verseoftheday

Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah... But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. Exodus 1:15, 17NLT Why did we get the names of those women who risked it all to save lives? 1. Because they're real people who we'll get to meet one day. And 2. Because their names have meaning Shiphrah = beauty Puah = splendour Beauty and splendour stood against the evil of their day, risked their lives to save those who could not save themselves. Beauty and Splendour went to the cross, stood against evil, gave his life, to save those who could not save themselves. Me. And you. Beauty and Splendour was marked forever. For me. For us. When there was no way, Jesus became the way. #beautyandsplendour #loveinaction #thisisourGod #sunday #worship

Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah... But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. Exodus 1:15, 17NLT The king had ordered the midwives to kill any baby boys that were born. And they did not. The king made the rules He was the prevailing culture. But they said no. God has said these lives are more important His values are higher. This was their battle No matter what I'm being told by the prevailing culture or the lies I am hearing, God's values, Truth, is more important. And so these two ladies found a better way. In facing the culture, at risk of their own lives, they found a way forward, to quietly do what was right. It's so easy to be swayed by the loudest voices, whether that's in the media, from the people we hang out with, or the things that run around in our own thinking, come back to what God has to say... #loveGod #lov...

Friday! Proverbs! When a wicked man comes, contempt also does, and along with dishonor, disgrace. Proverbs 18:3 HCSB We saw this lived out in an extreme way 2 weeks ago in Christchurch. The wicked, the man with evil intent brought his contempt for a group of people he did not know and took extreme action. "Them" When I look in my heart I have the shadow of the same thing. Contempt for people I don't even know. I lump them together. Them. Scroll through the news headlines & so many of them seem designed to evoke disgrace. Shame. And we click on them. These ancient proverbs get in and dig around in my heart... I too am the wicked man. I too have dishonoured. Where does that leave me? In need of a saviour. Jesus took on my wickedness, the evil in my heart, took on my shame, and bore it on the cross. That's love. He didn't have to, and now I get to live on the other side of that redemption. What a place to be! And one day, the final shad...

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV Every now and then I return to these verses, and it can be for a number of reasons. Read them again if you have a minute... For me today it's a reminder that God has some things for me to do. Things that may make no sense to the world. The lens of grace leads to humility. Changes the way I see me, my stuff, and what really matters. That we are all in this together. My circumstances are no different to yesterday, but when I look through the lens of grace things do look different. This grace while personal coming in, is other oriented in it's expression. We work it out, live it, in community. Together. #grace #upsidedownkingdom #loveGod #lovepeople

But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him. Mark 1:45 LT It seems that this is not what Jesus wanted. People flocking to him because they'd heard about a miraculous healing. The latest celebrity pastor. The person who could fix their immediate problems. Isn't that often our way...here's the latest, shiniest, brightest idea or person, and I'm inclined to at the very least be curious... But the Kingdom is an upside-down one. It's leader washed his team's feet. Literally. And not as a marketing gimmick He had no house, no car, almost no possessions. Died in shame Despised Rejected Alone This is who we follow. Someone acquainted with grief. When I get tempted by the next big thing, the big job, the kudos, I think again of the On...

Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." But the man went and spread the word... Mark 1:42-45 NLT You can read about the requirements of the law in Leviticus 14. There's doves, lambs, sacrifices, shaving all your hair, oil, and time. 8 days of ceremony. To make sure. To thank God. Did this man just get so excited he ignored all that? Or because he had been a leper he had no hope of meeting the requirements of the law? Or did he realise that all the requirements of the law had been met in what Jesus did. In who Jesus is. Maybe all of the above was true, and it's just as true for us: We have no hope of meeting the requirements of the law Who J...

