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Friday 29 September 2017

2.4 Of those who have expressed repentance towards God …

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:1-8‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Coming into an awareness of the presence and an experience of the One, Holy God begins to change us. Whether suddenly or slowly, an authentic visitation from God into our lives disrupts us, can even distress us, in shaking out sin (Hebrews 12.25-29) and recalibrating our awareness of God and His ways (Acts 2.1-13). When Jesus Christ came preaching, He called people to repentance: to turn around and face the reality of God (Mark 1.14-15). His acts of healing and deliverance were accompanied by a message that challenged and called people to change. God wants to meet with you; and for that to happen, there has to be repentance.

Ask God to show you the aspects in your life that need to change, the things you can begin to do something about. Attitudes. Ambitions. Relationships. A time to fast and pray? Invite the Holy Spirit to meet with you in a manner that will plunge deeply into you and expand you in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96). There are times we all need a ‘spring-clean’ in our lives, whatever the time of year. Now may well be a good time to start again.

My God, You who are a consuming fire, purge me and purify me, that I might be better fitted to represent the family you have formed through Jesus Christ. This day, I would renounce those recurring sins that I have held onto, impeding and resisting the presence and purposefulness of the Holy Spirit in my life. Heavenly Father, enable me, in my days ahead on earth, to be for your glory and the honour of Your Name, in Christ Jesus and His church. Amen.

Thursday 28 September 2017

2.3 of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:14-19‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

When we are called into communion with God, it is always Father, Son and Holy Spirit who meet with us in harmony together: God is One (Deuteronomy 6.4). Maybe it began for you in learning about and being drawn to Jesus, His life, ministry and atoning death; perhaps you first felt confronted or touched by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit;  or you began by appreciating the might and majesty of our heavenly Father, reflected in the marvel of Creation. However it happened, it is a revelation come from the One God: from the Father, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit.

When we come into a relationship with God, where He reveals Himself to us as He truly is, we begin to realise that we have a heavenly Father who cares intimately about every aspect of our life (Matthew 5.25-33); a Saviour who will always be there to inspire and journey with us through the rough and smooth (Hebrews 13.5-8); and the Holy Spirit who will enter us and enable us (John 14.16-20). God wants us to come to know Him more fully as He is, so that our joy and hope may overflow in abundance. One God, who is eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 Thank you, loving God, that you have drawn me, not only to wonder at your grace and compassion, but to embraced into eternal communion with you. I thank you that I, together with all your people, are caught up into an eternal, ceaseless communion with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in Your creativity, goodness, justice and love. For such a gift, such a quality of living that knows no end, I would ever praise and worship Your Holy Name. Amen.

2.2 Into the name ....

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3:13-15‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Our God has called us to exhibit the power and wonder of who He is (Exodus 9.16), to enter deeper into a journey of understanding and ownership of His Name; this God who calls into being a people who receive His promises, His deliverance and His transforming presence into their lives (Numbers 6.22-27).

As you grow in your understanding of the Name, you will journey into a new perspective on life (Zechariah 13.9) and into an awareness of unseen dimensions to your relationships (Luke 9.48). As you, born to bear the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1.26), overcome denial and degradation through entering deeper into communion with Christ, you will more clearly hear His voice (John 10.25-30). You will come to a keener awareness and richer experience of the sovereign God at work in you and through you (John 14.26-27; 15.24).

I acknowledge, Sovereign God, that you are beyond my human  comprehension. Yet I delight that you have apprehended me by the Holy Spirit, drawing me to a place of wonder upon and faith in Jesus Christ. I thank you that you are showing me, more and more, what it means to come under the care and command of the loving, Heavenly Father that you are. You, Holy God, are One. And I treasure the wonder and the power of Your Name. Amen.

Tuesday 26 September 2017

2.1 That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:1-4‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Baptism by immersion in water represents and enacts what it means to be Christian. You have been called to be one with Jesus Christ. To die to what you were, before Jesus came into your life; and to come alive to the whole and complete person God planned for you to be, because Jesus is now in your life (Galatians 2.20). This is not something you can do by yourself; but Jesus Christ makes it possible. He died for you. He rose from death for you. He makes you a new you (Galatians 2.26-27)!

In baptism, having been plunged deep, you were lifted up from the depths of the water, longing and praying that the Holy Spirit come upon you (Acts 19.2-6). You embarked upon a journey to be shaped into the person God always purposed you to be (2 Corinthians 3.16-18). You have been liberated from being less than who you truly are. You have entered into a new freedom, through surrendering to the presence and purpose of God in your life. This is what your baptism by immersion is all about.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all that baptism, by immersion in water, communicates and conveys. I thank you that, because of Jesus, I can turn away from all that is dark and destructive in my past with confidence, that I might be born again to new life in Jesus Christ. As I died with Jesus Christ in entering the waters of baptism, I thank you that I can live a new life with Jesus as my Saviour and Lord, raised up to eternal life in Him, in the company of the saints of God and by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday 23 September 2017

1.7 to interpret and administer His laws

““Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:22-28‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

God, who rescues and delivers men, women and children from the morass of sin, working by His Spirit in imprinting His Word upon our lives, fashions us to be fitted for mission and ministry in Jesus’ name. Where God declared His nature to Moses (Exodus 34.6-7), God gave His people laws to help shape and fashion their lives, that they might reflect God’s holy nature (2 Peter 1.2-8). In Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit now works in our lives to conform us to God’s laws, forming the mind of Christ among us (1 Corinthians 2.11-16). 

To discern the mind of Christ, we need the counsel of the Scriptures, the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of consecrated lives. We look to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.19-23) to be evidenced in our conversations and relationships. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control: these are the marks of a people ready to interpret and administer our Lord’s commands – to be bearers of His presence - within the culture and context in which they live.

Heavenly Father, may my life reflect and rejoice in your royal law, the liberating commands of the Kingdom of your Son and my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Rule in me, Holy God. Let justice and righteousness sprout from the fertile soil of my soul, irrigated by the Holy Spirit, exhibiting and ministering through my life all that brings you pleasure. May the fragrance of Jesus rise from me and from those who travel with me . May your healing and deliverance cover those around me, bringing joy and thanksgiving for your royal laws and holy decrees. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1.6 Under the Guidance of the Holy Spirit ...

"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”
2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:1-5‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

As Jesus Christ said it would be, we are dependent on the convicting and guiding of the Holy Spirit, to understand the will and the way of God as revealed in the Bible (John 16.13-15). We can do nothing of worth for God without the enabling purity, presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work among us. As the Holy Spirit ignites life in all Creation (Genesis 1.2), that life is renewed and intensified as the Spirit of God comes and resides in you, sealing you with the imprint of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1.13); a fountain of life springing up within you (John 4.14), flowing out as living water from your heart (John 7.38).

As the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, who was full of the Spirit (Luke 3.22; John 1.33), so we need Him also to come upon us (Acts 1.8, 11.15) so that we may properly discern, agree and act together in Jesus’ name. In this manner, the Holy Spirit will lead us in Holy ways: into convictions and practices that mark us out as belonging to our Heavenly Father, ambassadors in Jesus’ name of the truly loving, redeeming and reconciling God.

Father, I thank you for the personal reality of the Holy Spirit, who comes like the wind and living water, to irrigate parched souls and soften brittle hearts. Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me and move through us, the body of Christ, to carry the presence and power of God’s Kingdom into the lives of those who are lost and confused around us. Let flowers bloom again in the desert. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday 22 September 2017

1.5 And that each Church has liberty ...

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:12-21‬ ‭‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

We need the Bible to understand God’s way and His will. We also need a ‘community of conviction’ around us, children of God, sharing our reading of the Scriptures with us, so that we can confirm that we are hearing and applying the Holy Spirit’s revelation to our lives in a Christlike way, free from self-deception. God has called and designed every disciple to be part of the ‘body of Christ’, the church. Without being part of church, we are diminished as disciples.

Where we are in place, in the body of Christ, interdependent with others in His name, we come under the authority of Jesus Christ (Matthew 18.20). Gathered in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are drawn into liberty (2 Corinthians 3.17), liberating us from the bondage to corruption through which the Devil deceives the world (1 John 3.7-8).  Mature and holy disciples will help us triangulate - and thereby confirm - what God is truly leading us into, through His Word and by His Spirit. This is the way God chose to communicate to His people after Jesus’ ascension to heaven (Acts 15.28-29). It is the same, in seeking to discern and apply His will and way as directed in the Bible, that God calls us to today.

Father, I thank you that I am freed by Jesus Christ from domination by the Devil. I thank you you have liberated me into a new dimension of life, to be directed and empowered by your Holy Spirit. I thank you I am a person whose identity is enhanced by being part of a people, the Body of Christ. I thank you for those around me, disciples of Jesus Christ, who are also looking to be led by the Holy Spirit. Help us, as church together, to test, confirm and conform to what you are saying. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1.4 as revealed in the Holy Scriptures

“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The sixty six books of the Bible, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are God’s precious gift to us, to inform and instruct us in the faith and practices of a Christ-centred life. The Bible is our instruction manual, as worshippers of Jesus Christ. Reading, seeking to understand and apply what it tells us, of God’s will and His ways, is a foundational component of Christian discipleship. 

The way that we check that our faith and practice, to ensure that it fits with Jesus’ mission and ministry is, in the first instance, with reference to the Bible. We look to the Scriptures to lead us into understanding and confirming the plans (Jeremiah 29.11), the promises (2 Corinthians 1.20), the pattern (Romans 12.2) and the purposes of God (2 Timothy 2.19-22) for our lives.

Father in heaven, I thank you that we have received the Bible, transmitting the revelation that you have given to us over many centuries, leading people to faith in and conformity to Your Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. As I read the Bible, speak deeply to me, my God. Illumine me in my understanding by the Holy Spirit. Show me and teach me your Fatherly will, that I might be true to you and please you. To be a blessing of hope and and a bearer of love to many. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thursday 21 September 2017

1.3 in all matters pertaining to faith and practice

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; 
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, 
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, 
according to the working of His mighty power”
Ephesians‬ ‭1:17-19‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

God wants you to be His delighted, fulfilled child. The perfect Father, God is fully interested in who you are, what you do and how you do it. He is invested in shaping and maturing you to become more and more like His firstborn, Jesus Christ. Jesus is our perfect prototype. Through the Holy Spirit, your heavenly Father would shape you to be more and more like His firstborn Son.

Faith: ‘Forsaking All I Take Him’. Jesus Christ invested in what He saw His heavenly Father doing (John 5.19), always seeking to please His heavenly Father (John 8.25-29). That’s why when we look at Jesus Christ, we see exactly what God our Father is like (Hebrews 1.2-3). In His attitude and by His actions, Jesus demonstrated that He belonged to God (John 10.37). God longs for us to become more and more like Jesus Christ. Do I want that too?

Father in heaven, I want to be more like Jesus. Whatever it takes, make me more like your firstborn Son. In my goals and ambitions, through my words and my actions, I want to love and to listen, to serve and see people saved. May the people around me see and sense something of Jesus Christ in my life, this day and in the days ahead. May your Holy Spirit accomplish this, I pray. 
Amen.

Tuesday 19 September 2017

1.2 Is the sole and absolute Authority

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:15-18‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Our Declaration of Principle follows the Bible in pointing us to the highest authority there is in the Cosmos: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God, come among us, as a human person. Jesus Christ saves us from destruction and brings us back to what God planned and now purposes for us. In this, our Union stands in the mainstream of historic Christianity, reaching back over 2,000 years. Our foundation is the life, ministry, death, resurrection and present rule of Jesus Christ, who reigns over heaven and earth. Jesus Christ, who calls us into personal relationship with Himself.

We recognise that God’s absolute authority resides in Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who became human like us (John 1.14); a living person in whom we discover the way, truth and the life that God has for us (John 14.6). God wants us to grasp this authority: what it brings to us and enables us for (Matthew 18.18-20). God’s intent is for us to grow in recognising Jesus Christ’s presence with us, through active participation in His mission and ministry (Matthew 28.18-20).

Lord Jesus Christ, there is none like you. You are above, over all and more powerful than all. Yet you came to reach out and minister, humbling yourself to bring healing and deliverance to others. Today, I submit myself afresh to your authority. I want to be established in your authority through knowing you and obeying you, now and in the days that are ahead. To the glory of God and for the blessing of others. Amen.

Sunday 17 September 2017

1.1 That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians‬ ‭2:8-11‬ ‬‬‬

Right at the start, we come to the heart of what draws us together. Jesus Christ is our Saviour. He came to be like us, love us and give up His life for us on the Cross. Jesus Christ is also our Lord. Raised from the dead, He now reigns over the Cosmos and has the right to be in charge of our lives. In acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the specially anointed Saviour of the World sent from God, we freely yield to Him: we invite Him in to take control of our lives, through the Holy Spirit’s presence, purposefulness and power working in us and through us. 

Whether a new or seasoned disciple, it is important to remind ourselves, every day, that Jesus Christ is our God and Saviour (2 Peter 1.1). We are not our own: we were purchased at a price (1 Corinthians 6.19-20). We are called by God to serve a living Saviour and Lord, who has brought us into a new and everlasting life (Romans 6.22; Galatians 6.8).

Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge you afresh today. You are my Saviour and my God. Your life and authority fills dimensions of reality I cannot see. I hunger for you to fill my life, with your life, the more. Fill me with your presence. Establish me for your purposes. Enable me in your mighty power. To the glory of God our Father and through the workings of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday 16 September 2017

A Devotional Commentary

Over the course of the next month, I will be posting a set of personal, devotional reflections. I pray that you find these useful. I offer them towards a richer understanding and appreciation of our Scottish Baptist Union’s Declaration of Principle.

Our Union’s Declaration of Principle, adopted in 1908, has a prophetic  relevance and resonance that can still inspire and excite today. In three sections, it defines and shares a perspective aimed at strengthening Christian disciples and blessing others with the Good News of Jesus Christ. With simplicity, it expresses what we hold in common, parts of a nationwide community of conviction.

This commentary aims to help you reflect on these sections in a devotional way. It aims to steer you to the revelation God gives us in the Bible and the relationship God wants you to develop with Him and with other people. To help you grow discipleship in your own life and with others.  To work out what it means to live and worship God as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

But to begin, the text of the Declaration of Principle itself:

1. That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole and absolute Authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

 2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again the third day.

 3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

Twenty one devotionals to follow. Enjoy!