25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: Acts 11:19-26
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our participation in God’s Mission’. In BibleSong© (Faith Inkubator programme) this last year, the children have been learning about Paul’s mission work and his courage to speak God’s Word in all and every situation.The part that they have really enjoyed is when they can express what they have earned through drama, playdough, art or building with craft. It is obvious that they understand the strength that this Godly man had when faced with assassins, being imprisoned, travelling in storms and wild weather, being shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, and so much more. But in all this Paul encouraged the faithful with his letters, sent others to do his work when he couldn’t (Timothy, Barnabas, Aquila) and preached whenever he could. Paul never forgot to testify to the gospel of God’s saving grace. My father was the mission’s director for the LCA for many years (1968-1995) and he supported and preached the saving message of God to all. Missionaries, pastors and teachers in Southeast Asia and beyond were encouraged by my father’s words of God’s love and concern for them, encouraging them to continue in God’s work. God needs us to do His mission out in the world and also in our neighbourhood. We are all missionaries, with our neighbourhoods, schools, sports teams and work being our mission field. As a baptised child of God, we are all followers of Jesus. Australian Lutheran World Service is the service arm of the Lutheran Church and works together with people who are in need. Jonathan Krause shares needs of people throughout the world in his articles in HOPE Spot, which is emailed out to all supporters. As baptised children we firstly pray for those in need and then we do all we can to bring them not just things to support them in their lives but bring hope for their eternal lives. Be that follower of Jesus who shares God’s saving grace! Prayer: Heavenly Father, you need me to be that person to share your love and grace with others. Help me to have the courage and strength of Paul to be your missionary. Amen.
24th Day in Lent (Tuesday)
Read Psalm 22:23-31 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our response to difficulty and suffering’. The beautiful hymn, ‘Amazing Grace,’ was first written by John Newton in 1773. He was a former sea captain who saw firsthand the horrors of slavery and fought heroically to free slaves from servitude and horrific transportation across seas. He saw himself as a ‘wretch’ and the ‘prodigal son’ in his early life, distant both from his father and the heart of God. He considered himself far from God’s love. Later in life, he suffered terribly through a physical infirmary, but he discovered that even in his pain Christ’s deep and abiding love does not give up on anyone. In the lyrics of the hymn, many are reminded of the depth, breadth and height of God’s enduring love and promise. For all who long for God’s grace in the middle of despair, grief, guilt, and shame, this hymn is one of the world’s most hopeful songs. We read in Paul’s writing in the New Testament that he also suffered greatly from what he called a ‘thorn in the flesh’ and prayed that this would be taken from him. Instead, he was called by Christ to trust the grace of God which is enough to overcome any weakness and difficulty. This suffering was a reminder for Paul of the suffering of Christ. Jesus put His weakness and death on public display on the cross – yet the cross is the very power and wisdom of God because we receive mercy and grace through it. In our suffering and difficulties, we also need to be reminded to put our hope in the crucified Jesus who suffered for us and knew what it was to suffer pain and agony. We have the hope of the resurrection by the grace of God. John Newton and Paul trusted and acknowledged their love and hope in their crucified Saviour even though they too suffered. In their weaknesses, they were made strong through their faith in Jesus. Rely on and rest in the one who gave us grace! Prayer: Dear Jesus, in my difficulties and suffering help me to trust that you will fill me with your grace and power to rest in your loving hands knowing you love and care for me. Amen.
