DIG for Wednesday the 31st of October…..the gospel passes from generation to generation…..Psalms 145 v 4

I thought about two lovely couples in the Lord when I read this verse the other day. One couple is older (not that much!) than the other and is in a process of discipleship with the “youngsters”.

This is exactly what the bible encourages us “older” believers to do; to declare the mighty works of the Lord and pass them on to a younger generation.

I was spoken over a number of years ago and was told I “would raise up pastors and teachers better than you”; this is great and very exciting.

I want to pass on the goodness of Him to others to keep this “gospel chain” ongoing. I can think of Godly men who did this for me in the past and who are doing this today.

Do you have someone to pass on this great news to, or are you having the news passed down to you?

Whatever stage of your Christian walk this verse is for you; “old” or “young” this verse can speak to you.

Find someone to disciple or find someone to disciple you!

Remember Jesus told us to make disciples and not converts (Matthew 28 v 19).

Speak this out today….”Thank you Lord for more mature believers in my life; help me lead and disciple those less mature than me”.

Psalms 145 v 4…..One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty works

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DIG for Tuesday the 30th of October…..God did not and does not send the storms…..James 1 v 17

I heard a great sermon at church on Sunday from Acts 27; it is very relevant for today after seeing the devastation created by hurricane Sandy across the Atlantic.

Prior to Acts 27 Paul was told by God that he would go to Rome to spread the gospel.

While travelling to Rome storms held him back and thwarted his progress.

Why would God send a storm to stop Paul doing what He told Paul to do?

In the gospels we see Jesus telling His disciples to cross the sea in a boat; they are then almost lost during a storm.

Why would God send a storm to the disciples when they were doing what Jesus asked them to do?

We should intuitively know that God would not send storms in these cases; He also does not send storms against us.

Paul suffered from storms a lot in his life; storms while he was trying to preach the gospel. God did not send the storms to thwart Paul; Paul was going about the business of God.

In the same way God does not send storms (literal or metaphorical) at us today; He can work through the storm, help us and get us out the other side but He is not the agent of the storms.

God is a good God and does not send negative things like storms against us as punishment or judgement. Remember Jesus has taken all this at the cross already!

God did not send hurricane Sandy this last two days and God does not send storms to trouble you in your life.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you are my help in a storm; thank you that you only send good things to me”.

James 1 v 17…..Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning

DIG for Monday the 29th of October…..we are here for each other; comfort and edification…..1 Thessalonians 5 v 11

Sorry that this daily devotional is a bit late today (well, it is late if you are in the UK).

I’ve been having a wonderful time of fellowship with a fellow brother in the Lord this evening. Even though we are 600 miles apart we have been having real fellowship; we have been together tonight.

Fellowship is about being family; being together in the family of Christ.

Fellowship is about comforting one another.

Fellowship is about edifying one another; that means to build up and embolden. We can speak goodness and encouragement into each other and into our lives (Proverbs 18 v 21).

You can be an encourager or receive encouragement today or tomorrow or any day.

Seek out a brother or sister in the Lord and receive encouragement or even better, give them some encouragement. Comfort them and edify them; that is what we are called to do.

Pray this today….”Holy Spirit, show me a brother or sister that needs encouragement; give me the boldness to approach and encourage them today”.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for my Christian family and the encouragement they bring me”.

1 Thessalonians 5 v 11…..Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even also as ye do

DIG for Sunday the 28th of October…..the way to salvation is so simple…..Romans 10 v 9

Jesus is the way, truth and the life (John 14 v 6); He is the only way unto God and unto salvation.

The process of moving into salvation is not difficult either; the gospel is indeed very simple.

Confess or agree that Jesus is who He said He is, the Son of God, and believe that He was raised from the dead and you are in!

Salvation is not complicated; believe in Jesus and on what He did and that it is.

Yes, it is that simple.

The bible is very clear about this; agreement and belief and your are saved.

No religious ceremonies or asking for forgiveness; where does it talk about these in Romans 10 v 9.

Simple faith and agreement and you are saved.

Thank you Lord that salvation is simple; simple to understand and therefore simple to pass on to others.

The gospel and salvation is not difficult to preach; we can all do it.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that salvation is simply trust and belief in Jesus”.

Romans 10 v 9…..That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved

DIG for Saturday the 27th of October…..He is the way (the only way), the truth (the only truth) and the life (the only life)…..John 14 v 6

The bible is very clear about the unique characteristic of Jesus; He is the only way to the Father.

He is the way, the truth and the life.

I for one am glad that it is this clear cut!

No more looking for A way to God, we have found THE way to God.

I hope that fills you with joy and peace.

I’ve read a number of times that Jesus did not claim His divinity or say that He was unique. What nonsense!

You just need to read John 14 v 6 to see that Jesus claimed He was the only way to God.

In John 8 v 58 Jesus said “I AM”; the best example in scripture of Jesus telling us He is God.

Jesus is God, and He is the only way to the Father.

