Scripture Treasures

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14 Oh, my friends, if this prayer was needed then, it is most certainly needed now! Our world is a far broader land then what it was then, and our lands are very broken and full of sin. God expects those of us who are called by His name to confess our sin. In this way we honour Him. So too, our nation must repent and pray for the removal of judgement, we must all seek His face, and His favour. Repentance means we take on a new mindset, new attitudes, it means we turn away from those things which are against God. As I look at this world and watch the news, I see more and more distrust, lack of love for fellow person, teenage suicides and abortions and euthanasia. Human life is not valued! I see foreign gods being set forth as greater than the Lord God Jesus Chr

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord~ Psalm 27:14 Waiting for the Lord is the hardest experience we may go through, yet, it is also the one which develops our faith, our trust, and our hope in our God. We pray, and pray and then we have this expectation that God will answer, right away. Instead we find there is no answer, but there are certainly more questions. Yet, here we are guided by the psalmist who has waited, who has had to be strong in heart, and has been satisfied in the waiting. So I too have had to wait on the Lord, as have you. And the Lord has answered. This is what we can remember when our faith grows weary, and our strength seems to wane at the next challenge. We can count the times the Lord has come through in the 99 th hour and answered our long-standing prayers. So, our waiting is done with a right attitude – one of prayer, of thanksgiving, of reverence, of humility, and of hope. Then, see what the Lord will do! Devotion by Past

March 30 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 Jeremiah 18 gives us the beautiful picture of the potter working at the wheel, shaping the clay. We are the jar of clay, formed by our Creator, the Lord God. Through our life experiences, we have not escaped without a crack or a chip, but as this image shows, it is through those cracks and chips the light of Christ glows forth and displays His beauty, as Paul wrote above. The power which gets us through our days of harshness is the treasure of the Holy Spirit power and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is our power and our hope. How a clay jar is formed is interesting. Without the fire, the jar is just a wet, sloppy, mess of mud. Once the fire has been applied, it is strong, sturdy and solid, but i

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you ~ Matthew 6:6 Prayer is how we communicate with God, and He with you and me. Prayer is a personal talk and open frankness with the God who created us and loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us. It is not that we should not be able to pray in the public sphere, we do need to be able to do that, but it is not a loud attention seeking event, gathering accolades for our own glory. Whether our prayer is public or private, it is to come into the place and space of God.  It is to enter into His divine presence. Personal prayer time is the most secret conversation of our soul with God, it is as one lover sharing with another. Prayer requires that we "close the door" to the outside world of profanity and treachery and enter into God's holy chamber. Peter, we recall, went up on to the roof to pray, and it was there

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth ~ 1 Corinthians 13:6 Some are never happy unless they can bring another down by telling falsehoods about them, ruining their career and reputation. They pry under the cover of “friend” into all aspects of their life, only to find what they feel is a nugget on which to trip them up. Our social media resources of our day are very good carriers of such evil tactics. It is wise to be wary of what is written on some facebook pages, or Instagram, or wherever news can be read, for some people take great delight in catching people unaware in their lies. Love, on the other hand, rejoices in the truth and searches for the truth. One who lives and searches for the truth is likened to a magnet, attracting that truth out of others and the self, by both words and actions. Truth is reality, the one thing that is. Jesus said of himself that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” If we want to view how love and truth work side by side,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 In simpler terms, Paul is saying we wage a war, but not in the way the world wages a war, but by the Holy Spirit of Christ we go to battle against all that would try to destroy the knowledge of God. In Paul’s day, he argued against the Greek philosophy and their ethnic systems. Their reasonings seemed sturdy and profound, but many of them were actually false. When Paul and the apostles came against their gods with the Eternal and One True God, they were confused and confounded. They could not grasp the concepts of a God who would die for them, who would sacrifice His life and His Son, and then be raised to life again. They serve plural gods and man-made deities. Do we not still fight the same battle? This is why we need to know our scriptures, and have a strong foundation. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, thou

