Tag: John

Devotional 224: The Best & Bitter Wines

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John 2: 6-11 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

John 19:29-30 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

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How very like our Lord Jesus to give His best to others.

He gave the best of Himself to those of who followed in faith (Luke 5:28), to those who sought Him in ‘chance’ encounters (John 4:46-54) to those He encountered by ‘chance,’ (John 4: 7-15) and to those who rejected Him. (Matthew 19:16-24)

We’re not told if He ever got to drink the best wine, but we are told He sent it away to be enjoyed by others at the feast before Himself.

What He got from us at His death was the sour wine of our sins, and the hint of a taste of Death, though it wouldn’t hold Him long. (John 10: 14-18)

As for us, we make our vows just as the disciples made theirs to remain vigilant, and not to let the the soldiers assail their rabbi. And like them, we fail, if not daily, then soon after.

Through grace, we repent, reflect, and renew, taking strength from the Good Shepherd who leads us on the narrow path to green pastures as spiritual sheep, and sets tables in the presence of our enemies as we go about doing good while goodness and mercy trail in our wake, removing the stains of our sins. (Psalm 23: 5-6)

In this, we are told to be cheerful and not grow weary. (John 16:33, Galatians 6:9)

We are told to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and crucify our own flesh to do the work to which we’re called free of hindrances, lest our souls be spotted, our fruit unharvested, and our rewards burned as field stubble. (1st Corinthians 3:13)

Impure offerings and motives in our lives, minds and hearts, and the works of unclean hands will not stand the test of holy fire.

As the newly faithful enter into the Covenant, and the elders fall away through compromise, temptation and defeat, let us remember what happens to the chaff at the white harvest. Your spiritual condition will be aided by the words you’ve spoken in faith or disbelief, which will justify or condemn you. (Matthew 12: 33-37)

Let us be reminded today that the last wine He drank was sour, and it will be His last until the Father’s kingdom is established anew (Matthew 26:29).

While He enjoys the new wine with His disciples again as he rules (Luke 22:28), we too, at the end of our earthly lives and trials will be able to sample the best wine of all, made the Vine Himself.

Therefore I pray:

King Jesus,

The horror of the cross and all its shameful blasphemy yet eludes us, because You lifted from us and carried it, knowing only Your blood could redeem the promise, re-establish our connection, and renew our lives that we might once more dwell in a global Eden worshipping the Father in His own light, living forever.

As He has given all authority to You, and You obey His word without question or pause, it is comforting to know the beneficence of grace in a kingdom without end.

Holy fear of Him who can cast soul and body into Hell will be replaced by joyful reverence, pure worship, and sincere praise for the mercy we received at His command, and Your obedience to it. We bless Your Name for the atonement, that we might be redeemed and reconciled to our Creator.

Today, we ask forgiveness for all we’ve done in defiance of His will. We grieve that we denied and betrayed You. We repent of acting in rebellion, asking why the Father doesn’t just purge the evil from this world, even though He said He would heal the land if we truly repent. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Unfortunately, our hearts are far from Him though we praise Him with our lips, and the filthy rags of self -righteousness, soaked in vanity.

A nation under judgement has rejected the beginning of signs on the earth, and will doubtless scoff at the signs in the heavens.

As the nation falls, ruled by the whims of vainglorious men, let us seek You in the silence of our homes, proclaim You boldly in the streets, purify ourselves for greater works, and prepare our souls for greater persecution. (Matthew 10:19)

May those of us who profess Your Name in spirit and truth be the remnant that saves the cities and those we love from holy wrath (Genesis 18:26-33), or be caught up to be spared.

But if not, let us rest assured that according to Your word, no one can snatch us from Your hand because our names are written in the Book of Life, seeded and sealed by the Holy Spirit in our bodies which are temples to the Father. We walk by faith as our minds, focused on You, tell us to boldly act as priests and ministers of the Gospel.

Let us work out our salvation as You finish the work through our faith in You, now and forever, on earth as it is in Heaven.

