Category: faith

Devotional 225: Sacred Thirds

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Matthew 22:31-32 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

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Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

Luke 18:31-33 31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

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Matthew 26:34 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

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Luke 23:21-22

21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

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John 21:17

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”

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Spanning the Old and New testaments, even if one is not into numerology, there’s no escaping that three is a special number to God.

In three days, Christ resurrected. We, being born again of the spirit, were raised with Him (Hosea 6:2)

In other examples, during the transfiguration where Jesus conferred with Elijah and Moses, Peter wanted to build three shelters.

And according to the Catholic faith, Jesus fell three times carrying the cross until Simon was tasked to help him. There were the two criminals besides Jesus, one of whom was justified by Christ for acknowledging Him as the Son of God.

The most important of trinities however, is one that is not a concept of Scripture in and of itself, but it does exist and was therefore taught as such: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s like a musical chord of three notes, all coming under one name even though they sound different, or the legs of a tripod converging to hold up a center platform.

In the image of God, we are soul, body, and spirit. It is the desire of our enemy to possess our souls, because that is what will reconcile and reunite us with Him. We are called to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. If we center those around Him, our physical strength may be added in service.

In the birth process, babies change in three trimesters. We too, are still being birthed in the process of spiritual renewal and bodily repentance. We are advised to sow to our spirits, that we may reap spiritually as the physical realm passes away, because God is spirit ((John 4:24) and the Word of the Lord will not. (Matthew 24:35)

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Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

Align my heart, mind, and body to remain pure by centering on the Gospel You brought to us, showing us what the Father wants, and telling us what He wants us to know.

We are foolish to sin against Him and provoke His wrath, because His thoughts and ways are not ours (Isaiah 55: 8-9)

Forgive us when we look on His commandments as hindrances, not protection for ourselves. Let us stand despite the faithless who mock that God would send us a king who died a criminal, and a savior who would not put on a show to prove to his enemies and doubters that He was legitimate (1st Corinthians 1:18).

So too, let our words be few but sown on good soil, that You might bring the increase as You did in the days of the early church.

In fellowship, let us have discernment and not be so easily broken and deceived. As chords on an instrument play different parts under one name, in fellowship let us be as an orchestra: many instruments playing different parts, but one song.

Today, let us thank You for our lives, however difficult or comfortable at the moment. Let us be of one accord and purpose in serving God with the gifts He gave to us, developed in us, or even changed, in order to fulfill His will for the people of the world and our days on it, for His will is the only thing that will be made manifest in the days to come as the signs Jesus prophesied begin to unfold.

Hold us in the palms of Your hands, that we might not go astray in the world’s darkness, unable to know Your voice from the thieves and deceivers among us.

Today, we take Your yoke upon us and know Your peace, and we are joyful that in Your obedience to the Father, and in Your resurrection and imparting of the Holy Spirit, You have indeed overcome a sinful world. Therefore we hold fast to our faith, possess our souls in patience, and work out our salvation with reverent and sincere hearts.

We do so in Your Name, that we might be counted among fruitful, good, and faithful servants worthy of attaining the Kingdom in the Father’s rest, even if we are voices crying in the wilderness of our cities, towns, countries, governments, schools, and other fallible man-made systems.

Let us be angry and sin not (Psalm 4:4), speaking the Truth to power, and speaking it in love to the lost, planting in faith knowing You will give the increase. (Acts 2: 29 -41)

Let it be done to us as You have said.

Amen.

Devotional 223: The Word was with God

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John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 8:18 “I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

John 8:58  Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.“

While we’re not told the extent of John’s education, if any, what we can maybe ascertain by such a poetic beginning to his gospel is that he’d acquired some in the intervening years between witnessing the crucifixion of his Rabbi and friend to his natural death on Patmos, despite the tortures he endured.

It can be confusing, and for a time I never understood why pastors would tell new converts to the faith to start there. It’s a difficult beginning to work through.

But with maturity in the Word comes understanding, epiphanies, and revelations. How could Jesus be at the beginning of things, yet we’re told we’re under a new covenant of forgiveness of our sins, mercy from the fate we deserve, and salvation through repentance, faith, and obedience in order to enter the our Father’s rest under our Savior’s rule.

Let us be reminded that not only is the Word God-breathed (2 Timothy: 3:16) but that the flesh of humanity is as well. (Genesis 2:7)

We were connected to the heavenly realm from the start, made in the image of God in our spirits, formed to have dominion in the bodily form of Christ (God had to send Him as a man because immoral flesh couldn’t look directly at God Himself and live) and the connection established and maintained through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Adam and Eve broke that connection, and we’ve been spiraling ever since. Empires have come and gone, and the parable of the farmer who built huge granaries only to die the night they were finished is being manifested as the Day of the Lord draws closer, unheeded by prideful men who believe the legacies bearing their name will never turn to dust in their mouths before their bodies do. (Luke 12:16-21)

As we labor under the illusion that this world can be saved, let the remnant who understand that we will inherit a new Earth purged of evil, under the light of a new Heaven not assailed by war, continue to not only hear the Word but obey it, and perform the works our gifts have called us to do.

And when we are there, we’ll have no memory of this fallen world, built on wind-tossed sand, deaf ears, hard hearts, and surrendered souls. (Isaiah 65:17)

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

There’s not much more to say. We see the prophecies unfolding, and the powerful have hardened their hearts and stopped their ears from hearing the cries of the poor.

They delight in the evil of their sins against humanity, and submit to the demons who blinded them and took dominion over their spirits, that Satan might gain their souls.

But as You commanded us Lord, we will pray for them as they become adversaries, that they repent, relent, seek You while You may be found, and be part of the harvest that’s gathered into the barn and not thrown into the fire.

If You prayed for your executioners and tormentors, we can do no less. Give us grace when we delight in the ruin of those whom man’s history will reveal is fallible, but that Your grace says is redeemable from all sin through repentance and faith.

This day, remind us that we take our next breath at the Father’s pleasure, take bread of Life from Your hands, give thanks and praise for the gift of eternal life, bless your Name and speak the goodness of it to others, and continue to watch and pray, remembering that we were among them but You called us out. You delivered us from evil and revealed the Father to us, sealing us in the Book of Life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He reveals to us what is of You, as You revealed to us what was from the Father. (John 16:14-15) In faith, let us receive and abide, for apart from You, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

May it be done to us as You have said.

Amen.

Devotional 222: And When Jesus Found Him

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John 9:35-38

True Vision and True Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

Luke 15:4 The Parable of the Lost Sheep

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 

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After Jesus healed Bartimaeus the Pharisees excommunicated him after hearing his testimony about the miracle of receiving his sight.His cowardly parents, looking to maintain their place in the synagogue and avoid embarrassment, gave the Pharisees consent to question him.

For all their reviling, Bartimaeus didn’t waver in his answer, and indeed, countered them with a question of his own, which prompted his being cut off.

Jesus, learning of the excommunication, went looking for him.

Let’s be clear that Jesus didn’t have to do that. As far as Bartimaeus was concerned, his business with Jesus was finished. As far as Jesus was concerned, there was more to do, and it’s probably why He lingered long enough to do what followed.

He freed Bartimaeus from the bondage of legalism, and the healed man happily, gratefully professed his faith in the Son of God.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and the light of the world, will always look for us and replace our spiritual darkness with his holy light, leading us on the narrow path to our salvation and eternal life.

Let us, like Bartimaeus, gladly profess our faith in Him once more, even daily, or as many times as we feel we’re straying from the path and out of the light. We know when we are, because the Spirit warns us, and if we rebel, it convicts us to bring us back to the flock to be washed by the blood of the Lamb.

Let’s adhere to the Word and abide in the Savior before He returns as the Lion.

