by Ruth Olsen
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… all that Jesus began to do … until [he ascended], after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit … (Acts 1:1,2).
Read Acts 1:1–14
I wonder if we have an idea of what Jesus meant when he said to his apostles that they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit. I wonder if our understanding is far too small or limited.
After his resurrection, Jesus spoke a lot with his early disciples about the kingdom of God. His words were like seeds; they carried life. They were given through the Holy Spirit. As with yesterday’s reading, the growth that comes will look different from the seed it has come from, but God has given it the capacity to produce a hundredfold.
Yet the apostles needed to wait in Jerusalem until they received God’s power when the Holy Spirit came to them personally. It’s like those seeds needed to wait in the soil (picture language) of their hearts for the conditions required for them to strike. Then it’s the power of God by the Holy Spirit who causes the seed to swell, burst open and strike forth new plant growth.
This new growth is kingdom-of-God thinking, changing our hearts, renewing our minds, transforming us one day at a time! And, even as you read this, the Holy Spirit’s power is at work, giving new insight and understanding. The plant is sending up new growth as it also sends down roots that anchor the plant and absorb the nutrients it needs! This picture language can help us recognise and creatively receive what the Lord is working on in us.
It’s the very same Holy Spirit who gives us the power to be witnesses to Jesus wherever we are. Do we expect to move with him in his power, or do we focus on our inadequacies and, thereby, nullify his power to be at work in us? It’s healthy for us to consider these challenges prayerfully. Of ourselves, we do NOT have the power to be witnesses to Jesus. But do we believe Jesus’ words? Do we trust the Holy Spirit to lead us, to empower us?
Father, in Jesus’ name, forgive our unbelief. Work whatever is needed in us so your Holy Spirit’s power is released in and through us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Ruth and her husband Steen have notched up their 50th anniversary this year. By the time you read this devotion, they will be exploring the beauties of creation somewhere in Europe on a long-delayed adventure, trying to put to use some of the French Ruth has been learning in recent years.
by Ruth Olsen
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… this is what the kingdom of God is like (Mark 4:26).
Read Mark 4:26–34
Seeds are a witness to the intelligent design of our amazing creator! They are a fascinating small creation with the needed ‘DNA’ for growth after its kind. Whether scattered or intentionally planted, they need suitable conditions for the change and transformation we describe as ‘growth’. This growth looks very different from the original seed, yet it carries the capacity for a hundredfold multiplication of that seed. Kingdom dynamics and principles are at work!
The two parables in today’s reading give us a glimpse of what this dynamic does and the purpose the seed serves in carrying that dynamic. Seeds themselves are God’s creation, given to us to use. The power of life within the seed then connects with any conditions that promote growth, and the transformation process begins. What happens in that growth environment can determine the harvest to come.
These parables or ‘word pictures’ are seeds that can produce a rich harvest as we ponder them. Sharing the message of Jesus and our hope in him – scatters or intentionally plants the seeds (words) that carry God’s kingdom life to us and others. As we ask the Holy Spirit for insight, he can creatively open diversity and depth, bringing God’s word alive to us. It’s an invitation to take adventures with him, to become aware of him at work in us and through us as he communicates to others in their heart language, renewing their thinking and ours.
This week, as we move into readings from Acts 1 and 2, we will explore some of this kingdom dynamic at work. It’s also an invitation to adventure because not one of us can conceive what God has prepared for those who love him, but he reveals it to us by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9–13), for his word comes to us also as seed.
Holy Spirit, you open our ears, eyes and hearts to Jesus. You search the deep things of God and reveal them to us. Enable us to recognise you at work in and through us, to work with you and not resist you, for Jesus’ sake.
Ruth and her husband Steen have notched up their 50th anniversary this year. By the time you read this devotion, they will be exploring the beauties of creation somewhere in Europe on a long-delayed adventure, trying to use some of the French Ruth has been learning in recent years.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
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The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon (Psalm 92:12).
Read Psalm 92:1–4,12–15
The cedar of Lebanon, revered by civilisations for thousands of years, is a rare wood with a natural lustre and distinctive, long-lasting odour. In biblical times, it grew extensively around the mountains of Lebanon, giving the cedar its name.
For thousands of years, the cedar’s 20-to-30-metre height and 5-to-8-metre width have inspired thoughts of strength and solidarity, with the wood widely used for shipbuilding by various ancient civilisations. Today, it is admired by woodworkers, who find it perfectly suited to cabinet-making and joinery.
In Ezekiel 31:3–5, Assyria is compared to a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, it's top among the thick foliage … it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased, and its branches became long.
To be reminded that we (the righteous ones because of God’s grace) will grow like cedars of Lebanon is an incredible encouragement and inspiration. We (planted by the Lord in himself) are promised to have what we need to flourish, bear fruit (even in old age!) and remain fresh and green in our relationship with him and our service in his kingdom.
We are valuable in the eyes of the Lord, revered, unique and have his strength. We have been crafted to reflect his precise, beautiful and precious work in his creation.
Our new nature – our Christ-redeemed lives – can be lights that shine in the world and a distinctive, long-lasting, pleasant odour for people to be drawn to the one who has planted us and provided for us.
And for that great privilege and honour, we can give him all praise and glory, proclaiming his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night (Psalm 92:2)!
You make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound are your thoughts! You, Lord, are forever exalted. Amen (Psalm 92:4,5,8).
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).
Read Luke 24:36–53
When St Luke recorded these words, he wanted to make sure that what Jesus Christ had said and done was documented so that there would be no doubt about the fact that this ‘power from on high’ would continue to be acknowledged, relied on, made use of and celebrated.
Despite what we see and experience in this world, the good news is that God’s power hasn’t failed. His resources haven’t run out. Unlike every other power supply that can run down or have its energy source dry up, God hasn’t gone flat. His power has been – and is – active, alive and supplying energy for his people all the time.
After Jesus’ resurrection, the apostle Thomas refused to believe what his colleagues told him about them seeing Jesus. He was hesitant to acknowledge the risen Lord and to be transformed by his power. But Jesus didn’t turn his back on him. Instead, he confronted him in a very loving way.
And Jesus lovingly confronts and challenges us today when we hesitate to rely on his power in our lives. When our efforts to remain close to him and serve him are weak, and when we doubt and worry and wonder whether or not we can stay close and hold on to him, he comes to us in our doubt, laziness, half-heartedness and fear, and he says: ‘Here I am; here are my promises; here’s my power; take me at my word.’ We might not be able to hold on to him – but he holds on to us.
He meets us face to face each time we hear or read his word, celebrate our baptism and come to the Lord’s table and commune with him. He assures us of the mighty power that he brings to our lives. And he invites us to take hold of that power and let it flow through our lives.
Holy Spirit, continue to point us to Jesus. Continue to empower us to reflect Jesus in our lives. Open our hearts and minds to be bold and confident in our trust and acknowledgement of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them (Luke 24:15).
Read Luke 24:13–35
When his followers were plagued with questions and doubts, Jesus didn’t stand by and watch from a distance. He doesn’t let us suffocate in our uncertainty either. He comes to us and serves us. He knows our hearts. He understands the anguish we sometimes experience. And he’s ready to help us at all times.
That’s what he was like throughout his earthly ministry. He looked out for the weak. He caught up with the grieved and confused. He searched for those burdened with guilt. And he accepted those who were regarded as outcasts.
He still does that today, especially when people travel on a troubled road. He’s still the same Jesus, the companion of the men walking on their way to Emmaus. He’s still friendly and considerate, understanding, compassionate in his approach, helpful in his guidance, and always ready to bring a word of comfort and hope. He came to the Emmaus disciples when they were confused. He came to them without a great fanfare or a spectacular demonstration of his power.
We may sometimes wish that he would appear in our lives with a thrilling miracle, a startling display of his power, or an irresistible appeal in his invitation to believe in him. But he doesn’t usually work that way.
He still comes, though. He comes to us and enables us to trust in what he’s said in his words, even though we might not always understand it. He comes to us and strengthens us when we must face hard times. He comes to us and equips us so that we can be more effective in carrying out our responsibilities. And he comes to us to give us the courage to witness openly and boldly to our faith in him.
Lord Jesus, we live with uncertainty, doubts, fears and worries. Sometimes, they can get the better of us. Thank you for understanding us, continuing to come to us, walking with us, forgiving us and giving us strength and courage for the journey ahead. We praise you for your presence and help. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
By Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
He is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:5b)
Read Luke 23:56b–24:12
I love my wife. I told her this when I proposed to her, and then again at our wedding, and most likely on every anniversary we’ve celebrated since (the ones I’ve remembered, anyhow). And I’d tell her if I changed my mind. Why would she – or any wife and husband or any person, for that matter – need to be told repeatedly that they’re loved?
We know God loves us. He told us this. It’s in the Bible. We hear about that love every Easter as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. So, why repeat it? It can become a bit monotonous when you hear the same thing over and over.
I don’t know about you, but I need to hear that I’m loved and special – especially when I have some real struggles in my life, am grieving, have concerns about my family, am tempted and find it hard to get along with others.
I need to hear I’m not alone in my struggles and that, each day, I’m offered help and strength. I need to be reminded that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and because of his love and commitment, my mourning and sadness can be comforted, and I have all I need to face the future with confidence.
That’s what the Easter gospel is all about. It’s God saying, ‘I’ve raised my Son to life so that you can have a living Saviour to be with you and for you and in you and give you all you need to face whatever it is that’s difficult and challenging in your life’.
We have a God who loves and doesn’t stop loving – a God who has loved us so much that he was prepared to send his one and only Son to die so that we could have life.
And not just to have eternal life but a full and rich life here and now with purpose and a sure and solid foundation. When things go wrong (and they do), life gets tough (and it does), and we fail and experience disappointments and get knocked down, we have someone to pick us up, comfort and strengthen us, and set us on the right path again.
Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding me that I am loved. Thank you for being prepared to go to the cross to show that love. Thank you that you rose from the grave to assure me that, in all my struggles, I have your living presence to give me confidence and strength to face the future. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46a).
Read Luke 23:44–56
‘Why, God? Why must we die? Why do some children die? Why are there some painful deaths? Why do innocent people die because of the selfishness and stupidity of others? Couldn’t you plan things some other way?’
And we could go on. As hard as life may be, we usually don’t want it to end. We want it to continue. Death is too final, too total. And it’s too much of an unknown for us.
So, we can cling to life as we know it here and now. We can try to resist death from coming by fighting against it with all our might. Death can bring feelings of helplessness, despair and defeat – and there’s no way we want to experience those things. We want to live and continue living so we can resist death as much as we possibly can.
Jesus accepted the reality of death. And he did this because it was the only way for us to face death with peace and confidence. He died for us for us so that we can live and die and live again.
He willingly gave up his life for us. His life wasn’t taken from him, but he gave it up of his own accord. ‘Into your hands, I commit my spirit’, he said.
Perhaps we can’t speak these words in the same way he did. But God continually reminds us through his word and wants us to believe without any doubt that when our life fails – and, in fact, every day – we can commit ourselves to his fatherly hands.
As sure as God raised Jesus from the dead, so will we be raised too. We won’t be lost or destroyed because Jesus has guaranteed our salvation. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, we can face death with peace and hope.
Lord God, thank you that because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we can grow to face our own death with confidence in your saving grace. Give us peace and hope when we are discouraged, fearful and doubting. And enable us to say also: ‘Into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’ (Luke 23:42).
Read Luke 23:32–43
There was no earthly reason for Jesus to remember the thief on the cross next to him. And there’s no earthly reason why Jesus ought to remember us. But he does – not because of what we do or say and avoid doing or saying. He remembers us because of his grace and mercy.
One thief recognised that grace. A spark of faith led him to cry out with his request. But that confession of faith was all he needed to make. He had nothing to present to God as an offering to impress or influence him. He couldn’t make an appeal to Jesus based on his track record. His life was riddled with violations of the law of the land, and he was an offence to God’s moral law. There was nothing within him that would have made a scrap of difference to the fact that he deserved all that was coming his way.
All he could do was cry out for help. ‘Lord, have mercy. Lord, help me. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He acknowledged Jesus as the one who could rescue him – and this confession of faith was all that was needed.
We’re no different. We may pride ourselves on our good behaviour; we may be law-abiding citizens; we may be generous in our support of charitable organisations; we may be actively involved in our congregation’s ministry. But those things have never been – and will never be – our ticket to heaven. There’s only one way to heaven: acknowledge our sinfulness and confess Jesus as our Saviour from sin.
There’s no rational explanation for why God deals with latecomers and desperate seekers of his mercy with such kindness. There’s no human justification for Jesus to share his kingdom with criminals. There’s no reason why even those who despise God and reject him are still loved by him.
The only answer – and it’s beyond our comprehension – is that God’s grace and Christ’s love are so great that they defy our efforts to understand them.
Lord Jesus, we stand in awe of your grace. We can’t always understand it. We don’t always appreciate it. We take it for granted. Thank you, Lord, that your grace still surrounds us. ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister, and mother’ (Mark 3:34,35).
Read Mark 3:20–35
We can identify three different groups of people in today’s reading.
There was, first of all, Jesus’ family. We would like to think that members of families are always supportive, encouraging and committed to each other. But that’s not always the case. And it wasn’t with Jesus’ family either. They had said he was ‘out of his mind’. It seemed like they didn’t want him to carry out his mission. They thought he was in danger and were looking to rescue him. They didn’t understand yet who he really was.
Then there were the teachers of the law. They accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul. They were experts in the Scriptures, from headquarters in Jerusalem, looking for ways to put Jesus down and discredit him. They’d hoped to maintain their influence over the people rather than them following Jesus.
Two groups of people, whom we might think should have known better, hinder Jesus’ ministry. Those who could easily have been seen as being on the ‘inside’ are called out by Jesus and identified as being on the ‘outside’.
The third group of people is ‘inside’, sitting around Jesus, listening to him, so intent that it seems they didn’t even realise they missed lunch! But they were still fed – with much more than physical food.
These people were closer to Jesus than his own family and the teachers of the law. They were his family because they did the will of God.
What a privilege it is to sit at Jesus’ feet – to listen, learn and be encouraged, blessed, forgiven and strengthened by his presence, power and promises. We have been called to be his disciples, believe in him as our Lord and Saviour, walk in his ways, and follow him within his new community.
We are ‘on the inside’. There is always the temptation to claim our position because of our wisdom, experience, heritage or family connections. But each time we turn to our Saviour, acknowledging our sin and receiving his forgiveness, we can be sure of his word: you are my mother, sister, and brother.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of being able to sit at your feet, learn from you, be encouraged by you, and be forgiven and strengthened by your presence, power and promises. Bless me with your grace today so I can live as your mother, sister, brother. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He served in parishes in South Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and relaxing.