Daily Digest

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

As Ananias left the place he was in and walked towards Straight Street, he would no doubt have looked liked anybody else going about their business. But I’m sure that in spite of God’s encouragement, Ananias’ heart was beating fast, his mouth dry, and his palms sweaty as he arrived at Judas’ house and asked for a man from Tarsus named Saul. Quite probably every fibre of his being was telling him to run! 

How amazing then that the first thing Ananias does is to place his hands on Saul, and the first two words he says to this man who has been murdering followers of Jesus are, ‘Brother Saul.’ Ananias calls Saul by name, and he calls him brother. Ananias chooses to draw near, in obedience to God, when every natural instinct would be to run away. 

I love that in his obedience, Ananias represents God, reaching out and drawing near even as we are at our worst. God, help me to be courageously obedient, and I trust that as I do so you will be gloriously on display. Amen. 

Written by Ps. Bethany Waugh 

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Footnotes:

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

For the people who were followers of Christ, they were living in unprecedented times. Acts chapter 8 starts with there being so much persecution against Christians that they had to scatter to preserve their lives. 

With the world in the state that it’s in now, the church is again unable to gather together in the way we are used to, but we will be flexible and dynamic! More than ever, there is such a need for me to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit to know who I need to be “walking along beside” as Philip did in this passage. 

The person I am to walk beside may be a person of great wealth who needs help interpreting what they see and read, like the Ethiopian in this story. Or they may be someone who just needs some practical help in life, or someone to pray with. 

Lord, thank you that You have put some people on my heart this morning that I need to find new ways to walk beside in these unprecedented times. 

Written by Ps Justin Ware

1) A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. 2) Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.

We have a lovely garden however it requires work, we prune, fertilise, remove weeds, etc.  The Bible is all about “bearing fruit”.  Godly men and women are growing a tree that bears life-giving fruit, and all who win souls are wise. Prov 11:30 (TLB)

God is not happy with fruitless trees or diseased trees.  We need to examine the fruit of our lives:  if we are critical, negative, complaining, envious, selfish, or bad tempered.  This is not the fruit of the Spirit at work.

God’s fruit is divine love, overflowing joy, enduring peace, virtuous patience, kindness in action, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, strength of spirit and self-control.

Galatians 5 v 13 – “Freedom means that we become so completely free of self-indulgence that we become servants of one another, expressing love in all we do”.

For us to bear fruit we need more water (His Presence) and we need to change the fertiliser (God word)

I grew up always comparing myself to others.  How did I change this?

·         I asked God to change my heart – help me see people as Jesus sees them.

·         Get an attitude of gratitude – so many things to be thankful for.  I begin my day and prayer time thanking God.

·         I got a new set of glasses – see people the way Jesus does.  Asking God to bless others, even my “enemies”.

·         I stopped comparing myself to others.  I became happy with who I was.

Dear Lord, help me to bring your love and grace to others.  Help my where I am bitter or envious to see people as you see them.  I have not journeyed their road.  Help me to become the person you want me to be, not comparing myself to others but running the race you have set before me

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

1) Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do.” 2) My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance.

Each moment is a gift from God, and that makes every moment weighty, valuable beyond belief! Not only is it valuable, but I am accountable to God for how I live this gift. But Jesus calls me not to a life lived under a burden of this weight. Quite the opposite, Jesus says His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). I believe that I can live a life full of responsibility and meaning and live a life that is light and freeing. To live healthily in that tension I must have a sense of my smallness and God’s bigness. I must understand that ‘it is not all about me’. Yet I must understand that I am full of responsibility, because God has given me His Spirit in order that I might do good with everything that He has given me. The blessing is that I am not relying on my own ideas for what is good, but on God’s. I am not trying to leave a legacy with the life I live but rather pointing to the legacy Jesus has already left.

Dear Lord, thank you for the precious gift of life you have poured into me. Let each day be a decision to lay this gift before you, so that my life would count for what truly matters.

Written by Andrew Mellor

1) Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them. 2) Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message!

The verses today are quite powerful to think on. We have the testimony of God in us. How often do I think of my story as not that impressive, or not enough, or not particularly exciting or inspiring. How much have I missed the truth of 1 John 5:10. I don’t just have any story to tell. I have the testimony of God Himself to tell the world around me. And I have that testimony at work in me.

This connects so strongly to 1 Thessalonians 1:8 in The Message. As I embrace the testimony of God in me, and at work in me, I surely become the message of God to my world. I carry the most impressive, the most full and complete, the most exciting and inspiring story that I could ever carry in me. The testimony of God Himself. The testimony of God, becoming in me, and being declared through me. In my heart, in my words, and in my deeds.

Oh God, may you cause your testimony to dwell even more richly, and deeply, in me. May the fruit of this rich dwelling in me be the transformation of my heart and mind, and the easy and free telling of the testimony of God to the hungry and needy world around me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh

1) It is true that we are weak in Christ, but for you we will be alive in Christ by God’s power. 2) I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.”

It is counter-cultural to think that we are not meant to show ourselves in the very best light. People ‘tweak’ their CV’s to make things look possibly better than they are, we hide our weaknesses and showcase our strengths, we applaud confidence and good self image. Yet in Christ, in ministry we are called to service and obedience – not a life trying to impress the Boss. We have to separate ourselves from thinking like the world. If we are to live honestly in Christ, then the ministry we are called to may be only part of a plan – just as Paul planted the seed, Apollo watered but God grew it in the early church.

So many times I have felt called to do things in my faith, I felt I was not ‘strong’ enough to do (insert faith filled/bible verse savvy/prayer warrior etc.). The beauty is I don’t have to be any or all of these things. My weaknesses require me to be honest, open and willing before God. He will do the rest. And the strength of this will be the testimony of God at work because I know it isn’t me. We are all called to play our own unique part – a part that God has for us, not one we create for ourselves.

Heavenly Father thank you for the life you have chosen for me. Help me to be honest about my strengths and weaknesses. Use them all for your Glory. I give my self to you. Use me in the name of Jesus. Amen

Written by Christine Knight

1) Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. 2) You can tell what they are by what they do.

James and John have come to Jesus asking for positions of honour in the kingdom of God. The other disciples became angry when they hear about it. (Perhaps they wanted same thing.) So, Jesus corrects their thinking, turning their concept of greatness on its head. He shows the way: the one who truly is the greatest has come to serve and will go even further in giving up his life for us.

I’ve no such ambitions for greatness, but I still fall into wrong thinking.

I have two people in my family who need a lot of help coping with health problems and with issues of life in general. It’s taken lots of my time recently. I’ve found myself thinking that this time is being taken away from more significant things I should be doing for God – that the simple things like cleaning, searching for hearing aids or even just spending time are less significant than “more spiritual things”. God’s had to pull me up. For now, they are my gift. Serving them is not a distraction.

My other wrong thinking has been the flip side of James and John’s mistake. Far from thinking of greatness, I’m struggling with adequacy, with feeling responsible for them. God’s had to remind me that he doesn’t give me jobs to do on my own. He’s doing it with me, and he’s doing the hard bits. The creator or the universe, the saviour of humanity is working in their lives. Whatever he does is greatness. My small part is an honour even when it just feels like hard work.

Jesus doesn’t say to do the job of a servant but to “become a servant”. God’s not fooled if I just act as a servant. I need to pull my heart into line with him, not just my actions.

Written by David Cornell

You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.

Nobody else can be me.The older I get, the more I think how significant this statement is. Over the years I have watched as God has guided my life and crafted a path that fits so well with how uniquely He has made me.

I think when I was younger I was looking for God to use me in some dramatic earth-shattering fashion. And yet as I look back I can see more and more how a simple word here, or a kind act there can make a difference over the long haul.

Perhaps no one thing I do or say will be the definitive moment of my life.  But a daily series of kind actions and thoughtful, empathic words over the course of a lifetime will add up to a life of significance. I don’t have to do it all perfectly. I just have to keep trying and leave the rest up to God.

I’ll finish with a quote: “And yet I decide, every day, to set aside what I can do best and attempt what I do very clumsily–open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride.”
― Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society

Written by Shelley Witt

1) It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. 2) I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.

We are the only creature that God made twice! Can you believe that? How valuable to God must we be? The first time I was made was described beautifully in Ps 139 – “you knit me together – I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The second time I was made (rebuilt) it took the death of His son. How important must my mission be, that God has for me to complete, if it cost Him that much? I need to take a good hard look at the time and effort and cost God expended to build me and then RE-build me! 

I am fully equipped, by God Himself. I am made on purpose – for a purpose. 

I am fitted out for the adventure of a lifetime. 

I just need to begin!

Written by Boudy Van Noppen

1) Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts. 2) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Temptation is nice. That’s the trouble with it! It’s nicer, in the short term at least, than doing what is right. Even the apostle Paul writes: “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Rom 7:19 NLT) and in the NIV translation it translates “This I keep on doing” at the end! 

As I reflect on temptation this morning, I realise that it is a big theological issue for me with very real implications on the way I think about God, sin and my salvation: If I am saved by God and given the power of the Holy Spirit, why do I still struggle with sin in my life?  Surely I should be doing better by now!!

To deal with this tension, I realise my head goes in all sorts of different places:

1) Denial: “When I react that way it isn’t really sin…”

2) Downplay: “Its not that big a problem, its not hurting anyone”

3) Over spiritualise: “Its OK because Jesus covers it”

4) Over naturalise: “This is just who I am, its the way I am made up, I cant help it”

There are probably more, but essentially, I try to justify myself out of sin. The reality is, though, that every time I give into temptation and fall in sin, its a nail in the Cross. Even if the rest of the world was perfect, the only way I can ever be right with God, after the “littlest” sin, is for Jesus to die in my place.

I am thankful that God would send His Son to die for me, and the gravity of His death reminds me that I must constantly strive to live out my purpose; part of which is becoming a conqueror of temptation!

Lord, I praise you for the opportunity to think and reflect this morning on how I need to work on correcting my thinking in regards to temptation and for the fresh energy you have given me to lean into you, and to exercise my will to progressively defeat temptation in my life.

Written by Pastor Justin Ware

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

My purpose in life is in part shaped by the trials and challenges I face. And it’s not just the “Holy” trials or “Big” tests that transform us. All troubles are achieving something for us through God’s intimate attention and transforming power in our lives. That ‘something’ is
eternal and glorious, something that makes troubles them seem insignificant in hindsight. From the discomfort of minor sickness, to the confrontation of persecution, to messy icky personal problems. It is important for mature Christians to reconcile this idea in their own
minds and hearts: all types of opposition to God’s purposes and goodness, all evil, all that is dark and destructive – God will triumphantly use to make good His purposes and to demonstrate his wonderful love for those that are his (see also Romans 8:28). Don’t be
confused, God is not the source of evil. God is not a jerk, creating problems on the one hand and then, ‘abra-ka-dabra’, making something good out of the mess like pulling a coin from behind our ear. Instead, God truly knows all our human struggles personally. Jesus knew (and knows trouble). He knew pain, discomfort, betrayal, boredom, tiredness, irritability, attacks, torture, death! Jesus can empathise with us properly, the big things and the small things. The troubles Jesus faced were momentary and evaporated in the glory of what it all came to be: triumph on the cross and over death – throwing open the salvation door
for the entire universe! And Jesus is God!

Are we comfortable with the knowledge that we will face troubles in our Christian lives? Are we ‘ok’ with the reality that having Jesus in our hearts is not a ticket to easy street? More importantly, are we excited by the prospect that, despite troubles and challenges, we are purposed to be involved in God’s great plans appearing and coming true on earth? This is a bitter-sweet thing. The ache from attacks, hurts, loss, problems and damage in our lives is all too real, and often very hard to ignore or get past. But they are temporary. God will use them, God will convert them into productive forces for shaping the good purpose of our
lives. This purpose is eternal, invaluable and something to be deeply happy about!

Written by Sam Stewart

1) God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. 2) We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies.

God wants us to grow in spiritual maturity. Yes to grow in our knowledge and understanding of Christ but also to actually become more Christlike…..to think like He did, to act like He did, to copy who He was. So how do we practically do that?

We start by making a commitment. By being intentional. We have to want to change and be prepared to keep working towards that, year in and year out. We can expect our growth to be somewhat seasonal with times of good steady progress (often during the challenges in our lives!) and times of slower change but if we remain committed, the trajectory is upwards!

The second step in spiritual growth is to start changing the way we think. As Rick Warren explains in What On Earth Am I Here For, “Change starts first in your mind. The way you think determines the way you feel and the way you feel influences the way you act.” We need to let God transform and renew our thinking (Rom 12:2) so that our attitudes and actions will follow. Our thinking needs to be like that of Christ….focused on others and not on ourselves. Thinking of others first is unnatural but we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us!

Lord, please stir in us the desire to grow in spiritual maturity. Show me an area where I need to stop thinking my way and start to see things your way. Help me to become more Christlike each day, in my thoughts, actions and attitudes. Amen

Written by Jocelyn Petschack

1) You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way. 2) Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony.

God’s purpose for us (individually and corporately) is to belong and flourish in His family the church – forever. To be able to do this we need to protect one another, as we together make up the church. How do we do this? The scriptures today encourage us to make every effort to continue in peace and to let love guide our lives.

As I think about how I can practically bring peace and live a life guided by love I have found myself thinking about the many verses in the bible that teach us what to think on and what to say/not to say. I love these verses. To me they are verses of freedom not rules to abide by. When I follow them I feel settled, full of peace and love comes more easily. I believe these verses are there to help us lead a good life – together, taking care of one another.

This is one of the key “think” verses:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (NIV)

I have memorised this one. I have needed to! I have a brain that loves to engage in critical thinking. And that is a good God given gift when guided but it can be destructive when left unchecked. My thinking affects my speaking and I want to speak about things that are worth talking about, to encourage and to praise. Such positive speaking unites us and protects us as a church.

The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament warns us of the effect of negative talk. It is full of advice on what not to say; do not gossip, stay away from slander, be careful with criticism, and do not cause division.

In the New testament we are told over and over again to speak to one another in love, encourage one another in unity, and help each other to praise.

In Luke 4:22 NIV it says of Jesus that “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.”  We, the church, are God’s people on earth today. Let’s speak well of one another so that those around us may be amazed at what God has done for us and is doing in us even now.

Written by Ps. Zoe Stewart