The Christian Struggle – Week 46 / November 9th

by admin 2014Devotional

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated
Me before it hated you”
John 15:18-25

The passage before us from John’s Gospel sets forth the struggle that Jesus encountered as He lived and walked amongst us, and the struggle that we will have to embrace if we dare to follow Him. His light and revelation was too much for this dark and sinful world and the unseen powers of wickedness. As time went on His ministry aroused these powers to a point of crisis; which indeed was the cross. Those who hated Him, both seen and unseen, thought that they had prevailed over Him by driving Him to the awful place of execution but indeed they only ignited an avalanche of love and light that will in the end overwhelm them and even judge them. However, until that day arrives, the Jesus follower will have to embrace the same struggle that Jesus had when on earth. We cannot escape this as we carry the same light in us that aroused and induced hatred against Him or, as He put it, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”

The root of hatred  (15:19)
The world, meaning the systems and communities of humankind, are far from God and embroiled in everything that contradicts His character. God is altogether good and righteous in a way that He never changes and thus can be called perfect. Jesus once said, “Therefore be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) This perfection is His unchanging righteousness. By contrast; the world is perfect in unrighteousness in that it changes not in this regard and is thus deemed wicked. The Christian, like Jesus, is filled then with light but the person of this world is filled with darkness and the two cannot live side by side in harmony. This is why Jesus says in this verse, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own…..” But we are not of this world and therefore we are hated! As a Christian you cannot and will not please the world and if you do you have compromised your faith and are an apostate! It’s as simple as that and yet millions of Christians have done and are doing just that. Scripture in fact warns that just before Jesus comes again there will be a great apostasy. (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The call to stand  (15:20)
What the world needs is uncompromising Christians who build their lives on scripture and allow it to dictate their behavior and world view. (James 1:21) When Christians stand firm God works with them and they become salt and light in the community and nation in which they live. That is, they become salt to purify and preserve and light to show God’s way of living. (Matthew 5:13-16) It is the word of God that must be embraced as true and inerrant. (2 Timothy 3:16) It is not surprising then that the powers of wickedness, seen and unseen, have done everything possible over the centuries to discredit God’s word. When this foundation is removed we are left with nothing but sinking sand. The Bible is God’s absolute truth and Jesus Himself recognized this when he declared, “Thy word is truth…” (John 17:17) We must therefore have it built into our lives and at the same time recognize that this, when demonstrated, will attract persecution. Paul knew this because he wrote, “All that would live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2Timothy 3:12)

The need for fellowship  (15:21-24)
Christianity is forging a real relationship and friendship with God by Jesus Christ. (1John 1:3) This relationship with God we call fellowship which means companionship. What a privilege that we should be called God’s companions and friends. The world reacts against Christ and His people precisely because it does not know God. This indeed is our calling in that we are seeking, by our witness and way of living, to draw people out of their darkness into a real and meaningful relationship with Jesus. The world can “know” God and thus their hatred of Him can be turned around. It is interesting to note that since Jesus came they have no excuse and so their sin is compounded and so will be their ultimate judgment if they do not repent. Jesus puts it this way, “They have no excuse…” God has seen to it that the things concerning His Son have not remained in a corner but have gone out into all the world. (Acts 26:26) John in his first chapter of his Gospel writes that Jesus is the light coming into the world that “enlightens every man.”  (John 1:9) This is not to say that all men are saved but rather that all men have received the witness of Christ; to reject this witness is sin and indeed folly!

Sadly the testimony of scripture, and of the world ,is that they will hate God and His Christ for no good reason. (V25) Jesus only healed the sick, encouraged the broken-hearted, preached words of hope and joy, fed multitudes and died unjustly, but redemptively, and yet it is His name that is constantly used in blasphemy and besmirched with hatred. This should wake us all up, make us love Him the more and it should increase our determination to make Him known to a dark, sinful and evil world. That they hate Him without a cause should be repented of before it is too late.

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

Who is this? – Week 47 / November 18th

by admin 2014Devotional

Mark 4: 35-41

The fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark gives us a record of Jesus’ teaching concerning the kingdom of God. After delivering two parables on the truths relating to this kingdom Jesus finishes an exhausting day and so thereafter He is taken by His Disciples to a boat and this we are told “just as He was”, designating that He was so tired that he didn’t bother about food or any other bodily pursuit; He just wanted to sleep. And so He did, on a pillow provided by his friends.

