“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

Have you ever really wanted something? Craved it? Longed for it so intensely that you willingly gave your time, your money, your energy, your comfort – everything – in order to possess what you wanted? No hurdle too high, no sacrifice too great, nothing else could compare to the object of your desire.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

Jesus used stories like these to explain the value of the kingdom of heaven. Like the perfect pearl to a collector or hidden treasure to an adventurer, nothing is worth more than God’s kingdom.

Beyond urging us to pursue the kingdom with our entire being, Jesus taught that its great worth should be shared. When you study God’s word and learn about His kingdom you hold a priceless treasure to be displayed to everyone you know.

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’” (Matthew 13:52)

Seek after the kingdom of heaven with all your heart and strength. Then share its incredible treasure with those around you. Tell them how living in God’s kingdom has changed you. Show them the precious words of Jesus. Display the jewels of hope and forgiveness you’ve discovered.

God in heaven, I want to hunger and thirst for Your kingdom. I want to spend all I am and have in order to gain You. Amen.

Questions: Why is God’s kingdom like a treasure? Is anything keeping you from pursuing Jesus with all you’ve got?

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” (Matthew 4:17)

The gospels record Jesus proclaiming, (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15) and instructing His disciples to proclaim, that the kingdom of God is near. (Matthew 10:7; Luke 10:9, 11) Although the book of Acts, Paul’s letters and other New Testament books continue to speak about the kingdom of God, none use the phrase, “the kingdom of God is near”. Why wouldn’t the apostles continue to use that statement?

People were looking for an earthly kingdom, one to overthrow the Romans and free them from oppression, but Jesus’ talk of the kingdom suggested a less tangible but still powerful realm. Jesus told the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Jesus also said “Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” (Mark 9:1) If Jesus meant the complete fulfillment of the kingdom of God – with sin and Satan finally defeated, where Christ will reign eternally – then some of the people who heard His words would still be living today.

That’s not the case. So, we know Jesus was describing the indwelling of Holy Spirit, who enables believers to live in the kingdom of God and experience His power. Many lived to see that day – Pentecost – when the Holy Spirit powerfully descended upon the disciples. (Acts chapter 2)

The disciples no longer preached ‘the kingdom of God is near’ after Jesus’ resurrection, because it had arrived. Jesus explained that you can’t see the kingdom of God because it is within you. His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come and live within us.

God’s kingdom – His rule and authority – came to earth through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit in our lives – the kingdom of God within us – empowers us to walk in righteousness.

Thank you God that Your kingdom is here – within me! Help me to live in that reality. Amen.

Questions: How does knowing the kingdom of God is within you affect you? How have you experienced the power of the kingdom in your life?

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

The hope that Jesus brings, and the joy, and the peace, all culminate in His salvation. The real and wonderful meaning of Christmas is that Jesus came to redeem us.  When Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus to the temple, Simeon spoke these words, “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Simeon knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the One who would save them, the One for whom they had been waiting. For thousands of years the Jewish people had been waiting for the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, whom God had promised. Jesus was and is the fulfillment of prophesy. We don’t have to wait anymore. The proclamation of angels, the rejoicing of shepherds, the worshipping of wise men all declare, “A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Jesus’ sinless life, willing death and powerful resurrection paid the ransom for our lives. This is the truth the apostles preached, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) This is the truth of Christmas.

Gracious and loving God, thank you for sending Your son, Jesus, many years ago to be born in humble circumstances. Help us never to forget or take for granted the salvation He brought us. Amen.

Questions: What does Christ’s salvation mean to you? How can we demonstrate our thankfulness to God for the wonderful gift He gave us at Christmas?

“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupt flesh.” (Jude 1:21-23)

Mercy – a beautiful word – means showing compassion, pardoning an offence, refraining from enforcing due punishment.

Jude reminds us of the incredible gift of mercy available through Jesus. Because God views Jesus’ perfect life and sacrificial death as payment for our sins, He has mercy on us and gives us eternal life.

Jude encourages us to remain in God’s love and gives us three instructions about mercy. He tells us to:

• wait for mercy
• be merciful to those who doubt
• show mercy mixed with fear

Wait for mercy – Though we have been saved through Jesus, we don’t experience the fullness of our salvation until we die or Christ returns. Here on earth, life brings trouble, sorrow and pain. Yet, we humbly look forward to the day when God will wipe away our tears and usher us into eternal life with Him.

Be merciful to those who doubt – Some people find it difficult to trust. Abandonment, abuse, rejection or betrayal, all provide ample reason for doubting. Be compassionate and gracious with everyone who doubts, just as Jesus shows mercy to you.

Show mercy mixed with fear – Continue to demonstrate God’s forbearance to any who are trapped in sin and bound by Satan’s lies, without condoning their behavior. Real fear reminds us how easily we also can be deceived.  As we follow these instructions on mercy, we will find ourselves moving ever closer to the likeness of Jesus.

Heavenly Father thank you that I can rest in Your love while I wait for Your mercy. Show me how to be merciful to others. Amen.

Questions: Where do you need to show mercy? How does remembering God’s mercy to you, help you be merciful to others?

Are you dressed for battle?

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3)

God gives believers the great privilege and responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), the truth of His power to redeem us never changes. Unfortunately, people will try to undermine, alter or distort the truth that we are saved by grace and called to holy living.

Jude draws our attention to such people. “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord… these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.” (Jude 4 & 8)

Jude exhorts us to fight the false ideas these people represent. In order to contend for the faith, first we must know the truth, then stand firm in it. Consider each charge Jude makes.

• Change the grace of our God into a license for immorality – For godless people, grace becomes a reason to sin more, rather than the reason to surrender our selfish ways to God.
• Deny Jesus Christ – Jesus put on our humanity, but remained fully God. A right relationship with God comes only through Jesus.
• Pollute their own bodies – Jude’s reference to Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7) shows he means sexual sin. We cannot continue a sexually immoral lifestyle and serve God.
• Reject authority – Many today refuse the idea of absolute truth. But God calls us to submit to authority and the institutions established by Him, like marriage and the church.
• Slander celestial beings – Those who mock the idea of Satan and disbelieve his existence deceive themselves. We don’t battle against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil. (Ephesians 6:12)

Father help me to stand up for what is right and true and not allow others to distort the incredible gift of salvation that You give through Jesus. Amen.

Questions: Why must we contend for our faith? How have the ideas of “godless men” influenced your life?

“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” (Jude 1, 2)

Jude begins his brief letter by reminding us of the truth. We are:

• called
• loved by God the Father
• kept by Jesus Christ

Remembering the truth helps us to stand firm against discouragement, doubt and despair. Allow these words of truth to wash over you.

Called:

“God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Loved:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)

Kept:

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24)

After reminding us of the truth, Jude blesses us with an abundance of mercy, peace, and love. An abundance of gracious forgiveness; an abundance of harmony, at rest and reconciled to God; an abundance of kindness and patience, an outpouring of unconditional love – all these blessings flow to us from God our Heavenly Father.

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me of the truth and abundantly blessing me. Amen

Questions: Why do we need to be reminded of the truth? What specific truths from God’s word encourage you most?

 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

John continues to hammer the truth into our hearts. To believe in God or as he now phrases it – to be born of God – means we have been changed. Listen to John’s description of those who are born of God:

• everyone who does what is right has been born of Him (1 John 2:29)
• no one who is born of God will continue to sin (1 John 3:9)
• he cannot go on sinning, because he is born of God (1 John 3:9)
• everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7)
• everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1)
• everyone born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)
• anyone born of God does not continue to sin (1 John 5:18)

No difference remains between word and deed. Belief and action become perfectly united. The new life God brings breathes consistency. This is the miracle of rebirth!

In his gospel, John quotes Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Jesus describes a spiritual process. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:6-7)

Deadened by sin, my true self – my spirit – requires regeneration. Being born of God refers to transformation of the spirit brought about by God’s Spirit.

God in heaven, I believe Your Spirit has the power to change me. Show me how to live in the reality that I have been born of God. Amen

Question: How has the miracle of rebirth been evident in your life?

“And now, dear children, continue in [Jesus], so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” (1 John 2:28)

Continuing in Jesus supplies us with what we need to turn from sin, to love our brother and to walk in the light. Confidence does not come from never making a mistake or never sinning; it comes from Jesus. Only Jesus provides a way for us to stand unashamed in the presence of God. That means that our assurance springs from continuing to look to Jesus as our atoning sacrifice, the One who speaks to the Father on our behalf.

The temptation to sin hounds us; we can’t reach perfection.

Patient, humble, long-suffering love doesn’t flow from our hearts naturally. Lies of the world trap us in darkness, block our way to the light. All that seems impossible by human effort becomes possible through Jesus.

To continue in Jesus means to seek His face daily, look to Him for guidance, trust He is good and in control, surrender my will to Him, to repent when He convicts me and obey what He commands. Then, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, as we seek Jesus, we sin less. Moment by moment, the power of the resurrected Christ enables us to love. As we stay in close communication with Him, we walk in the light.

God, this is what I want. I desire to continue to walk with Jesus every day of my life; to continue to learn from Your Holy Spirit and be taught by Him; to continue to humble myself before You – the one true God; to continue to submit to You and be transformed by Your power.  Amen.

Questions: What does continuing in Jesus mean to you? How do you put continuing in Jesus into practice?

What does worship mean to you? Here is an online Bible study to guide you.

The second aspect of Paul’s definition of who we are in Christ is: we are the ones who worship by the Spirit of God.  To worship means to show reverence, honor and intense love, as well as to perform acts of service, toward an object or being.  Although others may worship celebrities, sports heroes or less tangible idols like money, success or power, as believers we worship the living God.

Not only is who we worship critical, but also how we worship. We worship by the Spirit of God.  Therefore our worship flows not from our humanity, but from God who dwells within us.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “[A] time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24, NIV).

No longer are we trapped in the mold of the Old Testament days where the High Priest approached God on our behalf with the blood of animals. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, His Spirit lives within us, allowing us to enter into the very presence of God.  Our acts of worship are not external rituals that draw attention to us, but rather they are acts of surrender and service with our whole heart, body, mind and spirit, made possibly through the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).

Thank you, Holy God, for making a way for me to worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Questions: What does worshipping in spirit and in truth look like in your life? How have you been challenged to make sure your worship is not merely an external ritual?

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin..” (1 John 1:5-7)

Light represents righteousness, truth, love, fellowship and purity – descriptors of God.

Darkness stands for wickedness, lies, confusion and hate –the opposite of God.

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” (1 John 2:9-11)

Reread these short passages from 1 John and count the times the words “light” and “darkness” appear.

With intentional repetition, John tells us there are only two ways to live. When people live in the light, nothing trips or traps them, because in the light, people see things as they really are. On the other hand, darkness blinds. John paints a picture of someone stumbling around, groping for truth, but unable to find it.

Notice the unequivocal conclusion he draws: Love determines whether you live in light or darkness. Loving your brother equals living in the light. Hating your sister means walking in the darkness. Hate blinds us to the truth and separates us from God. Love opens our eyes, clears our path and makes fellowship with God and one another possible.

God, I want to walk in the light, as You are in the light. Amen.

Questions: Why is loving your brother essential to your relationship with God? How have you seen the connection between living in the light and knowing the truth?