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer ~ Psalm 19:14 As I turn my thoughts away from all that assails me, may I turn them rightfully to my Lord and God. May I put aside my worries and stresses, my burdens and cares, and especially my complaints as I come into His presence to worship. This psalmist has already prayed for the cleansing of his heart, and he now prays that he might be pleasing to his Lord. So too, we must come in remorse for the words we sometimes use and speak, and the thoughts which spring up within that corrupt. As I turn away from those outward influences, I turn toward the One who called me into being, the One who brought me out of the mire and the clay, the One who stands as a pillar giving strength to my life. In that space I then turn my thoughts deeper in meditation so that the words from my mouth reflect my praise, my thanks, and my need for His help. And I pray that I might be pl

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh ~ Ezekiel 36:26 The gift of a new heart in a human body was made known to humanity in my lifetime. I vaguely recall the news headlines at the time, and how the first heart transplant was now a success story! God has been in the transplant business for a long, long time, making old hearts new again. When we are walking with and in the world, we have senseless hearts which cannot, nor do not, grasp or comprehend the character of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says this clearly, as Paul writes: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…”. How can they understand or see the glory of the Lord when they live in the fog of the world? We cannot save ourselves, but it is a gift from God. It is His reaching down into the cloud mass, into the depths of the senseless heart, bringing us into the clear light of His love which brings salvatio

Give us today our daily bread ~ Matthew 6:11 Give us the provision we need today, Lord, whether that be our next meal to sustain our body, or whether that be the food which will nourish our soul. We come to you hungry for your filling. David once wrote his “cup runneth over” (Ps 23). You gave him more than enough for the day, it was in fact, an abundance. We ask for only that which we need today. We ask it from you, who are the Great Giver, and we ask it not because we deserve it, but because we are dependent upon you, Lord. You are the Granter of our mercies, for our necessities are great and our memories are short. You know our needs, Lord, so we come to you and ask. May our body and our soul be not left in want, but may we find in You all we need. Devotion by Pastor Julia

“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears” ~ 2 Samuel 7:22 There are many gods, many faiths and religions, many truths. They all appear to be the way to God, but they are misleading. The Jehovah’s Witness does not worship the God of the Universe, neither does the Isalmic, the Buddhist, the Hindu, nor any religion or faith which does not recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of our souls. Yet, they all will claim they are “spiritual” and if you follow their practices, they will lead you to “heaven.” Beware the many ways to “heaven.” Jesus said there was only one way, through Him. It is because of, and through Him, Jesus Christ our Saviour, we can exclaim “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and no God but you!” There is only one God who created the world and you, who carved you in the palm of His hand. There is only one God who sent His one and only Son to di

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me ~ Psalm 23:4 Our lives may change in an instant, without our consent, or our advice, and our path turns toward the darkness. I had a conversation yesterday and we talked about how age leads us to such a different path at times then what we expected, or more often than not, did not expect. For her, independence was taken due to the fragility of her body and muscles. Her mind was clear and strong, unlike so many who deal with another type of sickness, but physically, she had to depend upon others in many ways. When we are young, and especially when we are young and without any form of limitation, we want to skip over the darkness, to not turn its way and look at what it might bring. Our conscious mind does not, nor will not, take it in. It is how we enter the darkness which matters most. This traveler in Psalm 23, knows he is still with the shepherd, his

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective ~ James 5:16 Confessing our sins to each other cleanses our soul. It also leads to humility when we can acknowledge before each other our weaknesses and sins, allowing others to pray for us, and we to pray for them in times of great need. If we have offended anyone, direct admission of guilt and confession are the best tools to bring peace. We have a false need to have others we have community with feel we have no vices, and feel we are respected in that community. Of course, we know that the loved one’s that live with us know our vices inside out, and may see us different than the outside community. By sharing our weaknesses, our sins, our vices with each other in the church, a greater understanding is gained that we are not alone in what challenges us in life and the demons we fight in our human nature. Note it does not say to

