Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5

Following immediately upon the proclamation of blessedness of those who reside in the house of the Lord, the Psalmist in today’s text declares the blessedness of those who make it their duty to journey to the temple periodically. The Psalmist refers here to those who attended the religious festivals. These worshipers made the trip with the intention to get as much as possible out of the experience of worshiping. The distance was far for some and treacherous for others but that did not deter them. For them it was a journey of the heart in which they gave full participation, expecting to reap the blessings of their effort. ‘The blessedness of sacred worship belongs not to half-hearted, listless worshipers, but to those who throw all their energies into it. Neither prayer, nor praise, nor the hearing of the word will be pleasant or profitable to persons who have left their hearts behind them.’ The blessing was not in the amount of time spent in the temple, but the quality of the time spent. How do you spend your time in worship?
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I remember some time ago, passing through an airport and checking out the status of both departing and arriving flights. I noticed that there were so many different messages. For example, flights were “Delayed”; “Boarding”; “At the Gate” or “Landed”. ; But there was one message that day that grabbed my attention. It was EN ROUTE. I found that to be interesting because it didn’t say how long ago that particular flight had left its point of origin. Neither did it say the estimated time of arrival. Instead there was just this one confirmation that gave those who were waiting the assurance that their flight was on its way to its destination. With that in mind our FF for today is a word of assurance to those who might be waiting on God for what seems like forever. Don’t stop believing and don’t lose hope now for what God has promised is EN ROUTE! That’s today’s FF – EN ROUTE!

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God called to Moses, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." Ex. 3: 5

Moses and the burning bush is one of the many fascinating accounts of the Bible. Moses is commanded by God to remove his sandals and approach his presence. The removal of the sandals did not alter the place where Moses was. Rather it altered Moses himself as he approached the presence of God in humility and meekness. It is believed that Eastern religions developed the practice of removing their footwear before entering a holy place from this encounter of Moses with God. This is how they show reverence for their place of worship. In western society, reverence is shown by the removal of hats by men. I recently saw a gentleman remove his hat on the streets and stand still as a funeral procession rolled by. That was out of respect. We don't necessarily have to be disrespectful to not show respect to God. Our indifference to the presence of God is in itself a lack of respect. The comforts of life often cause us to forget the God we serve. When we approach God's presence we are expected to put aside the comforts of this world in order to be completely focused. God call us to put down in order that we may be able to pick up at His command.
Continue reading "The Way Up is Down."

As an AT&T wireless customer, I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve had over the past years inviting me to UPGRADE my cell phone. It’s as if with every new model that hits the market there is a tempting email which highlights the recent features of the most recent model. I guess I’m from the old school meaning that there must be a valid reason for making a change: no longer working; lost or stolen! But companies like AT&T, Sprint, Digicel and Lime know how to play on our need to always be ahead of our neighbors. And so as soon as your mobile plan has expired, rest assured that they will want you to come in and do an UPGRADE to the latest model. After all, who doesn’t want to be among the first to brag about owning the latest smart phone? Though I’m not working in the advertising business, with the start of a new year, I firmly believe that now is the perfect TIME TO UPGRADE! So that’s our FF for today – TIME TO UPGRADE!

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A few years ago I taught music at the high school level. Let’s just say that experience taught me some very valuable lessons that will stay with me for a very long time. I came to realize that teaching in the classroom required repeating yourself almost to the point where you wondered if something was wrong with you. Imagine giving a class some instructions to follow, only to have a student who is sitting a few feet right in front of you look at you with that blank quizzical expression asking what are they supposed to do. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wondered if my “teaching” voice was not strong enough. But even after making a greater effort to project my voice more I can’t say that the problem was solved. For only a few minutes later, another student would be asking the exact same question. Like so many other teachers who stand in classrooms at all levels, I came to conclusion that not because children can HEAR you means that they necessarily LISTEN to you. But I believe that this is true not only of children but even adults. And so as we get this New Year going, our FF for today calls us all to DON’T JUST HEAR, LISTEN!

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All the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. Isaiah 9:5

Imagine a time when there shall be no news reports of wars or terrorist attacks. No car bombing or bank robberies. A time when the security forces will have no need to recruit new members and weapons of chemical warfare and mass destruction will become things of the past. Imagine with me friends, a time of peace such as the world has never known since the fall of humankind. Isaiah's statement was prophetic in a number of ways. Firstly it gave hope in the face of imminent threat to Israel's wellbeing. God was promising them a victory that would be complete and certain. Secondly, it promised a sure future for God's people. If the enemies would not destroy them it meant God's words were true and everlasting as promised to them through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thirdly, it meant that they would be able to live in peace since the destruction of the armors of war was a sign of the complete destruction of their enemies, the Midianites. Fourthly, it was a promise of the quick and easy victory the Christ would accomplish over sin and the devil. Devilish actions and destruction would come to an abrupt end through the intervention of God on behalf of His promised people. There would be peace.

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Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60:1


Epiphany symbolizes the coming of light into the world. It is traditionally observed as the time of the arrival at JesusÂ’ manger by the Magi or Wise Men from the east. Therefore it not only reminds of the star which heralded his arrival, but also portrays that Jesus is the light of the world. It falls at the end of the Christmas Season.

Today as we close this book of Reflections, this special Watchword for Epiphany reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world and that this light has come into the world. Light has the distinct and characteristic effect of dispelling darkness and showing the way. Therefore, the message in this text is an assurance that help is here.
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Remember me, O Lord, with the favour you have toward your people. O visit me with your salvation.   Psalm 106:4

The angel Gabriel said to Mary "Do not fear, you shall conceive and bring forth a son, and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and he shall be called the son of the most high, and the Lord will give him the throne of his father David.” (Luke1:30-32)

We must believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and that he is the son of God. His mysterious birth is beyond our understanding.  But we need him to come to us as he promised, enabling us to serve him. He will abide with us daily as we seek to know him by faith.  Let us tell of his goodness, and rejoice in his favour to us.  He will hold all things in his strong but tender hands and he alone can provide us with the way to salvation.  He has already given himself as that special gift.

Prayer:

Dear Lord and Father, as we celebrate this season of Christmas, and the birth of your son Jesus Christ, we want to thank and praise you for sending him into this world to save us. Today we recognize him as the light to the world.  Help us to find your light and live in it.  Amen

 

 

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with themthat uphold my soul. Psalm 54:4


In this new year it surely is reassuring to know that the Lord is our helper and to experience him as such. The times have been challenging and continue to be so. The year has begun with the thought of austerity measures in the economic arena. Lay-offs and cut-backs loom imminent. Many challenges lie ahead of us. In the face of such gloom it is good to know that God is our helper.

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He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.   Isaiah 53:3

 

Let us examine the text for today's Watchword, Isaiah 53:3. It is reference to the promised Messiah and quite aptly describes JesusÂ’ treatment on earth. "He was despised and rejected by others". Jesus son of man was scorned by those who had a low opinion of him. They actually refused to accept him as the promised Messiah of the world. The "others" to whom the writer referred were the Jewish Leaders, mainly the Pharisees and Sadducees. Many of these Jewish leaders did not believe that the promised Messiah had come. Some possible reasons for their opposition towards him could have been:

 

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Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of host.   Haggai 2:4b

 

In these trying times when we are faced with so many challenges, we must be strong in the Lord.  There is the economic situation e.g. the losing of jobs, the rising in the cost of living, the financial situation that is looking dim.  The crime rate and the domestic violence are on the increase.  And the natural disaster that our sister lands are experiencing.

All these things make us wonder what is happening to us.  We must not lose faith, we must be reminded of what the psalmist says: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble; therefore we will not fear.”  God has promised that He will not leave us nor forsake us.  So we must work toward that promise. 

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ThereÂ’s something about the month of January that makes it seem so different than the other months of the year. Although each day that we live is a day to be thankful for, January 1st is more than just another ordinary day. It is after all the start of a whole new year. ThereÂ’s a sudden burst of energy all around. Folks start off going to the gym more regularly. Others will be in Church this upcoming weekend and may continue steadily for the next few weeks. But in the same way that the start of another year can trigger a burst of energy, it can also cause some to feel tired, weary and just totally exhausted. Why? Because the start of another year is a reminder that their lifeÂ’s dreams and expectations have not yet been realized! So they come to the start of another not with any sense of excitement but with an overwhelming sense of feeling defeated and deflated. With that in mind, the first FF for 2014 is DONÂ’T GIVE UP NOW!

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Guard my life and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.    Psalm 25:20

 

Does life’s problems from time to time seem to go from bad to worse? If the answer is yes; be assured that God is the only one who can reverse the downward spiral. We, like David, should pray “Turn to me and have mercy, for I put my trust in You.” God knows that because of sin we would encounter problems. He promised to be with us always, so the choice is ours. He will take our problems and turn them into victories, if we ask in faith believing He is able.

God has already made His offer in the person of Jesus the Christ – the gift which we celebrate in this season. The next step is therefore ours. We must have confidence in God and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour and see His ultimate protection at work in and through us. No doubt this is a reassuring thought at the start of this new year!

Prayer:
O most merciful Father, we praise you for the gift of your son Christ Jesus our redeemer through whom we have access. Our dependence is in you and you alone. O God, may we in faith ever trust you to be our refuge in all our circumstances, even to the end of the age.   Amen.

 

 

I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them.    Ezekiel 20:12

 

Business people have contracts between them to ensure that all parties involved are aware of the terms of the agreements. God did such with the provision of Sabbaths for us. Each Sunday we gather for corporate worship or special service, we “renew the contract” between God and us. The terms of the contract are simple – we honour Jesus as God and he will be God to us. That means living righteous lives will result in limitless blessings and eternal life with Jesus when we die. We are prone to stumble sometimes; God forgives that. We are assured that God will maintain his end of the agreement. There is nothing that is impossible for God, so when life seems impossible for the moment, come to Church that Sunday, it confirms God’s “contract” with us to get us through – not always out of – that “impossible” moment. You are extremely special to God. Believe it. That’s why he gave us Jesus. 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I love you. It feels good to remember that you feel the same way about me. Thanks for being the greatest brother anybody can ever ask for.   Amen.  

 

 

 

The Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.   Lamentations 3:31-32

 

Sometimes we think that God has forsaken us.  The reminder, as we bring the year to a close, is that he has compassion on us and shows us his constant love.  This is a theme that we will need as we enter and navigate the new year. 

Continue reading " Lamentations 3:31-32"