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Search TAG: Nearer to God daily devotional

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Daily devotional

September 1 - Introduction to Jonah

We will be looking at Jonah, the likely author of this book, who is a minor prophet, living in the eighth century B.C. during the reign of Jeroboam II...
Daily devotional

August 31 - Still sacred

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” - 1 John 5:21  Scripture reading: Jude 17-25 What a strange ending to a letter? After the st...
Daily devotional

August 30 - Still secure

“…and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” - 1 John 5:20b  Scripture reading: 1 John 2:...
Daily devotional, Uncategorised

August 29 - Still saved

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true…” - 1 John 5:20a  Scripture re...
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Daily devotional

August 28 - Still a child of God

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” - 1 John 5:19  Scripture reading: 1 John 2:7-14 Yesterday, there was that wonderful affirmation of what we are in Christ. We have been “born of God”. Within the family of faith, we know who we are and where we’re going. But we live with many who aren’t spiritually related to us. John describes them: “…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” It’s a terrible position to be in, but for those in it, there’s no awareness of the horror. In total ignorance they’re happy in the arms of Satan. Haven’t we experienced something similar in our lives, as when there’s something we aren’t aware of, we remain blissfully ignorant of it? If we know about it, though, we have the obligation to change for the better. As Christians, we do know better, for we have been born of God. Like the young children we are, we are sticking to our parents, because there we know we’re safe. Yet the unbeliever is lost. This grim, dark and sad world is the limit of his hope. We must pray for the unbeliever. If we’re so grateful for God’s grace, don’t we want that for our neighbour also? This is the neighbour that sees us going to church today. But does he see us doing that in true obedience today? Are we trying to be good children? Suggestions for prayer Pray for Christians gathering in worship today. But also pray for their neighbours that they will see genuine faith shown in doing that today. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 27 - Yet, the sure promise 

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” - 1 John 5:18  Scripture reading: 1 John 5:13-21 “When all is said and done…” is a phrase used when we conclude matters. What we introduce with such a phrase is the substance of what we are saying. In the same way, our text begins John’s summing up. That’s why he commences this by affirming that our new birth has a permanent effect. Nothing is temporary about our faith. The phrase “does not keep on sinning” might distract us into thinking there is some super standard of holiness. But the key word is translated as “keep on”. It’s not that we won’t sin, but that sin does not have an ongoing hold over us. Rather than being hooked to the world, we’re hooked into God. His grace is the ever-present feature of our lives, as our text goes on to say, “He who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” In Christ’s victory, we are victorious. How much don’t the words of Answer 1 in the Heidelberg Catechism profess this? There the Church declares: “…I am not my own but belong – body and soul, in life and in death – to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.” What an assurance to begin the rounding off of a letter. Could we have it any better? Is there a higher calling – anywhere? Suggestions for prayer Praise God for his great love in sending His Son. Ask that we live every day proving what He has done. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 26 -They just took off!

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” - 1 John 2:19  Scripture reading: 1 John 2:18-27 In any kind of team sport, there needs to be a combined commitment. Imagine turning up to play for a sports team – and you’re the only one there! How much don’t you feel this just to be even one player short? We feel let down. Can you feel that same sadness with the first five words in our text above: “They went out from us…”? Because we treasure what we are in Christ, we’re deeply disappointed when folk just walk out. Don’t you then wonder: Was it something I said or did? When this happened in the early church John was quick to reassure. In this situation it wasn’t about us. You see, “They were not of us.” This teaches us a vital fact about the nature of the Church, for not all who worship the Lord with us on Sunday are necessarily part of the invisible church – those who truly believe. And then it’s just as well they are gone. They would not have been a positive, spiritual part of the congregation. However, we remain. God is faithful. He preserves us in His grace. As Hebrews 3:14 declares: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” When numbers seem low, be all the more thankful for those who are there. Suggestions for prayer Ask for God’s comfort with the loss of those who’ve left the fellowship. Thank Him for genuine believers staying. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 25 - Has the time come?

“…and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” - 1 John 2:18b  Scripture reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Have you ever been in a town or city centre and heard a street preacher? “The end is nigh!” he calls out, “Repent and believe, before it’s too late!” Dressed conservatively and using King James English, positioned on busy street corners or open park spaces, they can often become the butt of jokes and public derision. In one way, though, he is quite right. Despite their off-putting manner, their theology which can be quite unreformed, their warning is yet relevant. The end is actually very, very nigh! In fact, the end is closer than it has ever been before in human history. How much don’t the signs show this to be so? If it was so in John’s time with the presence of many antichrists, it is even more so now. You see, antichrists teach against Christ. They deny His work of atonement. While we might think this should be easy to notice, it is actually coming in the most subtle shift away from focussing on what God has done in His Son to what you can be in God. Is the “alone” in “Christ alone” dissipating? What the reformers saw in the false teaching of the church in their time hasn’t taken a holiday today. But have you? Do you know what time it is? Suggestions for Prayer: Pray for a spirit of discernment to test the spirits of the age. Thank God that His Word and His Spirit are always true. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 24 - Where did the time go?

“Children, it is the last hour…” - 1 John 2:18a  Scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:10-15 Isn’t it true that one thing we always seem to be running out of is time? There is the last rush to catch the school bus, a homework assignment that should have been handed in yesterday and the job at work which needs overtime to get it done on schedule. Where did the time go? As the saying goes: ‘Time lost won’t be found again!” As we reflect on our text, this is so true. The early church very much lived with the urgency of so little time being left before the Lord’s return. Time was of the essence and they knew there wasn’t much of it left. How many times in the New Testament letters weren’t they exhorted to make their time count? Perhaps we know better now. After all, Christ hasn’t come back for two thousand years. Yet, can we, of all the ages of believers, afford to be lax? Isn’t the time we’re in right now so much closer to Christ’s second coming? Seriously! If it’s already been two thousand years, is there much longer to go? Let’s also see this personally. We might live, Lord willing, for eighty years, or perhaps longer. But that’s not long. The years quickly fly and don’t they get much harder the older you are? Time is running out. How are you getting ready to meet your Maker? Suggestion for prayer Praise God that He’s working out His plan for our future and plead that we claim every moment for Him. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 23 - He seemed so genuine!

“There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.” - 1 John 5:16b  Scripture reading: Acts 5:1-11 This is a situation that’s hard to write about. To be told that there are those in the church who don’t belong; indeed, they shouldn’t even be prayed for. Plus, when God has nothing to say to a person, they have no hope! Calvin described this as nothing less than apostasy, where men completely cut themselves off from God. These ones were not part of us. Perhaps they were attracted by certain ideals – such as the self-attainment of Docetism. But they came in for the wrong reason; it wasn’t the gift of faith they had. For the early Christians this was difficult to understand. These people had seemed so genuine. They had been so full of vigour – especially in supporting that extra-holiness found in Docetism. Some had even been teachers. Yet they walked right away and so they showed they weren’t part of the fellowship, for in rejecting the Son, they turned their backs on life itself. Ananias and Sapphira showed this vividly. And it wasn’t because only a portion of the land sold went to the Lord, but that they pretended to be something they weren’t. They lived the lie – and so they were of the Father of Lies. Sadly, they were never of us. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the truth is what matters most, and not our friendships. Thank God that despite those leaving He is always with us. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 22 - Our brother’s lifeline

“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life – to those who commit sins that do not lead to death.” - 1 John 5:16a  Scripture reading: Galatians 5:22-6:5 ‘There are no strangers here – only friends we have yet to meet,’ is a saying that caught my eyes a while ago. I found it a strange quote and not always entirely true. But, now, I use it quite confidently in the Church. As those who share in a common faith commitment, we have no need to fear one another. Together we serve the Triune God – the Father Who in His Son, Jesus Christ, has made us perfectly able to stand before His awesome face and Who, through the Holy Spirit, makes that tremendous knowledge ours. We are in a relationship with God Himself. That’s why the power of prayer is so important. Prayer is the way in which we draw closer to God and to being open to His will. It’s also the way we are open with each other. This is why the believer “shall ask” when he’s sadly and devastatingly hit by the presence of sin in a fellow Christian’s life. It would be easy to be condemning, but that’s not said, only that you should pray and in this way God will give our brother or sister the true spiritual renewal they need. To be open to God is to open up a huge vein of blessing to those around. Suggestions for prayer Pray for someone you know needs revival; pray for God’s humbling; but also pray that you will be the way for He who is The Way. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 21 - Synagogue to Satan

“Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” - 1 John 3:13 Scripture reading: John 15:18-25 Something we can easily do with a Bible passage is to not think of the situation in which it was written. We read our verse above and understand it, naturally enough, to refer to everything which is unbelieving as being against the Church. What’s not so obvious, though, is that John is speaking specifically of just one group amongst all those unbelievers out there. From the Scripture reading and the title above, we have perhaps picked up who they are. We would know that the “world” here is those who have had God speak to them, and yet they rejected Him. They were like Cain, who should have known far better. Yet, he murdered his brother. And why did he murder his brother? That’s the question raised by the verse before our text. It answers it by stating his actions were evil while his brother’s were righteous. Cain belonged to the evil one, like the Jews verse 13 points to. They were those who ignored the truth of the Old Testament, which now had happened before their very eyes. They are so set against the Saviour, so much under the power of Satan, they won’t only throw Christians out of the Synagogue, but declare that killing them is serving God. Imagine, those so close to you can viciously turn against you. Even in the church! Suggestions for prayer: Pray for faithful teaching and ruling elders who look to the Lord alone. Ask God’s help to support and encourage them. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 20 - Making happiness last forever

“And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” - 1 John 1:4  Scripture reading: Philippians 2:2-9 You are sitting at the table, writing or typing that letter to a loved one. Now, as you are doing that, what do you find yourself writing? Aren’t they the interesting and important things in your life of late? And after a lapse of some time since those things happened, you must have remembered it, in order for you to write it down. It left an impression! Sadly, though, much of what leaves an impression is of an unhappy nature. Family crises, marriage breakdowns, terrible accidents and juicy gossip are what we can’t help but recall. To think of happy times is more difficult. Recalling that kind of memory goes through an extra layer of fog. John, however, so much wants to express an ongoing happiness. He declares that our lives are tied to eternity. That’s an assurance able to see us through all those struggles of the present. We are not on our own – our “joy” tells us of our place within a fellowship. We are joined to God and our fellow believers. Although perfect joy isn’t possible in this world of sin and so perfect fellowship isn’t here yet, we do so much look forward to that time of our joy being made complete. Tied to God’s eternity is the only sure safety rope! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for knowing where you are going. Ask Him to now live in the light of that glory. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 19 - With our love we are loved

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” - 1 John 4:12  Scripture reading: 1 John 4:13-21 A great struggle for many Christians over the centuries has been in relation to the assurance of their faith. They wonder how they can know they are truly saved. In order to prove their faith, some have turned to doing extreme things. So extreme, they have made a mockery of the very faith for which they wanted assurance. We don’t need to do or feel anything extraordinary to “prove” our faith. The test for the genuineness of our faith is quite simple: “If we love one another, God abides in us…” This is something so simple, you might have to read it again. It says that in our everyday relationships, we have our faith confirmed. This is where “love” is so vital. The Greek word for this is ‘agape’ – a type of love beyond sexual attraction and even deeper than our best friendships. This is the love shown perfectly in the doing and dying of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we love each other in this selfless way in which He loves us, God is living in us. Note the end phrase: “…and His love is perfected in us.” God is working toward our perfection. He is doing it and sooner than we think, we’ll be spotless in God’s presence. Imagine that: In our lives right now, He’s preparing us for that great event! Suggestions for prayer Praise God for all He’s done and is doing in us. Thank Him it’s not up to us, we only have to rest in Christ’s finished work. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 18 - Still shining?

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” - 1 John 4:11  Scripture reading: 1 John 4:7-12 We have touched upon what love is. We have seen that it begins first in seeing ourselves as sinners. We confess to our utter unworthiness. Before God, we have seen ourselves as the most wretched of all people. We have acknowledged that we should be punished by God. In His justice, He would be quite right to clearly convict us. Yet we’re saved! By faith we are freely justified through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. He sacrificed Himself for us. Nevertheless, being claimed by God also means some serious changes need to take place. The Good News cannot be held back, but must be categorically demonstrated in all its saving power. It must live up to its name. We love those next to us. Having been rescued from this world’s self-love, we seek to give as we’ve been given. You see, you don’t have the Gospel unless it’s being shown. Like the Lord’s picture of light in Matthew 5:15-16, we cannot hide it. Instead, it must be put on a stand so that all in the house may see. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to keep working on what needs to be changed in you. Thank God for what He has done in you and through you. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 17 - May the real force be with you!

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” - 1 John 3:18  Scripture reading: 1 John 3:11-20 We are never on our own. This may seem an obvious enough statement. Of course, we’re never on our own! Even retreating to an uninhabited island means we have to be connected to someone. The apostle John recognizes this. He, however, doesn’t see relationships as something to put up with; rather he has a positive message for it. He says they are opportunities for love: Real love. Not something we might feel or say is good, but something deeper and meaningful. He ties it in with a foundation – “in truth” he describes it. What could that be but the truth of the Gospel? What Jesus Christ did in His sacrificial death is the only proper motivation. It’s only on that basis that there are “deeds”. Take a minister, for example, preaching a sermon on the eighth commandment. He preaches it with a fiery conviction. Yet, that same afternoon he casually takes an apple from his neighbour’s tree. All those pious words counted for nothing. Unless the motivation which generates our words also works a redeeming grace in our lives, we are spiritually useless. It’s this redeeming grace which makes all the difference in our relationships. It means what we say, is what we are. For our brother or sister, or neighbour, that’s what really counts. Then the Holy Spirit – the Real Force for good – is with us and in us. Suggestions for prayer Seek repentance for your acts of hypocrisy. Pray for genuine love to break through all our relationships. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 16 - No limit!

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” - 1 John 2:2  Scripture reading: 1 John 5:1-5 The heresy of Docetism had many of the early Christians misled. Instead of that rich, nutritious feeding upon God’s Word, they had become caught up in seeking fulfilment through their own achievements. The wonderful, liberating news about the Son of God becoming man had been deliberately ignored. John responds by lifting those believers’ eyes above themselves. Instead of looking down to what is so earthly, so self-seeking, he urges them to look up: “He” – Jesus Christ, Son of God – “is the propitiation for our sins…” In the Old Testament, it’s recorded how often the Israelites rebelled against God. Many times they complained, saying to Moses that they’d been brought out of Egypt only to die in the desert. The Lord wasn’t impressed. On one of the occasions, he severely punished them by sending venomous snakes amongst them. They bit the people and many died. The people, in repentance, sought their covenant God’s relief. And the Lord did provide it through a bronze snake placed upon a pole, becoming God’s power for healing for all who looked to it. A true healing is also there for John’s readers who have slipped away, enticed by Satan. It is a healing so immense that not only will it be enough for them, but also for the sins of the whole world. If only they would look up! Suggestions for prayer Plead for God’s Spirit to keep you looking up and plead for others to also be humbled so that they may join with us. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 15 - The cook behind the meal

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” - 1 John 3:8a  Scripture reading: 1 John 3:4-10 ‘You are what you eat’ is a quote many of us know. And in certain ways it is definitely true. Those reared on limited food group meals suffer the result of that later in life. This is why governments spend much money on promoting a variety of foods from different groups. Mums are encouraged to be adventurous in their cooking. Moreover, this quote is also true spiritually. We have touched on this. But let’s now go beyond the food itself. Let’s take ourselves a step back before the eating of what is a truly unfulfilling meal. Let’s walk into the kitchen. We want to see who it is that could dare to feed us this way. What’s the name of the chef ignoring the rules for a healthy spiritual diet? No need to guess any further, is there? The devil has surreptitiously taken over the stove. We find him cackling to himself as he busily prepares the ingredients of worthlessness, hate and selfishness. No wonder no one’s getting healthy – it’s junk food at its very worst! What we need right now is another kitchen with another chef, where the food is up-building, positive and strengthening. There our taste buds are finely tuned and our bodies renewed. We need to feed upon God’s Word. We need what’s inside Christ to be inside us. Suggestions for prayer Plead the help of God’s Spirit to keep us reading His Word. Moreover, let that Word stir us to challenge our fellow believers as well. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 14 - The way we eat

“For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.” - 1 John 2:16  Scripture reading: 1 John 2:15-17 I’m sure our parents at times corrected our eating habits. They would direct us to sit up straight, not to talk with our mouth full, or show us how to use our knives and forks correctly. They didn’t want us to develop the wrong habits. Likewise, it’s something we have to be careful to also do spiritually. Our text shows such an instance of getting caught up in the wrong thing. Alas, before you know it, you’re well and truly caught up in sin’s slide. Back in Paradise, before man’s fall into sin, his will reflected God’s will. They were in harmony together. Unfortunately, something tragic happened – that fall into sin. Now what we want, couldn’t be more the opposite of what there had been before. In our text John describes what our natural will is now – the desires of the flesh and the eyes and of pride. Genesis 3 tells of this through Eve being tempted. She craved for what was wrong. And then she lusted for it. Then she boasted about it. She thought she could be like God. How much don’t we have to turn from this world and turn to the God above it! And, indeed, that is what we do today as we worship the Triune God through the Son Who came to this world and turned our natural diets upside down! Suggestions for prayer Ask God that today we eat the right food spiritually in hearing His Word and that in this way we may this way be strengthened to keep away from the wrong food. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 13 - An unfulfilling meal

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1  Scripture reading: 1 John 3:19-4:3 Doesn’t our modern world seem like a huge smorgasbord? There, laid out before us, is a vast array of all kinds of different opinions, philosophies, religions, political persuasions, moral choices and material comforts. You can see this vividly shown in our society’s children being treated quite differently by parents who are either rich or poor, strict or soft. With such diversity does anything in particular really matter? Yes, it does! There is a direction that is true. The difficulty, though, is in being able to discern that direction when so many all around us, including Christians, are swept along with this tsunami of non-judgmentalism. It takes effort to discern between right and wrong. How much don’t we need the help of God’s Spirit through His Word? “Don’t believe every spirit” our text warns. This is because there are “many false prophets” who are more than happy to guide us on the way to our own self-fulfilment, which naturally suits them. It is not a meal that satisfies. It is just a diet of junk food which creates the desire to keep on eating and eating, but which doesn’t actually give you what you need. And look at who's table you’re eating from then? Suggestions for prayer Pray for a discerning spirit that God may be glorified and the Church guarded. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 12 - A luring away

“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.” - 1 John 3:7  Scripture reading: Hebrews 5:11-6:12 Once upon a time, an Arab camel-driver was asleep in his tent in the desert on a bitterly cold night. In the middle of the night, he awoke to find the camel’s nose beneath the flap. He thought to complain, but there was so little he left it. He woke up later to find the camel’s whole head and long neck in the tent. The Arab was going to protest, but the camel spoke saying how cold it was outside and he wouldn’t come in any further. The man dropped off to sleep again. But a third time he was awoken with the camel’s front legs and hump now in the tent. As he was about to jump up and drive it out, the camel spoke again. He was emphatic, not a single square inch further would he come in. And anyway it was warmer with both inside. The Arab was so lazy and, although worried, fell asleep again. Yet soon, he awoke with a cry of terror. The heavy weight of the animal was on top of him. Then the camel replied, “If it's room you want there’s plenty outside – get out!” This is what sin does to Jesus’ work in our lives. It pushes Him out and the devil slips in. You could almost say it was without knowing. But you did know, didn’t you? Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to cut off sin straight away. Ask him to make Jesus fill you more every day. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 11 - Between the flags!

“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 cleanses us from all sin.” - 1 John 1:7  Scripture reading: 1 John 1:5-10 A quick study of Christianity in the first century shows us their lot was not an easy one. If we can become bogged down by our worries and concerns, what would it have been like for them? If our society has become drawn into an immoral and free-for-all morass, theirs was even worse. In fact, some of what was then common practice would shock even the most hardened to the core! Yet, those early Christians lived amongst it all. And because of the danger the world then posed, the Lord responds through such messages as John’s letters. The call goes out, “walk in the light”. Therefore believer, keep yourself away from the world – avoid any hint of sin! Or to put it in contemporary terminology, “Keep between the flags!” You see, we know that when we are at the beach, we are safest between the flags the lifesavers have put out to show where they’re patrolling. It’s in this secured environment that we have the right conditions for enjoyment. How much doesn’t that flow into the spiritual, so that within God’s commands we have true joy and growth in the faith? Then we are truly blessed. Suggestions for Prayer: Pray for the Holy Spirit to keep you in the right place. Thank God for the blessings you receive keeping to His way. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

Daily devotional

August 10 - And keep on growing

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9  Scripture reading: 1 John 2:1-6 As God’s people join together before Him in public worship, they not only open in praise to Him, but also in confession. You see, we have sinned and fallen short. We know we cannot continue on in sincere worship unless we are forgiven our sins. Thus this verse is valuable in calling the saints to come clean as they are together before Him. The verse before our text is clear in saying that if we say we are sinless, we deceive ourselves. Then, if in faith we have laid our sin at God’s feet, the words of our text are true. We receive His pardoning grace. We can continue on in worship knowing our fellowship is direct and undefiled. This is what John has also said in his Gospel, declaring that God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). But how much isn’t this also relevant for our everyday lives? If we are to live being open to the Lord, we must keep whatever hinders that, away from us. So we must constantly repent of our sins. Through that, we are open to God’s redeeming work in our lives, because only His Spirit can guide and keep and bless us. Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins to the Lord, whether known to you or those unknown. Dedicate yourself to doing this every day, looking out for whatever might hold you back from the Lord. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 9 - The first word

“…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” -  1 John 1:3  Scripture reading: Romans 8:9-17 A child’s first word is a thrill to his parents. Quite unexpectedly, out pops a comprehensible sound! But then again it shouldn’t be such a surprise. In all kinds of ways he has been growing and developing and this is just another sign of this growth. The positive influence of a loving family and wider environment nurtures this. This also shows us what Christian fellowship is all about. In the original Greek the word for this is ‘koinonia’. It means possessing something in common. In this way, a young Christian is nurtured within the appropriate environment. That’s why there is a bonding with other brothers and sisters in the Lord. Flowing on from Christ’s life to His Body runs His equipping power to all the parts. We are bonded with the Heavenly Father Who set out and uniquely commissioned His Son to fulfil His pre-planned action of love. We’re joined to Jesus Christ Himself Whose doing and dying has brought this wonderful unity to reality. Looking up, we naturally look around. In that fellowship the Spirit of the Father and the Son brings us to cry out where we are, for isn’t a child’s first word usually, “Mama/Dada”? Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for the Body of His Son, the Church. Commit yourself to always honouring her and nurturing those within her. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 8 - Living under the light

“…whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” - 1 John 4:7b  Scripture reading: John 3:1-18 I’m sure that at some point you have been affected by power strikes. Without any warning and at any time, your electricity is cut off. And what a shock it is when it strikes at night. Darkness hits, and then we haste to grab torches and candles and whatever else might give a little light. Soon you have alternative lighting. Yet that substitute is a far cry from having the power on; the light from torches and candles is barely enough. But how is the light shining on our spiritual path? It’s here that John wants us to be really ‘lit up’ by Jesus. He desires we have Christ’s Spirit brightly highlighting where we’re going and what we’re doing. But through what, we wonder? What are the batteries for our spiritual torch? David answers this by describing his sole source of spiritual light: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” To know God is to know this lamp to our feet. If we want to know about a particular author, we read his books. How much more isn’t this true of the Divine Author? And doesn’t that place the need on our hearts of not just reading, but of reading with the awareness of who’s speaking? Then those born of God will know God. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord for His Spirit to stir us to read His Word and so know Him and His will clearer and dearer. Rev. Sjirk Bajema currently serves the RCNZ Oamaru, in Oamaru, New Zealand. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.  ...

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