Devotion: 10/1 - The Opened Sight

Today's reflection explains why some people still are the same after their "conversion" experience. There needs to be regeneration. And regeneration is to receive true forgiveness of sins in your heart. It is not your decision to follow Jesus that saves you. It is the forgiveness of your sins by the blood of Christ that truly saves you. If we do not receive this gift, we are still sinners. This is what it means to be truly born again. Many people look for the "conversion" experience, or the "religious" high when they go to church or some evangelistic events, but we must not forget that conversion does not save you. It is merely the Spirit opening our eyes to see God for the first time. We need to take the next step to leap into faith to be renewed by God, shaped by His own mighty hands.

Devotion: 9/1 - Prayerful Inner-Searching

Thanks to Gordon who has kicked start our devotion group on Facebook. I'll be in Japan for the next two weeks, so may be hard for me to update online but will write my thoughts all down while I am there and will post them when I return.

I was always puzzled if we can ever be forgiven for sins which we are not even aware of. Today's message answered this for me. This is the power of God's forgiveness, the cleansing of ALL our sins, known or unknown, revealed or hidden. The height and depth of God's love that searches out for us goes beyond what our cognitive mind can ever fathom. God is not only powerful, He is always merciful. Not only does He punishes but He also forgives and loves. No greater love is there then he who gives his life for his friends. I'm sure glad that He's on our side. Jesus is our Friend for Life!

The peaceable kingdom

All of creation belongs together in the arms of its Creator. The final vision is that not only will all men and women recognise that they are brothers and sisters called to live in unity, but all members of God's creation will come together in complete harmony. Jesus the Christ came to realise that vision. Long before he was born, the prophet Isaiah saw it:

　

The wolf will live with the lamb
the panther lie down with the kid,
calf, lion and fat-stock beast together
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze their young will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like the ox.
The infant will play over the den of the adder;
the baby will put his hand into the viper's lair:
No hurt, no harm will be done
on all my holy mountain,
for the country will be full of the knowledge of
Yahweh as the waters cover the sea
(Isaiah 11:6-9)

　

We must keep this vision alive.

(Taken from Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen)