You & God are Exclusive

James 4:4

School children of a certain age begin to form exclusive friendships – I’ve got 3 children at school – and oh the great dramas and tears that play out when the ‘best friend’ has declared that they are nolong best friends b/c they’ found a new ‘bestie’. It’s like the end of the world!

Oh course – these crises are short lived b/c…. they grow out of it…

In other respects though, exclusivity is the very essence of a relationship – marriage is the obvious example.

In the bible, the exclusive partnership of marriage is often used as an image of the exclusive claims of God on us.

In our reading of James 4 today, He uses the accusation ‘adulterers’ – not to accuse his readers of actual adultery, but to warn them that ‘being friends with the world means being enemies with God.

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

It’s so important, he says it twice!

If you live you life – following the patterns and rhythms of the non-believing world….drifting along within the narrative of the world,…. wanting, expecting, & dreaming for the same things what they want, and being motivated by those things – and behave in the same way – the chances are – you will become ‘friends with the world – you will look ..and sound just like them…

It’s takes guts to stand out and be different. To be a friend of God we need to tame the desires the world holds.

Your relationship with him is exclusive, there’s no room for anything else.

This Book Really Renewed Me

Hi there and welcome to this week’s Devotional Moments. We are following the New Testament in 90 Days Challenge reading plan and today we are up to the first two chapters of Hebrews. For me, the Book of Hebrews has a special significance. 23 years ago, at one of my former churches, things around me were very difficult. Every corner I turned challenges were there waiting for me. The church went through a very difficult period prior to me commencing there and so the hurt was still there when I arrived. After a couple of years of mediating between broken relationships, going to court to defend the church’s name, trying to stop the exodus of people going through confusion, and trying to remain positive and hopeful to new people at the church, it all caught up with me. My spirit was low. My spiritual life was not active. I sought help from a mentor who encouraged me to take some leave and spend time with God. Leisl and I decided to go on holidays, and I thought where do I start experiencing a renewal of God’s Spirit in me?

I prayed a desperate prayer and literally opened the Bible and where it opened, I thought that is where I would start. Perhaps not the best advice but on this occasion, God used it.

My Bible opened to the Book of Hebrews which I thought was interesting. I was hoping for Books like Psalms or Job. No, God opened my bible at Hebrews. So, I started at chapter 1. And chapter one is known for getting straight to the point. There is no introduction, no prologue – just straight to the point. And this is what I read: “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names” (Hebrews 1:1-4 NLT).

As I read this that phrase in verse 4 stood out to me: “greater”. Already God was saying to me, through His very Word, that Jesus Christ is far greater than the all the issues waiting for me back at my church, is far greater than my spiritual crisis, is far greater than my disappointments and my hopes. It was as if God was saying, “yep, you have some issues, but remember, my Son is far greater – look up”.

Within thirty seconds God was speaking into my life. I couldn’t put this book down. I kept reading and reading and it was as if God’s Spirit was breathing new life into me. As I look back, it was God’s Spirit filling me afresh with His Holy Spirit. His Word, the Book of Hebrews were opening my eyes afresh to my Jesus – that He is far greater – I just need to keep looking up to Him.

This week, as you go through this book, may you be encouraged to keep looking up – up to Jesus for He is far greater.

David Moyes

The Power Of God

Acts 19:11-12

God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

Ephesus was known for being a city filled with sorcery and incantations with exorcists and all kind of magical imposters. In short, the city was held by evil God had to exercise an even greater and more unusual divine power to break the grip on the city.

So, when Paul enters the city and preaches about the good news of Jesus and is healing in ways that no one had ever seen before, the handkerchiefs that get passed around after Paul had merely touched it was placed on sick people and they where instantly healed this caused a large portion of the city to burn their spell books in a public bonfire.

Worshiping idols is a dead end a piece of wood, stone or precious metal can do nothing for you, our God is the only God, and this has been displayed time and time again throughout the entire Bible and even today these miraculous things still happen.

In John 14:12-14

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

The Apostle Paul experienced this very thing. The idea someone touching something, and then that being passed around – we hadn’t seen that until Paul came around. So when Jesus said you will do greater things than I did, it wasn’t just a ‘feel good’ message, it was truth.