Let’s give Him thanks for His sacrifice, granting to us the Father’s mercy instead of His wrath, and continue to walk in the light, and work while it is yet day. He tells us when the night comes, no one can work.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

Today I ask You to open my spiritual eyes to discern the Father’s will for my life, and to walk in its purpose while it is yet light and the bridegroom is far off.

Heal my wretched flesh of rebellion, then place a guard over my mouth to stop justifying the evil I’ve done in the sight of all Heaven.

Grant me grace once more, to withstand the temptation of popularity, or falling into false teaching that doesn’t align with Your holy work.

Free me from my sins, and replace my weak and wretched will with Yours, that I may remain spotless and blameless before Almighty God, speaking in truth in love, and truth to power, and truth to my own heart.

And once again, O Lord, I gladly profess my faith out in the open.

Lord, I believe!

Amen

Devotional 214: The Power to Lay Down My Life

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John 10:14-17

14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

This encounter with Jesus confused and saddened the disciples, because despite all they’d seen him do, and all they heard, they still had no idea of the true power of His divinity because it was offset by His humility, kindness, compassion, and mercy.

He was also not above rebuking them for wavering in their faith or their sense of entitlement (Luke 9:54), but since He always did it with love as well, it left them unprepared for His appearance at Passover after He rose.

The religious leaders, the Pharisees in particular, kept a close watch on Him, and likely knew of the miracles He performed with the son of the widow of Nain, and His friend Lazarus, as well as Jairus’ daughter, so they all believed on Him doing it for others, but didn’t believe He could do it for Himself.

Brothers and sisters, let’s be encouraged that as He did it for Himself, it did not reduce or remove His power to do it for us. It is a confirmed event both in the Old and New Testaments. (Hosea 6:2, Matt 27:52-53, John 6:40).

Most importantly, He will not only do it for his own sheep, but for those who’ve gone astray, lost, and not of the Chosen of Israel, but called out of the world to serve the Kingdom according to the Father’s will and because of His great mercy toward us.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

We long for the day of the great shout to come forth, greater than the one you used to call Lazarus, for had You not named Him, many more would have come out. It will be as compassionate as Your speaking to the son of the widow, and it will be such that all the unbelievers who died faithless and in their sins will be sent out, as with those gathered around Jairus’ daughter.

Let us then, as Your people, do likewise and send them out from us if they interfere with our relationship with You, so that we might know Your voice even if we aren’t part of Your fold.

Remind us that the Father’s long-suffering will not be eternal, and He will, through You, see His people reconciled and purified, as we are covered by our faith in the power of Your blood to free us from sin, and be forgiven by Him as if our sins never happened.

Help us to abide in You, believing also in the Father who sent You, that we might deliver the Gospel’s message, which is our hope and restoration to put us back on the narrow path.

Let there be reconciliation and restoration as You honor our faith, and let us act while there is yet time, so that we too, like King David, can dwell in the House of Lord forever.

Let it be done to us as You have said.

Amen.

Devotional 195: See and Follow

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Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has [b]made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

In this condensed telling of the story of Bartimaeus, Jesus uses the catalyst of the beggar’s faith to work his healing. He tells the man that his faith has made him well, then gives him an interesting command.

“Go your way.” But something else happens instead.

After receiving his sight, Bartimaeus follows Jesus down the road, but he’s giving thanks to G-d the Father. When we are called, touched, and healed by Jesus, there is nothing better we can do than follow Him, and as He’s always in the Father’s presence, there is nothing better we can do but glorify the Father for sending Him.

When we understand that Jesus came to deliver us physically and spiritually, our initial response is to keep Him in our sight, but as time passes and the healing remains, other things begin to fill thoughts and vision, and we stray from following Him back to the narrow gate.

Jesus tells us though, that when we are called out, touched, and healed, our light is to so shine before men, that they see it and glorify G-d. Luke adds that as Bartimaeus followed Christ, that’s exactly what happened. (Luke 18:42-43)

42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

In these tense times, as the prophecies of Christ manifest, increasing in frequency and intensity, we are called on now more than ever to live out the Gospel’s truth, and not our own (my truth, as the popular phrase goes).

Know that there are not many who will throw off their garment and come seeking, but we are not to be concerned with the numbers, only that we speak.

It will be Jesus who chooses who He reveals the Father to, and under which circumstances. The Holy Spirit awaits His command, but we are to plant seeds or reap the newly faithful.

In speaking the Gospel, we obey our Father’s will, and He will reward us openly if we do it in secret. It may well come to that.

Let’s not lose sight of Jesus.

Having received our spiritual sight, there’s no one else we need to walk with, and nothing of higher value than to dwell eternally in the Kingdom of G-d.

Therefore, I pray,

Lord Jesus,

As I go my way, I ask is that You watch over my life, and supplant my will with G-d’s. Don’t let my soul languish among whitened sepulchers.

I want to follow you and glorify God, rejoicing that I will dwell in His house forever with You.

May your words be sealed to my spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Devotional 193: He Will Rejoice Over You with Singing

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Zephaniah 3:1717 

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

At this time of year, with all that’s happening in the world to that which is taking place under our own rooftops, standing right in front of us, let us take a moment to reflect on the birth of Christ and what it means to us.

Indeed, what it means for us.

As those who place our faith in the grace and power of our Lord’s redemptive work to be reconciled to our Creator as the sons and daughters of G-d, all that we know, we inherited from the Father.

As we glorify Him in spirit and truth, thanking Him for our salvation, singing our hymns and carols, we are told that He also sings to us. Indeed, He sings over us, with rejoicing.

Think on it! Our Father, who knew us by name before He formed us in our mothers’ wombs, the One who chose to reveal Himself to us through the Gospel, sending His Son as our worthy emissary to intercede for our sins and bring us back to the source of everything, sings over us.

A baby in a cradle, upon hearing their parent’s voice as they approach, may smile when they see a familiar, loving face speaking words of love over them. And at night they’re comforted when the parent sings over them as they lay the child to rest.

When they are lifted up from the cradle in sure hands, their own hands will explore their parent’s face, and when pulled close, they rest their heads against their parent’s heart.

So today, as we lift up the Name of our Lord and Savior with rejoicing, so too does our heavenly Father lift up His children in our spirits, flesh, and soul with times of refreshing. He lifts up our countenance to see where He dwells, and sings over us with rejoicing to gladden our hearts.

Take a moment then, to lift your hands to Heaven and explore His face.

Grow still in His arms as He draws you closer to Him.

Rest in His presence as He holds you with an everlasting love, even as it grows dark, knowing He watches and sings over you to bring you through, or to dispel the dark so you might see Him rejoicing in You, and be assured that you are loved.

Therefore I pray:

In this season of early darkness, material emphasis, and pagan worldly rituals, let my focus be above the carols and bells, the commercial and false spirit of giving so that corporate profits are steep, and be fully undivided on the true meaning of Christmas.

A worthy Redeemer was sent and tested, and proved Himself worthy to judge me fit to enter the Kingdom of G-d, sinless and blameless, as He is himself.

I would enter into the Father’s rest only by His decree, to dwell forever in His presence to worship and glorify Him.

Great is the calling on my life as His servant. I too must be tested and proven worthy.

The consequences of my compromise, backsliding, rebellion, doubt, and unrepentance is eternal separation from him, in damnation, with the ultimate destruction of my very soul, as if I’d never been.

The testing is that the judgement is not immediate, but when it comes, it will be swift, just, and final, after I give an account for my actions.

My work in His name will also be tested, and those that withstand the refining fire of holiness will see me crowned and rewarded. Those that do not will see me deprived, as my falling short deprives the kingdom of greater glory.

This Christmas, as we feel the kingdom of Heaven at hand, and time drawing near, think on our legacies.

I long to hear, above all the bustle of this mortal, finite, existence:

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into your Father’s rest.”

I would have him sing over me that day, with rejoicing.

Let Your holy Word be sealed to my heart, and in my spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Devotional 120: He Will be Found by You

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2 Chronicles 15

The Reforms of Asa

15 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. 9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.

16 Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.

18 He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

When our leaders are blessed to walk in the ways of the Lord, the land and people prosper. From the time that Israel requested kings, G-d told them they would be prone to error and sin, and though it grieved Him, he granted their request.

Their fortunes rose and fell on how well or poorly those men listened to the edicts of their prophets, counselors, and even queens (see the Book of Esther).  The land of Judah was fortunate in Asa, who had a loyal heart, but in hindsight, as with every king (David, Solomon, etc) G-d gave them a condition that He’s given the rest of us who are not of earthly royalty, but the children of a king: Seek Me and walk in my ways, and all will be well with you.

When we fall away, we are to return.

When we sin, we are to repent.

When we backslide, we are to confess.

The Lord has promised that if we do these things, He will ear from heaven, and heal us, comfort us, and restore us to Himself.

We can rejoice then, that our High Priest is the Son of G-d, interceding incessantly for our struggling flesh, which we do not crucify for the sake of purity.

The prophet Isaiah tells us: (55:v 5-7)

5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

It was Asa’s shift in focus that brought him down toward the end of his reign.

2 Chronicles 16

Asa’s Treaty with Syria

16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it,that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

Hanani’s Message to Asa

7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8 Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”   

10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

King Asa proves his humanity, and like David not seeking the Lord for the proper procedure to move the Ark of the Covenant, Asa relies on riches plundered from the church to reduce the size of the forces he has to battle, and so loses the war, and now has to fight where before, when he walked in the ways of G-d, the land had rest.

 

Asa Reigns in Judah

2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest. 

The Father has done all He is going to do to give us rest, but our faith in His promises wavers, and fails, and fall away into the grip of the enemy’s world. We doubt, and despair, and grow angry.

Yes, go through the process, but never fail to seek to return. Your Father knew you before He formed you, and all of your days were known before you came to be.

Your Father understands, and if you seek Him, rely on Him, love Him, and obey Him, He will be found you.

All the time.

Every time.

Therefore I pray:

Give us loyal hearts, Lord, but increase our faith as well. Let us not dwell in the world of the enemy as we use his own tools to combat his own forces.

Let us climb the spiritual hills with songs of ascension, seeking Your will and Your presence, believing in faith You will equip us not only for the battle, but for victory, where we too, like King Asa, will carry away ‘very much spoil’ (2 Ch, 14:12).

In seeking You, Lord, we place before You all of our weakness. Consume it with holy fire as You did the offering of the prophet Elijah. Increase our faith, and help our unbelief, even if you do not deliver us from the fiery furnaces that seek to burn away our very souls.

Let us, today, rejoice in the renewal of our oath to seek You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, putting to death within us that which will not accept You. Let us, today, tear down and crush all the high places that have crept up the mountains of our dreams, hopes, plans, aspirations, and replaced You.

The whispers of the world are constant, sibilant as the Garden’s serpent, calling us away: Did G-d really say…?  If we believe Your promises to be ‘yes’ and ‘amen’, there can be no room for doubt. 

As love cannot be compelled, You have set before us blessings and curses, and told us to choose. 

The Narrow Way is rugged, but we follow the One who finished the work, and turned neither left nor right, the One You sent to us, that we may not be lost, or fall away, or be consumed by the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

So today, we renew our oath not to forsake You, but we ask that hold our hands fast to Yours, and bind us tighter to the easy yoke and light burden of working out our salvation, to Your eternal glory.

May it be done to us as You have said.

Amen.

 

Devotional 71: Your Redemption Draws Near

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Luke 21:25-28

The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

One of the titles rarely discussed about our Lord is the title ‘Prophet.’ He was known primarily as a teacher, and outside of prophesying His own death and resurrection, we’re only told about the temple he said would be destroyed (and it was), and the end times, though He goes out of His way to tell us that only the Father knows when that will be.

It is the nature of prophecy, unless the Father reveal it, not to get into dates and timelines; the prophet tells us what will happen, and the mark of whether or not they’ve heard from G-d is this: the event comes to pass, or it does not.

Jesus’ prophecies, handed down to us,  tell us what will happen, and while I know there’s a lot more that goes with it, it would be a mistake to say we’re not beginning to see these signs. A lot of the weather events have been called unprecedented.

The aftermath is tragic, awful, hard to look at, and heart-wrenching, and yet even with that, people are making dumb and hateful remarks at the leaders as well as the victims, and tensions and emotions are running high all over the place.

In the midst of this, our Lord would have us look in another direction; it’s the one He’s been emphasizing since His ministry began. We are not to gather earthly treasures, or put our trust in men, nor do good deeds or give to receive our reward in their praises.

If we’ve placed our trust in Him, let us understand the times: He will not be proven a false prophet, for if all was made by His hand, all will be taken by Him, and by Him, judged.

He’s told us few will find the road to life.

He’s told us the world will hate us if we are of Him, and we can expect hatred and persecution from those closest to us.

He’s told us to go into all the world to preach the Good News, and when that is completed, the end will come, but the hour will be unexpected; we must be like the wise virgins on the hill who came prepared to go into the wedding because they had enough oil for their lamps.

He tells us to confess Him before men, that we might be confessed to the Father, and the consequences of not doing so. That means, for some, they must be ready to die in that moment. But He tells us not to fear those who can only kill the body.

This is the prophet in whom we’ve placed our faith and trust, our Lord and King, who lives at the right hand of G-d, and has told us He will raise us up on the last day.

These are the words He’s spoken to us through the ages, and we say, ‘I believe.’

Will you, when the rubber of your faith meets the road of reality? When the blade is at your throat, and the fires rage around you? When your loved one looks at you with absolute hatred in their eyes, and curses you?

I read where a preacher said: “If you believe in G-d, why do you ask if missions your children undertake will be ‘safe? ‘”

Certainly none of the disciples’ missions ended well, yet we’re told they’ll judge the twelve tribes of Israel in the kingdom.

If our Lord called and chose us to be out of the world, and testified that its works are evil, and a new earth will be created because Satan has corrupted this one, and G-d will not look on sin, and all these other things, are we looking at all these signs and asking ‘Where’s G-d?’

If you haven’t heard the unrepentant and unbelieving say it yet, you will, and soon. But remember, the signs were already spoken of in this ‘outdated, irrelevant’ book, which is the Father’s sword that will save souls even as it divides nations and households.

He punished the world once, and spared no one but Noah, because Noah’s heart was faithful to Him. Remember everyone laughed, until it rained from above, and the ground opened up beneath them.  The rainbow was His promise not to destroy it again, but only by water.

A new earth will not co-exist with an old, and good cannot co-exist with evil, and the saved and faithful will not be cast out with the unbeliever and the unrepentant.

Our Lord has said it to us, and we must believe His prophecies, like His promises, are yes, and amen.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

We would be like the sons of Issachar, who understood their times and knew what to do.

Let our faith be strong, our peace even stronger, though our hearts are heavy, because we know what we’re seeing around us is what You’ve prophesied.

You’ve said we come to You only through the will of the Father, that we might be reconciled back to Him through You, and that eternal life will be our reward for doing His will. Therefore, Lord, in the aftermath of the disasters, let us do what we can, where we can.

We pray Your spirit move among those who’ve had to go toward the sites, and pray Your protection over them. Anoint the ministers who move among the afflicted, and give them the words to say, that souls may be redeemed.

We pray for this nation, rife with hate, corruption, and greed, serving mammon instead of You, though it honors You only with its lips, and not its heart.

Give us a bold spirit when they ask us where You are, for they haven’t read Your Word, and reading, liken it to the superstitious imagination of men that made up pagan theologies, foolish with philosophy and meaningless rituals. Their mouths say prayers You don’t hear, sing songs You don’t listen to, and though you reject their offerings, they remain blind.

We ask that in the days to come, we would know Your voice among the rise of many false Christs to come. We would endure to the end, not being fooled by signs and wonders that fool even the elect.

Let us abide in You, Lord Jesus, knowing that apart from You, we can do nothing, and without faith in You, we will become nothing, our souls separated for damnation, and destruction when Hell is destroyed. Help us keep our eyes on the hem of Your garment, and follow the narrow way, in faith believing.

Let such light as we have be a guide for those who’ve placed their faith in Your word through us, as we do the Father’s will at Your command, and through Your love, leading them from earthly calamity and tears to heavenly peace and glory.

I ask in faith, believing I’ve received. 

Amen

Devotional 60: His Command is Everlasting Life

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John 12:42-50

Walk in the Light

42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe,[a] I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

The Son of G-d came as the representative of the Father’s will, to seek and save the unrighteous, unrepentant, unbelieving, and unforgiving by telling us the Gospel of His death and resurrection, and that eternal life would be bestowed upon those who believed in His words, promises, and prophecies, and did as He commanded.

We are not pure vessels of service, we are not inherently good, and we are prone to leave this all behind when we feel that the whole pursuit of heavenly things is in vain and ultimately foolish.

We read with no understanding, we pray while distracted, we mutter our praises, and our silences are not filled with meditation on that which pleases Him.

Our backs are turned, our hearts hardened, and our ears stopped.

And here comes G-d’s emissary to say, “Assuredly, I say to you…”

We know the voice of our Shepherd, but do we return to the fold?

It’s a difficult thing to leave, and a difficult thing to return.

Jesus was grieved when Philip asked Him: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus embodied the very will of the Father toward us: fellowship, praise, glory, reward, blessings, peace on every side, prosperity with no trouble, pure hearts, songs of rejoicing and psalms of ascent, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and our Father above all.

We have all been in gatherings where we felt this, knew it, and submitted to it, and there was no greater feeling in the world.  And then the world comes crashing in: traffic on the way home, a snide remark, a dirty look. Sometimes right after the gathering, from the people who were there with you.

It is where the rubber of our faith meets the road of reality.

But faith is every bit as real. Jesus is every bit as real. The power of G-d is every bit as real, for He is the Creator of ALL.

Today, on this Father’s Day, let us remember the Names of our G-d,  the plea of His emissary and only Son, who expresses that Father’s will to us in this year of the Lord’s favor.

Let us remember that the Great Commission is ultimately to fulfill what the Messiah tells us is the Father’s command: eternal life.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

No, we don’t understand it all. We can’t. But we have Your example to follow, and even though You sacrificed Yourself for us, there are those who reject Your gift. You say their words will judge them; help us to know our words will judge us also. To proclaim You and not preach the Gospel, to proclaim You and seek our own glory, to follow You as a means to our own ends.

We are admonished to study and show ourselves approved, yet our Bibles grow dusty, and remain unmarked.

I’ve been guilty of this, and yet Your presence is there when I return to my senses.

“Father, give me my inheritance,” becomes, “Father, make me a servant in your house.”

But over and over, you restore me to my proper station as one worthy of sharing the gift of life with, of revealing the Truth of the Father’s Word, which He holds higher than His Name. You bring me back under the holy blood covenant of atoning grace as I repent and seek forgiveness.

And you say ‘Yes.’