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 221: Do Great Things and Prevail

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Devotional 220: To Seek and Save the Lost

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Matthew 18: 10-11 The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:8-10 Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Galatians 6:7-8

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

  The purpose of Jesus’ descent at the Father’s command was not to “hang out” with the lost, continuously dispensing grace to them while they indulged their vices, just like it wasn’t the job of a shepherd to walk with the lost sheep as it meandered, not finding its way back, and putting itself and the shepherd in danger since it had no idea it was lost and in peril.

  His purpose was to cleanse us of sin, the way a found sheep must be bathed to have the dirt of the world removed from its wool so that what it produces will be valuable. It must also be returned to the flock because it isn’t whole without one.

  Too many who have no real relationship with Jesus assume a familiarity with Him they don’t have or seek. They erroneously take for granted that He places no conditions on their redemption, when in fact, it the seeking of Him that will bring them to G-d.

  “Come as you are” does not mean “Stay as you were.”

  Circumstances improve, and people change for the better in the presence of Jesus. He’s always with us, and since He paid the blood price, that means after being grafted in, we will face the hardships He did, up to and including dying while still believing.

  He tells the Jews of Israel that He didn’t come to abolish the law and negate the prophets (Matthew 5:17).

  He tells those who are grafted in that He did not come to bring peace, but division, even into the same household among family.

  We can’t forget that Jesus and the Father are not in competition, and in the end, the Son will purge the Father’s kingdom of His enemies, because He has been found worthy, and the Father has given Him all authority (Matthew 28:18) They are of one mind to remove the scourges of sin and death for all who choose to believe, follow, and do the work of the kingdom.(John 10:30) (Phillipians 2:12-13)

  So to those who are searching, seek Him while He may be found (Isaiah 55: 6-7). And to those who already believe, let us continue to work alongside Him while there’s light. (John 9:4)

 Therefore I pray:

   Lord Jesus, today I confess I have been in remiss in following my Good Shepherd.

   The things and cares of this world catch my eye and fill my imagination, distracting me with thoughts of myself and and that which brings me worldly comfort, and not the security of eternal salvation.

   The rod and staff brought no comfort because I wrongly believed they were to strike me for my errors and rebellion, not to protect me and gather me back to You, to be under Your protection and love.

   Even knowing You, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and written in the Book of Life, I still stray, indulge, and sin. How much more so then, for those who don’t know You at all.

   So today, from the spiritual distress in my soul, I bleat my prayer for You to save me once more, cleanse me once more, and restore me to fellowship and the kingdom once more. Let me plead the blood of the Lamb, that I might be spotless and blameless, humbled and shamed, broken and contrite, before my Father’s throne.

  Rejoice over me with singing as You a give me a heart of flesh, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ezekiel 36:26)

   May it be done to me as You have said.

   Amen.

Devotional 218: Turning the Tables

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John 2:13-17

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

Mark 5:35-40

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

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Imagine you enter your father’s house to find it vandalized and robbed, but the people who did it are standing outside selling his things, claiming they had a relationship with him, and a reverence for him as a pillar of the community. Imagine they told you that what they were doing was fine, then questioned your authority to send them away.

Or imagine you are walking with the one highly skilled doctor who can bring your loved one back to life, while the rest of your family is telling you to leave the doctor alone. He then allows you, and you only, to see your loved one restored to life because you believed in him, and walked with him.

Let us remember the words of Jacob when he blessed his sons: “Judah is a lion’s whelp.”(Gen 49:9) Let us also remember the words of Paul: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked. (Galatians 6:7)

We can be assured that if the Father has given all authority to the Son, He won’t fail to operate in that authority. In the first instance, He took the time to make one of the very items of torture that would be used to break Him down before He was crucified.

In the second instance, He would not operate in the presence of non-believers, and though He wasn’t angry and zealous, as in the first instance, he still acted in His authority by putting those who ridiculed Him outside.

