15/1/18 – Genesis 31:1-55 Matthew 12:1-21 Psalm 9:13-20

TODAY’S CONTRIBUTION IS FROM PASTOR CLIFF HENDERSON

Gen 31:19– Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

In a desperate attempt to escape the clutches of Laban, Jacob and his entire household made their escape, “and Rachel stole the household idols that were her fathers” Gen 31 v19. Why after experiencing the blessing of God would Rachel want to steal these idols that her Father bowed down to and worshipped? such a foolish act nearly cost Rachel her life v 25-32.

Laban was rightfully claiming that which belonged to him, the bible exhorts us to “give no place to the devil” don’t give him a foothold in our lives, when we do we give him the right to put his hold on that which is his. Is there anything in our lives that belongs to the kingdom of darkness, if there is be sure Satan will leave his calling  card and stake his claim to that which belongs to him.

The Word for Today is “Give no place to the devil”, let us make sure that there is nothing in our lives that he could lay claim to, it could prove costly should he find anything

Matthew 12 v 14-15 “Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there, and great multitudes followed Him and He healed them all.
Jesus withdrew because His time to die had not yet come, His mission to seek and to save the lost was ever before Him, this was the reason He had been born into the world.
Matthew doesn’t tell us where He withdrew to, but Mark in his account of this incident (Mark 3 v 7-12 ) tells us it was to the sea, some distance no doubt from the scene of the miracle, the madness, and the plotting recorded in this chapter.
Jesus withdrew from there, there are times when like Jesus the best thing we can do is to withdraw from situations, ( there are some battles not worth fighting)
Withdraw from conflict, strife, bitterness, envy, jealousy, false accusations and the like, and to concentrate and be committed to the mission we have been called to, to the multitudes who are in need of a Saviour. To the multitudes who are like sheep without a shepherd, to the multitudes who he loves and still has great compassion for, JOHN 3 v16.
Let us withdraw from all that would ensnare us, and let us be fully focused on our calling and purpose, and the mission He has committed to us, Mark 16 v 15.

Psalm 9 v3 Have Mercy on me O Lord

God had declared David to be a man after His own heart,David was  chosen by God to become the future King of Israel, because his heart was right, for God looks at the heart.Despite this wonderful commendation on David’s life by God Himself, David was always aware as the numerous times his writings in the psalms and elsewhere concur that he was a man who was in continues need of God’s mercy on his life, “Have mercy on me O Lord”. He could testify to the fact that God’s mercy had been a continuing factor on his life, “ your goodness and mercy has followed me all the days of my life” Psalm 23.God’s mercy is best defined, as God not punishing us as our sins deserve, it is God’s mercy that delivers us from Gods judgement.And here is the bottom line that none of us deserve anything from God, He doesn’t owe us anything, we deserve judgement but by receiving Jesus Christ as our Saviour we have received mercy from God and have been delivered from judgement.Years ago we used to sing a song of which the chorus said “mercy there was great and grace was free there my pardoned soul found liberty at Calvary”Thank God for Calvary and what Jesus accomplished for us there, at that place called Calvary. If God gave us what we deserved we would all right now be condemned for eternity, but instead of Judgement we have received Mercy, “Mercy triumphs over judgement” James 2v13. “If you O Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand Psalm130 v3, the simple answer is not one of us.Thank you Lord for your wonderful Mercy that follows us all the days of our life and because of it we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.