2019-09-23 – Galatians 6:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: Galatians 6:9  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.   

Adam Clarke, a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar said the following in His commentary on this passage in Galatians.  “Well-doing is easier in itself than ill-doing; and the danger of growing weary in the former arises only from the opposition to good in our own nature, or the outward hinderances we may meet with from a gainsaying and persecuting world.”  I have found this to be very true in my own life.   First of all, I do not desire to do what is wrong.  Unfortunately, I at times do things I really do not want to do; things I need to ask forgiveness for, and these are the things that I find hard to accept in myself.  Doing good is my heart’s desire, that being spreading the gospel, teaching the Word of God, encouraging someone who is down, discipling Christians, helping the poor and needy, and other things.  These good acts themselves, as Adam Clarke says, is easier to do.  However, it is the enemy which makes me weary in these things, both from tempting me to do something rather than serving God by serving His people, and by the negativity and harsh rhetoric against the truth of God.    

However, we must never back down from doing good simply because others do not like, and actually hate what we do and who we are.  Paul did more good for the cause of Christ than the vast majority of Christians, even though he suffered for it.  Let’s look at a few verses.  “Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.  This is a huge list; however, Paul was willing to go beyond this.  “And coming to us, he (Agabus) took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 21:11-13.  Paul was not going to stop doing good simply because Rome and the Religious leaders persecuted, tortured and worked to kill him.  He was probably physically tired, but He never wearied of doing the Lord’s work.

And why?  Let’s look at the second part of our focus verse.  “for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9b.  In the end, no matter what happens to us here, if we do not grow weary of doing good, we will receive our reward, which will be infinitely greater than our sufferings.  That does not mean we do it for the reward, but we do it because we love the Lord.  “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24.  We are to do all we do in service to the Lord.  And what is the promised reward, our inheritance.  “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17. 

So, in conclusion, do not weary in doing good, no matter what that good is.  He has called all of us who are Christians to do His work, not necessarily the same work, but His work, nonetheless.  Do not tire of doing this work and end up stopping.  When you begin to feel this way, remember that God will reward us for all the work we do according to His calling.  When comparing the weight of His work and the coming reward, there is no comparison. 

2019-09-24 – Psalm 51:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.    

This psalm, chapter 51, was written by David and deals with his heart when Nathan the prophet came to Him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.  This is written from a penitent heart, asking God to remove his sins from him.  “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Psalm 51:1-3  David has incredibly strong feelings of remorse for what he had done.  In fact, he knows the depth of his iniquity.  “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.”  Psalm 51:4. 

Of course, we know that David sinned against Bathsheba in lusting after her from the rooftop.  And he sinned against Uriah in that he not only took his wife and committed adultery with her after which he took her for his wife, but he also put Uriah into a position where the only outcome was his death.  David’s heart was broken by what he had done, and he recognized that this sin had overtaken him.  We know this because when Nathan made known to David what he had attempted to keep secret, he did not try to cover it up, but said “…I have sinned against the Lord…” 2 Samuel 12:13.  It was not that he denied that he sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah and others.  It was that he saw sinning against God was the worst and hardest to deal with.

He continues his prayer “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.” Psalm 51:7-8. His sin is so heavy upon him that he alludes to broken bones to describe how great the weight is on him.  He then asks God to look not upon his sins but remove them from him.  “Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.” Psalm 51:9. 

Up to this point, he has asked God to forgive him, remove his iniquity, wash him so that he shall be whiter than snow.  He has prayed here for sanctifying grace and forgiveness.  However, in our focus verse he takes this to another level.  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10.  This is a very powerful verse, for here David is asking God not to just cleanse his heart but to completely remake it.  His great request here was that his corrupt heart should be done away with and a new, clean heart replace it.  The Hebrew word translated ‘create’ in verse 10 is the same word translated ‘created’ in Genesis 1:1 where the idea is a new thing, an actual act of creation where something begins to exist where there was nothing there before.  David felt that cleansing his heart was not enough, it needed to be replaced with one not corrupted by the lust and sin which he succumbed to.  And with this, he prayed that this new heart would be strong and steadfast so that he would never succumb to the lusts and sins he had in regard to Bathsheba and Uriah. 

I can say that I have felt this way, where my remorse over sins committed has caused me much heartfelt sorrow.  However, what we must remember is that God knows our hearts, and if we are truly saddened by transgressions He will know and forgive us.  He will not hold them against us but will totally absolve us of our guilt.  However, we must desire with all we are to never succumb again to these sins.  We must, as David did, cry out that our corrupt heart and nature be removed from us and be replaced with one free of the desires of the flesh.  This should be our heart in this matter.   

2019-09-25 – James 4:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 4:7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

This is a very familiar verse to most, and one that is incredibly wise.  It definitely deals with our Christian walk and what we find important.  I say that because that which we give our attention to is that which we find important to us.  

So, the first part of our focus verse tells us to submit to God.  This is not a partial submission that James is speaking of.  It does not mean we submit to those things we agree with only.  This means we are to submit to God in everything.  He calls us to a humble life before Him. “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10.  God knows better than anyone else what is best for us.  Sometimes He will call us to a time of rest and peace.  Other times, He will call us to a place of difficulty, where there is persecution and humiliation.  It is easy to submit to Him when times are easy.  However, we must also submit to Him in the hard times.  Saul is an excellent example of a hard calling but also total submission.  When God told Ananias to go to Saul, we read “But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” Acts 9:13-14.  “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” Acts 9:15-16.  Saul, later known as Paul, knowing that this would be a hard life, one filled with suffering, submitted completely to God, knowing that what He allowed was the best for himself and anyone he ministers to and with.

While we yield to God in all things at all times, we are never to yield to the enemy in anything.  In whatever way he comes to us, we must resist and oppose him.  There is nothing good he has to offer us. Whatever he says will always be in opposition to the plan of God.  He is destined for eternal torment and he will do whatever he can to take as many as possible with him.  He will offer things that sound so good.  His ways are deceitful, for he promises good and delivers death.  We must not argue with him, but with strength and conviction, resist him.  And the best tool to resist him is to know God and His voice.  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”  Study His word, pray without ceasing.  Become so close to Him that there is no way we can mistake the enemy’s voice for God’s.  We must resist the devil through our submission to God.  His Spirit will guide us into all truth.   And when we do resist him, he will flee from us.  This is a promise of God.  For true resistance of the devil comes through submission to God.  He cannot defeat true believers who have committed their lives to God. 

Therefore, live a life of total submission to God.  It is the only way to live.

2019-09-26 – Proverbs 15:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs 15:1  A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.  

Very few of us, if any, agree with anyone else on everything.  This is natural.  Based on our background and history, we will see some things differently.  However, no discussion on these differences should descend to intense arguing.  Solomon states in this verse that a harsh word stirs up anger. 

Let’s say I am having a discussion with someone regarding the type of music to be used in the church.  I am not critical of any kind of music, as long as it is doctrinally correct and gives true praise and worship to our loving God, however, there are music styles I do not particularly care for.  And I am discussing with someone regarding this topic who only believes hymns should be sung, for all others are unorthodox and sinful.  If, in trying to change their mind,  I was to speak harsh words to this person regarding their belief, they would probably shut down, return even harsher words and eventually walk away.  What have I accomplished?  No doubt I lost the ability to speak into their life.  Aldo, they have become much stauncher in their belief.  Now, this topic is not an essential, but my approach has likely killed any chance in the near future of another discussion with them.

Now let’s look at an essential.  You meet someone who has been convinced that truth lies inside a cult which believes that Jesus is just one way to heaven, and they have chosen a works-based approach.  You get into a discussion with them, and you ask something like, “How can you be that stupid?”  In this example you have probably made them mad, but worse, they are probably more intrenched in their cult then they were prior to your comment.  It will be much more difficult in the future for their beliefs to be changed.  Note:  The question above may not have been said in a harsh way, but no-one can deny the question itself was harsh.  Harshness can be in the words, our tone or both.  We need to watch what we say and how we say it.

It is much better to speak gentle words in these situations.  First of all, it will, in most cases, prevent the discussion from descending into an angry argument.  Second, we can continue the discussion and hopefully change their mind.  In the case of the song types, this is not as critical.  However, in the case of the cult member, you may have an opportunity to change his/her view of the truth and actually become saved.  Everything we do must be done in love.  This includes discussions as well.  “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  This is how we are to approach all things.  When, in our discussions with others regarding differing views, approach the matter in the light of 1 Corinthians 13.  I believe our impact will be much greater and we will bring many to God and strengthen the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In closing, let us remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians regarding this subject.  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.  This is our calling in Christ.  Let’s all work toward this being the modus operandi of everything we do.  Not only will we be more effective, we will also be pleasing God with our love and patience toward others.

2019-09-27 – Colossians 3:15

Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 

One of the great benefits we have as a Christian is the peace that is received from Him.  This world is a difficult place.  There is so much turmoil and strife.  It seems like everywhere we look we see fighting, arguing and agitation.  This is, of course, the work of the enemy, he is constantly looking around for someone to deceive and torment.  “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. 

When we accept the work that Christ did on the cross, namely His death, burial and resurrection, we are justified, declared righteous because He paid the price for our sins.  And because of this, we have peace with God. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1.  We have been reconciled with God, and we now have access to Him.  And this relationship we have with Him, having truly given our lives to Him, is the source of this peace. “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.  Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4.  Why are we at peace. Because we steadfastly trust Him.  If we keep our minds focused firmly on Him and not ourselves or our situation, and we trust Him no matter what, He will keep us in perfect peace.  He will be our protector and our source.

Now, I am not going to say this is always easy.  There will be hard times.  I think we can all attest to that.  This is the way of the world.  The enemy is always looking for ways to get our eyes off God’s faithfulness and on our trials.  But Jesus said that we must be courageous, keep focused and remember Him.  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. In the world we will experience trials and tribulation.  However, since we are in Christ, He provides us with the peace we need.  How can He do this, because He has overcome the world.  We can trust this and take courage in it.  For Christ is known as the Prince and Lord of peace.  Paul prays for God’s people, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”  2 Thessalonians 3:16.

I will close with this last verse that has encouraged me more times than I can count. I pray that it encourages you greatly as well.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.  Be at peace.  He is victorious and He will be with us. 

2019-09-16 – Ephesians 2:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Ephesians 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 

The Jews in Jesus’ time truly believed that by following the law completely, they would be saved.  They believed that as long as they did exactly what the law required, including the blood sacrifice for any sin they should commit, they would be good enough to be saved.  However, it is clear from our focus verse plus the next that this is not the case.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.  We can do nothing to make right our rebellion.  Salvation is through grace alone.  Our works have nothing to do with it.

Unfortunately, too many live their lives as though this is still true.  They go to church simply because they believe they must.  They read the bible because they believe this is what a Christian is expected to do.  They say a prayer before every meal and bedtime because that is a tradition they have grown up with.  Also, when they think about whether they are saved, they think about what they did and do, not who they serve.

I remember a Pastor friend who was preaching one Sunday morning and he said the following which has stuck with me since I heard it.  “We do not go to church because we have to, we go because we get to.  We read the bible not because we have to, but because we get to.  And, we pray not because we have to, but because we get to.”  These are things we do to fellowship with the one who saved us through His death burial and resurrection.  It is not by what we do, but what He did,  And because we accepted this, we GET to fellowship with Him. 

Again, let’s look at what James said.  “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? “  James 2:14.  Our works are the sign of the faith we have.  If we truly have given our lives over to Him, then we will desire to do the things He wants us to.  We do them not to be saved, but because we are saved.  Because we truly love Him.  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  John 14:15.  Also, remember James wording. “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:17.  So, summing this all up, Faith by itself, without the works to show the reality of our faith, is not true faith.  But also, works by themselves, without the faith in the works Christ did on the cross, are simply deeds alone with no reconciliation with God. 

In closing, Paul lays out how salvation is attained.  “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10.  Works has nothing to do with it, they are simply the proof of our salvation through faith in Christ and His works.  Let us change our thoughts if we place works as a means rather than a sign of our acceptance of the grace God has for us.  Moreover, let us help those who believe works are relevant to our salvation understand what the bible actually says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.  There is much freedom that comes from realizing that salvation is a gift of God we accept through faith alone.

2019-09-17 – Hebrews 11:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

What is faith?  Is faith the same as belief?  Is faith the hope that what we want to believe is true?  Is faith belief with no rational reason to believe?  There are many views we have regarding faith. Let’s look at these three and then look at what the writer of Hebrews has to say about faith.

First, is faith the same as belief?  Does it take faith to believe everything?  I believe that a triangle has three angles and three sides.  The idea that a 2-dimensional, three-sided shape is a triangle is an objective truth.  We can see the three sides, and we know that someone gave this name to it, so is faith involved with this?  No.  Therefore, faith is not necessarily the same as belief.

Next, is faith the hope that what we want to believe is true?  Again, not necessarily.  Back to the triangle metaphor.  If I believe a triangle has four sides and I want to make this true, does it take faith to believe this?  No, it takes a misinterpretation of what a triangle is.  This goes back to the same idea that a 3-sided, 2-dimensional object being a triangle is an objective truth, and a four-sided, two-dimensional object being a rectangle is an absolute truth . 

Lastly, is faith belief with no rational reason to believe?  This is similar to the second one, except this one does not deal with objective truth.  This idea can be traced back to the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855).  This is known as a ‘leap of faith’.  It is a belief in something that has no hope of being true. There is no reason to believe it, but we do anyway.  This was Soren’s view of faith in God.  There is no rational reason or base by which to believe there is a God.  Therefore, you take a leap and believe what is impossible.  This is a very simplistic discussion of Kierkegaard’s view on faith, but it is enough to show it is not true faith; there is no reason to believe, but we believe anyway.

So, what is true Christian faith?  It is what our focus verse expresses.  First, true faith is based on God.  It is absolute belief and trust in God and what He did for us through His Son’s death on the cross.  So, with God as the basis of our faith, we see two things.  First, that faith is the assurance of things hoped for.  Hope here is what we wait for, knowing it will come.  So, faith is the assurance that what God has promised will come to pass.  And it is the conviction of things not seen.  It is the fact that we are convinced that those things God has told us are absolutely true whether we see evidence of it or not.  “for we walk by faith, not by sight—” 2 Corinthians 5:7.  Also, “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

Therefore, faith is not based on belief with a seen objective truth, or belief in what we desire to be true, or even a belief in something that has no rational reason for us to believe.  Faith is based on God, and it is the assurance that what He has promised, He will bring to pass, and even if we do not see with our eyes what He has promised, we are convinced that it is real.  Because we believe God.  This is faith.  We who are saved must live by it, for as Paul wrote, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Romans 1:17.

2019-09-18 – Psalm 119:11

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 119:11  Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Anyone who is a true Christian will desire not to sin, but to walk in the law of the Lord.  Jesus said it this way, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15.  Unfortunately, continually following His law is an extremely difficult thing to do.  We often fall to the temptations that the enemy attacks us with.  And when we do sin, we have an advocate before the Father.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

However, our focus verse defines how we can have victory over the sin and the temptations that cause us to fall.  It is by treasuring God’s word in our inner being and following what it says.   Let’s look at verse 9.  “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9.  The intent of  this verse in that in order to not sin against God, we must follow His teachings found in His word.  I would say this is rather obvious.  However, there is a very important phrase found in verse 11.  “Your word I have treasured in my heart,”  Psalm 119:11a.  And the key word here is Treasured. 

Often, we read God’s word as we read any other book.  For instance, we read a chapter, then put it down and move on to other things.  Or, after reading a chapter, we lay the book down and ponder it’s meaning for a short time.  Sometimes we even take a few notes.  However, what we must do is not only read, ponder and take a few notes, we must treasure what we read, make it something that changes who we are.  Reading His word should never be just reading it, or adding to our intellectual knowledge, but it should be stored away in our innermost being as a treasured piece of jewelry is stored in a safe.  It should become a part of who we are, and then let it guide us in all things we do.

In Psalm 37, we read a few verses that describe a righteous man.  “The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.” Psalm 37:29-31.  The righteous speaks wisdom and of justice.  And how can the righteous do this?  Because God’s word is in his heart, as a treasure as stated in Psalm 119. 

We read and hear many things in the course of our lives.  I have read many books in my time, I have listened to various speakers and have watched many movies, shows and lectures.  Some books I do not even remember reading,  There are movies I have totally forgotten about, and some lectures I do not even remember the key points.  However, there are many of the above I remember very well, and some I can recall very explicitly.  Why the difference?  Because those things we ‘treasure’ are the things we remember; the things we believe and the things we follow.

Is God’s word the most important thing we read?  Do we treasure the words and make them a part of who we are?  If we truly do, then we shall grow in our walk with Him, and we shall grow closer to God moment by moment.  If we do not, then it is important to figure out why and make the changes that will cause us to treasure His word in our hearts.  He is the Almighty God.  His ways must be more important than ours. 

2019-09-19 – 1 John 4:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

One of the things that John warned the Christians of his day was that there are many false prophets in the world.  And this is just as true today as it was in the first century.  The enemy will do whatever it takes to convince us that the truth is actually a lie and their lies are actually truth.  Jesus called them wolves.  “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”  Matthew 7:15.  In other words, they will appear as true Christians trying to help us understand the truth, when actually they are there to lead us away from the truth of Jesus Christ.

So, how will we know these false prophets?  “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” Matthew 7:16.  It is important that we look at what they are saying and see if it lines up with the Word of God.  We must be like the Bereans of Thessalonica as written in Acts 17:11.  For they checked out everything that was taught to them to ensure it was absolutely true.  Too many people simply accept what is taught to them in church, especially from famous and prominent preachers.  They think because they are famous, they must be speaking the truth.  Or, they have great credentials so they must know what they are talking about.  Not always.  The fruit of teachers are the words they teach.  Truth comes from good and Godly teachers; sheep.  Heresy comes from liars and deceivers; wolves.  Sheep never dress as wolves, but wolves will dress as sheep.  Sheep never want to deceive the people, but wolves do. 

So, back to our focus verse.  How can we ensure that we are hearing truth?  We must spend time studying God’s word and hold these truths deep in our hearts.  Then, when we hear something that is false, we will know it and reject it.  In the event we are not sure, we must check the scriptures or ask someone to show you so as to  verify the validity of the teaching.  If we find it true, we can accept it.  If we find it is not, then we reject it, and if necessary, the teacher as well.   

There are many false teachers out there who’s purpose is to tickle our ears as Paul says to Timothy and lead us astray to further their own ambitions and desires.  Be careful what you accept as truth.  Many times, their words are in the bible, but taken out of context.  Be careful and seek the Lord, asking Him to show you what is truth and what is not.  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:13.  The Spirit of Truth is with us.  And He will, as stated above guide you into all truth.  Follow His guiding.