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased ~ Hebrews 13:16 Do not forget, or neglect, but let it always be in the forefront of your thoughts and actions to do good. Don’t let it slip so that as you go about your day you do not in some way promote the good and happiness of those you meet. If you, by your remembering, can bring joy into someone’s life then you are showing them the love of Jesus. And as God has blessed you, whether that is with material goods, or spiritual blessings, pass those on to those you meet as well. We do not always know the plight of another, but if we consciously reach out to them, we may find we are an answer to their prayer. By sharing what the Lord has shared with us, we bring Him honour and glory, for then He is seen through our actions, for is this not how we desire to show our love for Him? Our desire is to be His hands and feet in a world which has no sense of direction and has lost its way. For

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet ~ John 13:14 Jesus, thank you for showing me what servanthood looks like. In this world in which we live, it seems everyone looks to serving themselves first. It is a “Me” generation. What are my opinions about others? Well, if I don’t like them, they will know it! What are my thoughts about my boss, or my teacher, or my parents? “Let me tell you, for I am superior to you” is the reigning model of living. Jesus, who calls himself “Lord” and “Teacher” is far superior to His disciples, of which I am one, yet, He took a basin of water and stooping down washed their feet. He is the perfection of humility and love. The idea does not stop at foot washing, but at any service a fellow human being may need. I need to live like I “owe” something to the other, that is what it is to be a servant. Our payment then, or our service, is not done out of regret, but out of the spirit of giving back.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all people ~ 1 Chronicles 16:24 Declare it! Shout it out! Let the world know what God has done for you, and for those who follow Him! Tell the world how Jesus died for your sins, and then was raised to life to bestow upon you the gift of eternal life! Tell the world how He made your life new in hope and grace the moment you received His loving sacrifice for you, and took Him to live in your heart! Tell the world how he provides for you, cares for you, and walks with you on life’s sometimes dark journey. Tell the world how you have a best friend, when the world around you offers you none. Tell the world how you have someone you can always talk to, someone who will always understand you, someone who knows you through and through like no one else, and someone you know you can always rely upon. Declare His glory, for He is glorious. His marvels never cease! Devotion by Pastor Julia

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength ~ Deuteronomy 6:5 Love God above all. Love God because He is perfect in all ways. He judges with righteousness, not with changing emotions such as how we judge. Love God because he is gracious when we do not deserve his grace. Love God because He is faithful and trustworthy. Love God because His hand is extended toward you, because His providence cares for you, because He wants to be in relationship with you. Love God because His blessings are bestowed upon you. And love Him with all of your affections, with great fervency of spirit; with a sincere soul, love Him. Love Him with an undivided heart which is obedient toward His commands. Love Him with a servant heart of self-surrender to your Maker, and He will make your way blessed. Devotion by Pastor Julia  

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy ~ Psalm 94:19 I know I can turn all my troubles over to the Great Trouble Solver, and how I thank Him that I can do that. Some people have the tendency to worry more than others, and sometimes I do, and sometimes I am able to place the worry where it belongs – at the foot of the cross. I expect you are the same and at times carry more than you should. We are very good at the making of plans. I need to do this, and today needs to have this, and if I don’t do this…and on and on I go without considering that my plans are just that – mine. God sees things bigger than me, and His plans are wider than mine, so I have to remember that He is in control of all things. If I decide to worry and stress about what the Lord has put in place, I am sinning against Him. I have to give it over to Him. When I do, I can remember words he has given me to strengthen me. I think of Joshua 1:9 where God reminds me He is always with me.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him ~ James 1:12 Did you ever stop in the midst of your trial to believe you are blessed? I don’t think the majority of us think that way, but instead pray and wish it was all taken from us and over with. James is applauding those of us who persevere, who keep walking the walk and talking the talk in the midst of struggle. Not many of us think about the reward we will receive for persevering, we just keep going, we keep praying, we keep hoping for those answers. Sometimes we have them come to us, and sometimes we do not. The Lord has allowed those trials to come sometimes to correct me and to bring me back to Him. I am like any sheep and can wander. Other times, it is the world and circumstances which come unexpectedly and my faith in God is what leads me through them. I do not blame God for either, for Jesus said

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple ~ Psalm 27:4 David comes to his Lord with this one desire: to seek after and to dwell in the house of the Lord all his days, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire at His temple. The psalmist mentions this desire of his heart more than once —“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Ps. 23:6); “LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth” (Ps. 26:8)—and he frequently refers to it in following psalms. This great desire of his was to have constant access to the house of the Lord, an opportunity to continually participate in the public worship of God. This was and is neglected by many, and is boring to others, but the psalmist preferred it to everything else. He envied th

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 When troubles come upon us, we are searching for answers, and we are searching for ways to move from our pain into healing. The burden of the moment is deep, and like David we call out in our faith to the God who gives us faith. Our cries may be long and hard, and they may run so deep we feel there is no way to escape them, or survive them. And the still, quiet appearance of God makes his way into our darkness, and gradually we see some light. It is an overwhelming relief as He helps us make what sense we can of our situation. We sense the Lord’s presence, and His comfort, sometimes in the voices of those close to us, sometimes in the quietness of our own thoughts, and often in the scriptures we read as we realize we are

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul is saying there is nothing we face in life which is so specific to us that we alone have dealt with it. What we are tempted with, so has another been tempted with. The question is, what we do with that temptation. Do we succumb, or do we fight it in the power of Christ? Our tendency is to give in, just this once we say to ourselves. It won’t hurt me, or anyone else, so just this once…but too often that rationality leads to again and again. Our human nature just seems to be wired that way, and what we think we will do only once feeds an adrenaline and it then becomes a habit. But with Christ at our side we are able to fight the temptations of life. We can still give in, sure, when we look away from Christ that does happen. When we

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, because I know that I cannot look at myself with objective eyes. I know that when I see myself, I see what I want to see in me and often it is misguided. But, Lord, I know that when you search me, you will see me as I am. You see my sins, my shortcomings, my humanity. You see where I have let you down, and others too, but thankfully, you also look past my errors and forgive me when I come to You.   You know my heart, through and through, and I ask you to search me out, to uncover what may be offensive in me, for Lord, I do not want to bring offense to you or to those who belong to you. I want to know Lord, that there is nothing blocking my way to you, or there is nothing that will keep me from entering into your presence. For I desire Lord, to be with you in relationship here on this earth for th

Blessed are those who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart ~ Psalm 119:2 To seek God with all our heart is to come in diligence searching for His mercy and love, for the sanctification of His grace, and His indwelling presence. It is to desire the fullness of God within. To seek God is to acknowledge that I have put myself aside, knowing that I am not enough, and that I need Him above self. It is to deny my desires, my wants, so that I may be filled with the One who grants my desires and fills my needs. To come “with all my heart” is to come, not with a lukewarm “maybe I need you, Lord” but to come with a definitive, parched soul searching for that which will fill it and in fact leave it with an overflowing fulfillment. In this time of Lent, and as we draw closer to the Easter Season, put aside your needless habits and come searching for the Lord with all your heart. Come without delay! Seek to do His will and to honour His ways. Then be filled with unspeakable jo

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it ~ Isaiah 55:11 The Word of God will cut through to the heart, discerning our ways and our thoughts. God’s word will never fail, or fall short. Hebrews 4:12 tells us God’s word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. As we listen to God’s word we are taught and instructed, we are encouraged and placed under conviction for our sins and wrongdoings. We read or we hear God’s word and we know He is speaking directly into our heart and as a sinner, we cannot evade the word, but instead know we must turn direction and heed the word. God’s word is Truth; it is holy. We are not. We are filled with sin in all manners. But God’s Truth pierces through our sin to bring redemption, whether we see that Truth in the Promises, the Prophecy, the Law, or the Gospel, it will bear fruition. In all these facets, God’s word will brin

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? ~ Psalm 42:2 We do not know the writer of this psalm. As many others are attributed to David, this one is attributed to “The Sons of Korah.” Perhaps he was in captivity at the point of writing, we are not sure, but what is sure is his longing to enter into the courts of the Lord to worship. His desire is not one of casualness; it is of earnest, deepest desire. He is parched in spirit, and he knows the only one who can fill that need is his God. We do not know what it is to be parched in the 21 st century. We know what sipping from the cup of the Lord is, but to have that gut wrenching, mouth thirsting, sweat dripping need for the filling of our living God within? No, we come to Him with tepid desire. We come to our Lord in our Lazyboy chair. This writer knew there was more to God than what he could sense at that moment, and he was panting for his God to be present with him. And this was not just any