This is the Father’s love for us: that He sent You, Lord Jesus, to tell us what He would have us know. It is sad that few will find the way, that their own words will condemn them to a life of needless pain and separation.

Happy Father’s Day, my Lord G-d, and thank You for the precious gift of Your Son, that I might return to You with gifts of my own, blessing Your Name in the assembly of the saints that dwell in Your house, forever.

Amen.

Devotional 59: I Delight to do Your Will

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Psalm 40:8-9

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.

 

The googled definition of delight is to 1: please someone greatly  2: to take great pleasure in.

Do we, as believers, delight to do G-d’s will? Do we really?

The Lord says that the greatest among us will be the servant of all, that He himself came to serve, and not be served.

It’s one thing to do the Lord’s will when we are the centerpiece, and quite another to do it in obscurity among the ungrateful, or for only a brief period, or even to the point of martyrdom, where no one knows you or will bother to remember you. What about when your body, quite possibly, will never be found?

Delight?

How can one take delight in such circumstances to the do the will of an unseen G-d?

We must, in all things, take caution to make sure we are hearing from G-d, and listening (they are not the same) to what He has called us to do. There’s doing what we think is His will, and then there’s being in the center of it.

Yes, there’s delight. There’s also fear, doubt, reluctance, hesitancy, excuse-making. It’s all there, right alongside courage, faith, resolve, rejoicing, and immediacy.

Let delight be at the center, for this is not our eternal home.

Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. King, Elie Wiesel, these are some of my heroes who demonstrated true courage in the face of intense adversity, whose faced down their beliefs in the darkness, and set their faces like flint as they picked up their crosses, flaws and all.

But there’s no delight in beatings, imprisonment, watching comrades die, and staying among the filth and stink of dying lepers.

Yet we are reminded of the ‘others’ in Chapter 11 of Hebrews, who took their stand on their way to death and persecution.

(end of v. 35) Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,[f] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Delight? The Messiah tells us this:

John 15:18-25

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’[a]

Delight? Yes, dear brothers and sisters. Take heart, and be resolved in your minds to delight in doing His will. In the end it shall be: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25:23)

For the Lord takes delight in our service, whatever it is, wherever it may be, for however long the time. He takes delight in our purpose fulfilled, our lives fruitful, and our service rewarded in in the proper place and time.

He will sing over you, and anoint you with the oil of rejoicing.

Yes, delight.

 

Therefore I pray:

Father in Heaven,

In our trembling humanity, help us to count the cost of loving our neighbors in a hateful, selfish world. 

Let our hearts be resolved, our motives pure, our desires for fleshly praise extinguished.

Let our hands be helped by like-minded brothers and sisters who come alongside and aid us when we falter, and if necessary, send angels to minister to us in our gardens of stone and beauty if we begin to look for another cup, surrounded by satanic spears, traitors, and the wrathful faithlessness of Your enemies.

Let our minds not be entrapped by the foolishness of the many tangents Your Word fosters among us: How old is the earth? What animals were on the ark? What was Jesus’ skin color? Hymns over secular sounds? What version of Your Word is the best? 

It is the work of Satan planting tares among wheat, and unleashing his wolves among flocks. 

The best version of the Bible is the one that has the story of Your Son’s death and the power of His Resurrection. Like the Apostle Paul, let us determine to know nothing among this fickle populace except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 

Let us delight in obscurity and persecution if it is the center of Your will.

Let us be ready to embrace death when the proverbial sword is at our necks and we hear the words of man say: Renounce your Savior. 

With delight, let us open our mouths for the Spirit to fill, not worrying what we shall say, and pour ourselves out, embracing our fate, since You have determined it since before the foundation of the world, and revealed Yourself to us through Your Son and Your Word to us through the power of Your Spirit.

Let us always please You, and take great pleasure in doing it, as we delight in each other having one will through the Son, us in Him, and Him in You.

In the Name of Jesus I ask it, believing I’ve already received.

Amen.