2019-09-20 – Luke 6:46

Verse of the Day Devotion: Luke 6:46  Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  

This is a fair question brought forth by Jesus.  Especially when we look at what the word Lord actually means.  According to Strong’s Greek dictionary, the word translated ‘Lord’ in this passage is the Greek word ‘Kurios’ which means ‘that which is supreme in authority’.  Anyone who is rightly designated Kurios by someone is essentially the owner of that person and their property; the one who has control of the person.”  Jesus affirmed His lordship when He said to the disciples at the last supper, “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.”  John 13:13.

Therefore, Jesus is rightly our Lord.  Everything we are and have are His.  If we believe He is our Lord, then we are to completely obey Him in everything.  Now, if we call Him Lord and we do not obey, or as the focus verse says, do not do what He says, then do we really believe He is Lord?  We cannot believe He is Lord and go about our business ignoring what He has said. 

Actually, whatever or whoever we listen to and obey other than Jesus, is who we designate as Lord.  For instance, Jesus said that we are to love our enemies.  “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44.  If we do not love our enemies and our persecutors, we are obeying someone else other than Jesus.  Whoever we obey here is our lord here.  And what about this one, you will not steal?  Jesus upheld this when He listed this in His answer to the rich young ruler.  “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness”. Matthew 19:18.  So, if we steal something, we are not following Jesus, but another whom you are obeying. 

We need to examine ourselves and see if we are following Jesus in every aspect of our lives.  Yes, there will be times when we fail in this, however, if we see it as a regular practice, this can be trouble.  Consciously disobeying Him should make us examine whether He truly is our Lord.  And if it is not Jesus, then who is it.  Is it ourselves?  In conclusion, Jesus said the following, “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”  Luke 6:49.  We cannot stand if He is not Lord. 

2019-09-09 – Romans 12:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 12:9  Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 

Paul here moves to a more practical look at our Christian walk; in this verse dealing with love and goodness.  First, he addresses love, urging that his followers ensure their love is real and not just surface level.  It needs to be unfeigned, both sincere and not hypocritical.  It should go beyond the words we say and have its source be the very depths of our hearts.  Too many people wear a mask that covers their true feelings; those being mostly indifference.  This is not the love we are to have.  It must be genuine.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  John 13:34.  What kind of love is this?  A love that is real and pure and sacrificial.  He loved us so much that He was willing to die one of the most horrible deaths imaginable that we could be reconciled with the Father.  Is this the kind of love we have?  Would we be willing to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ?  Is keeping what we have more important than meeting a need another has?  We must all answer this question for ourselves, with complete and total honesty.  If we find we come up short, we must pray and ask God to give us this kind of love.  This will show the world that your Christian walk is very real.  “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. 

The other thing Paul mentions here is that we must look for and do that which is good.  This entails not only clinging to what is good but abhorring what is evil.  We must hate sin as much as Jesus did.  This hatred, when looked at in the context of this verse I believe focuses on malice and unkindness rather than evil in general, however, we are to absolutely hate that as well.  We should not speak ill of anyone, but our thoughts should be of love and our desire to help them grow in the faith.  He is exhorting us to show genuine love to others so that through this they will be encouraged to do the same. 

As for the good, we should cling to it in a way we will not let go.  This word has the idea of ‘gluing’, that we will have no excuse but to hold firmly to it.  We should never depart from it at any cost.  This goodness also has the idea of how we treat others.  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.  This is a great picture of love. 

This can be very difficult in this world today.  However, submit to the Holy Spirit and let Him give you the strength to love like this.  For this is how He loves us.

2019-09-10 – Matthew 5:44

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:44  “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  

As Christians, we are called to love everyone, just as Christ did when He was down here.  Of course, we are called to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  John 13:34.  He commands us to love each other.  We are all one in the body of Christ.  There should be no enmity between us, but we should be compassionate with each other.  In fact, we should see others as better than ourselves.  “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;“  Philippians 2:3

Also, we are to love the lost.  We do this by showing them the love of Christ, and the way to salvation.  This is why we are here.  To reach out to all who are lost and guide them to Christ.  He does not want anyone to remain unsaved but wants all to come to salvation.  “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. 

However, there is one area that is most difficult, but is no less important.  And this involves our focus verse.  We are to love our enemies.  We are to love all who treat us badly.  Paul put it very clearly.  “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:20.  So, we are to meet every need they have as well, with compassion.  However, what does it mean to heap burning coals on his head?  Sounds like a bad idea, however, this is a true blessing as well.  Note these verses in proverbs.  “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you.”  Proverbs 25:21-22.  Notice the similarity of the verses.  No doubt Paul was quoting this verse.

Also notice though that heaping hot coals on the head was a blessing back then; note “and the Lord will reward you”.  When Proverbs was written, people heated their homes and cooked with fire. But sometimes, a person’s fire would go out during the night, and before they could cook their breakfast, they had to go to a neighbor’s house to get a coal so they could relight their fire.  Proverbs 25:22 teaches that if the fire of your enemy goes out, and they come asking for a coal to relight their fire, instead of turning them away or giving just one, we should be extravagantly generous. How? By us giving our enemy so many burning coals they must carry them the way burdens were carried in the Middle East: in a container on the head. Then they can go back and immediately bake their bread without having to wait for the wood to become suitable coals for cooking.  A much different way of looking at the heaping hot coals verses.  This is the love we should have for our enemies.

As the focus verse says, we are to love our enemies and pray for them.  We are also to meet their needs the same as we meet the needs of our brethren.  By doing so, it gives us the opportunity to share the love of Christ through words, and by deeds where they will see our light shine into their darkness, and it may turn an enemy into a true friend. 

2019-09-11 – 1 Timothy 6:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1Timothy 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

Money is not the root of all sorts of evil, it is the love of it that is the issue.  Money in and of itself is not a bad thing.  In today’s culture, we could not survive without some money, for it does require funds to purchase food, clothing and shelter.  However, when our desire for money goes beyond our needs, this is when we could enter dangerous territory, that being greed and ultimately avarice. 

Question.  What did Christ say were the two greatest commands?  “Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is one Lord; and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12:29-31.  This is where our love should be focused; to God and to people. 

Those who have a love for money and longing for as much as they can get, covet it.  And the enemy can take that and tempt us to increase our love for it until money becomes more important than other people, and ultimately could lead to being more important than God.  And one of the tools he uses is comparison.  We compare what we have with what others have, or we compare what we do not have with what others have.  It is very easy to fall into this if our focus is things, and ultimately money.  The writer of Hebrews put it this way.  “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5  Comparison of what we have will often lead to discontentment.  We begin to feel that what God has provided for us is not enough, we want more.”  At this point, our wants become our needs even though we do not really need them.  “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  If He does not supply something to us, then do we really need it?  Paul alludes to No as the answer. 

If we have more than we need, then our focus can be on those who do not.  Often, the way God supplies the needs of others is through the treasures of another.  We should think of money as a tool we can use to do the work of God here.  There was a Christian music performer who chose to give 90% of his money to others and live off the remaining 10%.  He brought in way more than he needed and he made the decision to meet the needs of others as his needs were met.  Is there a way we can take our excess and bless others who absolutely need it?  Let’s examine our situation and see where God leads us.  Not only will we be blessing others, but we will be blessed as well by the Father, and the knowledge that someone else is now in a better place.

2019-09-12 – Psalm 1:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 1:1  How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  

Psalm chapter 1 to me is a wonderful read.  This looks at the differences of those who follow God, and those who do not.  This verse says how blessed the man is who does not follow the ways of this world but follows the ways of God.  And what are the ways of the world?  First, by walking in the counsel of the wicked rather than the righteous.  He gives ear to the advice of the wicked. He is not at peace with His relationship with God and listens to that which is contrary to His word.

I have seen too many people who niche out their lives, some to their Christian walk, and some to the ways of the world.  I know because I did it myself.  There was my church life, then there was my regular life.  If there was a decision to make, many times I would take the wrong advice down the wrong path.  I would listen to worldly people, and this often did not turn out well.  However, when I became a true Christian, one that lived it as well as professing it, I stopped listening to the world, and I found I was much more at peace.  I did not have to worry about being caught or having to answer to my wrong decisions.  I was truly at peace.

We are not to go and linger in places where ungodly things happen and focus our attention on what is going on.  If we come across a place like this, or people who live in ungodly ways, we should be willing to present the truth of the gospel to them and help them turn their lives to God.  But we should not go somewhere and participate in their worldly ways.  This destroys the light we want to shine in the darkness, and our witness to the unsaved.

And we are not to participate in mocking or derision of others.  Especially where we do it regarding people who are leaders in the church.  We can differ in what we believe, and we can counter those beliefs.  However, we should never deride or mock the people involved.  We are to love them, and how can we say we love them if we speak evil of them?  And why would they listen to us when endeavoring to help them understand the truth when they see our mocking?

We must not listen to the wicked, participate in the activities of sinners or join in mocking of those we disagree with.  Aside from these activities being wrong or sin, we can instead live a blessed life which is pleasing to God, where we can be at peace because we are living a life of love and not animosity.  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15.  We can do this only by following the words of the psalmist in our focus verse.  “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”  Psalm 1:1

2019-09-13 – Romans 8:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 8:1  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve sinned causing all of mankind to be under the curse.  “Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”.  Romans 5:12.  Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, death came into the world.  But even more important in my thoughts, perfection was lost, for sin was passed on from generation to generation.  Man could not address this problem himself, for the solution was the shedding of the blood of an innocent, perfect man, who would have the sins of all imputed to him, thus paying the penalty for us.  Also, we would be justified, declared righteous, if we choose to accept this work done by Jesus. 

This is what happened.  Man, himself could not do it, for no man was innocent, without sin.  Therefore, God had to come down himself and die for us.  And He did, through the second person of the trinity, Jesus the Christ.  Peter says the following when describing his calling, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:21-24.  Because of the death Jesus died for us, we are justified by our faith in His work.  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”  Romans 5:1-2

I know this is understood by all who are Christians.  However, do we rejoice because of this?  This is the most incredible picture of love ever exhibited in this world.  We were condemned and bound for eternal punishment because of our sin, and there was nothing we could do.  So, God did it for us.  He spent over thirty years here on earth living an absolutely perfect life, ending in dying a horrendous death to pay the penalty for our sins.  Do we show our appreciation for this as we should?  As I said above, we were condemned, but now the condemnation has been done away with for us who are truly saved by faith in the work of Christ. 

We must rejoice with everything we have, for we are reconciled with God and we now have access to Him.  “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Romans 5:10-11.  Never let this work of Christ be minimized at any cost. Be mindful of it at all times, for without this work, we have no hope, but through this work we have absolute hope, for our sins are forgiven and we are now children of God.  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”  Luke 2:14.

2019-09-02 – Habakkuk 3:18

Verse of the Day Devotion: Habakkuk 3:18  Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.   

Do we give God the glory in everything?  I imagine that when something we have been waiting for finally comes to pass, we rejoice in God that He has provided what He has for us.  When the big raise comes in, or the incredible promotion happens, or when our kids succeed beyond our expectations, I know I say, “Praise God!!”.  However, what happens when things do not work out as we desire?

In chapter 1, Habakkuk cries out to God regarding God’s supposed non answer to a prayer.  “How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.  Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists, and contention arises.  Therefore, the law is ignored, and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted.”  Habakkuk 1:2-4.  God answers them by saying I am about to do something they would not believe if they were told.  “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.  They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves.”  Habakkuk 1:6-7.  

Habakkuk then responds, “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.  Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” Habakkuk 1:12-13  He knows who God is and he knows He is good.  However, he is questioning what he sees.   He asks the ‘why’ questions. He knows God, but sees something that is contrary to what he knows.  How many times in these situations do we call out Why, Why? 

Habakkuk then prays to the Lord.  He speaks of Him, declaring what good He has done in past times for His people.  “In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled the nations. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil to lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah.” Habakkuk 3:12-13.  He knows trouble is coming, and he is fearful.  “I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us.” Habakkuk 3:16.

However, next he declares his trust in the Lord no matter what.  “Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls,”  Habakkuk 3:17.  What Habakkuk is saying is no matter what the results of the Chaldean attack is, if there is no food in the fields or animals in the barns and stalls.  If there is nothing left to meet their needs, God is still good.  “Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18. What a beautiful picture of complete trust.  When we find ourselves in situations that appear hopeless; where our means of meeting a need does not look like it will happen, can we rejoice in God?  Do we rejoice in God?  Nothing is impossible for God.  “‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,’” Jeremiah 32:17.  We need to praise His name no matter what situation we find ourselves.  There is nothing He cannot do.  And if this is true, and He is a loving and faithful God; which He is, then there is nothing for us to be concerned with, and we should rejoice in the idea we shall see His hand work on our behalf.  Do we trust God in our difficulties and trials as Habakkuk did in his? 

2019-09-03 – Hebrews 12:3

Verse of the Day Devotion: Hebrews 12:3  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

This can be a very difficult verse to accept.  What the writer of Hebrews is saying is we should be as Christ in our strength and fortitude regarding the hostility and suffering we experience.  “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.  Jesus freely came here to suffer death for us, knowing  through His own death we could be counted righteous and able to enter into the kingdom of God.  And this was a great joy to Him.  In fact, we would be joint heirs with Him.  “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17.  As Jesus suffered, we must also be willing to suffer for in so doing we will be glorified with Him.  We should look at these trials as a precursor to great joy promised to us by Him, just as He, in joy, sacrificed Himself for us.

The Apostle Peter had a few things to say about this.  “Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it; this finds favor with God.” 1 Peter 2:18-20.  We are to be kind to all, no matter what anyone does to us.  If we are treated harshly, we are to endure it with patience.  This is what we see in how Jesus dealt with unjust suffering.  He could have saved himself but chose not to.  “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?’” Matthew 26:52-54. 

We are called to follow this example.  Paul again says here, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”  Ephesians 5:1-2.  We are to be like Him, walking in love to the point that we would sacrifice our very life as well.  This seems impossible; however, our focus verse shows us the way.  We need to look to Jesus, see how He endured even more than we have or ever will.  How He was treated even more harshly for no cause then we ever will.  We must, through the Holy Spirit, suffer for the cause of Christ.  We are not to compromise but be steadfast under every circumstance.  And when we begin to faint and lose heart, go to God.  “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

We are not alone.  God will be with us, helping us to follow the ways of Jesus, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart when persecuted.  This is a great promise that we must grasp with all we have.  And the harder the persecution, the more we can count on Him.  What a great and loving God we serve.

2019-09-04 – 1 John 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 John 2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 

In the first chapter, John lays out how we are to view sin in our lives.  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10.  In summary, John is saying if we say we are fellowshipping with Jesus and yet continue in sin, we are lying and there is not truth in what we say.  But if we live and walk in holiness and purity and thereby shine the light of Christ into the darkness, then we shall have fellowship with Him and each other.  Notice the two things John says about the declaration of no sin.  1)  we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, and 2) we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

John states in our focus verse that he wrote those things that we would not sin.  The idea here is to strive for a life of holiness.  To make the purpose of our life to live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.  Unfortunately, we are all tempted to sin, and there are times when we succumb to the temptation.  However, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus, who lived the life of perfection we could not and through His death, burial and resurrection we were justified, declared righteous, for the penalty was paid for us on the cross of Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9.

This to me is a very encouraging verse.  We are called to live a holy life, and we can only do this through the power and agency of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately, we get distracted from this calling and we fall into the trap of doing what we want as opposed to what God wants.  This, to me, is the definition of sin; following our desires rather than His.  The encouraging thing is that we have that advocate with the Father.  The definition of advocate in the Merriam-Webster dictionary Is one who pleads the case or cause of another before a judicial court.  Jesus pleads our case before the Father for mercy and forgiveness, which is granted, again, because of the work of Christ on the cross.  He does not just forgive, but He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness.   How great is the Father’s love for us!

2019-09-05 – 1 Corinthians 16:13

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Corinthians 16:13  Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

There are times when the enemy makes it difficult to stand strong in the truth.  Have you ever been in a position where staying true to God would end in persecution or humiliation?  I will say I have, and in my earlier years I had not always taken a firm stand for Christ. 

The thing this verse alludes to is we should always be on our guard.  We need to look out for the enemy and his wiles.  He does not want us to be successful in this Christian walk.  He is constantly putting stumbling blocks in our way, desiring that we fall away or at the least, compromise.   Have you ever been with people who subtly get you thinking of things you know are wrong?  Or in desiring to fit in, have you spoken badly about someone or nodded in agreement when someone else has?   

These times can be hard to see, which is why Paul is adamant that we be on the watch.  We must always look at everything to ensure we do not fall victim to the temptations brought our way.  What I have found true is the things we desire often are the areas he attacks us in.  If we are looking for friendship, we must not desire it more than staying true to God’s commands, for it would be easy to compromise our beliefs if we are not careful.  If we desire to go away somewhere, would we be willing to lie in order to get out of another commitment we made earlier, even if that would result in harm to another?  We must stand firm in the faith; for our sake and the sake of others.  “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;” Philippians 2:3. 

We must never yield to anyone or anything that desires us to sin, showing the world we are not serious about our faith.  We must always stand for what we know is the truth, not wavering at all.  We must hold firm to our confidence in God, notwithstanding all the deceit, insinuations, and those of our friends who try to get us to follow their false ways.  As it says, we must be that man or woman who does not act cowardly but stands boldly before all no matter the consequences.  This is what we are called to do.  This is who we are called to be.  I want to encourage us all to be willing to give all, up to and including our lives for the sake of the gospel.  And we can only do this through His Spirit.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:10-12. 

He gave His life for us.  Should we not be willing to give ours for Him?

2019-09-06 – Mark 12:43

Verse of the Day Devotion: Mark 12:43  Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 

This scripture is about giving to God.  Here are the contextual verses.  “And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.  A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.”  Mark 12:41-42.  It is important to note these were voluntary contributions by the worshippers which were used to buy wood for the alter, as well as other necessities not provided for in any other way.  

Jesus sat and was observing the giving that was taking place in the treasury.  As He watched, he called the disciples to Him and gave them a lesson in giving.  He saw many rich people giving large amounts of money.   By the fact Jesus saw them from a distance, this was probably being done in a way that was intended for others to see.  They were making it clear how much they were offering and was proud of the amount they dropped in the containers.  Then He watches as a poor widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, the smallest denomination of coins back then, worth less than a cent in todays value.   

Many would say the rich gave much more than this woman.  They would only see the amount that is given.  However, that is not how Jesus saw it.  “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:43b-44.  Jesus is not as interested in how much we give, but in how much we sacrifice.  Notice the words describing the offerings.  The rich gave of their surplus, the widow gave out of her need.  The rich gave what they had left over, the widow gave all she had to live on.  Charity should not be judged by its appearance; what we see with our eyes, but by the spirit in which it is given.

God sees everything we do, both our deeds and our intentions and motives.  He sees what we do in public and what we do in private.  There is nothing hidden from Him.  He sees the circumstances and our heart; whether we act with care or negligence.  With a heart of compassion and love, or of arrogance and greed.   The poor widow gave more because she gave her all.  She gave out of her love for God, giving because she wanted to honor Him.  She also gave out of trust because I think she knew she would be taken care of.  “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

We must check our motives and ensure our giving is to honor Him and not ourselves.  Our motives and compassion decide the value of our gift.

2019-08-26 – Proverbs 27:17

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs  27:17  Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.  

Iron is a hard metal.  If we have a dull iron knife and wish to sharpen it so that it becomes sharper and can be used for the purpose it was designed, trying to sharpen it using wood will not work.  The knife would have an effect on the wood, but there would be no effect on the knife except possibly to dull it even more.  Whatever you use to sharpen the knife, it must be at least as  hard as the knife itself.  And the same is true of the metaphorical meaning; those who are not as knowledgeable in the word, the dull, should be assisted by the more knowledgeable, the sharp.

This is why it is important for Christians to gather together and support each other.  The writer of Hebrews is very clear on this subject.  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25.  We are called to come together regularly in order to encourage each other to stand firm in our faith.  This was the practice of the early church.  “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42.  Note the wording “continually devoting themselves”.  This was not a “once in a while” thing.  Luke uses the word ‘continually’, and this should be our model as well.

Discipleship is a very necessary component in our Christian walk.  As Christians, we are to teach everyone what the truth of this Christian walk is while being open to be taught as well.  “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”  Titus 2:1.  There is a lot of false teachings permeating our culture today.  We see this in a lot of our churches.  A big one is focusing on what we can get from God as opposed to what we can give to God.  Another is that we cannot be perfect, so why try since all our sins are covered.  We who know better need to be on the watch for heretical beliefs and counter them so they can know the truth and not be deceived by these wolves in sheep’s clothing

Too often, Christian fellowship is resigned to a couple hours on Sunday and another couple of hours on Wednesday.  And much of it is for entertainment purposes rather than actual fellowshipping, encouragement, and discipleship.   We have so many young Christians in our churches, and this is a primary group that needs sharpening, using the metaphor as stated in our focus verse.  Discipleship does not have to be a scheduled event but could be just discussions among friends.   

It is so important that we take every opportunity to sharpen each other in our Christian life.  Let us discuss areas that we find difficult and help each other live it out in our daily lives.  What better way is there to show how much we love God then to ensure we all are clear about the reality of this life?  And what better way to show our brothers and sisters we love them by helping them clear up wrong beliefs or ambiguities that hold them back from a true understanding? And we need to show through the scriptures why what you believe is truth.  And one more thing.  If our Christian life is the most important thing, should this not be seen in the amount of time we spend talking and focusing on it?

2019-08-27 – Matthew 5:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:10  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

At first glance, to say that the persecuted Christians are blessed looks a bit odd.  In today’s mentality, to be blessed is too often seen as a current event.  “Wow, I am so blessed having received that check.”  Or, “What a blessing my family is together for a week.”  Now, let me say that I am not implying these are not blessings, for they very well can be.  What I am saying is that even though we are going through incredibly difficult times, we are blessed because we know God is with us through it all.  And it is a great blessing that God never leaves us nor forsakes us. 

Let’s look at the beatitudes, or the blessed found in Matthew.  First of all, lets look at the meaning of the word.  It is the Greek word ‘makarios’, pronounced mak-ar’-ee-os meaning ‘supremely blest or a state of supreme happiness’.  When we look at these verses, we see something interesting,  Jesus is saying, “blessed are the … “ present tense, “for theirs is the kingdom’ or “they shall” future tense.  He is saying that they are blessed not because great things are happening now, but  great things are promised to them.  Note these phrases; ‘theirs is the kingdom of God’, ‘they SHALL be comforted’, ‘they SHALL inherit the earth’, ‘they SHALL be satisfied’, ‘they SHALL see God’, ‘they SHALL be called sons of God’, for your reward IN HEAVEN is great’.   

Now, let’s look at the first part of our focus verse.  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness”.  The idea of this phrase is those who have been or are currently being persecuted because of the Christ-like life that is lived in sight of all others, with no compromise.  Because of the light that you are, as stated in a later verse, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”.  Matthew 5:16.  Jesus then goes deeper in the next two verses.  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12.  Jesus is linking what happened to the prophets in the old testament to those persecuted for Christ’s sake. After all, they were persecuted for their righteousness and devotion to God. And how are we blessed for our persecution?  The Kingdom of Heaven is ours.  We are assured our home will be with God.  No matter what is done to us, if we stand strong and unrelenting, not giving an inch, we are blessed with a future eternal home with the one who died for us. 

I want to encourage us all not to  worry about what is happening to us now.  If we are insulted, attacked, falsely accused of evil or persecuted in any way, we must not focus on what is happening now, but to know we are blessed because of it.  We are not to provoke others to persecute us by violating the law or by our speech through purposefully antagonizing people.  If we live our lives as we should, it will no doubt happen.  And when it does, be strong and look to God for comfort.  They may wonder how we can stand against the persecution we are enduring.  It is because they have no idea just how blessed we truly are.

2019-08-28 – Isaiah 58:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 58:10  And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.  

This verse compels us to show compassion on those who are hungry and has nothing to eat.  This is the example expressed in this verse however, I would say that any of the three needs found in Matthew 6 are to be included.  “For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”  Matthew 6:25.  In this verse, Jesus is telling His followers not to worry about food, drink and clothing.  He will supply them for us.  However, He often uses us to make it happen.

The idea here of giving yourself to the hungry is not simply to hand them food and then walk off. It is showing them compassion and letting them know you care.  Often, this will be accepted more heartily than the food.  Too many feels no one cares about them.  We, as Christians, should show how much we care with both our words and our deeds.  Take the time to comfort them while meeting their physical needs.  And when we provide for those who have needs, our light will shine into their darkness.  We can show the light of Christ into their darkness, and even their darkness will be as bright as the midday sun.

It is important to remember that mere words are not enough.  James said that faith without works is dead.  Look here at what he says, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” James 2:14-16  How does this meet their need?  How does this show the love of Christ?  It does not.

And when we do give to the needy, look what the writer of proverbs says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.”  Proverbs 19:17.  You will be repaid in this life, or the life to come.  Of course, this should not be the reason we do it, it should be totally out of love for God and people.  God never asks anything of us that He is not willing to give us more for our willingness to sacrifice. 

And one more thing.  Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats.  Here is how Jesus put it.  “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.  Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.  Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?  Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.  These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46. 

For all He has done for us, should we not meet the needs of those we come across?  He says if we do, it will be as if doing it for Him. 

2019-08-29 – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

Paul here is helping us understand that when we become Christians, where we truly have given our lives to Him and it is not just words, then we are not the same person we were before.  If we are truly in Christ, if we have died with Him and was risen with Him in newness of life, we are no longer the same person.  Here is what Paul wrote to the church in Rome.  “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”  Romans 6:3-7  We who are saved have been baptized into His death, we died to sin and have been raised with Him as well.  We are truly not who we were.

So, we are a new creation in Christ.  And this means that we are not to look at ourselves as we were, but as we are.  We need to put that old life behind us.  Our sins having been forgiven; we have the Holy Spirit in us.  We are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit.  Here is what Paul said.  “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Romans 8:9  True believers have the Spirit of Christ; therefore, our old life is gone.  I am sure we want people to see us this way. 

Therefore, we must see others in the same manner.  We all know people who have been wild and done things that were not good.  We also know people who have treated us wrong in our past.  They may have mocked our belief in Christ as the son of God.  However, it is important that we look at them as they are now and not how they were.  Remember the golden rule.  “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “ Matthew 7:12.  One of the ways we can exhibit this is found in the two verses just after the focus verse.  “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.  This is a work of God.  When we commit our lives to Christ and have become a new creation, He declares us righteous.  Our dealings with Christians should be as dealing with a righteous person.  There is training that needs to take place, however, all our dealing should be as what they are now, new creations. 

All the things we know about someone’s past regarding sin must not be counted against them.  We can admonish them, in love, to help them to become more like Christ.  If they struggle with a sin, stand beside them and help them overcome.  “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Galatians 6:1. 

What a beautiful show of love when we follow this as intended.

2019-08-30 – Romans 14:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 14:1  Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.  

One thing I have learned in my many years of being a Christian and sharing the word is that there are some who find it hard to give up old beliefs that they have followed for many, many years.  This is what Paul is referring to in this passage.  Let us look at verse 2 as an example.  “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”.  Romans 14:2.  What we see here is a difficulty in understanding that there are no such things as unclean foods within the Christian belief system that matches the Jewish Mosaic law.  This does not mean that the belief either way is wrong.  What it does show is that both are trying to do the right thing. 

Paul addressed this well in verse 3.  “The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.” Romans 14:3.  As long as neither is sinful within the Christian framework, then there should be no arguing regarding doctrine.  If you choose only to eat vegetables, then that is ok.  If you choose to eat goat meat, then that is fine too.  Neither side is sinning by their choice.  The point Paul makes here is found a couple verses down.  “He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” Romans 14:6. If you are thanking God for the food and giving Him the honor and glory, then that is what counts.  We are not to judge one another in these areas. But do not put a stumbling block in his way as well.  In other words, do not do what another deems sinful in their presence.   

This is done so that the ‘weaker’ person, the one who is not as learned in this walk, and has beliefs that they find difficult to give up, will not see you sinning, as he sees it, and condemn you either openly or in his mind.  As he says starting in verse 16, “Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:16-17.  For God approves and I believe delights in this behavior. 

Therefore, when you come across someone who finds your actions as disobedience or sin, which in actuality is not in the Christian belief system, go ahead and abstain in his presence.  “So, we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” Romans 14:19.  Why have division and conflict when it can be easily averted?  Is an action or behavior more important than unity of the brethren?  I would say no.

2019-08-19 – Proverbs 27:19

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs 27:19  As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. 

When a man looks in the water or a mirror, he sees his image reflected back at him.  Whether good or bad, the reflection is a true picture of what we look like.  We do not see our true appearance until such time as we take the time to view it.  Sometimes we see certain things we do not like, so we adjust our appearance such that we will see ourselves more like we want.  However, the most important thing to remember is that how we appear in our reflection is how others see us. 

Now, a mirror reflects our outward appearance.  But what reflects who we are inside?  The answer to this question is our heart.  What is important to us?  How do we feel about things?  And per Jeremiah,  what do we do?  “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?  I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”  Jeremiah 17:9-10  Notice the idea here that our ways and deeds are seen in our heart and mind.  The real man is reflected by his heart.  Peter put it this way, “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4.  These two verses speak of women; however, it does speak of men and woman in the idea it presents.

So, this begs the question.  When the world looks at us, our ways and deeds (as Jeremiah put it), what do they see?   Do they see a heart truly committed to God?  Do they see a heart that is full of love for God and mankind?  When you honestly and with no bias look inside yourself, what do you see?  Remember, what you see is very likely what others see.  If, perchance, we do not like what we see, we must ask God to help us in changing our hearts to the one God desires of us.  We must be open to this change and submissive to Him as the changes are made.  There is a song done by Vineyard that speaks clearly of this.  “Change my heart oh God, make it ever true. Change my heart oh God, may I be like you.”

2019-08-20 – Psalm 37:31

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 37:31  The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.  

Before we go into our focus verse, let’s determine who ‘His’ is.  If we go a few verses back, we read the following, “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.“ Psalm 37:20-30  Our focus verse therefore is speaking of the righteous, those who follow after Him, following His ways, and who love Him above all things.  Jesus put it this way when asked what the greatest commandment is.  “And He said to him,  ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40.  Adding on to this, Jesus also said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15. 

So, putting these verses together, we see that the righteous are those who love God with everything they have; that loves their fellow man as he loves himself.  And because of the love he has for God, obeys His commandments.     

If we are righteous as defined above, then we shall not slip.  In other words, our course will be firm and steadfast.  Everything He has promised us will come to pass.  We will trust Him and because we are righteous, our desires will be good and fulfilled.  “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”  Psalm 37:4-5.  We will be content in what we have, no matter how little it is.  For we are content with His provision here for He is with us.  “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8. 

I want to encourage everyone to seek His righteousness.  May it be the greatest desire of our heart.  The righteous will be taken care of.  Every need will be met.  “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34. 

God loves us with an everlasting love. and He shows it to us with everything He does.  He takes care of us, stays with us, protects us and fills us with His Spirit.  He gives us joy and  peace, and our every need.  Let us show our love to Him; giving Him glory and honor and praise and thankfulness.  What an incredible relationship we have with our God.

2019-08-21 – Matthew 19:26

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 19:26  And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

A rich young ruler came to Christ and asked Him what good He needed to do to attain eternal life.  Jesus answered him saying, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.“.  Matthew 19:17.  He was not telling him that salvation is attained by works, but He answered him based on what the Law said.  He has not, at this time, died and paid the penalty, thus the reason as I understand it for His answer.  He then listed a subset of the laws to follow.  The young man then replies, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?”  Matthew 19:20b.  Jesus then responds with this, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Matthew 19:21. 

What Jesus was saying was that nothing can take precedence over Him.  Salvation comes through giving up everything to follow Him.  When the young ruler heard these words, he walked away because He could not place Jesus above his belongings.  Then we read the following, “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:23-24.

So, what was Jesus saying referring to camel through the eye of a needle?  There are several thoughts on this, however, the most likely explanation is that it is a hyperbole.  The Persians expressed the idea of impossibility by declaring that it would be easier for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle.  The use of camel was a Jewish form of this phrase, using the largest animal in Israel, that being the camel.  So, what Jesus was saying was simply it is seemingly impossible for a rich man to be saved because their riches mean so much to them.  Few if any would be willing to give up everything for Him.

“When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?”  Matthew 19:25.   Then we come to our focus verse.  “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26. 

Man cannot save himself because it is impossible to be perfect.  Jews believed that through sacrificing an animal to God, their sins would be removed.  However, it is really through giving everything to God and following His Word and obeying His commands.  “but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17b.  However, we cannot keep them perfectly, Jesus, the Son of God, came here and lived that perfect life for us.  And by doing so, and us accepting His work on the cross, we are justified, declared righteous.  He said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17.  He came to do what we could not and applied it to our situation if we believe in our hearts, mind, and lives.  What a mighty and loving God we serve.

2019-08-22 – Esther 4:14

Verse of the Day Devotion: Esther 4:14  “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

During the reign of King Ahasuerus in Persia, Haman was promoted to the chief minister of the king.  This gave him a very elevated position within Persia.  In this position, he was given much homage.  “All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.” Esther 3:2.  Mordecai was promoted to an  office in the court of  Ahasuerus, and thus was required to bow to Haman.  But, as you can see, he refused to, which made Haman furious to the point He wanted to kill all the Jews within his control.

So, Haman went to the king.  “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.  If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.  Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.  The king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”  Esther 3:8-11.  Haman set a date and sent this edict out to all the provinces alerting them to be ready.  Mordecai then sent a letter to Esther asking her to go before the king and plead with him for the Jews to be protected.  Esther sends a reply to Mordecai denoting a dangerous rule regarding approaching the king.  “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” Esther 4:11.  Mordecai responds, telling her why she, a Jew, would be saved on that day.  He ends with, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14

Many of us find ourselves in positions, like Esther, which we never imagined would happen, and then a difficult trial occurs, and we do not wish to continue.  We have no idea why God put us there and may even question if it was Him.  However, does anything happen without God allowing it?  He guides us in the way He desires of us.  “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.  With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23-24.  He may lead us into difficult circumstances, however, remember that in the end He will brings us into glory with Himself. 

Back to the story of Esther, she did end up going to the inner court of the king’s palace and was granted entrance to see the king.  She eventually tells him that Haman has plotted to kill her and the Jews.  When the king hears this, he calls for Haman to be hung on the gallows at Haman’s home where he would have killed Mordecai.  God ordained both Esther and Mordecai to be lifted to their positions so that the Jews in Persia would be saved. 

God will put us where He wants us for His will to be done.  Paul put it this way.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  In the tough times, or during periods of peace, He has a good purpose for us to accomplish.  And who’s to say we are not in that position for that purpose to be fulfilled?

2019-08-23 – Romans 12:21

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 12:21  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

This verse lays out one of the more important attributes of Christianity; that being love.  And not just love in return for love, but love for all, no matter what.  There are many times when people will attack us, both physically and verbally.  Paul said a couple verses up, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”  Romans 12:17.  We must always do what is right in the sight of God and not simply acceptable in the eyes of men.  We must never take into our own hands any recompense for evil. 

Paul goes on to say, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Roman 12:18.  Our goal throughout our lives should be peace with all.  No matter what people do to us, we should show love for them.  Our positive reaction to attacks may be the very light that brings our attacker to Christ.  Remember, Jesus said the following, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16. 

Furthermore, it is not our place to give recompense.  “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19.   We must stand aside and let God handle it.  Moreover, we are to go to the opposite extreme.  “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap hot coals on his head.”  We are to return kindness for evil.  Jesus once said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Matthew 5:38-39   He also said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”  Matthew 5:43-44

Now with this foundation laid, let’s go back to the focus verse.  We must never let the evil of another cause us to return evil to them.  We must never let evil take control of us but on the contrary, we must overcome evil with good.  We must let our good deeds vanquish the evil in another.  Many times, by simply showing someone love, they will stop the evil they are doing to us.  They normally expect you to respond with hatred, which will only feed their anger and make it stronger.  We must not let their actions win the battle.  We must strive to be a witness of the love of God to them. 

I know firsthand this is not easy.  However, we have a God that walks with us, who never leaves or forsakes us, and works through us to do His good pleasure.  We just need to submit fully and let Him give us the strength.  I have been amazed by how good does overcome evil.  Who knows what impact we can have on another, simply by  submitting to God and humbling ourselves.  

2019-08-12 – Isaiah 6:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 6:8  Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 

In the year King Uzziah died, around 754 B.C., Isaiah is outside near the alter and he had a vision, one of the more well-known visions in the old testament.  “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”  Isaiah 6:1-3.  What an incredible vision.  Very explicit vision of the Lord God on His throne, the seraphim above Him crying out ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’.  Further, “And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.”  Isaiah 6:4. 

Isaiah upon seeing this vision called out saying, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5.  He had seen the God of all creation, the eternal one, and was filled with immense conviction of his sin and cried out of his unworthiness.  Then one of the seraphim came to him with a burning coal (also could be translated stone), touched his lips and declared his iniquity gone and his sin forgiven. 

Then, as we reach our focus verse, God is asking the question, “whom shall we send?”.  This is not to say that God did not know, for He knows everything.  I tend to see this as an invitation shrouded in a question.  Then Isaiah calls out, with hardly any delay based on how this scripture is worded, “Here I am, send me.” 

If we look in Matthew, we see we are called to go out and deliver God’s message to our world, in the same way Isaiah was to the Jews in his time.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  This is of course known as the Great Commission where Jesus called His disciples to go out and spread the news.  Who will tell Jesus, “Here I am, send me.”

This is why we are here.  Jesus told His discipled to go out and share the gospel, help them understand what it is, give them the opportunity to accept Christ as Savior, and then train them to live this Christian life as it should be lived.  And, we who are Christians are a part of ‘the called’ who are to go out.  There are many people who have never heard the gospel, or have not understood it, or have been told a false gospel.  It is our job to go out there and let everyone know of the love of God, how Jesus, the Son of God, came and died who never sinned, to make a way for us who have to be forgiven and declared righteous. 

God has already answered the question of “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” to this present generation.  It is now up to us to say, with the full intention of , “Here am I. Send me!”

2019-08-13 – Psalm 55:22

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 55:22  Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.  

I am sure everyone who reads this has been through times of extreme difficulty.  For myself, I can definitely remember multiple times I have been in situations where I was not sure what I was going to do.  But these times have showed me that I do not have to go through it alone.  God wants to be there for us, and He always is.

In today’s verse, God is speaking to David and encouraging him.  David has cried out to him.  Note these words of David.  “Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.”  Psalm 55:3-5.  He was going through a great deal of fear and anguish.  He cried out with the above words, then David declared in our focus verse, “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” 

As David learned that God would bring him through his trials and bear his burdens, Paul shows us this truth is for us as well.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7.  If we find ourselves burdened down and anxious because of our situation, lift it to God in prayer.  He will gladly walk with us and lighten our load. 

However, the greatest burden we have carried in our lives is our sin. “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.  For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.“  Psalm 38:3-4.  God knew we would be unable to bear this burden of sin, nor would we be able to rid ourselves of it.  Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross to bring forgiveness to all who believe.  He bore this burden so that we would not have to.  And if this burden has been removed because of His great love for us, we can trust Him to bear any other burden we carry. 

2019-08-14 – Daniel 3:18

Verse of the Day Devotion: Daniel 3:18  “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”  

This particular verse was spoken by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.  These were the three Hebrew young men taken into Babylon to serve in the same place as Daniel.  At that time, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon made an image of gold that he was requiring all in Babylon to worship.  The order was, “that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.” Daniel 3:5.  He also set up the rule, “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”  Daniel 3:6.  There was a death penalty in affect and the method of death was cruel, being burned alive in a furnace.   

So, at the time that the music calling for golden image worship was to occur, all the people in Babylon, of all nations and languages fell down and worshipped the image except three; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  Note, Daniel was not in Babylon at this time.  Some Chaldeans observed the three not worshipping the statue, and let Nebuchadnezzar know.  I am sure they did this to hopefully earn favor from the king.  They told the king, by name, the three who did not worship it.  They knew the names because these three were over the administration of Babylon. 

Well, this infuriated the king and he demanded that they be brought before him.  He questioned them by saying, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?”  Daniel 3:14b  Then he gives them another chance.  “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”  Daniel 3:15.  This is a very arrogant statement.  However, he will soon learn about that God who can.

Instead of answering the king’s question, they told him that if we end up in the fiery furnace, our God is able to deliver you out of your hand and out of the furnace.  However, even if He chooses not to deliver us from you, let us make it clear that we will not serve you gods or worship your golden image.

Well, the end of the story is that they were thrown into the furnace, and God delivered them.  However, what I want to focus on here is their answer to the king.  Whatever happens, we will never worship any god but the true God.  No matter how awful or painful the punishment, no matter what it is, we will not give our worship to any of your gods. 

There is coming a day, and in some ways is here now, when today’s Christians will need to make a similar decision.  In African nations like Nigeria, Boko Haram kidnaps Christians and if they do not convert to Islam, they are killed.  In North Korea and China, if they determine someone is a Christian, they will be sent to Concentration Work camps, known in China as re-education camps to be forced by torture, starvation and slavery work until they either convert or die.  Here in the United States, Christians are persecuted in our public schools and colleges.  Christian monuments are under threat of being destroyed and businesses are being attacked for upholding Christian beliefs.  It is only a matter of time, if things continue to get worse, until it will be illegal to be a Christian and live those beliefs in public. 

I have one question, do we have the courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego to stand strong and not compromise, or will we be like the other Jews taken into Babylon who bowed and worshipped the golden image?  It is time for us to prepare for extremely difficult times.  We must draw closer to God and yield entirely to Him.  We must decide that no matter what, we will not deny the living God by worshipping idols and other false gods.  If we truly believe that Christ is our savior and that there is no other God but ours, then we must stand strong and unwavering.  We must start preparing now, for who knows when we will have to make “that” decision.

2019-08-15 – 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 2:24-26  The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 

When we are saved, we become a servant of Christ.  Paul refers to himself as a “doulos” which is the Greek word for bondservant, and we should see ourselves the same.  In our focus verses, Paul lets us know how we are to carry ourselves.  Let’s look at these points and, where we see ourselves falling short, like I have, we can make the changes to how we ought to be.

We are not to be quarrelsome.  We must be kind to all.  If there is a point of disagreement, we must not raise our voices or use insults in order to get our way.  Also, we must teach them where they are in error, or where they have a desire to learn.  When anyone wrongs us, we must not lose our temper, but with patience and love, work toward reconciliation. 

We must be gentle with all.  When  correcting those who are wrong, we must do it in love.  If they are in sin, then we must admonish them, in love, with our goal being leading them to repentance whereby they acknowledge the sin and turn from it.  John puts it clearly when he says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9  Unfortunately, we all commit sins even if we do not know or want to admit it.  Remember the Golden Rule, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12  Approach them as we would want them to approach us.  If we come at them in anger or arrogance, we may not have the opportunity to speak into their lives.  We may actually drive them away.  This is not what our goal should be.

We do not know all that is going on in a brother or sister’s life.  Many times, we may find embedded hurts, anguish, worry, sorrow, or broken heartedness.  We cannot add to their issues by not showing love to them  Sometimes a compassionate discussion may be all that is needed, and they will find healing; and return to a solid Christian walk.  Other times, we may have to get help for them when their situation is beyond our ability to deal with.  However, we must stay in contact so we can be there for them if needed in the future. 

One last thing, though not in our focus verses, keep them in your prayers.  This is a very powerful way to show our compassion.  Can can let them know or not; that depends on each individual situation.  However, either way, we are loving them.  And that is the most important thing we can do.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34.   

2019-08-16 – Matthew 6:5

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 6:5  “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  

It is very important that when we pray, we do it because we wish to truly communicate with God, not to impress those around us. Notice the word used to describe the people who pray to be seen; hypocrites.  The idea is that we would be acting like we are praying, putting on a show, so that others around us will be impressed.  This is what many of the Jewish leadership would do, going out where the people were so that they would be seen by many in the streets.  They are speaking to no-one except to the ears of the watchers.  And the only reward they will receive will be from those who are listening, not God.

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”  Matthew 6:6  Back in the time of Christ, practically every home had a place for secret devotion.  It could be on the roof, a small room on one of the roof corners, or a place somewhere inside.  The idea was to spend quiet time with God, in a secret place where no one could see and interrupt the one praying.  Thus, because they  are not pretending to pray, the Father who sees and hears them will reward them.

Prayer is a very intimate time we can spend with God.  We can go to a quiet place, bow ourselves before Him and spend time with Him.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6.  It is a time where we can go to Him, baring our heart and soul, and receiving the comfort and peace we often need from Him. 

Lastly, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians the following, “pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.  Prayer is a two-way conversation.  It is not just us talking, but us listening as well.  We must be open to hear when He speaks to us.  God loves us, He wants to spend quality time with us.  When we speak to a friend or family member, one person speaks, then the other.  However, it is also one person listening, then the other.  Prayer is the same way.

So, make time every day to spend quiet time alone, in a secret place, with God.  Tell Him everything you need, He wants to listen to you, but also, listen to Him because He wants to speak to you as well.  Don’t just go through the motions, make it an intimate and loving time with Him.  You will find it to be one of the most important and enjoyable times of your day.  

2019-08-05 – Matthew 10:38

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 10:38  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 

When persons were convicted of a crime in ancient Rome and they were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they would carry the cross they would be crucified on to the place where the crucifixion would take place.  This idea of carrying or bearing the cross is a brutal and humiliating process.

Normally, when the prisoner was sentenced to crucifixion, he would first be scourged to the point of near death.  This was done using the flagrum, otherwise known as the Roman scourge.  It was essentially a short whip with two or three ox-hide leather strands known as thongs.  The leather thongs were knotted with several small pieces of metal with sharp edges.  When used, this would rip some skin off after the first hit.

After this was finished, they placed the cross, normally only the crossbeam, which was very heavy onto the prisoner’s back.  He would then carry this, completely naked, from the prison to the place of crucifixion.  If he survived the journey, and some did not, the crossbeam would be attached to the pole, and they would be nailed by the hands (technically the wrist just below the hand) and feet and would be left to die.  This occurred in a very public area, only about ten feet up, which added to the humiliation.

The idea of being willing to take up our cross as stated in our focus verse means we must be willing to endure extreme hardship, suffer, be humiliated and disgraced, and die for the cause of Christ.  God has called us to do His work upon this earth.  Sometimes that work is easy.  Sometimes it is trying, but sometimes it is brutal.  Look at what is taking place in China and North Korea where Christians are starved, beaten, humiliated and often put to death in what are known as Re-Education camps.  The main purpose is to “re-educate” the Christians until they deny God and make the government and its leader their so-called god.  We should look at these who do not renounce their faith no matter how much suffering there is, as the example Jesus described in Matthew 10:38 for us to follow. 

Are we willing to lower ourselves in order to do the will of God?  Are we willing to endure extreme hardship for the cause of Christ?  Are we willing to go through extreme suffering and/or humiliation if that is what He has for us?  This is a tough verse, however, honestly and prayerfully examining ourselves with this verse will allow us to see if we are truly devoted in all ways to God.  He is not asking us to do anything He was not willing to do Himself.  If we are not willing, then, as our verse of the days says, we are not worthy of Him.

2019-08-06 – Micah 6:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Micah 6:8  He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you.  But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? 

In verses 1 and 2, Micah is appealing to the people to hear Yahweh’s revelation to them, God’s grievance against them.  God is laying out a case like one of a legal nature.  This could be called “Yahweh” vs “Israel”.  He was basically initiating the legal proceedings.

 This grievance can be seen in verses 3-5.  “My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me.  Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.  My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So, that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD.”  Micah 6:3-5.  They appear to have grown tired of God.  He then lists several events in history to show His goodness to them.

Moving into verses 6-7, we see that Israel saw that they were wrong and began to call out, one man after another, what they need to do to make things right.  One asked should he come before Him with burnt offerings of yearling calves, this being one of the choice offerings within the law.  Another asked are  thousands of rams to be offered and rivers of the oil offered with the sacrificed.,  One asked should he offer his first borne.  Some of these things were acceptable sacrifices, other were not. 

Micah then tells the people, in our focus verse, that God has told them what was good and what He desired of them.  We see this in the following verse  “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”  Deuteronomy 10:12-13.  They have heard this before, however, they had forgotten, and God brought it back to their minds.

So, lets examine these three points found in our focus verse, which apply to us as well.  First, to uphold justice.  We are to judge righteously with no favoritism.  To judge fairly without improperly favoring any side in the judgement.  Jesus put it this way, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24.  Something may look wrong; however, it may not be wrong.  We must investigate any situation and ensure that what we declare is righteous. 

Next, to love kindness.  Other translations say love mercy.  We are to show our love by being kind and merciful.  We are to be kind to one another, not using severity toward our brothers and sisters, but being compassionate to others, especially when we are wronged.  Show everyone that we love them and desire God’s best for them. 

And lastly, to walk with God in an attitude of humility.  Keeping a constant and loving relationship with our loving God.  Remembering that it is God’s will to be done, not our own which is the picture of arrogance whereby we believe our ways are better.  Keeping His commandments which is the proof of our love to Him.  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  John 14:15. 

What God requires of us is love; toward others through upholding justice and loving mercy.  Then toward God by walking continually and humbly with Him.  Works done based on following rules is not what He desires.  He requires our love.  He showed us His through Jesus’ death for our sins to reconcile us with Himself.  Showing Him our love as Micah 6:8 tells us is not asking too much from us.

2019-08-07 – Mark 7:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Mark 7:8  “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” 

Some Pharisees and scribes gathered around Jesus when He and the disciples left Jerusalem.  Both groups were very legalistic and demanded that the Law be followed completely.  As they were watching, they noticed the disciples did not wash their hands prior to eating, thus not following the traditions of the elders.  “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.”  Mark 7:3-4.  They required a lot of work to remain pure when eating. 

So, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Jesus regarding these rules, because they were not walking according to tradition.  However, Jesus does not apologize to them on behalf of the disciples.  Instead, He rebukes the Pharisees and scribes.  We read later in the chapter, “And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.  But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  Mark 6-7.  Jesus was speaking of Isaiah 29:13 where it says. “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

Jesus then continues by telling them, in our focus verse, that they are neglecting the commands of God and replacing them with the traditions of men.  He then gives the example of how the commandment ‘honor your father and mother, and He who speaks evil of them is to be put to death.  And how, due to their traditions, “but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),‘ you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.’”  Mark 7:11-13.

We need to look at the things we see and hear from Christian and church leadership, test them by comparing them with what the scriptures say, and ignore them if they counter what the Word of God says.  Note, it is important to make sure it is a reliable translation.  Many times, these weird and heretical teachings are the “traditions’ within churches or denominations that need to be called out, renounced and ignored.  One very recent example was a Pastor in north Atlanta, I will leave the name off, who taught his church to ignore the Old Testament and focus solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  While this sounds reasonable, it is not right.  The Old Testament lays the foundation of why we need salvation, and that Jesus’ coming was ordained from the beginning.  Both testaments together are a complete story of God’s love toward us.  Plus, if Jesus and the apostles quoted it many times, were they wrong, and did they not totally understand?  I doubt it seriously. 

We need to be careful that we do not accept traditions that contradict the scriptures. Too many times, and I will say once is too many, church leaders try to make Christianity easier by teaching things that are accepted in the culture today but are radically different from the commands of God.  We need ensure that what we teach is real and does not counter His Word, for we will be held accountable.  “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”  James 3:1.  The Pharisees and the scribes were not given leniency, and neither will we.

2019-08-08 – Hebrews 13:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

This verse says a lot.  Jesus Christ, our savior, the one that came and died to take away our sins, is the same from everlasting to everlasting.  Malachi wrote, “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”  Malachi 3:6.  God does not change.  What He was in eternity past He is now and shall be in eternity future. 

It is important for us to understand that before creation, the second person of the Trinity was chosen to be the sacrifice that was intended to reconcile men with the Father.  This was prior to the creation of man. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”  Revelation 13:8.  God declared all things from the beginning.  He knew man would fall, however, He loved man; therefore prior to creating him, He set up his reconciliation. 

Now, is Jesus Christ God?  Let’s look at what Isaiah says, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6.  Notice that the child born here would be called “The Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”.  This verse refers to the coming Messiah.  Now, is Jesus called the Messiah in the New Testament?  See the following, “Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”  Matthew 1:16.  So, we see that Jesus Christ is God as we see in Isaiah 9:6.  Therefore, He does not change as it speaks of God in Malachi 3:6.   

Now, what does this mean to us?  It means that whatever God says will come to pass, for if it does not, this means that God has changed His mind.  And if He would change His mind on one thing, it means He could change His mind on anything.  Looking at the above verses above, especially our focus verse, we see that God does not change.  And, in Numbers we read, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”  Numbers 23:19.  He does not change His mind either.  Therefore, since Jesus was decreed to die for our sins prior to creation, this hope of salvation is sure.  We can trust His word, knowing it will come to pass if we commit ourselves through faith to Him. 

Let us rejoice because, as Christians, our future is sure and absolute.  There is true comfort and solace in this knowledge. 

2019-08-09 – Romans 13:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 13:1  Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 

We are called to obey civil governing authorities.  The reason is that God has established them in their positions.  Not that He has determined how they are to act or require of us, but that He has placed the leaders in their positions.  Note what it says in Daniel. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.” Daniel 2:21.  God is very clear here.  He is the one who establishes leaders in their positions, and He is the one that removes leaders from their positions.  When we look at the world today, it is hard for us to see this clearly.  I have asked the question, “Why this man?”  However, it is important that we obey ‘where we can’.

I say, ‘where we can’ because there are times when government requires us to do things that are against God’s will.  Let’s look at a few times we see this in scriptures.  In Acts 4, we see where Peter and John are arrested by the Jewish leadership because they were “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”  Acts 4:2b.  This was definitely against the Jewish leadership, however, they continued teaching.  When the leadership chose to let them go, they warned them not to teach this anymore.  “And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Acts 4:18. However, Peter challenged them as follows, “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20. They asked them a rhetorical question; whether they should obey them or God.  However, they said that their opinion was not important, for they were going to teach of Jesus as the Son of God.  Remember what Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  They were obeying God rather than the Jewish leadership.

Now, one chapter later, we see the apostles still teaching the message of Christ.  Therefore, they arrested and brought Peter and the other apostles to a public prison.  During the night, an angel of the Lord came, opened the gates of the prison and set them loose, saying, “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.”  Acts 5:20.  When morning came the high priest  and his associates called the council together and ordered the apostles to them.  When the guard did not find them in the prison, they reported back to the council that they were not there.  Then someone told them the apostles were in front of the temple teaching the people.  The captain of the temple brought them back with no violence.  Once there, the high priest said to them, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Acts 5:28.   “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’”  Acts 5:29.

As per the focus verse, we are to obey the civil authorities who are over us.  “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”  Romans 13:3-4.  They have the authority to punish those whoever break the laws.  However, if the choice is in front of us to either obey the authorities or obey God, we must obey God.  And, if obeying the authorities does not disobey God, then we must obey the governmental authority.  For in so doing we are obeying God as well.  The key here is to obey God at all times.