People say “there are many roads to God” and I agree with this; but you only want to be one the “Jesus” road when you get there!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that Jesus is my Lord; thank you that He is my way and the only way to You”.

John 14 v 6…..Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

DIG for Friday the 26th of October…..there is only one way to God; the “man” Christ Jesus…..John 1 v 1

Let me start by saying something that many people will not say today; Jesus is the only way to relationship with God; He is the only way into salvation.

John 1 v 1 is a profound verse of scripture and if you think deeply about it, it is also mind boggling.

There is not much debate that this verse is about Jesus. He is the Word; the Greek here means something said or thought, but also the Divine expression.

Jesus only spoke what God spoke; He only thought what God thought; He only did what God did.

In other words He expressed God to mankind when He came in the flesh (John 1 v 14).

He did this as He was God.

This is where we can get into a tangle if we allow our human thoughts to get in the way.

The bible says Jesus was the Son of God, yet here (and in many other places) it says He was God.

Both are true; I cannot give you a great argument to persuade you other than say this is written in the bible and I truly believe it by faith.

This is good news for us as being God, Jesus was the only man who could appropriate salvation for us. He defeated sin and death as a sinless man and brought us back into relationship with God.

As God and man, His finished work on the cross gave us the opportunity for salvation.

Speak this out today…..” Thank you Lord for Jesus; thank you that He is the only way to You”.

John 1 v 1….In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

DIG for Thursday the 25th of October……at last, my favourite verse in scripture…..2 Corinthians 5 v 21

In this mini-study we have at last reached my favourite verse in scripture; 2 Corinthians 5 v 21.

This verse has one of the most profound and important truths about you that you will ever read in the bible.

YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS.

When you were born again your spirit was created new and it was MADE righteous; not through any of your works but through the work of Jesus.

You in fact were made as righteous as God; this is what verse 19 says; please read it again in case you do not believe me.

Jesus was made sin on the cross; He took your sins and punishment.

Because of this when you put your faith, trust and belief in Jesus you were made righteous; and you were made the righteousness of God.

Your spirit right now is as righteous as God; what an awesome truth.

That has to make you rejoice when you hear that.

I rejoice every single time I read this verse; I am as righteous as God right now, and so are you.

Speak this out today….”Thank you Lord that in my spirit part I am righteous”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 21…..For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

DIG for Wednesday the 24th of October……reconciliation; you have a choice to receive the benefits…..2 Corinthians 5 v 20

The four verses we have been looking at for the last week or so are wonderful, but you have to choose to receive the benefits God has for you through reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a done deal; however it is like a gift.

A gift will not do you any good if you do not accept it, open it and use it.

A person can give you a gift yet if you don’t accept it there will be no benefits from it.

We know we have been reconciled, but this verse says “be ye reconciled to God”. This verse talks about a choice to be made.

You have to choose to accept and know that you have been reconciled. Then you can believe and accept that you have been forgiven.

Accept this gift of reconciliation.

Accept this gift of forgiveness.

Choose to be reconciled to God; He has done the work through Jesus and the benefits from this reconciliation are all sitting there waiting for you to accept and grasp.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for my reconciliation; I choose to accept this gift today”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 20…..Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

DIG for Tuesday the 23rd of October…..you are an ambassador for Christ; what an honour…..2 Corinthians 5 v 20

What an amazing verse of scripture this is; you and I are ambassadors for Christ.

Do you realise what this verse means and the implications that it has for us?

An ambassador represents a sovereign or a government in another land.

They speak for that government and yield authority in their name. The people in that country look to the ambassador to see what their king or government says.

In a sense they actually are that sovereign or government in the land that they are sent to.

The Lord God has appointed you to represent Him where you are right now; what an honour!

When I think about this it really blows me away; God trusts me to represent Him here and has actually said so in His Word.

And He has said the same in His Word about you!

You are His ambassador; in your school, your home, your street, your work, indeed wherever you are.

Does that make you feel special? It really should!

This verse is speaking to every born again believer so it is speaking to you (remember that you are in Christ as in verse 17). Do not exclude yourself.

You are an ambassador.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I am your ambassador; thank you for your love and for your trust in me”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 20…..Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

DIG for Monday the 22nd of October…..we have the word of reconciliation, so share………..2 Corinthians 5 v 19

It is a wonderful truth that God has already reconciled us to Himself through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We can enjoy, celebrate and rest in this truth.

There is nothing we can do to achieve reconciliation on our own strength; it was all done through Jesus.

We do however have a responsibility around this truth about reconciliation.

Verse 19 says that God has placed with us (committed) the word of reconciliation.

Word here means something said or thought.

We need to think about and speak about this amazing reconciliation that has taken place.

People need to hear this truth; both believers and those who are still lost.

There is an amazing freedom in knowing you have been reconciled and forgiven; a freedom that will change your life for the better.

Think on this truth and speak it out.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you that I have been reconciled to you through the finished work of Jesus”……then go and tell someone else!

2 Corinthians 5 v 19…..To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses against them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation