‘But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.’ Acts 9:27 (NIV). Barnabas, also called Encourager, defended Saul when the other disciples doubted him. Saul had a terrible reputation with Christians and on his own, he had little chance of being believed as a true believer in Christ. But Barnabas, a Jewish convert, became the go-between who stood up for Saul before the disciples. He offered…
Author: Gerald Kure
‘Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV). Understanding will never amount to God’s peace. That’s why He has instructed us to trust in Him, not in our understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). People have an insatiable appetite for trying to figure things out and solve their problems in order to gain a sense of mastery and control over their lives. But the world presents us with one problem after another. As soon as we master one, another pops up to challenge…
‘I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.’ Philemon 10-11,16 (NIV). As a master, Philemon had the legal right to kill his runaway slave, Onesimus. But Paul wrote to his friend helping him to understand his new relationship with Onesimus who had now become ‘his son’ or a Christian while he…
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV). We must learn to relate to others through God’s love rather than our own. Our human love is so limited, full of flaws and manipulation and is easily exhausted. God’s love however, is always enfolding us and available to bless others as well as ourselves. Instead of trying harder to help others through our meagre supplies,…
‘Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.’ Psalm 84:10 (NIV). Doorkeepers, otherwise known as gatekeepers, had a privileged position in Old Testament times. They guarded the four main entrances to the temple and opened the gates each morning for those who wanted to worship. Additionally, they did other day-to-day chores to keep the operation of the temple running smoothly. These included cleaning, preparing the offerings for sacrifice and accounting for the gifts offered to the temple…
‘And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.’ 1 Chronicles 29:19 (NIV). David prayed for God to give his son, Solomon, a ‘wholehearted devotion’. That is, that above all else, Solomon would desire to serve God first and completely. Or in other words, that Solomon would serve God with an undivided heart. David knew that prayer was a vital key to Solomon’s success as a leader in the years to come and so faithfully gave himself to this task…
‘“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”’ Matthew 11:6 (NIV). While John the Baptist was sitting in prison he began to have doubts as to whether Jesus was really the Messiah. If Jesus really was who He claimed to be, then why was John in prison when he could have been preaching to the crowds? So he sent some of his disciples to the Teacher to ascertain the truth. Jesus sent the disciples back to John, reminding him of what He had done and to reassure John who Jesus really was. With so much…
‘“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”’ Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV). God chastised the Israelites for choosing a cistern, a pit that collected rainwater, over a sparkling spring of water. That is, the Israelites had turned from their God, the spring of living water, to the worship of idols. Furthermore, the cisterns they had chosen, were broken and empty. Their cisterns, or idols that they used to seek the truth, were broken, worthless and full of unfulfilled promises. God promises to…
‘When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.’ Acts 16:15 (NIV). While Paul shared the good news to Lydia, God opened her heart to receive Paul’s message. And then she opened her heart in hospitality to the apostles. Freely she had received so freely she gave (Matthew 10:8). Rather than seeing Paul and Silas as hindrances, or an interruption to her family and business affairs, Lydia laid out the welcome mat…
‘I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.’ 1 Timothy 5:21 (NIV). Playing favorites is risky business; especially when it is done by leaders. In this passage Paul offers a list of instructions to the young leader, Timothy, which includes not showing favoritism. Any needed discipline or rebuke towards others in the church must be administered without regard to Timothy’s personal inclinations or favoritism. Likewise, leadership in the church today must be handled with maturity, faithfulness, godliness, and lack of…
Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.’ Philippians 4:21-23 (NIV). Paul, while awaiting trial in Rome, writes to the church in Philippi sending his greetings and those of the Roman Christians. The gospel had spread to all strata of society, linking people who had no other bond but Christ. The Roman Christians and the Philippian Christians were brothers and sisters because of their unity in Christ alone.…
‘On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.’ Acts 8:1,4. (NIV). Persecution pushed the believers out of their homes, out of Jerusalem, and along with them went the gospel. This great movement fulfilled Jesus’ command given to the disciples in Acts 1:8, ‘you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ Persecution helped spread the gospel. Though the believers experienced great personal…
‘The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.’ 2 Chronicles 34:31 (NIV). When Josiah read all that was in the book that Hilkiah, the priest had discovered, he behaved with enthusiasm. Josiah responded with repentance and humility and determined to follow God’s commands wholeheartedly. This book is not simply a collection of words from God. This book is life-changing and…
‘I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.’ Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV). Stone watchtowers were built on city walls or ramparts so that watchmen could see people approaching their city while still at a distance. Watchmen were guards who prepared the city for what was to come. Habakkuk saw himself as a watchman who wanted to be in the best position to receive God’s message. We too ought to be watchmen and women listening, watching and…
‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.’ Revelation 3:19 (ESV) We’re called to be on fire for God, to be passionate followers of Christ, and to intentional in how we live for Him. But it’s not always easy. Our faith can be pushed to the background, we can lose our motivation to seek God and we can become weighted down by things we have to face in life. Seven churches are mentioned at the beginning of Revelation, the seventh being Laodicea. This church was told, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold…
