Month: March 2018

March 13, Reading 1 – Exodus 30:11-38

Reading

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SAA Notes

When reading verses like verse 29, think of what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:16-23. Holiness is not magic. God tells us unequivocally that all aspects of our worship must be holy as He is holy. It is our responsibility to ensure that we treat our worship with special care.

SJA Notes

* Dearest God Above, please help us know You better today from Your word.

“The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives.”

This is a wonderful truth for us, seen very clearly throughout God’s word.

The Lord does not show favouritism or partiality.

We are saved all from the same state – dead in our sins.

And we are sanctified not on the basis of material wealth, intellect or age, but through the Holy Spirit at work (powerfully, regardless of mind or body).

Jesus’ blood, the lamb slain, His atonement is the same for each of His people.

Some of us are not more or less saved than others. We are all of us saved by grace through faith.

And HALLELUJAH for that!

* Father God,

Please write Your word on our hearts today. Please show us what You want for us to know.

Thank You that You save us not on the basis of anything we bring or don’t bring – It is Your sovereign choosing, Your love and mercy and grace.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

March 13, Reading 2 – Psalm 78:32-72

Reading

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SAA Notes

Asaph continues with his potent warnings against party spirit and its divisive tactics. The result was unthinkable – God abandoned His Tabernacle! The New Testament teaching is that our sins nailed Christ to His cross – God abandoned His TABERNACLE! Asaph is calling for this result: Repent and do according to His commands!

SJA Notes

* God Above, please mark us as a people who are faithful as You are faithful.

“Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.”

God did not stir up all His wrath.

Certainly a portion of God’s wrath is displayed, look at the plagues sent upon Egypt. Flies. Locusts. Blood. Hail. DEATH.

But God did not stir up ALL His wrath.

So a question comes then – Will there be a time when _all_ of God’s wrath will be stirred up?

Psalm 75 says,

“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.”

Down to the dregs. That speaks of fullness.

What is this cup?

In Jeremiah 25 we read,

“Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath,'”

This cup, the wine to drink, symbolises God’s wrath.

In Revelation 19 we read,

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”

God’s wrath will be fully stirred up at the return of our King.

But thanks be to God that we, His people, have a great hope.

On the cross at Golgotha, Jesus drank that cup of the wrath of God. He drank it fully and completely for His people, for us, bearing the punishment for sin. So that we no longer have to face God’s wrath at the return of the conquering King.

What a better story we have!

* Mighty God,

Thank You for saving us from Your wrath, the just punishment for our rejection of You, for our sin.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

March 13, Reading 3 – Acts 18:1-22

Reading

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SAA Notes

Providential meetings are a great blessing. Hospitality encourages people like Paul in their ministries, furthers the Gospel in unforseen ways, and cultivates growing strength and blessing in the hospitable. Paul needed encouragement as he faced opposition.

SJA Notes

* God of Light, please teach us of Your mercy and grace today.

“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

Paul was both disciplined (regularity without fail) and courageous (carrying on with the real threat of violence) in going about the work of God’s kingdom.

We see here that Paul worked to reason with both Jews and Greeks. Both the lineage and Abraham and those not of Abraham’s physical descendants.

Paul’s ministry reflected the truth of God’s purpose. God’s promise to Abraham.

That through him all nations of the earth would be blessed.

This is the message of Jesus!

We can have blessing instead of curse, we can be friends with our Maker instead of enemies, we can be freed from the crushing weight of sin and the penalty of judgement for our sin.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Holy God,

Thank You for the witness of Paul as we read here in Acts.

Please help us minister in the same way, showing no partiality, but calling all to repentance and belief in You.

Amen.