The Most Important Question in the World

 {HTB / Nicky Gumbel Daily Online devotional: Bible in One Year}

The brilliant professor of philosophy at London University, Professor Joad, was not a Christian.  He was asked on a radio programme, ‘If you could meet any person from the past and ask just one question, whom would you meet and what question would you ask?’

Professor Joad answered without hesitation: ‘I would meet Jesus Christ and ask him the most important question in the world – “Did you or did you not rise from the dead?” ’

There came a day in Professor Joad’s life when he assessed the evidence for himself and became a Christian.  He had been right in saying it was the most important question in all the world.  If Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, then he is who he said he was.

This changes everything.  When the New Testament writers speak of God’s love they point to the cross.  When they speak of God’s power they point to the resurrection.  God’s ‘incomparably great power’ was ‘exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead’ (Ephesians 1:19–20).  As we see in today’s New Testament passage the risen Jesus says to his disciples, ‘All authority (all power to rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to me’ (Matthew 28:18, AMP).

The resurrection means that the risen Jesus is present with us now.  Jesus continues, ‘I am with you always’ (28:20).

The result of the resurrection is not only his power and his presence but also his provision (as we will see in our Old Testament passage for today).

1.  Jesus and the power of God

Psalm 21:8-13

2.  Jesus and the presence of God

Matthew 28:1-20

3.  Jesus and the provision of God

Exodus 15:1-16:36

Are you worrying about the future – your health, your job, your family or your finances?  Make a decision today not to worry.  ‘When we worry about tomorrow,’ writes Joyce Meyer, ‘we waste today.  Trust God and learn to live one day at a time.’

We see in this passage that God promises to provide, but only one day at a time.  Jesus taught us to pray ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11).  We are to trust God that what we need in terms of provision will be there when we need it.

God promises his provision for physical and material needs.  He promises to rain down ‘bread from heaven’ (16:4a) called ‘manna’ (v.31).  Each day he provides them with all they need in terms of their ‘daily bread’.  Each one gathered as much as they needed (vv.18c,21a).  But they were told not to store it up for the future: ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning’ (v.19).

It is always a temptation to want to store up everything we receive as security for the future – rather than trusting God to provide what we need when we need it.  This applies not just to our physical and material needs, but also to our spiritual food.  We cannot just rely on past blessings.

It is also sad to see in this passage how quickly the people of God seem to forget about God’s goodness and provision in the past, and begin to grumble about problems in the present.  It always strikes me how soon they begin to grumble – and yet so often we can find ourselves doing exactly  the same thing, forgetting God’s blessings and grumbling.  This passage is a reminder of the need to trust in God’s provision in the good times and the bad.

It is the resurrection of Jesus which gives an eternal quality to this provision.  Because Jesus has been raised to life, those who eat this bread will live forever.

To read the full post, please got to: http://acs.alpha.org/bioy/commentary/419

Blessings!

Ronell x

Urban Saints : Investing in Young People

Friday nights at 7pm, we do a youth night (Pulse) at my church (re:generation church) in Gidea Park. It is still a relatively new venture, but all the leaders and volunteers are enthusiastic and hopeful for a big impact in our local community!

Tonight was a fantastic night at Pulse in particular. The atmosphere/ vibe was just the exact right blend of energetic and chilled out and the children and helpers were interacting and relating far more genuinely and naturally than I have seen before. On top of that, we have several new children who came to Pulse for the first time tonight, some of which were invited from prayer rooms that were held in local schools! What a blessing it is to witness/be involved with what happens at Pulse!

Today’s post is about another organization that aims to reach young people with God’s message: Urban Saints.

Since 1906 Urban Saints (formerly known as Crusaders) has been reaching out to children and young people with the good news of Jesus Christ. They are passionate about working with children and young people who have no church connection, helping them to realise their full God-given potential as they journey from childhood to adulthood.

Young people (aged 5 to 18+) connect with the movement in a variety of ways, including weekly youth groups, special events, holidays, community projects and training programmes. These activities are led by thousands of volunteers who are comprehensively trained and supported in order to help them work effectively and achieve the highest possible standards of youth work practice. Whilst much of Urban Saints’ work is in the UK and Ireland, increasingly they are helping indigenous churches within countries in the developing world to set up and run outreach work among un-churched children and young people.

Underpinning all of their work is the strong belief that the Christian faith works today and that Jesus Christ was speaking the truth when He said that He offers the very best, most fulfilling life. To this end, our passion is to see young people…

• Come to faith, and then share that faith with others

• Experience the greatest hope, and then become bringers of that hope to their peers

• Respond to the love of God, and then become activists in their world through the practical demonstration of that love

Young people can become Urban Saints – God’s agents of change in the world – living like Jesus lived, with lives full of: Compassion, Endurance, Humility, Integrity, Wisdom and Commitment.

Whilst not every young person might become a Christian, Urban Saints do believe that Jesus Christ’s life and message, as revealed in the Bible, is challenging and inspiring to young people today as they seek to understand their value and purpose within 21st century society.

If you would like to celebrate the tremendous work that Urban Saints do, then please stand in the gap and pray! Three other ways of giving include:

1.   Giving – they cannot realise their dreams and goals without financial investment

2.   Acting – young lives will not be transformed without men and women volunteering

3.   Praying – spiritual transformation and change will not happen without prayer

If you would prefer to invest locally, find a church or organization that supports young people and exposes them to the true message of Christ and the effect that that has on our day-to-day lives. Donate to their cause or volunteer to be part of the youth work that they do.

Blessings!

Ronell x

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’” {Matthew 19v14}

Not Ashamed

More and more people are being asked not to share or overtly display symbols (such as wearing a cross) that indicate their faith or religious preferences. This is a troubling trend of taking away people’s freedom of speech and expression of beliefs! It is an issue that Not Ashamed aims to tackle head on.

More than any other person, Jesus Christ has shaped our society, for the good of all. The values and freedoms that flow from Him have been embedded in our culture and laws, bringing great benefit to our nation. Our literature, our art and our architecture have all been influenced by Him whilst the Christian framework has given rise to scientific endeavour, economic enterprise and social institutions such as schools, hospitals and welfare organisations. Today Christians remain heavily involved in society, fuelled by their faith in Jesus Christ and knowing that only He can provide a solid foundation for our communities and nation.

Yet the truths, values and behaviour consistent with that foundation are under attack, to the detriment of the whole of society. There is mounting pressure to exclude Jesus Christ from public life, consigning Him instead to the realm of the ‘private and personal’. Increasingly, Christians are encountering attempts to restrict their freedom to speak and live in accordance with biblical teaching in the workplace and in public life (you can read more about some of those affected here).

The Not Ashamed campaign is about standing together and speaking up for the value of that Christian framework and the place of Jesus Christ in the face of apathy, attack and uncertainty about the Christian message. In the midst of the big challenges that our country currently faces, 'Not Ashamed' provides an opportunity to be visible and vocal for Jesus Christ in public life, explaining how He is good news for our communities and how He is the only one who can provide a robust framework for our life together.

Watch Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali explain the need for Not Ashamed here. Watch other Christians speak about Not Ashamed here.

To support the Not Ashamed campaign, you can WEAR, DECLARE, SHARE. You can also shop in their online shop, or sign a declaration of your commitment to and faith in Christ.

Blessings!

Ronell x

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” {Romans 1v16}