Scripture Treasures

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much ~ Luke 16:10 We tend to think the opposite way. I want the big jobs first, I will prove myself in them, I don’t want to be doing the menial, little stuff. But God is a God who reverses what we think and what we know. I don’t know about you, but when I was a new Christian, I took this scripture to heart. I would volunteer for anything and everything. In my church then, it meant putting up the hymn numbers on the board for Sunday, or helping the secretary with her work by folding bulletins. Whatever I could do around the church, I would look for and happily do. Nothing was too menial. Too often, as Christians, we look at what we do and compare it with others. Anyone can pray, we say, yet not all are prayer warriors. Anyone can come to church every week, yet not all do so. We think because our “job” is not the prominent one in the church,

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry ~ James 1:19 When I come before God in prayer, He wants me to listen for His still, small voice before I go prattling on with what I want, or need, or have grievance about. Too often I come with my voice rather than my ear, and at times I come with the attitude of anger because life is not going the way I think it should, and He needs to hear about it, then fix it. It is in the silence when God speaks, but I may be in too much of a hurry to wait for His word. I am not alone, for I know that you too can be like me. “Just hurry up, Lord, tell me what to do so I can get on with it…” we pray. But God is not in a hurry to speak or act, His time is not our time, His ways are not our ways. We carry this over into our other relationships too. I half listen to you, but don’t hear what you are saying from your heart. Or, I half listen, then pour out all my stuff bec

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful ~ Colossians 3:15 If you are part of a unified body of fellow believers, be thankful! If the people you work and play with live in harmony, be thankful! When the peace of Christ rules our heart, not much can shake us, for the determination to stay in the frame of mind which holds onto peace is stronger than the outside factor. This is the peace which Christ gives to us. It is the grace to not be of one mind, but to be of the spirit of working it through until one or two come to understanding. The one who has peace will not only be in the will of God, but will produce love around him. The one who is filled with peace will stave off doubt, anxiety and fear. He will be in harmony with God and man. Devotion by Pastor Julia

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty ~ Psalm 91:1 Under the eaves of the church portico a little bird nest resides. All the little branches are woven into a strong home ready for spring and new baby birds. Its location is perfect to withstand the wind and rain, and even summer heat. The little family which will soon again take up occupation there will dwell in the shelter of that outlaying church roof. If the nest was not in the proximity of the roof it would be a different matter for that family. The wind and rain would enter in, the sun would beat down, animals of prey would hunt there and devour them. Isn’t it interesting that the birds know naturally what comes to us as a strain? I must be close to God, to Jesus, if I am going to rest. If my lodging place in this rough and tumble life is going to be sheltered and safe, my place is to live in close relationship with my Lord. When I walk my own path, when I live half in the wo

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him ~ Colossians 2:6 The message is clear here: keep the faith as it was taught. In today’s world we are more apt to water down the word found in Jesus Christ to make it more “inclusive.” That inclusiveness though, allows those who cannot see God’s way in the message to continue to live in sin. God is a holy God, and His way ultimately leads to healing, not to overlooking. This is what makes the message of Jesus “all-inclusive”, for he came to heal the sick, the broken, the lost and forgotten. He came to forgive the enemy, love everyone equally, and to call us all to follow. We are to love the sinner, but not the sin. Today’s church says love the sinner, and don’t look at the sin. The message found in this scripture is not to turn to the left or the right, but to walk in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Covenant of the Old Testament was made new in Him, but the teachings He never rebuked. He is

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved ~ Acts 2:21 Anyone and everyone who calls out to Jesus is brought into the saving grace of Him who died for us! The resurrected Lord Himself draws us near to Him, beckoning us to receive His poured-out redemption. I was talking to a neighbour and he asked me what I did as a “job”. (Of course, I do not think of what I do as a pastor a job – it is a calling on my life!) I told him I was a pastor, and he went in to a long story about his background, finishing with “He was too much of a sinner to go to church.” Church, or anywhere we encounter Christ, is exactly where we should be, for church is the hospital for the sick, or, it should be. But most certainly near Christ is the hospital for the sick. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31, 32; Matthew 9:12, 13). His healing power releases us from the bondage of sin – all

