and we share the meal with one another. In addition, from the cursed ground we can still grow good food by which God communicates His love and care for us.

 

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:17.

 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank you for the love by which you gave yourself for us, which continues to break the curses in my life, so that all things can be restored by his grace. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Have you ever been disrespected? Do you remember how you felt in the moment? How you responded? Who disrespected you?
Disrespect occurs when a person is regarded or treated with contempt, discourtesy or rudeness. The reality is at some point in our lives we may be disrespected or treat someone disrespectfully.
King David, in the Bible, experienced disrespect. Before he became King he was humiliated by a man named Nabal, after making a simple request. David was understandably mad and was ready to wipe Nabal out. But Abigail, the wife of Nabal, quickly stepped in to apologise and resolve the issue. 
Abigail helped David to see that God was able to deal with Nabal. She guided David to look beyond the immediate aggravating circumstances to the bigger promise of God. She also invited David to act like a man who is close to the Lord. 
When we face disrespect we too can: 
1. Trust that God is able to deal with those who treat us with contempt.
2. Look beyond the current circumstance to the promises of God. 
3. Walk closely with God who will help us navigate through this present situation with love,  kindness and peace ??
It may not be easy but it is possible to handle disrespect respectfully - Sophia Peart