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus... Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him... Mark 1:40-41 NLT Leprosy is contagious. In his humanity Jesus risked getting infected. When he asks us to follow him into the lives of others, we too may well be placing ourselves at risk. Hearing stories that are hard to hear. Carrying burdens that are heavy Catching something. The Christian Life is not risk free. It can hurt It can cost We follow a saviour who left everything good, entered our story, not just to risk being hurt, to risk suffering, he knew. Knew what was coming And entered our world anyway. Jesus scars will tell that story for eternity. In this moment, Jesus says "my heart is broken, this is not how it should be" And in that we have hope. That what is sad will be unmade What is broken will be restored The tears. Not needed Just like my name, it's in His scars. #thisisnothowitshouldbe #trust #onedayallwillbemadenew #f...

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17 ESV This is God's manifesto. He enters the story, humbles himself, shrinks himself, to become one of us. He came so that we might have life. An act of salvation. Because He Loves This is not something we can earn, but something we accept, receive. God made a way. He stepped in Stepped down Stepped towards us. Where there was no way He made one. It is amazing grace. Freeing grace In a world of trouble, this is still the manifesto of a God who loves. Loves us His heart is for you and me. No matter what No matter who you are #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #grace #amazinggrace #dearlyloved

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 ESV If we flip this do we find wisdom? Try a rewrite of this Proverb: "The wise are not concerned about expressing their opinion, but love to understand others" Try your own rewrite :) The problem is that I like my opinions, and I'm quite keen that you know about them too. But if the way of love is to understand others I need to park my opinions, and choose to seek to understand. Next time something comes up and my opinion is going to flow, I'm going to try this: "Help me understand why you think that" "Tell me more about your views" And I'm going to choose to be interested. To listen without my opinion getting in the way To make loving someone more important than my opinion... #rewriteaproverb #liveitout #easiersaidthandone #lovepeople

Friday! Proverbs! A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 ESV Isn't that true! The person who comes immediately to mind is Donald Trump : always seems to have an opinion and fires it out. But then I find that's me too. I find I have opinions on guns, And gun control. And I've no real interest in understanding anyone else's position. I like my opinions. And if I do that it one area, well I can do it anywhere. It takes effort to understand. To listen To understand what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes. To hear their heart Why is it so hard? Sometimes it's because it might show me that I'm wrong. I don't like that. Understanding is an act of love. When I am understood, I am heard, valued, appreciated. Loved. So I'm going to try to love people by seeking to understand them. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #lovepeople #seektounderstand

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean". Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." Mark 1:40-41 ESV Mark gives us a bit more to this account... This man is a leper. He has to live outside the city. Outside the gate. Away from the care and protection of the community. He has to warn people of his disease, and not to touch him. He is untouchable. Jesus is not only moved with compassion, but steps into his area of hurt and loss. Into the ugliness. He doesn't have to touch to heal, but he does. Deliberately. Steps into the persons need and loss. Jesus did that then, and he does it now. Steps into our area of greatest hurt to bring healing. Into our mess To bring life. And he asks us to follow him into the lives of others in the same way... #lovepeople #speaklife #lovelikeJesus #gospelofmark

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him... Mark 1:41 NASB If we want to be like Jesus, followers, Christians, then we are called to follow His example. He was moved by compassion. Sometimes we run out. Maybe that's just me. On the same day as the Christchurch shooting, March 15, 45 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain. Men. Women. Children. What is Jesus antidote to compassion fatigue? Love the person in front of you, the people in your life, the ones He has led you to. Be moved by their story. Their need Their hurt Their heart Jesus reached out. He calls us off the sidelines and into the arena, to reach out, to step towards... maybe in some small way today, maybe a big way, stretch out your hand. Towards. In compassion. #gospelofmark #thisisourGod #movedbylove #lovepeople

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Psalms 23:5 ESV Who's here in this picture? My enemies. They are present. Who's your enemy today? Maybe it's fear, anxiety. Depression. A memory A hurt, a loss. Sadness. Words in our mind, lies that hold us down, hold us back. Maybe it's worries or people...too much of something...or too little... Who else is present? We are You and I And God. And what is He doing? Serving. Making us dinner (in some way) He's at work. On our behalf, working for us, preparing something good, something to be shared, enjoyed together. One day we will enjoy the full blessing of His work. As Sam Gamgee once said in LOTR "does that mean all that is sad will become untrue" Yes! All that is sad will become untrue & we will truly enjoy that dinner. Today, our enemy is still here. And so is our God He is with us Serving Working He is our Hope #livinghope #with #onedayallwillbemadenew...

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Psalms 23:4 ESV As a country something has shifted. The face of evil that lurks in our domestic violence, our child abuse statistics, and in our suicide rates, has jumped out of the shadows. We live in the valley. The shadow of death has been here all along. We have been too comfortable with it. The psalmist calls us not to live in fear. Not because there's nothing to be afraid of, but because of who is with us. Yahweh. Even though. Even though we're in the valley God is with us. May our love, compassion and care for our neighbours speak of, make visible, our God who we trust. Even though we're in the valley. #with #trustGod #eventhough #lovepeople

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea... Psalm 46: NIV 1-2 Part of the earth gave way on Friday. The illusion that we were safe from horrendous acts of mass violence. Against the innocent. People praying. Vulnerable. And it can make us fearful. The psalmist sings this song... In the time of trouble, in the place of fear, choose to trust. Trouble Fear Trust Some would put trust in walls, security, barriers, strength. Trust in God. He is the same in the day of trouble, of crumbling earth as in the day of sunshine. Trust Even though Even though we hurt, struggle, wrestle Even though our hearts ache for others loss. Even though. Trust. He is our refuge #refuge #trust #trustGod #eventhough

He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 Our hearts ache for the community in Christchurch that has been ripped apart by the perverse and destructive actions of what seems like one person. The Bible speaks about the human heart everywhere, and yesterday's proverb has been lived out to the extreme. When we isolate ourselves, stop seeing people as image bearers, follow some corruption of thought from small seeds through to destructive thoughts and actions... rebelling against all sound judgement... to the point that believing that taking other's lives was a good thing. This was lived out in front of us in Christchurch yesterday. May we, in the face of this hurt and destruction, do the opposite. Not isolate ourselves in a bubble of selfishness but step towards those who"s lives have been shattered. Step towards those who are fearful Martin Luther King said only light can drive out darkness, and only love can...

Friday! Proverbs! He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 This isn't about where you live, but who you let in. I think. I've done this. Isolated myself from the needs of others, from their dreams, their disappointments, their hurts. Maybe it's the selfish desires that drive us (a circular thing), and sometimes we isolate ourselves out of our own hurt or loss. Or out of our fears. This Proverb indicates a choosing. I can choose to isolate myself, and it leads to selfishness. And in that I "rebel against sound judgement". Against Wisdom Against the source of Wisdom Or I can choose to open my heart & mind to others. Stepping towards Being involved Loving people And in doing that, being less inward looking, less isolated, we need more Wisdom! This is no one time big decision, it's the small everyday choices, a heart orientation... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #choose #...

...Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you." Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come." He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons. Mark 1:35-39 MSG Our keynote speaker has gone AWOL! When he's found out praying in the boonies, Simon gives him a bit of a serve! The key thing here is not the people and their responses, or even what Jesus does. Its the underlying pattern. Jesus prays. (Goes away and seriously prays) And then takes the next steps, goes, works... Often I am doing, have chosen my path, and then pray. The times when I have prayed first seem to be better somehow. The more we follow Jesus patterns, the better... #gospelofmark #better #Jesuspattern #choosebetter

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 ESV For Jesus the battle was on. He was teaching, healing, casting out demons, leading his team of disciples, travelling...and praying. Often for me prayer has been something I'll slip in when I have time, or in response to a situation. Jesus is modeling something different. Deliberate Time Alone Uninterrupted Seems difficult in our world to find that kind of space. Maybe Jesus was struggling with that too, which is why he got up very early, so no one else knew, and ducked off somewhere quiet. Paul talked of closing his door. This is not the only time Jesus did this. Prayer was his habit. I wonder if my mission would be clearer, my focus better, my walk with God more secure, my questions, doubts, challenges and troubles...I wonder if I would see and respond to those things differently if I was more deliberate in my prayer. If I ju...

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out... Mark 1:22-23 ESV There's a lot going on here... It was Jesus teaching that prompted the spirit in this man. (If your church doesn't teach the Bible, then move) Jesus taught with authority. In Matthew 28 that authority is given to us! All of us. His teaching challenged this evil spirit. Hearing the Bible taught should be challenging sometimes for us too. Confronting. Uncomfortable. This guy with the evil spirit was in church. Not everyone is who they seem. Even in church Jesus still was grace-filled. He didn't charge in to the situation. He waited for the spirit to reveal itself in response to His teaching. It's not my words that transform, but God's Words #lotsgoingon #gospelofmark #begracefilled #itsGodsWordthatspeaks

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26 ESV Monday - back to the gym! James hammers away at us - our faith must find it's expression in the way that we live! It's not just integral, its what keeps it alive! He uses 2 examples in the end of this chapter. Abraham and his great test of faith. And Rahab, who acted with integrity and made a stand for what was right. Abraham the father of the nation's Rahab the prostitute It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what you're background or journey has been, God loves to see our faith in action. In our world it's often workmates, flatmates, classmates, customers, tutors, students, patients, bosses, staff, a spouse, a child, a parent that tests our faith. Tests our integrity Tests our resolve to love Tests our patience The limits of our kindness On Monday we get to live out what we believe on Sunday, and James says Monday is just as imp...

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:21-22 ESV This word "astonished" means to : Stirke with panic To expel with a blow To be struck with amazement Literally takes your breath away! Jesus words took their breath away. They were left with their jaws dropped And He spoke with authority. Delegated power There was no mistaking who Jesus was representing. There was no missing his message He went to church and was immediately rocking their world! I wonder what Jesus would say in my church today... Mark doesn't tell us here what he said, but is clear - Jesus has the authority. He does amaze. Because He is who He says He is. In that we can trust. #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #Jesusatthecentre

And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:19-20 ESV What is it that Jesus "saw" in these guys? He's wandering down the beach where the fishermen are and just "sees" that THESE are the guys who could turn the world upside down. These guys who were still working for their Dad in their family fishing early. They just happen to be on the same beach at the same time as the first two... Or is what Jesus was looking for in each of us? He's called you and me. Sometimes I'm still hanging on to my net. Don't want to go all in with Jesus. Maybe that's what he saw... ordinary people prepared to go all in. Prepared to leave their nets. He's calling. Am I prepared to leave my net? #gospelofmark #ordinarypeople #allin

Friday! Proverbs! Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Proverbs 17:28 ESV What a way to end this chapter! Just be quiet. Your stocks go up "When he closes his lips..." seems to imply a change from normal...that guy who always has some nonsense to spout, can solve everything, always has an opinion - has suddenly gone quiet. In the language of Proverbs I often find the only place that fits me is that of the fool. And the path towards wisdom is found in keeping quiet. What is happening when I'm keeping quiet? I'm listening. Who should I be listening to? God's voice. He speaks through his word, the person of Jesus, and his Spirit. And that voice for me seems the quietest of all. Like a fleeting thought that is easily ignored, or missed, or quickly forgotten. Because I'm too busy not being silent. In a world that seems to despise being silent, that doesn't want me quiet. Quiet Liste...

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed... they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: "The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there..." Numbers 13:31-32 NLT It was 10 v 2 Ten leaders v two Today they would've been all over Instagram with pictures of grasshoppers and snap chats of all the tall people they saw, all the fortified strongholds. They made the most noise, and the people believed them. Going meant change. The unknown, danger. Staying was easier. The loudest voice suits me. Who's making the most noise? Who's the 10v2? Often it's not God. It's our friends, culture, media, "expectations", our own thoughts, the lies we believe... Who's the 10v2? Our God is often not noisy. Not pushy. He tells us who He is, what his kingdom is about, and lets us choose. 10v2 The noise often leads us away from that, away from Jesus. He gently reminds us th...

...they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! ...We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country - a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified... Numbers 13:23, 27-28NLT There was goodness, fruit, life, thriving in their future. But there was also trouble, difficulties, challenges... Ten of the 12 lost sight of God's call and direction, and of the goodness ahead. Their view of the difficulties seemed too great. They forgot who was with them and where He was leading them and let the (fear of) what was ahead overwhelm them. It was safer to stay where they were. I'm like that sometimes. I get stuck. Lose sight of what God has for me. Lose sight of the fruit, the goodness. The problems loom as insurmountable and overwhelming. I forget who is wi...

The Lord now said to Moses, Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites... So they went up and explored the land... Numbers 13:1-2, 21 NLT Sometimes I wonder why I don't "get" God. He is distant. I don't know Jesus. His words are not alive to me. I don't hear from Him. I listen to other people talk about God's word, but hardly read it. The psalmist talks of hiding God's word in my heart but I don't put much real effort into memorising it. I read about or hear about or watch others journey with God. Church can become an experience. A good one. But an experience And I find I've become a consumer. But not of The Word Yesterday we heard from Caleb. He went to the land and had a look for himself. And at 4am I had this realisation...I need to be like Caleb and go and have a look for myself. Read God's word directly and consistently. Listen to it on my commute. Memorise it. Caleb spent 40 day...

Caleb ...said.. "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are." So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land... Numbers 13:30-32 ESV Two views of the future. One saw nothing but the giants in the land. The barriers. The negatives. And poisoned the thinking of the people. Are you letting your fears dictate your future? Or are you going to believe Caleb? Caleb knew he was not alone, that Yahweh was in this. He wasn't unrealistic about what might be ahead, but the barriers, the negatives, did not need to determine the people's future. Don't let the fear of the "giants" determine your future. Find a Caleb Be a Caleb for someone else And step into what God has for you. Yes the giants were still there. But they can be overcome. Who is with you? Yahweh. Jehovah ...

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men" And immediately they left their nets and followed him. Mark 1:17-18 ESV Was that it? The whole conversation? Mark thinks it's all we need. Jesus says "Follow me" No matter who we are, what our circumstances are, how I'm feeling today, Jesus says to us "Follow me" And these guys did. Immediately. Left their work. Just walked. Ok so Jesus was there in person, but I find I take so long. Often his word is clear, and his life within my life prompts me "follow me", step towards, love someone, and I take so long. It's gonna be inconvenient Costly Scary Difficult Jesus says "Follow me, I'm here, in front, follow me" Then he says "I will make you..." This is transforming language. Follow me and I'll help you change, grow, develop so that you can be my hands and feet, my heart in this world. I'm calling The first t...

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me..." Mark 1:16-18 ESV This almost seems random, could've been anybody These guys weren't the only fishermen in the area at the time. The word used here for "saw" is "horao"; I see, look upon, experience, perceive, discern Mark described what I would see, 2 men working. Jesus could see beneath that. We so easily see the external and think we know about someone. What would I have seen? If I was looking for people to teach about the Kingdom that I was launching, looking for people in who in 3 short years could take this vision, this hope for the world, this history changing, life changing, culture shifting personal yet global message that heaven has invaded earth and nothing is going to be the same again and successfully take  it to the world. Literally the hope of the worl...

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:27 ESV The All Blacks use a thinking tool where they analyse Red thinking and Blue when under pressure. Blue head thinking keeps them in the moment, cool under pressure, able to do what they're trained to do, not to lose the plot. Not sure if their mental skills coach had been reading Proverbs but here it is. Being able to "restrain your words" is all about self control, when your first response is not to hold back. To listen rather than speak To control your words means you're controlling your thoughts. And doing that allows you to control your actions. Self control is the single most important skill to learn. If we learn it in one area it can be borrowed in any area of life. The AB's try to think "blue". To have a cool spirit. In the heat of the battle, when the pressure is on this Proverb is gold. #proverbs #wi...