TEXT: ‘“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned toward him. “Master!” she exclaimed’ (John 20:16 TLB) THOUGHT: The previous Today’s Teaching theme was “Jesus is Greater!” We see the truth of this in the life of Mary Magdalene. What a wonderful Jesus we have, so loving and caring. Her Demons – ‘Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons’ (Luke 8:2) Mary had seven demons. What they were, how they had affected her and for how long she had had them is not known. The Bible does make clear that demons are unclean, destructive and create untold misery to those they possess. Life is never pleasant when they are around. Most people feel powerless to overcome a demon but not Jesus! Her Deliverance What Mary had suffered from for years, Jesus delivered her from in a second! The Bible has many accounts of people in pain and misery for years, even from birth, yet Jesus was able to set them free in no time at all. How? ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil’ (Acts 10:38). As Jesus is the same, yesterday and today and for ever, what He did...
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TEXT: ‘I tell you that Someone greater than the house of God is here’ (Matthew 12:6 NLV) THOUGHT: When using the questionnaire in personal evangelism, one question I ask is, “What do you believe about Jesus?” Suggested responses include, “That He did not exist; was just an ordinary man; a prophet or messenger from God; or the Son of God?” It is a tragedy when people reduce the One who is the Son of God to a mere human and on parity with other men, particularly the founders of other faiths. Although Jesus was perfectly human, He was at the same time divine, God in a human body. He is greater and fully demands our respect and love. Greater by comparison Jesus was asked two similar questions. “Are you greater than our father Jacob?”1 and “Are you greater than our father Abraham?”2 Jacob had dug a well that was still providing water thousands of years later, whereas Abraham had founded the nation of Israel. Jesus replied that He was greater than Jacob because He could supply living water that satisfies the thirst people have for God, as the Psalmist wrote, ‘My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God’ (Psalm 42:2). Equally, Jesus is greater than Abraham because He...
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TEXT: ‘One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes’ (Luke 18:1 TLB) THOUGHT: Prayer is a subject so few really know about, particularly if they are of the opinion there is no God. While Proverbs teaches, ‘Only a fool would say to himself, “There is no God”’ (Psalm 53:1 TLB), in a time of crisis it is amazing how many start to call on God for help. Something inside urges them to do it. Jesus said, “I want people to pray and not lose heart.” Be careful not to be overcome when praying When are we likely to lose heart and give up praying? When the need appears to be too great, even for God The sheer scale of infections and deaths daily increasing can cause us to think it’s impossible. God reminded Jeremiah, ‘I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27 NLT). When God does not keep to our timetable We think God is too late as Martha said concerning the death of Lazarus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died’...
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TEXT: ‘O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!’ – Psalm 42:11 TLB THOUGHT: In the previous Today’s Teaching we studied “Overcoming Fear”, something that abounds in the hearts of many, not just due to the Coronavirus, but also other life problems we encounter. Following hard on the heels of fear, can come depression, a common complaint even in the midst of a wealthy nation such as Britain. Prescriptions of antidepressants have soared in recent years. Over 70 million were issued during 2018 in England alone, nearly double the figure for 2008. Perhaps some of the cause for this increase is slick and relentless advertising that implies your life is not worth as much unless you have the latest car, gadget, phone, clothes or accessories. I am seeing this in Africa where they are striving to have what they see is readily available in the affluent nations of the world. Our text reveals that David was trying to conquer depression, caused by an ongoing situation that he was struggling to cope with. What can we learn from...
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TEXT: ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You’ – Psalm 56:3 THOUGHT: Fear is the driving force of many businesses particularly insurance, whether it’s for the car, house, pets, holidays or personal health. We want to be covered when something happens we do not expect. The Coronavirus is a worrying time for most people and certainly something that no one was able to predict or plan for. The uncertainty of life encourages fear – ‘The hearts of men will give up because of being afraid of what is coming on the earth’ – Luke 21:26 NLV. How quickly someone can go from prosperity to bankruptcy as the new restrictions to combat the Coronavirus take effect. Businesses looking forward to a successful trading year only a few weeks ago now wonder if they can survive. When a business closes the knock-on effect is much greater. The Bible says, ‘Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment’ – 1 Timothy 6:17 NLT. Many churches struggle financially so it is important that its members are faithful to maintain their...
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