However, as the little fishing boat headed out into the lake a wind came rushing down the hills around the Sea of Galilee and stirred up a serious storm over its waters. The boat quickly took on water and the Disciples, who were seasoned fisherman, cried out to Jesus in a panic. They actually laid an accusation against Him because they said, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” Jesus then, aroused from His sleep, stood and said to the surging waters and raging wind, “Peace, be still.” Immediately an amazing calm descended on the lake as the storm subsided. The Disciples, flabbergasted, responded by saying, “Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him.”

The truth is the Disciples, at this point only saw Jesus as a mere man but with miracle making abilities. Hence they cried out to Him to do something about the dangerous circumstances they were in. The result was that when He did as they asked Him to do, by calming the sea and the wind, they were amazed and asked the question, “Who is this?”

This story challenges each and everyone of us in that it reminds us that Jesus cannot just be seen as a miracle worker and yet many Christians today see Him as just that because their preoccupation is with power, health, wealth and prosperity. For them being a Jesus follower means getting things! It also means acting like gods as they believe that they can change their environment by giving verbal commands and confessions. I was in a meeting recently where some leading it were commanding Angels to do all sorts of things! Angels are not sent forth by us to do our bidding; they are in fact sent forth by God to do His bidding. (Hebrews 1:7) No, we are not gods or kings but simply the followers of Jesus. Jesus has all power and authority and not us and He delegates some of it to us as we need it when we go into the world to preach His Gospel. (1Corinthians 4:8-9)

The truth is, Jesus is The Lord God of Israel and we would do well to ask the question, “Who is this?” This will remind us that we are to make Him Lord, pick up our cross daily and serve Him in love, humility and praise. We will change our world more by learning to pray as we should, by calling our communities to repentance, by caring for one another and by sharing the Gospel with our world. The early church did these simple things without a New Testament, without the endless Christian books, helps and Bible translations that we have today and they conquered their world for Christ. They knew who Christ was and that He could do more than just calm a storm because He alone can change a human heart and thus subdue the storm of sin that rages within it. This is the greatest miracle!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

After that Tribulation – Week 48 / November 25th

by admin 2014Devotional

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars
of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be
shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send
His angels, and gather together His elect from the four
winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest
part of heaven.”
Mark 13: 24-27

This is undoubtedly one of the most amazing and intriguing passages of scripture. It is thus worthy of our close attention and study since the days it speaks of are certainly fast approaching. These days, about which Jesus is speaking here in His Olivet Discourse, will:

Be after that tribulation
Jesus is here speaking of a very difficult period for the world and particularly for the Church. This unique tribulation or “great pressing down period” will befall those living on the earth just before the arrival of the great Day of God’s Wrath since scripture clearly teaches us that this Day occurs after the changing of the luminaries. That is, after the sun, moon, and stars are altered. (Acts 2:20) the Day of The Lord takes place but, before the changing of the luminaries that great tribulation will befall the earth and so we must brace ourselves spiritually because its signs are even now all over the earth. Christians are everywhere either being murdered in huge numbers or discredited and challenged with legal action because of their unswerving commitment to and belief in scripture. This will escalate! Sadly much of the present day Church is asleep and therefore not prepared for or equipped for the days that are coming. As Paul states in his epistle to the Ephesians, it’s time for the sleeper to awake and put on Christ. (Ephesians 5:8-14)

Be dramatic and cataclysmic
We are told by Jesus that the sun, moon and stars will fail. When you think about it, this will be terrifying. The world will panic because every part of it will be impacted by this heavenly upheaval. Things as we knew them will be gone forever as a foreboding and thick veil of darkness envelopes the earth. This is for real as time and time again the scriptures warn of this approaching calamity. (Joel 2:28-32; Zechariah 14:6-7, Acts 2:19-21; Revelation 6:12-13)  In my view it is this phenomenon the constitutes the “sign of the coming Son of Man.”

Be dis-empowering
We are further informed here that “The powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Various parts of scripture warn that that God is going to shake all things on earth and in heaven at the end of the age. ( Haggai 2:6-7,21-22; Hebrews 12:25-29) this shaking means that God will remove the false and beggarly foundations that the people of the earth have built their lives upon. At the core of this will be the collapse of the global financial system! This is coming quicker than you think and you must prepare for it. However, here in Mark’s Gospel we are told that the powers or authorities of the heavens will also be shaken. This means that demonic power with all its structures of principalities will fall. They will finally be dislodged from their place in the “air” (Ephesians 2:1-2) and come down to the earth. (Revelation 12:7-12) The defeat of Satan and his hordes is certain because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He, by His death disarmed and dis-empowered them and so in the end they will be completely and utterly shaken! (Colossians 2:15)

