Ecclesiastes 9:14-16: Continue reading “Devotional 6: No One Remembered That Poor Man”
Tag: Gospel
Devotional 5: Neither do I condemn you…
From the Gospel of John, Chapter 8:
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[e] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[f] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[g] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[h] Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[i] sin no more.”
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This is the familiar story of the adulteress caught in the act by the religious leaders, and brought before Jesus in order to trap Him. It’s used as a supplement to the verse “Judge not, lest you be judged, and with whatever measure you do it, it will be done to you.”
It’s also used as an example of Jesus’ covenant of grace toward us, but no one ever really talks about the conclusion of the passage.
The fact is, (if God’s Word is inerrant, and John’s witness is true) she was an adulteress, loving on the husband of another woman, and as Jesus convicted the Pharisees with his scorching reply, he did not hold the woman guiltless of her sin, and told her to leave from there and NOT do it again.
She had to go back to this man she had feelings for, and tell him they could no longer be, tell him to return and rejoice in the wife of his youth, in order to purify her own soul before the Lord.
We are not told whether or not she did, for that was not the point of the story. The point of the story, as far as I’m concerned, is that everyone left there with some work to do on themselves in terms of forgiveness, purity, and repentance.
We are under grace, but we will not be held guiltless for sinning under its covenant. Vigilance, keeping watch over our own souls, our words, our thoughts, our actions, is inconsistent at best, and non-existent at worse, taking grace for granted.
In Hebrews 10: 26- 29 it states:
The Just Live by Faith (bold letters added for emphasis)
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
and again in 10:31: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Therefore, I pray:
Lord Jesus, Your sacrifice tore the veil, that I may approach the Father’s Presence under the covering of Your blood, that His mercy may be extended toward me in my final hour, and that I escape the fires of hell by accepting your sacrifice as the only thing that redeems me in the Father’s sight.
Grant that I may approach the throne boldly, but reverently, with fear and trembling, rejoicing and giving thanks in faith that I have received what I will ask, and over and above what I’ve petitioned my King to do for me.
Let me be ever mindful of grieving the Spirit of grace, Who reveals all Truth in Your Word to me.
Thank You for the sacrifice of the covenant of grace, proclaiming the Year of the Lord’s favor, and grafting me in, who was not called ‘His people.’
Lord Jesus, I repent, and return to You; receive Your prodigal once again, and wrap his unworthy soul in the folds of Your mercy..
Let me be ever mindful that the pain you felt was real, that the revulsion You felt toward my sins crept into Your very being, and grieved Your human heart, yet did not deplete Your divine love.
Daily, I contribute nails and thorns, but they no longer touch You, for the Work is finished. Burn them, Lord Jesus, and purify me in their fire, that I may stand on the last day, and enter into my Father’s kingdom, to praise Him forevermore, and rejoice in holy fellowship with You and all the saints.
In Your Name, and by the Power of Your Blood, I ask, in faith believing, that I have already received.
Amen.
Devotional 4: Two Trees of Eternal Life
Genesis 3:
22 And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever”—
23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Galatians 3:13
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Here, in contrast, are two trees of Life, one from Eden, and the other, the cross of Calvary.
Of one, we were not to eat, but because there was disobedience regarding the Tree of Knowledge, there was a casting out of Paradise, lest there be the same for the Tree of Life.
Yet, Jesus tells us that unless we eat of His flesh, which was to be hung on a tree, thereby becoming for us the gateway to eternal Life, we will not enter Heaven. (John 6:53)
Two trees laden: one with pleasant but forbidden fruit, and one with bitter, holy blood, of which we are invited to partake.
Those who now reject the latter tree do so to their eternal peril.
We are to walk by faith and know that we will be the harvest of the first fruits of resurrection, the Risen One, in this, our Father demands obedience, but does not force us to obey.
The Tree of Life is guarded by a flaming sword, but there are no such weapons around the Cross.
Earthly fruit trees die, and their fruit spoils, but there is no drying up of the holy blood which covers our sins, iniquities, and transgressions to the exacting eyes of our Father, who has handed all judgment to the Son.
Therefore let us not be found in pride, disobedience, and rebellion, for the Father says He will make the Son’s enemies His footstool.
Let us boldly, but reverently, approach the throne of Grace, and partake of the tree of Eternal Life, the cross, who’s fruit is the Bread of Life, and who’s seed is the anointing confirmation of the Holy Spirit, sealing us to Heaven. Let us reach and touch the hem of his holiness, that we might be made well.
Therefore, I pray:
Father in Heaven, help me to know that this is not my permanent home. Help me to remember that I have been called out from the world to minister to it your Holy Truth, the Gospel of Your glorious Son, the Bread of Life, who was nailed to a tree, that I might have Eternal Life and fellowship with Him, and be in the Light of Your Presence without fear of death.
Jesus says no one has seen the Father except the Son, and that is true; I haven’t seen You, Father, but I have seen Your power at work in my life, and the lives of those I love.
Would that we did not have knowledge of evil, but we do; we also have knowledge of good, and therefore can counter the deeds of evil men, with Your power working on our behalf. We have but to ask, in faith believing we have already received.
Help me to keep the second Tree of Eternal Life, the cross of Your Son, and my Savior, ever in my vision, my thoughts, my words, and my deeds; let me partake fully of the sanctification of the fruit of salvation, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
I thank You for my gifts, and the opportunity to use them for Your glory. Let me therefore be a fruitful branch in the making and establishing of Your coming Kingdom.
Bless me this day, Father, and let my sins of the day be covered by His holy blood once more.
In His Name, and to Your Mercy, I pray.
Amen.
Devotional 3: Do You Believe That I Can Do This?
Two Blind Men Healed
Matthew 9:27 – 31
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying,“See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
The question Jesus asks these men, and us, is critical, for on it hangs our eternity.
Our Lord says He will raise us up to be with Him on the last day (John 6:40)
Do we believe that He is able to do this?
For all our focus on the cross, which is to present us spotless before the Father, there is the matter of our own resurrection. Paul writes of Christ as the first fruits of those that sleep (1 Corinthians, 15:20)
Matthew 2:52 speaks of the graves opening after the temple veil was torn, but no one came out of them until Jesus did, and that they appeared to many, most likely reuniting with loved ones who thought them long dead, and treasured them in memory.
On their faces, these stories are fantastical, yet, Jesus’ question underlines them all:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
Do we?
Therefore, pray:
Lord Jesus, my faith is in your power, the power endued to you from on high by the Father, the power to raise up your people who remained in faith of your mercy and grace, hoping to see their salvation in your glorious appearance. Bless us with a touch of Heaven today Lord, and renew our hope, our fire. Let us, indeed, being as spiritually blind as these men were physically, have your healing hands restore our spiritual sight.
Give us the Spirit of God again, Lord, that the Father’s Word be revealed to us, that our souls be refreshed in us, that our sins be purged out of us, so that as we fall as one dead in the presence of Your holiness, you bid us to rise, and take Your nail-scarred hands, and walk with you through the gates of our eternal salvation, to be with you forevermore, in the Father’s light and goodness.
Yes, Lord, I believe that You can do this, and it is not too difficult for You.
By the power of Your holy blood, I ask you to receive my sight again.
In Your Name, and by Your stripes, I claim my healing.
Amen.
Devotional 2: Spiritual Peaks and Valleys
From the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16: v 13-19 and 16: 21-23
When Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus told Him that flesh and blood did not reveal it, but His Father in Heaven.
Jesus then went on to bless him and change his name to Peter; from verse 18 we read:
“And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.”
IMAGINE the power Peter now held in his spirit!
What would we do if Christ Himself spoke those words to us? How could you doubt anymore that God was real, Heaven existed, and all the words of Jesus were true? I honestly couldn’t say what my reaction would be, and we’re not told Peter’s, but here perhaps is why that is:
In verse 21, after Jesus tells his disciples (again) that He must be delivered up to be killed and raised, the newly named Peter goes back into spiritual blindness, in a big way, in verse 22:
“Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23) But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Hold on a second! Was this not the man to whom He just gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and the power to bind and loose? How is it then, that he became blind again so quickly, and forgot the things of God?