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up ~ Galatians 6:9 Not always are our good deeds appreciated or rewarded, and often there can be opposition which make our efforts burdensome. Discouragement and misunderstanding have a way of shutting down benevolent plans and ideas. Hopes and dreams are thought of as out of the realm of reality and absurd, and they are criticized. But, do not give up! For it is the one, whom with character and determination to follow and do what God has called him or her to do, which will carry on to the end. They are willing to the utmost to complete what God has laid on their heart. Though the challenge be tough, the challenged will persevere. We may feel unfit to do what God has called us to do, but His word says that He equips the called (Heb 13:21). When our job seems too much for us, remember those words. And remember that when we are in God’s service there is a return. If we are follo

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow weary, and his understanding no one can fathom ~ Isaiah 40:28 There are times when we are in the winter of our soul, and we wonder where God is, what He is doing, why He is taking so long to act? Has He forgotten me, and that I need Him? Oh, my friends, we really are no different than the Israelite people we read about in the Old Testament. We too have seen signs of the Lord moving and acting in our life, yet, when we find God isn’t behaving our way, we begin our of questioning Him. Isaiah here is reprimanding the Israelites for forgetting. They had forgotten their history of Egypt, the Passover and the Red Sea, of the manna in the dessert, of the conquest of the land and the plenty found therein. We forget too. But we should not. The Lord is never changing, always constant, ever ready to forgive, to heal, to comfort, to correct, to walk beside. The Lord

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law ~ Galatians 5:22, 23 ”But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely” – (The Message). I Like how Eugene Peterson wrote these verses in his own words. They elaborate on God’s word in a language which the reader can clearly understand what each characteristic demand from us. Yet, the “demand” is not oppressive, but uplifting. It is natural, though it runs against our very nature. “When we live God’

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world ~ 1 John 2:15, 16 In Matthew 6, Jesus said it differently, but with the same meaning, if not more directly. He said, “You cannot serve two masters…you will hate the one and love the other…you cannot serve both God and money.” We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in the life of following Jesus. To love God is to be a servant, to love the world is to believe you are commanding it. Yet, in following and loving the world, people are caught up in its deceitfulness, its anger, its promiscuity of the body, its vulgarness of tongue, its financial calling to buy more, have more, succeed more. In following Jesus and in loving Him, we find our true self, the hidden pearls within each other, the cost of ‘giving ‘til it hurts’ lo

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve ~ Jeremiah 17:10 I can’t hide my thoughts from God! Not one of them will escape His examination! He knows my every motive, my every heart desire; He knows my faithfulness and my faithlessness. I cannot deceive Him. I may be able to put on a false face for others, for they cannot see into the depths of my heart until I do the great reveal, but God does not need my permission. God enters my heart, going into every corner; He prods every dark spot and walks through every locked door. The Lord searches me through and through. He tests my ways to see if I live with integrity and honesty, if I am good to my fellow person, to see if I model His ways and His thoughts as I interact with others, to see if I worship Him with my whole heart. And then, He will judge me according to the seeds I plant. And if this is so, as I am an open book to the Lord, and

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him ~ Hebrews 11:6 Faith is a funny word. We sometimes think we don’t have enough faith, and then we read that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains! Just before these words were spoken, when the disciples of Jesus could not heal a boy, they were chastised for their lack of faith. If the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains, how little was their faith that could not heal? It is a big question. And, if it only takes a little faith to believe in the existence of God, how little does that turning belief need to be? By the response of Jesus, I would think it would not need to be much. Yet it is so difficult for men and women to come and turn their lives over to the One who does and will reward them! The Lord never leaves hungry those who come with empty souls. In knowing this promise, even those o

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this ~ Psalm 37:5 The rest of the psalm describes what the Lord will do: He will make your way righteous and your reward shine, He will present himself to you as you wait in patience for His presence, He will vindicate His own from those who succeed in wicked schemes while you will inherit the land, and your mouth will utter wisdom and speak what is just. Commit your way to the Lord which means that whatever you do, or think, or however you act, must be representative of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, only One was ever perfect. But following Jesus is not a half-in, half-out prospect. It is full and complete following! Devotion by Pastor Julia

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour ~ Habakkuk 3:17 The prophet says, “All is desperation!” Not one thing is working out, the fruit of all my labor is void. Prosperity is no more. The world around this man and the nation has been devastated beyond anything imaginable. This was punishment for not obeying God. God’s people were inconsistent in their following Him, and so God turned His hand against them, and this was the result. All around the land there were leaves on trees and vines, but no fruit; stubble of grass, but no wheat in the fields; the animal pens were empty, leaving tables and cupboards bare. All had all been rampaged by the invaders, and the people were on the verge of starvation. But isn’t that exactly the place to come to the Lord? When all

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 Happy Valentines Day to those of you who celebrate this day of love. The greatest gift, the greatest offering, the greatest word expressed, the greatest relationship and the greatest way to live is all granted by four little letters – L-O-V-E! Use it everyday! Devotion by Pastor Julia 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people ~ Ephesians 6:16-18 This passage is a call to arms for the soldier of Christ, but it can only be done by a soldier who has trained. If he has not grown spiritually in a personal way, the battle is the fiercer. If he is not grounded in the truth of his salvation, feet which are planted firmly and if he cannot be at the ready, he is doomed. If righteousness and integrity are not his banner, the winds of tempest will assail him. So, Paul tells this armor is a good thing to have at hand, and today we will don the rest of our battle suit. The enemy will strive, connive, and deceive us if he can, but we are Christ’s and H

…with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ~ Ephesians 6:14b-15 Let me continue from yesterday’s devotion with regards to our spiritual battle and how we put on the armor to stand against our enemy, the devil. Yesterday, we saw how the belt of truth was a must as a first piece of armament on the body as it holds the breastplate in place as well as the scabbard for the sword. It is the truth of Christ on which we stand. The good soldier then puts on the breastplate which often has a second piece which is placed on his back. The breastplate covers the vital organs – the heart, the abdomen, the spleen. It protected not only the chest, but it extended down to the thigh. Usually this was made of bronze, but it was also made of chain mail if you were of the upper class in society. Isaiah 59:17 tells us “He (meaning Christ) put on righteousness as his breastplate…” How we are to understand this rig

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the…powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that…you may be able to stand…firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… ~ Ephesians 6:12b, 13a, 14a Yesterday, I wrote briefly on the armor of God which gives us the power to rebuke the devil in Jesus’ mighty name. Today, I am going into greater detail. The spiritual attack we face as Christians is similar, yet, dissimilar to a physical attack one may feel upon their body. A spiritual attack aims its arrow at the soul, at the unity of the body of Christ, at causing dissension within that body of Christ, and at doctrines which are not Christ inspired. They are heresy which enters the church. First, we must understand what heresy is. It is not the forsaking of all that Christ teaches, it is in fact concentrating on one aspect of Christ’s teachings while leaving othe

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes ~ Ephesians 6:11 Oh, that wily Devil! He will come at you out of the blue, with no warning, just there, bam! Gotcha! Then your spiritual world may go to chaos. He is so subtle though, and you may not recognize him. It just seems suddenly you are under attack by your closest friend and you cannot understand why they are on your back. Then it hits you – this is the enemies doing! Yes, he will use Christian to get at Christian, the same as he will use the people of the world to attack. It makes no difference to him, but he will feel he is “one up” if he can get a brother or sister in the Lord to do the attacking for him. This the time for all out spiritual war, and it is the time to don the battle clothes! Paul is saying though, we need to always be wearing them. Unfortunately, I don’t think we are always prepared the way we should be. There are requirements for each piece we place on our body

Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord ~ Romans 8:39 This is the last verse from chapter 8 in Romans, but I prefer to read the last three verses all together! They are verses of promise and victory over all that life and death can throw at us! We are not weak victims in our life, we are strong conquerors through Christ Jesus! The battles we fight in the spiritual and sometimes physical world do not strip us of who we are in Christ, and they never will. We are the beloved, the bride, and eventually the cloud of witnesses for others! Our life is not meaningless, not when it is lived in the love of Jesus. And this love, His great love, never ends for us! Some see God as angry, or absent, or judgmental and vindictive, but they are missing the wholeness of God, for the ultimate strength of God is His love for us. Scriptures say, “What is man that you (God) are mindful of him?” (Ps 8:4). We are