Be glorious
The world, enveloped in darkness, will suddenly behold a great and glorious light descending toward it. It will be the light of Jesus’ second coming. The whole world will see it and for those who have rejected Him and scoffed at Him and who have persecuted His people it will be a Day of great terror. They will call out for the hills and mountains to fall on them as the Son of Man, seated on a beautiful white horse, approaches the Mount of Olives. ( Revelation 6:12-17) The great Day of His wrath will befall them as He comes to take control of the earth by ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. Then the nations will learn war no more and peace will rain down upon every part of the world. The Prince of Peace will bring light and joy to the whole earth and His resting place on Mt. Zion will be glorious! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Be redemptive
On that glorious day when Jesus comes, as He descends to the Mt. of Olives, He will call forth His elect from all over the world. At the Trumpet call of the Archangel they will arise out of their graves and those who are alive will be transformed in a twinkling of an eye and they will all be transported by glorified power to meet Jesus in the air as he comes in triumph. (1Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) He will gather His elect “from the farthest part of the earth, to the farthest part of heaven.” That is, He will gather them out of every nation, glorify their bodies and, in the end, populate heaven with them! They will occupy the “farthest part of heaven.” Finally, our weak and decaying bodies will “catch up ” with our redeemed souls and spirits and be clothed with immortality. Blessed be The Lord God of heaven!

This then is the teaching of Jesus in this short but incredible passage of scripture. Days of trial and difficulty lie ahead but these will be fully eclipsed by the “weight of glory” that is reserved for us at His coming. Let us then be strong, faithful and true and let us go forth in the promise that Jesus will be with us even until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

Living for Christ – Week 49 / December 2nd

by admin 2014Devotional

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains
alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
John 12:24

Making a decision to follow Christ is a good and glorious thing to do. Scripture tells us that the Angels rejoice when a sinner repents and embraces Christ as Savior. The question then becomes, “How will this repentant sinner live out his or her life?” Again scripture tells us that a great “cloud of witnesses”, being saints that have gone before us, are watching our walk with Christ. This walk is in fact a race that we have to run! This sounds like a contradictIon in terms but in reality it is not. Since it means the following: We are to be faithful, steady and disciplined day by day as we follow Jesus and so we walk in a different direction to that of the world but, we are also to be well focused and determined with our eyes on the goal and so we are like athletes running toward the winning line. Jesus said, ” He that endures to the end will be saved.” So, in essence, we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved when Jesus comes!

Living for Christ means knowing these things and responding appropriately. We must remember that Jesus also said that, “Many will be called but few will be chosen.” This should make us all sit up and ask the question, “What must I do to be chosen.” The answer is the following:

1. You must fully embrace Christ as Lord
There can be no half measures in this regard. Jesus once said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord but you don’t do what I say.” Surrendering to Jesus means becoming His slave! We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. There is no other option in life.

2. You must not stand alone
Jesus likens us to a grain of wheat that, if left un buried in the ground, will produce nothing and it will not multiply. Christians who claim to follow Christ but continue to pursue their own agendas, even if these are wholesome and good, are not living for Christ but for themselves. They are lawless even though they may attend church every week! Living for Christ means submitting our wills to His, for it is by doing this that we will be filled with His joy.

3. You must die
The grain of wheat that loses its life in the ground brings forth “much grain.” God’s purpose for your life and mine is that we should impact the world by demonstrating His character by the way we live and by reaching others with His message of salvation. We cannot, and must not, stand alone! We must abandon our lives to Christ and live only for Him. There is nothing more wonderful and fulfilling and those who choose this way will find their lives and experience the goodness and abundance of God. This is what it means to pick up our cross daily and follow Christ.

Sadly, this call is considered too radical by many who claim to live for Christ. They prefer to follow their own road, thinking that thereby they will find the fulfillment and joy that deep down they are looking for. They even sit, week by week, in Church but the truth is; we cannot serve two masters! The text before us, here this week, reminds us that to follow the Master we must truly live for Him and thus rise every morning ready to do His will. Blessed are they who have made this decision and follow through by doing it. Their lives will multiply and be fruitful and they will be filled with joy.

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

The Season of God’s glorious Light – Week 50 / December 8th

by admin 2014Devotional

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

Scripture declares that the world is in the grip of a demonic fist. (1John5:19) Generally speaking the human race walks, “according to the prince of the power of the air,” (Ephesians2:2) and indeed, as Paul affirms, the devil is the “god of this age.”(2Corinthians4:4) We should therefore not be surprised at the darkness and evil that envelopes our world and sadly, sometimes even our own hearts!

Nevertheless, at this time of the year we remember, with much joy, that God’s light dispels the darkness and will ultimately conquer it. The Feast of Dedication (John10:22) or Hanukkah reminds us that the Lord of Glory, by His love, penetrates the darkness by the strength of His love and therefore by His saving light, does great things for Israel and all those who love Him.

The very first Hanukkah celebration took place some 160 years before Christ. Israel was overrun by the evil Seleucid Antiochus Epiphanes who committed the abomination of desolation by placing a statue of Zeus in the Temple in Jerusalem. After a great struggle, which raged for three-and-a-half years, he was finally defeated by the Hasmoneans and by Judas Hasmoneas in particular. The Temple was cleansed and rededicated with a miracle that kept the Menorah burning for eight days until oil obtained from the Galilee, was able replenish it. Jesus celebrated this miracle and thereby recognized the intervention of God on behalf of Israel. (John 10:22-23)

The message was clear; God’s light will deliver Israel and save her. Today the Iranians and others threaten Israel as Antiochus did but they will also fail because they have not reckoned on Israel’s light! Time will most definitely prove this to be true! We thank God that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and we can then pray with confidence about Israel’s protection and deliverance. Scripture affirms this when it states that the nations will increasingly fall into intense darkness but God’s light will increasingly shine brighter over Israel. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Also, at this time of the year, we celebrate the birth of the Light of the World; Jesus of Nazareth. The incarnation story is simple, beautiful and worthy of annual celebration, regardless of the date. God became man and dwelt among us so that we could perceive who He really is. John the apostle declares, “No one has seen God at anytime, the only begotten God in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:18) What a beautiful way of putting the essence or nature of Jesus. The Father is fully reflected in His life and this reflection is nothing short of glorious and divine! By His death and resurrection Jesus has dispelled the darkness in countless millions of lives down through the centuries and in the world today. In short, His star has brought real hope and joy to the world. Rightly then do we celebrate His birth and thus join the choir of Angels in their songs of praise. This we do with the great expectation that very shortly He will inherit the throne of His great grandfather David and rule forever and ever. (Luke1:30-33) When this happens light will at last cover the whole earth as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9) This alone is our true hope and joy.

May the God of Israel shine His light on you and your loved ones at this special time of the year and thereby fill you with His love and joy! Even so Lord Jesus come quickly!
Merry Christmas

Malcolm and Cheryl Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

The Christmas Message – Week 51 / December 17th

by admin 2014Devotional

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For He has visited
and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn
of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.”
Luke 1:68-69

As day of violence, anarchy, wars and natural disasters cover the earth we can be tempted to give way to despair and therefore wonder where it will all end. Add to this the degradation of the environment and the picture only worsens. Our world is in trouble!

The root of this trouble lies in humankind’s nature. To put it simply; there is something wrong with the human heart because it has rebelled against God and consequently, having been cut off from God, is predisposed toward evil. The Prophet Jeremiah put it this way, “The heart of man is desperately sick and wicked above all things.” (Jeremiah 17: 19) David, the great Psalmist of Israel, declared that, :There is none good no not one,” (Psalm 14:1-3) and Paul writing in his Roman epistle said, “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) These notions of humankind’s sinfulness are of course rejected by our secular world and sadly even by some in the Christian world. For “these worlds” humankind is essentially good and all its problems are largely caused by one’s position in life or by circumstances outside of one’s control. We are all victims and not responsible for our misery! The Bible affirms that we are indeed the sinful trouble-makers!

For those then who love God and who have consequently cast themselves upon His grace and redeeming love in Christ, there is a bright and glorious future. (Psalm 1:1-3) The key then to rectifying our “broken and diseased hearts” is, and always will be, repentance. This means owning up to one’s personal wickedness and repenting before God for all that one has done and become. Again, this notion is generally rejected by our arrogant world because of pride. The fallen heart does not easily come to terms with its awful condition but when it repents and embraces Jesus as Lord it enters into God’s only solution for it. This solution is grounded in that which Jesus did for us on the cross. For this reason God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) and Jesus began and concluded His ministry with a call to repentance. (Mark 1:15; Luke 24:46-47)

For those who have the courage to embrace God’s gift of repentance and atoning love in Christ there is laid up for them a pathway of hope, joy and eternal life. This is the unfailing promise of God and this is the only way to travel for a world fast falling apart. We have heart trouble and only the God of the Bible can permanently rectify this condition. In fact His love for the world is so great that His word states that “He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9)

As we enter the season of Hanukkah and Christmas we are reminded of God’s light and His willingness to shine it on a broken and dark world. This light was first brought forth and seen in Israel and then it has gone to the four corners of our world. (John 1:6-13) It rekindles and redeems hearts that are humble enough to submit to it and it constantly reminds the world that Jesus came into the world not to condemn it but to save it. Thank God that His Messiah came into the world in order to shine the light of His love upon us. We are a blessed people.

May you experience the joy, peace and blessing of God this Hanukkah and Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Malcolm and Cheryl Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

The Real Gift of Christmas – Week 52 – December 24th

by admin 2014Devotional

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence
Of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not
having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness
which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering,
being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain
to the resurrection of the dead.”
Philippians 3:8-11

God sent Jesus into the world that, by His atoning work on the cross, we could be bought back from sin, reconciled to Him, sanctified, declared righteous, made righteous and destined for a new home called heaven. This is salvation, it is why we have a Christmas story worth celebrating and it is the calling placed before all those who embrace Jesus by faith. Paul recognizes that there is nothing on earth that can compete with the glory and joy of this calling. Paul, having seen things unspeakable and full of glory, knew what awaited those who were faithful to Jesus and who consequently made knowing Him the chief joy of their lives. We need to read, hear and meditate on these words of his to the Church at Philippi more than we do. It’s quite possible that the challenges and attractions of this life can turn our gaze away from Christ and thereby distract us from being all that God in Christ wants us to be. To be honest there are far too many of God’s children who are ensnared in this way. They do not particularly sin but they do load up upon their lives encumbrances that retard their ability to be what Jesus wants them to be. We must abandon these!

So, as we celebrate Christmas afresh let’s take stock of our lives and really make sure that we “measure up” to the intention of the wondrous events that took place on that first holy night. For Paul this means:

1.    Counting all things as loss. (V8a)
Jesus was the prize that he was constantly setting his gaze upon. All the things of this world paled into insignificance as he compared them to Christ. If we do not have this attitude as well it is because we have not really seen who Jesus is. For some the good things of this life seem more splendid and precious than Christ. Those in this unhappy position are thus guilty of idolatry. Sadly, very often they do not even know it.

2.    Counting the knowledge of Jesus as everything. (V8b)
The Christmas story is not about religion but about a relationship with Jesus that is vital, real and true. Paul desired fellowship with Jesus more than anything else in life. Jesus is alive and He can be encountered by faith brought to us by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). It is no secret what God can do and He does everything by His glorious Son; who longs to have fellowship with each and every one of us. This is why He came into the world and celebrating Christmas without this component is to devalue the glorious Feast. Be sure then to worship and honour Jesus as you enjoy the celebration with your family, friends and loved ones. Read the story of the first Christmas, put yourself in the place of those first observers and feel again the awe of God becoming flesh!

3.    Counting the righteousness of Christ special. (V9-10)
Jesus came to atone for all our sins; past, present and future. Upon repentance and faith in His substitutionary work on the cross, God His Father imputes righteousness to us as a gift (Romans 5:1). It is given to our credit even though we do not deserve it; it is God’s grace and only God’s grace that does this. We are thus absolved from His wrath (Romans 5:9) and He deals with us just as if we have never sinned! However, by the life of Jesus in us, we are to embrace God’s righteousness imparted to us (Romans 5:10). Paul longed for this and he knew that his relationship with Jesus by faith could bring this to his heart and life. If we belong to Jesus then we all should have a longing to be clothed with His perfection. This is why He came and indeed those who follow Him should thirst for this righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

For Paul nothing brings one closer to go and to His righteousness than suffering. Many Christians draw away from God in times of trial but for Paul suffering constituted an opportunity to know Christ better (James 1:2-40. He saw suffering as a means to have greater fellowship with Jesus. This is a challenge and we must think carefully about this as well.

In the end Paul knows that being a true Christian will prepare one for the greatest event in human history, the resurrection of the dead! We will all be resurrected one day even the ungodly but their resurrection will secure them a place in hell (Revelation 20:11-15)! Our resurrection will take place when Jesus comes again and then our bodies will finally catch up with our souls and spirits and be clothed with perfection (1Thessalonians 4:13-18). What a day that will be and it is this day that God had in mind when He sent Jesus into the world.

Merry Christmas,

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries