Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [191] Keep holy the Sabbath Day

Today's blog was written by Martin Davids, a member of Manor Park Church 

Keep holy the Sabbath day

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labour and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

What is the Sabbath day?

Growing up I remember all shops being closed on Sunday, the High Street was deserted and if you didn’t have something you’d have to wait until Monday before you could buy it.  This all changed in 1994 when shops were allowed to trade on a Sunday.  Why was this law in place?  Well in large part it can be traced back to the 4^th Commandment – the idea that one day in 7 should be held special to the Lord and a day of rest.  So closely has Sunday come to be associated with the ‘sabbath’ that if I were to ask most people in society when the ‘sabbath’ was they would quickly say ‘Sunday’. Yet for the Jew’s who received this commandment the sabbath was a Saturday.  So why the change? 

After the Resurrection, the first followers of Jesus, who were all law abiding Jews, saw fit to recognise the day Christ rose as the most important day of the week calling it ‘The Lord’s Day’ (kyriakē hēmera). John calls it this in Rev 1:10 and Paul says it was the practise of the early church to gather on the first day of the week (Sunday) to ‘break bread’ (Acts 20:7)  The Didache, a first century ‘manual’ on Christian practice, shows that early Christians linked these together and refers to a gathering of the church on the Lord’s Day to partake of the Lord’s Supper.  

Why did God give us the ‘sabbath’?

God knows that our bodies are frail and weak, He designed them that way.  He also knows that some of us have a tendency to overwork.  Robert Murray McCheyne, a Scottish theologian and pastor, said to a friend as he lay dying at the age of thirty, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.” The horse he referred to was his own body.   There are also others, who unfortunately, would exploit the labour of others (animals are included in the Commandment), working them beyond what their bodies can cope with for any length of time.

It is for both groups, I believe, that God instituted the Sabbath.  For the first group God is, in effect saying, take a day off do not ‘work yourself into the ground’.  The second group is being told to be equitable with your employees and animals – do not over work or misuse them.    

However the Sabbath was never meant to simply be a day to, using modern vernacular, ‘veg out’.  Rather it is to be a day unto the Lord.  We are to use it to remember the Lord and His blessings.  As Christians, following the example established by the early church, it is the day we gather to worship the Lord.   

 

The Sabbath a bind or a benevolence?

This leads on to the next question.  What can I do on the Sabbath?  Now I am aware that many good brothers and sisters hold some very strong opinions on this issue on both sides so I hope to avoid controversy and walk a middle line.  The first guiding principle can be found in the words of Jesus in Mark 2:27 “Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” The Jewish leaders had made so many extra-biblical ‘laws’ that it was a real ‘bind’ on the people with the emphasis on what they could not do.  I believe here, Jesus is rebuking this idea and in effect saying, God gave you this day as a benevolence – a kindness, so that you could relax and enjoy it – not something to cause you more stress and constrain you. 

Our second guiding principle can be found in Romans 14. “⁵One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. ⁶ Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.”  Here the inspired Apostle wants us to learn two things a) Christians can, in good conscience, hold certain days (and by extension the way the observe them) as more important, while others may not; and b) Both can do what they do ‘to the Lord’.

How this is to be lived out is found later in the same chapter 14:10-22.  We are not to judge or condemn a fellow Christian by what they do or do not do in regards to issues where the Lord has given liberty.  Rather we are to build each other up in our faith. What does this look like?  I would suggest that if we were entertaining believers after church and they hold to a stricter view of the Sabbath, do not do anything that may offend them (eg they may frown on TV watching or playing computer games).  Likewise if you hold to a strict view of the Sabbath do not look down on or condemn (gossip) about those who feel they have the liberty to do things you would not.  As Paul tells us in this chapter “¹²So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” And ²² So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 

Summing it up

Having tried to walk the ‘middle line’ I do believe that we as believers should hold Sunday special, however as said above, this is something that each family must decide for themselves. Yet I would make two appeals to you.  Firstly. as far as it depends on us (shift work, illness or pandemic notwithstanding) we should be in church on Sunday ‘not neglecting the gathering together of the saints.’ So we should not regularly schedule sports or other activities at a time when church is ‘on’.  Secondly, I believe that we should spend Sunday morning preparing for church. We are blessed to have good, faithful ministers of the word who have spent a good deal of time preparing to minister the word to us on the Lord’s Day. If professes to take their faith seriously: what preparations are we making to be ready to be ministered to? What a blessing it would be for our pastor if we approached services (virtual and real) prepared and expectant, with an obedient heart and a ready mind! And how much your own soul needs that time after a week of warfare with the world!

Song for the day.

An ever popular song regarding the Lord Day can be found here 

Prayer for the day.

Lord,

We as your people desire to be in Your presence.  We thank you that you have given us a day of rest from out labours and spend time with you, our God and Maker.  Let us use that day wisely, as we can not physically be together allow us not to neglect the things of you and still come together through the means we have.  Give us the grace and understanding when we meet with brother and sisters who hold to different traditions regarding Sunday observance and love and respects them as they do things as unto you.  Prepare our hearts for Sunday services to hear and receive from you, always praying for the time we can all be reunited in person.

We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus

Amen 

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [190] Daily Light

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [189] Give us today our daily bread

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

I wonder what it is you put your trust in for everything you need? Is it your bank account? Is it a family member? Or your job? Or is it God? It should be in God and God alone but if you are anything like me that is not always easy. If we trust in our jobs and back account then we need to remember that both of those are gifts from God in the first place, so when we think of our provision as coming from those places it is still God providing. God is the awesome provider of everything we need. 

 

Philippians 4:19 says “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Do you trust that promise to be true? We need to be careful when we read that promise that we don’t get mixed up between our wants and our needs. God doesn’t promise to provide everything you want but everything you need. 

 

As Jesus taught His disciples to pray through the Lord’s Prayer, He didn’t just come up with a random order. He starts with who God is and then comes the line, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done.’ And only then does he move on to today’s focus: ‘Give us today our daily bread’. If we first pray for God’s will to be done, before asking God to meet our needs, then our will should be aligned with God’s and we will realise the difference between wants and needs. 

 

The other thing to remember, is that Jesus teaches to ask for our daily bread. Throughout my life I have experienced God’s provision for me and my family in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. I sometimes wish that God would provide things a little sooner and earlier, but His timing is perfect and He provides for what we need that day not what we will need in 6 months’ time. If I had it all 6 months in advance, I would no doubt trust to trust in myself rather than God. 

 

So, as we pray this line, we are asking to God to provide everything we need for today and at the same time we are declaring that we trust God, that everything He provides is everything we need. 

 

And let’s not forget…God has already provided for our greatest need through the forgiveness we can receive for our sin. He provided a Saviour in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our daily bread then also includes being spiritually fed by God from His word and being renewed and strengthen in our faith in Him. 

 

 

Prayer for today

 

Loving Heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for your abundant goodness to us, in all the blessings you bestow upon us each day. We thank you for the promise that you will provide for our every need. When we are in need, help us to trust in you to provide. Sorry for when we take for granted all the amazing things you do give to us. 

 

We also thank you for the gift of salvation through your Son, Jesus. We ask today that you will renew and strengthen our trust in you. 

 

In Jesus’ name we pray,

 

Amen

 

 

Song for today

You can listen and sing along here.

 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him all he heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen, Amen, Amen
God we praise You
God we praise You

Praise God for all that he has done
Praise him for he has overcome
The grave is beaten love has won
Praise God our Saviour, Christ the son

Amen Amen Amen
God we praise You

God we praise You

Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [186] Thy Will Be Done

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

Have you ever really wanted to do something or have something, but it did work out? Have you ever planned something and been really excited about it and then it hasn’t happened as you planned? Or have you ever offered something to someone, really hoping deep down that they won't take it after all?  I sometimes like to do this final one with Isaac when he is eating sweets. I ask him for one and then see the anguish on his face as he weighs up the decision of whether to offer me one or not. He often decides to offer me one, but, much to his delight, I usually let him keep it. On the odd occasion that I do take it, he looks so disappointed. He offered but he didn’t really mean it! 

 

In praying this line, ‘May you will be done’, you are putting yourself in line to experience one if not all of these feelings because you are holding out all you plans, ambitions, desires and wishes to God and asking Him to have His way with them. You are saying to God, ‘Use me for your glory as you will.’ It lays aside your will and seeks the will of God for your life. To live like this is exhilarating but daunting at the same time. Exhilarating because God will take you to places you never dreamt of and will bless you in incredible ways but also daunting because it means being out of control of your own life, and fully surrendered to God. 

 

So, what is our motivation for praying like this?

 

Rev 4:11 says, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.” First and foremost, we need to remember that we only exist by and for the will of God. God created us, so as our Creator He is the one who gets to determine our purpose here on earth. Just as a potter determines the use of a piece of clay, so God determines the purpose of each of His children. That may sound like God is a controller and we are simply robots, but we need to remember that only in the will of God is true life, true joy and satisfaction forever found. All the time we seek our own way and follow our own path and desires we are leading a life that leads to destruction and eventual misery. If following God and submitting to His will we have a God who has a perfect plan for our lives and wills us to have eternal life with Him. 

 

In order to pray this line and truly mean it and live lives that express it we need to know in our hearts that God’s will is the only will that is fully for my good and God’s glory forever. If we follow our will it may make us happy for a short time but soon it will leave us disappointed and empty. Only by living in God’s will can I be truly happy and free. 

Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples to pray this way. He also demonstrated it. In the garden of Gethsemane, right before His death, Jesus prays it Himself when He says to the Father ‘Not my will, but Your will be done!’ (Lk 22:42). Jesus submits Himself to the Father’s will in order to earn our freedom. 

Are you willing today to submit your will to God? If you are you will get to enjoy the true freedom and joy that it will bring. 

 

 

 

Song for today

You can listen and sing along here.

 

1. Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

 

2. Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

 

3. Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

 

4. Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.

 

5. Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

 

6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

 

 

Prayer for today

 

Our loving Heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for the gift of faith through which we have salvation in Jesus. Thank you for all your many blessings upon us. We thank you that Jesus was willing to lay aside His will and give up His life for the forgiveness of our sins. 

 

We ask today that we may fully surrender our lives to you and that you will show us your will for our lives. We pray that through the strength of your Spirit we may be diligent and effective servants for you. 

 

In Jesus’ precious name we pray,

 

Amen

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [185] Daily Light

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [184] Do not Take the Name of the Lord in vain

Today's devotional was written by Martin Davids, a member of Manor Park Church 

Do not take the Name of the Lord in vain

 

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:7

 

The third Commandment

As a teacher it somewhat amusing to me when your pupils find out or want to find out your first name.  It is usually couched either as a statement “I know your ‘real’ name.” or as a question “What is your ‘real’ name”.  I find the phrase ‘real name’ quite funny as if my title and surname are not ‘real’ or somehow ‘made up’. When children are privy to the information they can often gather round in groups sharing the ‘secret’ and then one of the braver ones will announce “Your ‘real’ name is…” as if this will also come as a shock to me.  This little ritual has taken place in every classroom in every school I have taught in for 20 years and as harmless and humorous as it is woe betide any child who would be so presumptuous to address me by my first name in a formal classroom setting. 

 

The Name of the Lord?

Now, if that's true on the horizontal level, how much truer it is on the vertical level. As we think of God, his character, his name, that there is to be an appropriate respect and appropriate honour for who he is.  When we talk about the name of the Lord, it's more than a label. It stands for the whole essence of God's being, who he is. All that is represented in the name is all that God is: his nature, his works, his attributes. And we have many names in the Bible that are given of God. He is Elohim. The mighty one. He is El Shaddai. He is the Almighty. He is a God of all power and strength. In Exodus 3:14, as Moses is at the burning bush, he is saying, "Who shall I say to the children of Israel that has sent me to them?" God commands him to tell them 'I AM' has sent you. I AM THAT I AM. I AM, the self-existent, the sovereign God. So it is associated with his nature and with all of his attributes. We might think of the whole panorama of God's attributes, that is all a part of his name.

Taking the Lord’s Name in vain  

I suppose the most obvious way we can take the Lord’s name in vain is to use it casually (the OMG) or worse as a replacement for a swear word.  I am aware of the argument that the command refers only to God’s specific name which is why the Jew’s would not even write it out (using YHWH instead) let alone say it. However, in our Western context when we hear of use the word ‘God’ it is synonomous with the God of the Bible. It is so common place today that we hardly even notice it when we hear it in public.  Most people would not even see it as a problem yet as one evangelist challenged someone “If I were to use your mother’s name as a swear word – would you be offended?” Of course, we would.  Now I am not saying that we can change or police the speech of others but if they knew that we were offended by the Lord’s name being blasphemed they may, at least, not do it around us.  

Dishonouring the Name of the Lord. 

How else can we violate the third Commandment?  When we act in such a way as to bring dishonour to God’s name.  Our conduct should bear out our confession.  As someone once said – If Christianity were to be made illegal tomorrow and your work colleagues and neighbours were brought forward to bring testimony against you – would there be enough evidence to convict you?  Nothing so tarnishes the Name of the Lord as one who claims to be a believer but lives no better than the world.  There are many who are put off (or at least ‘claim’ to be put off) Christianity because of all the ‘religious hypocrites’.  A friend of mine once said that he would never put any Christian symbol on his car; not because he was ashamed of Christ but rather he so honoured His Name that he was fearful should he do something careless in traffic and someone saw his sticker that it would dishonour God’s name.  You may disagree but the point is we should seek to live our lives to as to never besmirch the Name of the Lord.      

Oaths

The third way, and this one may not be so obvious, that we can take God’s name is vain it to use God’s name in taking an oath.  Now I’m not talking about in a court of law (if they still do that); but rather to invoke God’s name so as to back up a promise of a claim.  Jesus said in Matthew 5 ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.  Whole sermons have been preached on these verses but one simple reason we do not invoke God’s name in an oath is, should be fail to keep our promise it is not only our word that is broken, God’s name and your testimony is brought into question.

Summing it up 

We as Christians should hold the name of God in high esteem, not only should it never be used lightly, we should seek to honour God’s name in all we do. 

Song for the day

Can be found here

Jesus is the name we honour;

Jesus is the name we praise.

Majestic Name above all other names,

The highest heaven and earth proclaim

That Jesus is our God.

We will glorify,

We will lift Him high,

We will give Him honour and praise.

We will glorify,

We will lift Him high,

We will give Him honour and praise.

Jesus is the name we worship;

Jesus is the name we trust.

He is the King above all other kings,

Let all creation stand and sing

That Jesus is our God.

Jesus is the Father's splendour;

Jesus is the Father's joy.

He will return to reign in majesty,

And every eye at last shall see

That Jesus is our God.

Prayer for the day.

Our Father in heaven hallowed be your Name,

Let that, Lord, always be our desire.  May we hold the honour of your name so highly that we would never say it in such a way that is blasphemous.  Let our actions be such that we would not bring dishonour to you or your name.  Father, we confess that we do let you down in thought and deed may we be quick to repent and seek that closer communion with you and not be seen to be a hypocrite to a watching world.  Allow our promises to stand without the need of a oath and that we be know as people of our word as we are ambassadors of yours.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen     

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [183] Daily Light

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [182] Thy Kingdom Come!

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

We are onto the third line of the Lord’s Prayer today which is ‘Thy kingdom come’. If we are asking for God’s kingdom to come, what is His kingdom? The kingdom of God is the place in which God rules and reigns, so it is both in the heart of believers but also in the world as a whole.

 

God’s kingdom coming in the life of believers

Let’s look first at the implications for believers in saying this. It is the first request that Jesus teaches us to make in prayer and it is a request that should be a central desire of all Christian’s.  As we ask for God’s kingdom to come in our lives, we are once again submitting ourselves to God. When a kingdom comes it comes with a ruler and a king. God is the king and the ruler of His kingdom so in asking for God’s kingdom to come we are welcoming God as our king and ruler. This line of the Lord’s Prayer realigns our will with God’s will as it asks for God to once again become ruler and king of our lives, our whole lives. As we do this, we need to be aware that God’s Kingdom may not always coincide with what we have in mind! "God's ways are not our ways; God's thoughts are not our thoughts.” That means that we have to give up the place of ruler of our own lives and submit to the rule of God. At times that will mean that what we thought we wanted isn't what we will get since God is in control and that is ok. It can even go as far as God turning our thoughts on their head. We may end up doing the opposite of what we planned. Asking God’s kingdom to come in your life means handing over the reigns fully. Have you done that?

 

Gods kingdom coming in the world

God is also the ruler of the entire universe and so as this line is prayed we are also saying “set the world right." This world is far from the way in which God created it to be and there is evil and injustice everywhere. There is a kingdom of darkness which was never intended and vast numbers of people who are not in God’s kingdom. As we ask for God’s kingdom to come, we are asking that evil will be banished and that people will come to a saving knowledge of who Jesus is. Jesus teaches us to pray in this way because He wants us as His followers to act for justice, to get to the core of the causes of poverty and addiction and be moved to do something about them. Jesus would tell us to talk more about peace and less about war. We should be longing to see the world return to the way and order in which God created it and therefore doing all we can to move the world in that direction. 

 

Today do you long for God’s kingdom to come? Both in your heart and in the world? Do you earnestly pray, ‘Come Lord Jesus’ and mean it? 

 

 

Prayer for today

 

Why not today pray ‘May your kingdom come more and more in my heart and my desires and use me to bring your kingdom to the world around me’. Ask God to show you where you can reach out to others to display the kingdom of God in this world. 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for another new day where we can come before you and worship you for who you are. Thank you that you are the awesome creator God who loves us so much. Thank you for all you do in our lives and we ask that daily you will be transforming us more and more into the image of your Son. 

 

Father, we pray today that your kingdom will come in to our hearts afresh, may we fully surrender the rule and reign of our lives to you and follow where you lead. We ask that you will use us to bring your kingdom here on earth. 

 

We pray all this in Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

 

Song for today

You can listen and sing along here

 

Great is the darkness
That covers the earth
Oppression, injustice and pain
Nations are slipping
In hopeless despair
Though many have come in Your name
Watching while sanity dies
Touched by the madness and lies

Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus
Pour out Your spirit we pray
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus
Pour out Your spirit on us today

May now Your church rise
With power and love
This glorious gospel proclaim
In every nation
Salvation will come
To those who believe in Your name
Help us bring light to this world
That we might speed Your return

Great celebrations
On that final day
When out of the heavens You come
Darkness will vanish
All sorrow will end
And rulers will bow at Your throne
Our great commission complete
Then face to face we shall meet

Photo by nega on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [181] Hallowed be your name

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

Often when I come to God in prayer, I end up speaking to God about who I am, how I’m feeling or what I want…at least that is how I often too easily begin. But this second line of the Lord’s Prayer rearranges my priorities. It immediately takes my eyes off myself and brings my focus back to God. 

 

To hallow means to make holy or to set apart. So, in saying ‘hallowed be thy name’ we are acknowledging that God is God! That He is totally and utterly holy – far higher and greater than anything we can fathom or imagine. He is set apart from the things of this world. He is infinitely greater than any other power or authority known to man. 

 

So, as we begin our pray in this way and use this line as a model for our own prayer what we are saying is:

 

May your name be glorified and honoured – it removes our focus from ourselves and our needs and reminds us who we are praying to. It acknowledges that we are talking to the awesome, powerful, creator God. It also reminds us that our greatest purpose here on earth is to bring glory and honour to God - not ourselves - through our lives. We are God’s ambassadors here on earth, and our purpose is to display Him to the world.

 

May your name be high and lifted up (Isaiah 57:15)— It helps us to acknowledge that we so often become inward looking and focused on ourselves when in fact we need to lift high the name of Jesus in our heart and mind and soul. Recognising we are talking to the Holy God focuses our eyes back on Him.

May your name be treasured and loved and cherished above all else – in remembering who we are talking to it also helps us to bring context to our situation and reorder the priorities within our lives. So often mole hills can seem like mountains because we have lost perspective. Reminding ourselves who God is can help to once again throw off the things of this world that so easily take our attention. 

May my life bring glory to your name – it's a focus that should be over our whole lives, in our words, our relationships, our work, our everything. Through acknowledging God as the holy, set apart God who loves us enough to send His one and only Son to die for us, it reignites our desire to live set apart lives for Him through the strength He gives us by His Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:9 teaches us that as we live set apart lives here on earth we point and shine a light towards God who we are seeking to become more like. God desires humans to be partners with Him in not only making His name holy but the whole of His creation.

 

 

Prayer for today

 

Loving and gracious heavenly Father,

 

We thank you that as the awesome, powerful creator God you stepped down into this world and took on flesh to win us back. Thank you that you have given us the faith to believe and trust in you. 

 

We pray today that, through the power of your Holy Spirit, you will help us to live set apart lives for your glory and honour. In everything we do may we shine the light of Christ into this world. We thank you that you desire to use us and have prepared good works for us to do. May we be diligent servants in all we do. 

 

In Jesus’ precious name we pray,

 

Amen

 

Song for today - You can listen and sing along here.

 

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

 

And together we sing

 

Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [180] Daily Light

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [179] Idolatry

                                     

Today's devotional is written by Martin Davids, a member of Manor Park Church

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The second Commandment

In 1964 an American judge was to define a certain term in regards to a case he was trying.  To which he replied “I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it.”  I wonder to what extent we can say that about idolatry?  Yet idolatry is a sneaky little sin, we can see easily see it in others but find it had to identify when we are doing it.

What is idolatry?    

When most of us think of idolatry I’m sure that the first image that pops into minds is of some heathen tribe bowing down before a carved statue, rocking back and forth and mumbling strange words.  In the context of Exodus 20 that would have indeed been the prevailing expression of idolatry.  Yet this expression of idolatry began far earlier in the heart.  It is the exact reverse of Genesis 1, rather than God creating man in his image the idolater has created a god is his image.

This is not something exclusive to ancient pagans, in fact I would argue it is the prevailing religion of modern man.  I will never forget explaining to Gospel to a work colleague who said they believed in God and even said the Lord’s prayer before going to sleep.  However when confronted with the reality of the Gospel – sin and the need to repent and fly to the Saviour they immediately became annoyed claiming that God would never punish anyone.  You see they had constructed a mental idol – a ‘grandfather-in-the-sky’ god who was only ever benevolent and simply ‘winked’ at sin.  Evangelist, Ray Comfort who I mentioned in a previous blog when confronted with the ‘religious’ but lost person who said “My god would never send anyone to hell.” He replied “You’re right your god never would; that is because your god doesn’t exist, it’s an idol.”

How else can idolatry happen?   

John Calvin said "the human heart is a perpetual idol factory".  Modern mankind scoffs at the idea of carved idols yet is no less idolatrous.  Our idols today do not take the form of ‘gods’, rather modern man worships other man made objects, cars, houses, football teams, film/music stars.  We have become so brazen as to not even hide the fact – I’m sure you have all heard of American Idol based on the UK series Pop Idol.  

Unfortunately this form of idolatry is not limited to non-Christians and I’m sure if we examine our heart we have all been guilty of it at some time or another.  When we put anything ahead of God and make that the object of our affections such that it is all we think about we have created an idol.  These could be our jobs, our education and even our families.  When things are going well in these areas we are elated but the moment something goes wrong with our idol (We don’t get that promotion, we flunk an exam, we fall out with a family member) we are down and nothing can lift our spirit.  And that is the problem, idols will always let us down and God has a way of tearing them away from us so that we can return to the pure worship of Him alone.    

Serving the true God the wrong way.

Another way we can violate the second Commandment is attempting to worship the true God but in such a way that either dishonours Him or that he has not commanded.  If you read Exodus 32 carefully you will notice that Aaron upon making the golden calf said  “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” ⁵ Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.”  Though Aaron believed that he was making a true image of the LORD this was clearly an idol and something that angered God as he had not approved it. 

God takes His worship very seriously and has prescribed way in which it should be done and we are not at liberty to do it any way we please – just ask Nadab and Abihu who offered ‘strange fire’ before the Lord in Leviticus 10.  I am grieved when I hear of some of the ‘goings on’ in some so-called ‘Christian’ churches from the wacky to the downright blasphemous.  They should be thankful that God is gracious but he will not be mocked. 

Summing it up

Idolatry is so serious and so easily fallen into that the Apostle John had to write “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” This is an admonition that we have to adhere to every day.  I’m sure that none of us are in danger of making a carved or metal statue, lighting candles and incense and praying before it yet it is the more subtle idolatry that can trip us up.  God has given us many wonderful things to enjoy and those include cars, jobs, families, sports and hobbies.  Let us enjoy them as God has intended and not make them an idol that detracts from the worship of God or displaces Him from our hearts.  If we do, then do not be surprised if God tears them away from us, not because he hates us but rather because he loves us and knows that pure satisfaction and pleasure can only be found in Him.  

Prayer for the day

Our Loving Heavenly Father,

We confess that far too often our hearts are full of idolatry and not fully committed to you.  We ask that you will take away every idol from our minds and our affections and turn our devotion fully to you.  Allow us to commit you as you really are and take delight in all that you have revealed to us about yourself.  We confess that in our own strength we would not be able to do this so we plead the aid of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of your Son every day.

In Christ name and by His blood we pray.

Amen.  

Song for the day

As I was writing this one verse kept playing in my mind;

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me tear if from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

That is why this song is the song for the day.  A familiar song with a modern tune can found here

O for a closer walk with God,

A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

Where is the blessèdness I knew
When I first saw the Lord?
Where is that soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?

O Fire of God, come burn in me
Renew a holy passion
Till Christ my deepest longing be
My never-failing fountain
My never-failing fountain

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,
How sweet the memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill!

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me tear if from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [178] Daily Light

 

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [177] Our Father in Heaven

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge.

Prayer is talking to God. It's a conversation. So, like at the beginning of any conversation, we start by saying hello to the person we are talking to. It’s fairly unsurprising then that the first line of the Lord’s Prayer is ‘Our Father who art in Heaven’. 

 

Those first two words ‘Our Father’ hold a huge amount of significance. In the Hebrew language there are many different words for Father, and each conveys a different meaning. Some are very, others far more relaxed. The word Jesus uses here is most certainly at the relaxed end of the spectrum. In fact, it is the same word as a child would use for their dad. It literally means ‘Daddy’. At the time, to even call God by his formal name would have been shocking so to use such an endearing and personal name for God would have been unthinkable! Jesus, through using the name ‘Daddy’, is conveying to us that we have a heavenly Father who cares about us, who loves us with a kind of compassion that only the greatest father we can possibly imagine would have for a child. It gives us the image of a child running to the door and shouting ‘Daddy!’ when their dad comes home, wanting to be picked up and given their dad’s undivided attention. That is the kind of Father we have. 

 

So, from the first two words we see that we have a loving, personal, caring Father. But, he isn’t just any father. He is ‘in heaven’! 

 

Why does Jesus tell us to remember where our Father is during our prayer? It's because God being in heaven tells us that he is the one who made all things and is in control of all things and over all things. This first line shows us the amazing nature of God who is in charge of all things and who has all the power, and yet we get to call Him, "Daddy." What a terrific, empowering notion that we have access to the God of the universe in such a personal intimate way.

 

So, in this first line we have focused in on who we are talking to. It’s like the address on an envelope. But it's not for God's benefit that we say these words. It's for our own benefit, to remind us of this unbelievable paradox. When we come to God in prayer, we are approaching the Source of everything. He is immortal, infinite, omnipotent. And yet, he is also our Daddy.  He knows us intimately and He loves us unconditionally. What a privilege to be able to draw near to this God each day, confident that he is both able and willing to work all things for our good. Spending time praying to this God, is surely more than worth it. 

 

Song for Today

 

This song captures the amazing truth that our God is simultaneously an almighty Ruler and a compassionate Saviour.  You can listen and sing along here.

 

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creations revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

 

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

 

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

 

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God
You are amazing God

 

Prayer for today

 

Loving heavenly Father,

 

We thank you that you have made yourself know to us through sending your Son into this world to die in our place upon the cross. Thank you that through his death we can have forgiveness for our sins and can enter back into relationship with you, our loving heavenly Father. 

 

We ask that you would teach us to pray as we spend time learning from Jesus through the Lord’s Prayer. May we desire to spend time talking with you in prayer each day and may we come with confidence, knowing that we are your much-loved children. 

 

We pray all this in Jesus’ name,

 

Amen

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [176] The Lord's Prayer

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

Over the next few weeks we are going to work our way through the Lord’s Prayer, taking it slowly, line by line. We all know the Lord’s Prayer. It's a short, simple prayer. Only 72 words in total. You probably learnt it by heart as a kid. It rolls off the tongue with ease. I remember having to say it before lunch every day at my primary school. 

 

The problem is that when you become this familiar with something there is a real danger that it’s meaning and significance are lost. But these 72 words are packed with meaning. Jesus has so much to teach us with them. So, lets slow down and go back to the drawing board. Let’s come and sit at the feet of the greatest Teacher and learn how (or be reminded how) to pray to our Father God.

 

Where do we find the Lord’s prayer?

It is in two of the four gospels, Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-4

 

Why is it there?

Luke helps us to answer this question. Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray, at the request of one of his disciples. The disciples were no strangers to prayer. They would have grown up going to the synagogue and they would have seen Jesus pray numerous times by now. But, there must have been something different, something deeper and more connected to God, about the way Jesus prayed. Perhaps the disciples wanted to emulate that? 

 

We also see in Matthew that one of the reasons Jesus is teaching them about prayer is to warn them against praying like the Pharisees. The Pharisees would publicly pray big, eloquent, impressive prayers so that others would notice them praying and look up to them. But that’s not how prayer should be! When we pray, we are primarily speaking to God not to those around us.

 

Structure of the Lord’s prayer 

I think it’s safe to say that when Jesus taught the disciples this prayer, he didn’t intend if to become an easy-to-recite daily memory verse. Instead, he was giving his disciples a template for prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is not the only way to pray but it teaches us the key components of prayer. The Lord’s prayer begins like any prayer, by acknowledging who we are praying to. It then focusses in on God and worships him, bringing our attention, praise and will back in line with our heavenly Father’s. Once we are then in the right place with God it then moves on to asking God for what we need. It wraps up by acknowledging that all we have asked is for His glory. 

 

A summary of the structure is:

 

Introduction and Greeting (“Our Father, who art in heaven”)

 

Petitions for God: 

1) God’s glory – praise and adoration for who He is(“Hallowed be thy name”)

2) God’s kingdom (“Thy kingdom come”)

3) God’s will (“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”)

 

Petitions for Us:

1) Our needs (“Give us this day, our daily bread”)

2) Our forgiveness (“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”)

3) Our protection (“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”)

 

Closing and Doxology (“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”)

 

I wonder how much this structure reflects your own prayers? It may not be that you cover every section every day, but over time do you prioritise time to all the areas that Jesus includes? Why not reflect on your prayer life and ask God to show you how you can grow. 

 

Song for today:

 

This song reminds us of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. It's a great declaration of what Jesus did for us upon the cross. You can listen and sing along here.

 

Jesus, friend of sinners
Loved me ’ere I knew Him
Drew me with His cords of love
Tightly bound me to Him
’Round my heart still closely twined
The ties that none can sever
For I am His and He is mine
Forever and forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
A crown of thorns You wore for me
Bruised for my transgressions
Pierced for my iniquities
The wrath of God that I deserved
Was poured out on the Innocent
He took my place, my soul to save
Now I am His forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
I love to tell the story
Redeeming love has been my theme
And will be when in glory
Not death nor life nor anything
Can ever separate me
O love that will not let me go
Yes, I am His forever

 

 

Prayer for today:

 

Why not use the Lord’s Prayer as your prayer for today? But don’t just let it roll off your tongue, take time to think about the words as you pray them and ask God to show you afresh the meaning of this great prayer.

 

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name, 
thy kingdom come, 
thy will be done, 
on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our trespasses, 
as we forgive those
who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, 
and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash