Month: October 2018

October 1, Reading 1 – 2 Kings 1

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Miracles cluster around Elijah as around Moses and Jesus. Elijah calls Israel to return to the covenant. His message is that of John the Baptist – repent and produce fruit in keeping with repentance! His ministry is a pivotal one too. What struck you as you read this history?

SJA Notes

* Dear Lord God, we love You for You have heard our voice, our pleas for mercy. You have inclined Your ear to us, and so we will call on You as long as we live!

“O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight.”

As the captain of the fift6y, the third set of men who had approached the prophet – As he cried to Elijah it is clear that he did so with great exclamation and fear!

So for us, this is to be our attitude when we come before the Lord in repentance and belief.

Have mercy on me, a sinner!

And how good it is that YES! In Jesus our lives _are_ precious in the sight of the Almighty God.

Hallelujah, what a wonderful Saviour!

* God Above,

Wonderful, counsellor, mighty God – May Your Name be praised.

Thank You that You count our lives as precious in Your sight. Lambs rescued by the Good Shepherd. Hearts healed by the Great Physician.

Thank You for the life we have in You.

Amen.

October 1, Reading 2 – Jeremiah 34

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

BE FAITHFUL! This is what God requires of us. The third commandment – Take not the Name of God in vain! – is about keeping your word as a Christian. Every promise involves God’s Name, even if it is never actually mentioned. God held His people accountable for their pledged word.

SJA Notes

* God Above, please refine us today as through the fire, Your word being written on our hearts.

” … but then you turned around and profaned my name …”

We often want to be “better” christians. Better at doing what we should, better at serving and ministry, better at our jobs and better with our families.

Even when our heart-religion is true, even when we rest in Jesus and His sacrifice, His atonement – Even then we can return to our sin like a pig returns to the mud, like a dog to vomit.

As with Israel so with us.

Israel covenanted to free their slaves, then went back on the covenant, breaking it.

This covenant was a big call, great change and sacrifice on a personal and a city-wide scale.

And God’s people decided it was all too hard.

Sometimes we can feel that it is all too hard, too much pressure, too big a problem.

This passage should convict us, turn the mirror of God’s word on our own motives, our decision-making, our choices – What is our word worth? What are our promises?

This is what God’s word tells us is the life of His people. This is working out our faith in fear and trembling.

To REMEMBER THE LORD. To BRING HIM GLORY. To SHOW JESUS TO THE WORLD.

* Gracious Father,

Thank You for making a covenant of love with us, and that in Jesus You keep both sides of that covenant.

Please help us reflect You in our own promises, our own covenants. To be faithful as You are faithful, steadfast and true as You our God is.

Amen.

October 1, Reading 3 – Hebrews 5:11-6:20

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Faith and patience together lead us to the inheritance Christ has won for us. Faith does not give up either through despair or through apathy. Your hope in Christ is the anchor for your soul to keep you moored in God’s very presence. He is closer to you than you may think.

SJA Notes

* Holy God of Light and Love, thank You for Jesus, Your word become flesh. Please feed us with the bread of life today.

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

The writer points us to some deep and important truths.

You don’t start on solid food, you mature into it.

And the training that brings discernment is not one-off but ongoing and consistent.

Maturity is this discernment, and so we can say that spiritual maturity is nothing we reach and then forget about.

So. What then is this “constant practice” of learning discernment?

What helps us understand the truth of the world around us?

What helps us see the reality of who we are, the depths of our sin, our need for salvation?

What helps us see who God is, the depths of His forgiveness, His saving grace and mercy?

What points us to Jesus, who shows us what true discernment looks like?

God’s word!

Chapter four of Hebrews tells us clearly,

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

How do we have our powers of discernment trained by constant practice?

We read and dwell on and wrestle with God’s word. Each day.

We pray that God would write His word on our hearts. Each day.

This is our regular day-by-day practice.

* God Above,

Thank You for Your word.

Please help us grow in our spiritual maturity.

Amen.