COME TO JESUS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Contents
- Monday – It’s better to receive, then to give
- Tuesday – Receive the love of Jesus
- Wednesday – Receiving freely leads to giving freely
- Thursday – Let’s keep receiving
- Friday – View God’s mercy so as to keep giving
For links to the message and our blog which contains all of our studies, go to our website,
1. COME TO JESUS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
One of our goals as a church is to spend at least 20 minutes every day in prayer and worship out of the bible. I hope you find this devotional helpful toward that end.
This series, LIFT…
…is different to our usual practice for working through a book of the bible. I felt that, for this season, it would be refreshing to seek God for what He wants to say and to simply share that.
I trust that such an approach will help remind all of us to be prophetic - to listen to what God wants to say as a lifestyle.
These daily studies, likewise, are from my, and other church member’s devotions. I will also include devotionals derived from the various contributions that you share, as a church, in various settings.
MONDAY - IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE THEN (TO) GIVE
Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul quotes the Lord Jesus by saying "it is better to give than receive". Of course, we look to serve as Jesus did and be generous with our time, money and attention. But the fuel for such a Christian life of self-sacrifice is to receive first from Jesus. It might be said that it is better to receive then (to) give
Receive first
The gospel is an announcement of good news that we hear (receive), a gift of eternal life that is given to us, an inheritance we didn't deserve, a new creation as God's children that took no effort on our part. We become Christians by receiving the gospel for the first time, and go on receiving through our lives.
The rest of the studies this week will help unpack some of what it means to receive first (and then to give out of what we receive) but a simple way to receive is to dwell each day on the gospel, in the Bible, and to pray. Another way is to ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you and guide you in everything you do each day, as the strength God provides (rather than your own strength).
RESPONSE
How are you doing at "receiving first"? Do you look to start each day remembering all that God has done for you, and then living in response to the truth of the gospel? Or do you find yourself trying to live your life for God by yourself?
TUESDAY – RECEIVE THE LOVE OF JESUS
Yesterday we saw that we need to receive if we are to give - we must receive all the good that comes to us through Jesus if we are to be able to live the life of love that God wants for us.
Receiving the love of Jesus is not just about knowing truths in themselves, but having the love of Christ penetrate our hearts. Thankfully, Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit to teach us in the deepest part of our being. for example, Paul writes,
‘I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…’ (Ephesians 1: 17-18)
Paul, not only taught the truth of God’s love, but he also prayed for the work of the Spirit - that He would teach things is a deep life-changing way.
RESPONSE
An empty well cannot refresh anyone! Likewise, if you are not receiving the love of God, by the Spirit, you will not be a giver.
I love the story of Zacchaeus who, on experiencing the love of Jesus, declared,
“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8)
Likewise, through the Spirit, we can now meet with the risen Jesus. Jesus, even now, can speak His grace over you. Those who seek to meet and walk with Jesus in such an intimate way will give out of what they receive!
WEDNESDAY – RECEIVING FREELY LEADS TO GIVING FREELY
Matthew 10:7-8 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Through faith in Jesus, we enter the Kingdom of God - We are reconciled to God, He becomes our loving King and we have a great hope that the Kingdom is coming - Jesus is coming again to judge and restore all of creation. The command to ‘heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse..drive out demons’ are signs in the present of what will happen on an international scale at Jesus’ return - amazing! Through the gospel, you and I have ‘freely received’ this great hope. Now, Jesus commands us, ‘Freely you have received; freely give.’
RESPONSE
Firstly, this means to serve and share the gospel freely - not for financial gain. Jesus has freely given so much to us, the were bankrupt and disqualified. As we live in the light of such grace, we will be kept from giving for return. As James writes,
‘My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)
Secondly, only those who have received God’s grace will offer a free salvation to people - Salvation that is founded entirely on the cross of Jesus who died for us.
THURSDAY – LET’S KEEP RECEIVING
Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Just this week I’ve been grieved by a prominent Christian leader who has declared that he in no longer a Christian. This is someone who once ‘received Christ Jesus as Lord’ but has failed to ‘continue in Him, rooted and built up…’. This week we have been meditating on the idea that we need to receive if we are to give. Anyone who falls away from Jesus reveals that they have failed to keep receiving from him.
Continue – We must continue to live in Him. Continue to renew our love and devotion to Jesus each day in prayer and worship.
Rooted – Like the person in Psalm 1, we are to daily put our roots into Jesus. Remembering His grace. Asking for help…
Built–up – Like any building, we will only stand if we are built on Jesus - continue to remember and build our lives on the gospel.
RESPONSE
We need to keep receiving fresh joy in the gospel. Life throws so much discouragement at us; the tide is constantly seeking to pull us away from the truths we have in Jesus.
Our text today ends by encouraging us to ‘overflow with thankfulness’. How are you doing at giving time to thanking God for the riches that you have in Jesus?
A sure way of strengthening your soul against the onslaught of the enemy is thankfulness. In light of what you have received, let’s give our praise and worship.
FRIDAY – VIEW GOD’S MERCY SO AS TO KEEP GIVING
Roman 12:1-2, 12-13 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will….Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Seeing God’s mercy - receiving His love afresh - gives us the pattern that our lives are to conform to. The world offers us many patterns to live by, but the gospel is the Christian’s mould. Put simply, Jesus’ death for sinners, is our manifesto. Receiving the love of God leads us to many things as we read in verses 12-13, but I want to particularly focus on generosity to our brothers and sisters who are in need, and hospitality. It’s only as we continue to receive the love of God, that we will be able to be generous in these two things.
RESPONSE
Let’s be Generous to the church
Generosity for those in need begins with the family of God (See 6:9-10; Acts 6:1-4; John 10:34-35). The way that we love one another is to be a light to the world around us. In light of Jesus’ mercy to you, how are you being generous in friendship, serving, giving…?
Let’s practice hospitality
Hospitality is the opening of our homes to others, particularly strangers. How are you doing in opening your life to others - particularly to those beyond your family and friends?
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