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart ~ Hebrews 4:12 Some believe this verse is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, as He has been described as the Word of God. Commentators do not take this as such, and they attribute the word of God to the Gospel of Salvation. In other words, it encompasses all Christ did for our salvation, including the divine order and will of God in our lives. The word of God, which was a guide to the people of the Old Testament is still a guide for us today, for God’s word does not fall or fail. The word of God is still our promise and our corrector. His word pierces through all we would use as a cover with each other, it connects to our very soul when no other can. It reveals all that is authentic truth when we would avoid it. Our desires and wishes are not hidden when God’s word enters in.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground ~ Psalm 143:10 We can be a stubborn people! Just as the Israelite’s said “yes, I will obey,” so we say the same thing. Next thing one knows, and we are going our own way and forgetting to seek the guidance of God. Human nature is still human nature. And we look back and repeat the words above, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God – and you know what is best!” If only we would listen to the soft voice that speaks to us, or get our eyes right into the Book, we would follow with greater ease. The psalmist calls upon God’s Spirit to lead him on level ground. Our way leads to ups and downs, to curves and side-tracks. God’s way leads us on a steady way. Certainly, the psalmist asks for guidance in the midst of his calamity, but first he comes desiring to draw closer to his God. When we come close to God, we can know His heart and His will. When we walk away, it is next to impossible to

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible ~ Matthew 19:26 This statement of Jesus is of course, in reference to the question, “Who can be saved?” A discourse had taken place between a rich young man and Jesus, the young man asking what more he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus then quoted a number of the Ten Commandments to which the young man stated he has followed every one. Jesus asks him then to give   his riches to the poor. No can do, he says. Of course he could not! I find it so interesting to inspect Jesus’ words. If you were to look closely at the commandments the young man had followed, they all had to do with his own morals and ethics. What was missing? It was his worship of God. He loved his money and wealth and comfort more than he loved God. Does not the love of God come first and foremost before one can be saved? We cannot save ourselves, we cannot work our way into heaven. We must surrender ourselves

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ ~ Philippians 1:6 There is no doubt in Paul’s mind as to what the Lord can do, after all, he is a personal witness regarding the changes God can and will make in a person. Paul was changed from a religious zealot who sought to murder Christ followers, to authoring much of the New Testament and in so doing, built them stronger in Christ. Paul is confident, not in himself, but in the God who brings change about. Paul certainly understands human character – they are fickle, falling into temptation, and all too ready to take the wrong path. God, Paul knows then, who brought you into His own, will complete what he began. And what was that? Well, to make you more like Jesus. God’s grace and mercy will transform you. What drew your attention yesterday, is gone in God’s today. What words fell from your mouth, what actions you performed, what thoughts entered your mind before

Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling ~ Psalm 2:11 We serve an awesome God! This is what is means to serve Him with fear – it is awe! In reverence we come before Him, bow down and worship. In our reverence, we also acknowledge what it means to not worship in fear and trembling, for when we come without acknowledging the consequences when we do not worship Him, we forget His power in judgement. It is said love and fear go together. We cannot love God rightly if we do not fear Him. Those who oppose Him may fear, but they do not love Him, for loving leads to obedience and service from a position of desire. In that fear and love we then celebrate! With joy we live in His presence and in His rule! With joy we serve and obey and love as He loved first! This day, if you are part of a community of believers, join with them in celebrating Him, in fear and trembling, acknowledging He is the God of gods and Lord of lords! He is the Almighty One! Devotion by Pastor

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance ~ 2 Peter 3:9 God’s workings do not flow in our time – ever. We may want Him to work in our time, and in our way, but God is God! He is supreme in His knowledge and understanding, and sees so much more than we ever can or will. When we want something to happen today or tomorrow, we desire to put that in place. It may not be the right time for that to happen, and a cause and effect comes about that need not have. We then realize the plans were ours, and not God’s. God is the God of the 99 th hour, some say. That may be so, and I have seen and witnessed that aspect, God is a God of faithfulness, and His promises are fulfilled often, it seems, in the last moment. It is then we realize God had everything under control, though we doubted and worried. We look around our world and we see everything going helter skel

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God ~ Colossians 3:1 Paul is writing to the church in Colossae, but he may as well be writing to us here. Heresy has entered the church, and Paul wishes to address it. Contrary to what some believe, heresy is not total preaching against the Gospel, it is the over-emphasizing of one aspect of the Gospel while leaving another part of it out. The prosperity preachers listened widely to on Television are heresy preachers. They preach God wants everything good in your life, that there should be no hardship, and that if you financially give God will multiply and return that financial gift. God does want to bless us! Yes! But, we are to expect hardship. We are still in the world, though we are not of the world. Prosperity preachers forget that aspect. God is justice, God is righteous, God is our provider, God is love. We cannot forget one aspect of God and lea