TEXT: ‘Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often’ (Luke 2:19 NLT) THOUGHT: Today’s Teaching centres on two questions. Firstly, “What is God saying in the midst of this Coronavirus?” Secondly, “Will the Coronavirus nullify what God has said in the past?” I want to encourage you to do what Mary did. What God said or is now saying, hide it in your heart and think it over. Let it become part of you, for if God has really said it, it will surely come to pass. Learn to accept not reject When Gabriel announced to Mary she would have a baby, her first response was, “How could this happen, since I am a virgin and unmarried?”1 Then she replied, “Let it be to me according to your word.”2 After Jesus was born, excited shepherds arrived at the stable telling everyone about their encounter with angels.3 Mary’s response was to keep these things in her heart. She was hiding God’s word on the inside. When Jesus was twelve years old, He was taken to Jerusalem. Instead of returning with His family, He stayed on. After a frantic three day search, they found Him in the temple talking with the religious teachers.4 Mary did not...
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TEXT: ‘Because you have prayed to Me’ (Isaiah 37:21) THOUGHT: We are now into the fourth week of lockdown, with another two to go at the least. Early Thursday morning I was reading in the Book of Isaiah how King Hezekiah reacted to his lockdown. There are four key things to consider that will help us too. They were shut in Jerusalem was in lockdown due to the invading Assyrian army. It was too dangerous to venture outside the city gates, so the Jews were under siege. Some were better equipped to cope than others, due to wealth, influence or resources. Others were desperate for food. This is true today. Many will come through the Coronavirus crisis virtually unscathed with finances intact. Other than the frustration of a changed lifestyle and of course the thought that they might have been the virus’ next victim, life will quickly return to some sense of normality. For countless others, it is a totally different situation. Their lives are now full of uncertainty, fear and hardship. With a future unknown, life will be anything but normal. Although the enemy had caused the Jews to be shut in, they were not shut off from God. Over them was an open heaven. It was this...
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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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