Again, we are not told Peter’s reaction, but I’m sure these words wounded as much as the others lifted. We are told, later, that Satan specifically asked for Peter to be turned over for ‘sifting.’ Jesus tells him this too.
I’m not sure, to be honest, I would have kept walking with the Lord after that. If you’re really honest with yourself, would you?
I’d be confused, hurt, upset, and frightened, having seen so much and been told so often how small my faith was, how limited my understanding. I’m not sure I would not have thrown up my hands and asked, “Then WHY did You pick me?”
The truth is, we strive to be like Christ, but we’re a lot more like Peter. There are days we have enough faith to get out of the boat, even if we lose our focus later, and there are days we go into the tomb just to check and see if He’s really gone, and what that really means for us.
Where are you on the spectrum of Peter’s faith today? Where will you be tomorrow? And the day after?
Therefore, let’s pray:
Lord, if mustard seed faith is enough to move mountains, what would mountain sized faith in You accomplish? My faith is as a boat without oars in a storm, powerless to resist the winds and currents of the times and seasons, the fads and protests, the bombardment of the world’s knuckles at the door of my heart.
There are days, Lord Jesus, where I feel that I too, have the keys to the kingdom, that I understand all, that the mysteries are solved, and my times of trial in my spirit are over. I will doubt and sin no more, because I understand what’s required of me.
And there are days I’m an offense to You, as reprehensible as Satan, with my words as well as my actions; days where if I told someone I was a follower of Yours, they would smile and say to someone else,
“See? I told you; they’re no different.”
My faith is not unwavering, Lord, and I confess this to my shame. I need Your grace and mercy, but I need Your strength as well. I ask for discernment, revelation, times of refreshing, knowledge, and wisdom that when You say, “I tell you the truth,” it is a truth I can rely on when my last breath is taken, my spirit departs, and my body returns to the dust until the last day, when You will raise it, glorified in Your holy presence.
Reach out Your hand, Lord Jesus, and save me from the towering waves of faithlessness, of turning away, of doubting Your promises, and the promises of Our Father. Be ever with me, Lord, and burn with a holy fire the obstacles in the way of the Spirit, who reveals to me Your Truth, and my sin.
By the Power of Your Holy Name, I pray.
Amen, and amen.
Devotional 1: You Must Become as Little Children
From the Gospel of Matthew 18:2
Then Jesus called a little child to him and set him in the midst of them, and said
“Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives Me.”
Jesus wasn’t telling the disciples to behave in a childlike manner, he was telling them to adopt the mindset of a child regarding a good father.
Children believe the promises of good things made to them will be made manifest by a father who claims to love them and look out for them.
Children believe their father will be kind to them, and protect them.
Children believe their father rejoices and shares in their happiness and sorrows.
Children are not afraid to go to their father with their concerns, and let him take care of it, whether by word, deed, or both.
Children believe their father with no reservations or doubt, and for their part, children should have a healthy fear of and want to please their father.
Therefore, I pray:
Lord Jesus, I want to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Help my unbelief, and help me to believe in the unconditional love my father bears toward me.
Help me to remember His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments.
Help me to fear Him, even as I come boldly before the throne of grace.
Help me to pray for what I need, and give thanks as if I’ve already received.
Help me to remember in holy fear that He will judge the work of my hands, and bring every secret thing to light.
Help me to stay faithful to his precepts.
Let me rejoice in His pleasure, and find peace in the song He sings over me.
I don’t hope to hear You say,“Well done, good and faithful servant,” because I haven’t been. I only ask that You dry my tears after I suffer the loss of reward for burned works.
But let me receive You anew each day in my heart, soul, and mind, that I may hear You say “Enter into Your Father’s rest.”
Lord Jesus, hear my prayer.
Amen.
believer55 