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” ~ Joel 2:12 “Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer, fasting, and repentance. It is preceded by Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter. Ash Wednesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Old Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and some Baptists. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes may be prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations. Because it is the first day of Lent, many Christians, on Ash Wednesday, often begin marking a Lenten calendar, praying a Lenten daily devotional, and abs

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me ~ Revelation 3:20 It is no wonder this scripture has been painted and placed in so many churches as an image. It was a stained glass window at the front of one of the churches I attended years ago, and it was always as though it was a new image every time I looked at it. Christ, standing at the door, with one hand gently tapping while the other hand held a lantern, symbolizing he was the light of the world. And if you looked close, you would realize there was no outward knob by which to open the door – it had to be opened from the inside. Jesus does not force himself on anyone. He is gentle and He waits for us to say that we have had enough of this life without him. He waits for us to say, “I need you, Jesus.” When that moment happens, when we come to the realization that wisdom is in asking Jesus to come into our life, then He brings th

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope ~ Romans 15:4 The Apostle Paul knew the Scriptures inside out. He was a scholar and as such had studied and memorized the word from the Torah. When he needed words to bring encouragement during a time of struggle, they came easily to bring him hope. We know from his story he encountered many challenges in life, from ship wrecks, imprisonment, beatings, and more, yet he never swerved from his calling. We encounter many different kinds of trials, most of us not near what Paul encountered, or what some Christians in other parts of the world face daily. What then, holds us strong as we try to follow Jesus? If we do not have the word of God in our heart, the struggle is much harder to bear. The Word of God is a “light to my path” as the psalmist says. Paul affirms here the encouragement and hope we have thro

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart ~ Proverbs 21:2 Isn’t it always amazing how blind we are to our own ways, but can hone in like a knife when it is someone else? We see their fallacies, their idiosyncrasies, their weaknesses so clearly, all the while thinking that we are so on track. We think we have the better idea or the better way of doing something, without taking an objective look at the whole of the situation. We are too subjective. When we look at what is right and wrong with our neighbour we fail to see or to apply that same judgment to ourselves. We have a strong bond to the self! There are times when we fail to listen to that inner voice which speaks truth into our conscious mind and we carry on in defiance. There, however, is One whom clearly sees into the thoughts and ways which we can and do cover over between us and our neighbour. God sees all. God sees our motives, even when we hide them from self. King David once prayed “Bu

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered ~ Romans 4:7 These are words written by David, and here Paul quotes them to make his point that we do not work for our salvation, but that it is a free gift. The one who trusts God is justified by God, and what a blessed position this is to find oneself. We are forgiven, not to keep on sinning, but so that our lives with God would be filled to overflowing. It is in His grace we find freedom from our past, from our yesterday’s. It is in Him we move on into the present and the future. Paul affirms that since we are forgiven by God’s grace, we cannot take pride in what we have done, for we have done nothing to deserve His grace. We cannot behave good enough, or speak well enough, or even love enough to be forgiven. It is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross who took our sin upon Himself that we are brought into saving grace. Our sins were covered by Jesus sacrifice. We are blessed because we are f

March 1 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your god will bless you in the land you are entering to possess ~ Deuteronomy 30:16 With any good parent who expects their children to obey and do what is good and right, there will be a reward for those children. We teach, then we bless because we love them. A child whom is disobedient is sat in a corner or sent to their room, or they lose privileges. God is the ideal parent, for He gets angry only when what we have done sins directly against him and not because he is having a bad day. God is patient beyond measure at times with us too. But God too expects from His children. He expects them to love Him, to obey Him, to follow Him. Discipleship is not an easy road. It means that we put God first, always, and if that means that we are to speak out against a moral issue, we do. If it means God is calling