23rd Day in Lent (Monday)
Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for Him. I wrote you to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.” 2 Corinthians 2:8-9 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our sufficiency’. When put to the test, what is it that you need? Not want, but need? Backpacking through Europe for many months in the early 90’s I soon learned what I needed and what I wanted and what was sufficient. I needed a bed for the night so that was always my first stop of call to the nearest youth hostel. I needed to make sure I was safe, so I always travelled with other backpackers. I needed food, but a fancy meal was not needed so bread and cheese were sufficient for many meals. I wanted to see and experience so many things so I allowed myself to say, ‘Will I regret it if I don’t?’ But the decisions were always surrounded by what was sufficient. Easter is a time of mixed emotions. I am grateful for Jesus dying for me and know that He needed to to assure my salvation and forgiveness in the eyes of God, but this way is not what I wanted. When I read the accounts in all the Gospels, horror and guilt wash over me as I read about the flogging, the cruel nails and whipping and then hanging on a cross, bleeding out. Was all this needed? Could just a severe scolding by Herod be enough? But no, all this had to be gone through for it all to be sufficient for your and my salvation. God gave us His one and only Son to bear the brunt of the world’s sin and disobedience. This doesn’t seem quite fair. But through this, God’s grace became ever more evident that He was giving His everything to make us holy in His sight and wash us clean through the sinless blood of His Son Jesus. God tells us through Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” [NIV]. Because we can’t do what we need for our salvation, God had to do it through His Son. Prayer: My loving God, you knew that I couldn’t save myself, so you sent your beloved Son to do it for me. Help me know and understand that your grace is sufficient for me. Amen. 3
4th Sunday during Lent
Read 1 Peter 1:3-12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, … It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,” 1 Peter 1:10, 12a (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our serving’. A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and God’s presence in their lives. Experts were able to repair most of the statue with its arms outstretched, but its hands had been so severely damaged that they could not be restored. Some suggested they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was. It was decided to leave the hands off and at the base of the statue the townspeople added the sign: ‘Christ has no hands but yours.’ Every Christian is a minister of Christ. The work of the church, or meeting the needs of people, is the responsibility of all believers. God has created us for service, through His grace He has gifted us with so many gifts to share and tell others of His love. The greatest gift we have been given is that of faith to respond to the Good News about Jesus. A response to that incredible gift is to serve in whatever way we feel called – read the list of gifts Paul has written for us in Romans 12:3-8. St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) wrote a poem similar to the above story: “Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes within which He looks in Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body.” Use your gifts to praise and bring glory to God! Prayer: Lord Jesus, use my hands in service to you. You have gifted me with so many talents to use for you. Help me to be willing to serve you in grace-filled service. Amen
22nd Day in Lent (Saturday)
Read Colossians 4:2-6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our way of speaking’. Have you ever forgotten to put in salt when making something special only to have it taste anything but special? Once when making bread in my bread maker I forgot to add the salt. The bread took 2 and a half hours with the smell permeating the house. The family was hanging out for this hot bread to have with melted butter. Slice. Butter and then the taste – YUK! Without salt, bread doesn’t even taste like bread. It tastes like cardboard. Even with a lovely homemade jam the bread tasted like nothing. I was assured that by adding salt after the fact would work, but it was more like having a salt lick. Cookbook author Samin Nosrat says, ‘If food isn’t salted properly, no amount of fancy cooking techniques or garnishes will make up for it.’ (Salt Fat Acid Heat, p.27) Food needs to be seasoned from within not without. Paul says in the above verse that believers’ speech needs to be seasoned with salt, it should be flavourful to the hearers’ ears. Therefore, Paul is saying that we should aim to have our speech Word-saturated, Gospel-infused every chance we get. This salted speech comes from the Word and Christ dwelling inside of us. No matter how the conversation is responded to, we owe it to them to share the love of God’s grace and goodness. A believer’s manner of speaking needs to be different from the unbeliever. The Holy Spirit will work through your salted words, and those who are hungry for the truth will eat up the Word that is spoken in love. Our world needs words seasoned with God’s grace and love and so many are longing for forgiveness. Words can warn, be truthful and seasoned with love. We are reminded by Paul to use speech which is ‘gracious’, a word that is defined as courteous, kind, and pleasant. God’s grace is a gift so be liberal in your sprinkling of His salt. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you told the people of your day what they needed to do and be followers of you. Give me the boldness and courage to use words filled with grace and love to bring others to know you. Amen
21st Day in Lent (Friday) Read Colossians 2:6-12 “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…” Hebrews 13:9a (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our strength for living’. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower for the Pisa Cathedral in Italy. The foundation was first laid in 1174 AD but was completed in stages over the next 199 years. It has a nearly 4-degree tilt which is the result of only a three-metre-deep foundation that was set in weak, unstable subsoil. This structure has been stabilized a few times in its history to stop it from toppling over. An interesting fact is that the tower has withstood at least four strong earthquakes since 1280. The fact that it has remained standing is due to the soft soil in which the foundations were laid. This same soil that caused the leaning and almost had it collapse several times, has also helped it survive. Our lives can be likened to the Pisa Tower soil. The first story was built straight and strong with our baptism, but over the years our lives become a bit soft around the edges, causing a bit of a tilt. There are so many strange teachings and ideas that we are subjected to through our lives and living in a secular society it is hard to keep our foundation strong and secure. In the book of Hebrews (above), the writer tries to bring the Hebrew people back to the teachings and grace of Jesus. God strengthens us daily through His Word and His gift of grace to help us withstand all sorts of earthquakes. There are seven bells hung in this Tower of different sizes and tuned to a musical scale. They used to ring out over the town until the last century when engineers became concerned that their movement could cause further leaning and damage. So, they stand silent, not being used for the purpose for which they were created. In Christ, we have our firm foundation. So let us live as God has created us to be - ringing joyfully to God’s glory. Rely on God for strength as we live each day covered under His grace and love. Prayer: Heavenly Father, you stabilise my life with your Word and keep me secure in your love. Work in and through my life to keep me strong and true to you. Amen.
20th Day in Lent (Thursday)
Read 2 Timothy 2:1-13
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” 2 Timothy 2:10 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our holiness’. John Charles Ryle, Anglican bishop of Liverpool in the 19th century speaks of holiness. He says, “It is not knowledge... nor great profession... nor doing many things... nor zeal for certain matters in religion...” He continues that holiness is not “morality and outward respectability of conduct, nor taking pleasure in hearing preachers, nor keeping company with godly people. These things alone are not holiness. A person may have any one of them, and yet never see the Lord.” I had to read through the above quote a few times to understand what then is holiness. Holiness is the ‘state of being holy – living a life of total devotion to God.’ To live a life of total devotion is to rely not on our ability to try to become holy, but rather to rely on the Holy Spirit to work in and through our lives to help us live our lives in devotion to God. Holiness sounds hard to obtain and impossible to earn, but with the grace given us through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can be given this holiness through the washing clean of all our sins in baptism and opening our lives to be filled with His love. Holiness is to access the true person of holiness – Christ who is in you – to live His holy life through you. As we walk in the Spirit each day, we take the provision of Christ’s life to obey His will. The ‘fruits of the Spirit’ are then shown through the holy person we have become, and then gifts are given to others through us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) I am now holy because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. This holiness is a true gift from God by His grace. Live out your state of holiness through Jesus! Prayer: My dear loving Saviour, thank you for making me holy through your death and resurrection. Help me to live in total devotion to you and in so doing spread your love to others through me. Amen.
19th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: Romans 5:12-17
“These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our living’. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team in a baseball game. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was zero to zero, and it was in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The Coach and the Lord stood by observing the game. As they watched, a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was LOVE. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because “love never fails.” The next batter was named FAITH, who also got a ingle because faith works with love. The next batter was named GODLY WISDOM. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass…. ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly wisdom never swings at what Satan throws. The bases were loaded. The Lord then turned to Coach and old him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped GRACE. Coach said, “He sure doesn’t look like much.” Satan’s whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan was ot worried, as his centre fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground. Then it continued over the fence for a home run! The Lord’s team won. The Lord then asked Coach if he knew why LOVE, FAITH, and GODLY WISDOM could get on base but could not win the game. Coach answered that he didn’t know why. The Lord explained, “If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, faith and wisdom will get you on base, but only My GRACE can get you home.” (story by: Kraig Pullam) Living by grace through Christ gets us home to our Heavenly Home. Prayer: Lord, your grace is the only way I can get to my Heavenly Home. Jesus through His love has paved the way for my salvation. Your grace is sufficient for me! Amen.
18th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our behaviour’. Smells to me are very important. I like a nice smelling house. So, I burn candles, put the fragrance sticks out that sit in an oil and put on my diffuser. The smells then tend to permeate the house, and anyone who enters is ‘blessed’ with a nice smelling house. It is interesting how a smell is able to spread far and wide and even after cooking fish the night before, the smell of fish is still evident in the morning. The free grace of God is a little like all these smells – a bit of grace given here, a bit there and soon the whole place has been influenced by all that it touches. How can grace do this? By acting through our actions and behaviours to others. When the Holy Spirit works in and through people, the fragrance of God’s grace spreads and with that, as it mentions in the Bible passage above: “… in Christ and through us spreads verywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14b) God’s gift of grace and blessing to us is so powerful that our essence of behaviour is also affected to act in a way that glorifies God in all that we do and say. Just like the domino effect, the Holy Spirit works in and through every life that acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love…” You may remember this song from the 60’s (or not), but it was re-released by Jars of Clay in 2005. Basically, the song was saying that there is something different about Christians that seems to permeate their entire being and behaviour. he Holy Spirit is always working in and through our lives to produce in our very being the essence of God’s grace. Fill your life with the grace and love of God so that your ‘smell’ will reach far and wide. Let your behaviour show your love of Jesus! Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for being a part of my life and very essence. Please help me to grow in your knowledge and grace that will bring others to know you. Amen.