‘When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out.’ Exodus 34:33-34 (NIV) When Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, his face glowed from being in God’s presence. Moses had to put on a veil to keep the people from being terrified by the brightness of his face. This veil also had a symbolic meaning. The…
‘If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you.’ Proverbs 25:21-22 (NIV). The world’s way of retaliation looks very different to this doesn’t it? Yet this is how Jesus taught us to behave towards those who do us wrong. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said, ‘But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.’ By telling us not to…
‘But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.’ Daniel 1:8 (NIV). Resolve is one of those words we don’t use much anymore. Those who resolve to do something are devoted to a particular principle or committed to a course of action. Those who are resolved are self-disciplined and are able to govern their own emotions, thoughts and actions. Such people are admirable, courageous, but rare. When Daniel resolved not to defile himself, he was being true to a lifelong determination to…
‘You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ 1 Peter 2:5 (NIV). To be identified as Christ’s living stones means that we are in union with Him and share His nature. The divine nature of the Living Stone Himself. As living stones, we have the breath and power of the Spirit dwelling within us. The same spirit that gave life to Christ’s body in the tomb and rose Him in power to life again. It is this same Spirit pulsating through us…
‘Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”’ Genesis 22:2 (NIV). We cannot even begin to imagine how painful this command by God to Abraham was. But God did not ask Abraham to do this because He delighted in watching both father and son suffer. God planned to entrust Abraham with much in the years to come so He needed a man who would be devoted to Him first and foremost.…
‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Philippians 4:6 (NIV). Our concerns can seem to pull us in all different directions so that filled with worry and anxiety, we feel as if we are coming apart at the seams. Yet Paul tells us to ‘not be anxious about anything.’ That almost seems impossible, doesn’t it? But if we choose to turn our anxieties into prayer, it is not. Do we find ourselves worrying too much? Well then, pray more! But not the type of prayer where we…
‘The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.’ Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV). Watching the nimble feet of a deer dance over the rocky heights is an amazing sight. We are awed at their surefootedness even on the most precarious rocky ascents and the most dangerous cliff edges. They spring with an agility that reminds us that the mountain deer was made for this treacherous terrain. When we have the Lord as our strength, He enables us to have surefooted confidence through troubled times. We too…
They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.’ Acts 20:37-38 (NIV). Paul had devoted himself to these believers in Ephesus. Together, they had built strong, loving friendships. Theirs was a wonderful example of life sustaining Christian fellowship. Paul had cared for them and loved them, prayed and cried over their needs. In return, the believers had responded with love and care for him. They had prayed and brought comfort to Paul throughout his trials. And at…
‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.’ 1 John 3:1 (NIV). How great is the Father’s love for us; a love beyond all comprehension and reason. Why should God love those who are so unworthy, so unlovable, so full of sin? God’s love for humankind is incomprehensible, yet unquestionable. If we ever doubt God’s love for us, remember what Jesus did so that He could claim us…
‘O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.’ 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV). Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were in trouble. The Moabites and Ammonites had come to make war against them; an entire vast army was closing in. The people had fasted and now come to seek help from the Lord, for there was nowhere else to turn. Even as the enemy bore down upon them, the people turned their eyes upon…
‘But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.’ Judges 4:21 (NIV). Because women of this time were in charge of pitching the tents, Jael had no problem driving a tent peg into Sisera’s head while he slept. By using the resources that Jael had a hand, she had the honor of defeating the enemy and bringing glory to God. It takes courage and initiative to use what we have been given to…
The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord upon me.’ Ezekiel 3:14 (NIV). Ezekiel had been given the words to speak to the people of God and now it was time to deliver the message. But Ezekiel was not particularly happy about this. He had the difficult job of prophesying among his people, who cared little about God’s messages. The people had not listened to other prophets; it was hardly likely they would listen to him. Yet, despite his…
‘When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” Matthew 27:3-4 (NIV). Sometimes regret comes too late. Judas, on discovering that Jesus had been sentenced to death, was filled with remorse. He carried the guilt of realizing that he had betrayed an innocent man. He flung the silver coins at the feet of the priests, but they felt no shame. They had their man; regret was Judas’ problem, not…
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?’ 1 Kings 3:9 (NIV). When God asked Solomon what he wanted, Solomon gave what we might think of as a surprising answer. Out of everything he could have wanted, he asked for the gift of wisdom. Solomon recognized the value of wisdom. We all need wisdom. From decision-making to solving conflicts, we need to be able to make wise choices. And discernment fits in with this. Being able to discern between…
‘Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.’ 1 John 2: 7 (NIV). The commandment to love others is both old and new. Old because it comes from Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament which says, ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.’ It is new because Jesus interpreted this commandment in a radical new way when He said in John 13:…