The tribe of Judah is indeed the whelp of Christ, because while in this world Judah was born centuries before Jesus, Jesus tells us He was with the Father before the foundation of the world. In tracing the genealogy of Jesus, there is both a harlot and a virgin, a murderer and adulterer (David), and an old carpenter, obedient to the word of G-d, given to protect a Son whose birth he had no part in. It only follows that the grace of G-d allows those who aren’t His chosen be given an opportunity to be part of His eternal kingdom under the rule of His Son.

As we see the prophecies unfolding with technology, and the fires, and the rise of the enemy through spiritual blindness and bodily confusion, we are not called to be lukewarm, for in His authority He will spew us out. (Rev 3:16)

Let us then be as the sons of Issachar discerning the times, and not only make the decision, but hold steadfast to it, for the one we choose to serve. We can be assured He will again operate in His authority as the judge of all humanity from every nation at the time of the final raising up, and the separation of those who endured to the end from the ones who fell away. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

Cleanse me, forgive me, refresh me, and restore me. I ask so that I may be a light to those around me, doing good works that those whom I serve may see them and glorify G-d, that You might reveal Him to them, that they might be saved.

I would not make a new believer stumble because they are not like me, or their gifts will be different, or their faith might be greater, or that You may have a higher use for them than me. Even then, they will fall short in their own righteousness. I ask that You where You depart from us on the road, the Holy Spirit comforts and brings to us what is Yours, as You brought that which is the Father’s, restoring our fellowship and purifying our sinful nature.

I will not surrender my authority given by You to read the Word of G-d for myself, turning it over to those who would lead me astray because in doing so I will follow their voice, and not Yours. I will believe as they believe, and challenge Your authority to chastise and rebuke me in my sin. I will take my blessings and put them into earthly coffers subject to thieves, and not in Heaven’s storehouses to bless others.

Help me not only to remember, but to truly understand, this world is not my home, and my earthly life is not forever. Give me a heart of wisdom, and order my steps, that I may do all You have given me to do. I would be honored and humbled to say, as You did, “It is finished,” that I may hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May it be done to me as You have said.

I ask in faith, believing I’ve already received.

Amen.

Devotional 217: Of Spirits and Stones

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2 Chronicles 24:20-22

20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ” 21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, “The Lord look on it, and repay!”

Acts 7:57-60

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

In our flesh, we wish to respond to those who do us wrong like Zechariah, or better yet, be like James and John who wanted to call down holy fire (Luke 9:50-55).

But being called out of the world by the Son, sent down to tell us that it’s the Father’s will to see us restored and reconciled, we are to follow another way.(Matthew 5:43-48)

Lest we excuse ourselves from keeping his command, let us also be reminded that before Stephen, Jesus set the example for him. (Luke 23:34) Indeed, Jesus stood up that He might welcome Stephen’s spirit.

Though the circumstances were different, the hearts of the men who spilled innocent blood after being shown kindness were all committing apostasy and evil.

In our humanity it would be satisfying if we could exact our own vengeance, sanctioned by G-d and anointed by the Spirit, but we’re not.

The fact is that G-d will repay (Romans 12:19-21), but the problem we have is that maybe it’s not immediate, or done in a manner or with the intensity that will gratify our vision as to how it should look. Let us be cautious, however, that while we are free to respond in the flesh, we don’t have to guess G-d’s will in the matter.

But our faith in Him challenges us to leave the consequences of up to Him to visit on those who’ve wronged us. We are told to pray for them and keep moving in the work we’re called to do, using our gifts to do it.

Another earthly problem is that we are reminded that judgement isn’t swift to come either, so mankind continues to serve itself to the peril of their souls. (Eccles 8:11-13)

So brothers and sisters, let’s keep our vows to follow and serve, to do and obey, to hear and to tell, and keep to the narrow road. We do well to remember that our Shepherd, Brother, King, Judge and Savior gives us the comfort of the Spirit, and repeats to us in times of fear, doubt, and even rebellion, these words: “Assuredly, I say to you….”

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

In our hurt, pain, and anger when those we trusted betray us, we thank You for understanding that in those moments it will be difficult to say as You did to Judas, “Friend…”(Matthew 26:50)

We thank You for giving us grace when we respond to such circumstances as Zachariah, John, and James did, wanting to be immediately gratified to see ourselves avenged by the Father, through Your oneness with Him.

And we thank You also, for not revoking the covenant of grace when we respond in our flesh, not to bless and forgive, but to lash out in our hurt, when we turn physical, judgmental, accusatory, and angry. It is the very thing Your enemy and the prince of this world does to us regarding You, and tells us there are sins You can’t, and indeed won’t, forgive us.

Have the Spirit bring to mind that You have called Him the father of lies, and told us his intentions. (John 10:10)

So today Lord, let us abide in You, renewing our minds and spirits with knowledge of the joy to come in a new and purified world, in the light of G-d shining in a glorified Heaven as we worship You, our High Priest and King who reconciled us by taking our place, praying for his enemies even as He died.

May it be done to us as You have said, as we, in faith believing, affirm it by agreement.

Amen.

Devotional 216:His Angels Will Gather

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Matthew 13:41

41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

It stands to reason that if the responsibility of judgment has been given to the Son (John 5:22), and He is one with the Father (John 10:30), then Jesus is allowed to be as sovereign as G-d would be in overseeing who will be allowed into His Kingdom.

As the end-time prophecies of Christ begin to unfold, there are those in the world who believe that Jesus, having been among sinners, will tell them that the things they’ve done are forgiven and everyone will make it into the kingdom. They believe this will extend even to those who don’t follow Him, or believe He was simply a ‘good man’ who ‘taught love’. They believe they will stand in their own righteousness as ‘good people,’ yet reject Jesus as Savior, King, and Judge because that would mean His call to repentance, obedience, and action carries authority over their own lives and they don’t want to change.

It not only carries weight and authority, it is the ultimate authority, declared by the Alpha and Omega. To use a phrase from the Old Testament, ‘not one of His words will fall to the ground.’

To their eternal peril, they assume a familiarity with Jesus they don’t have, and believe they will carry their sin nature into Heaven, into the presence of G-d without need of cleansing. In their error, they don’t know that Jesus declared He did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets (Matthew 5:17)

That the angels were assigned to Him we see in at least two instances: one in which they came to take care of Him after His testing by Satan in the desert (Matthew 4:11), and again when He was arrested and told Peter to put up his sword, because if He asked, the Father would send twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. (Matthew 26: 52-53)

In this fallen world full of humanity with sinful natures, let us not remember, as G-d does, that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.

Let us remember there will be no hiding place when the angels come to carry out the destruction of this corrupted world before the new one is created (Rev 6:15-17. Rev 9:6) Let us remember that even in the midst of the destruction, angels will call to repentance, and humanity will harden their hearts. (Revelation 9:20-21, Rev 16:8-11, Rev 16: 21).

It is when the Father decrees that the chance for repentance is at an end, and removes the restraints, giving those who refuse His gift over to the one they chose to serve (Rev 22:11) that the results of the Harvest will be set.

In the end, will our names still be in the Book of Life, or will we, or perhaps our loved ones be gathered out by His angels?

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

Today I ask for a renewed spirit of discernment and conviction, that I not use the grace you’ve given me to let sin increase in my life. (Romans 6:1) Let my times of rebellion not affect the lives of those you’ve given me through blood and brought to me in fellowship.

Let me be reminded that not all who say ‘Lord’ to You shall enter into the Father’s rest, and that You will exercise the authority given to You by the Father, whom You chose to reveal to us as Truth when You called us out the world.

Let us remember with reverent fear that Your judgements rightly divide, and are just.

We will have no answer for our sins, our idle words, our hard hearts, our lusting, our backsliding and rebellion when we are called to give account, and it is no small thing to fall into the hands that will dispense G-d’s wrath.

So today, Lord Jesus, I seek You again to confess to You that I’ve failed in my own strength because I did not abide in You, and so accomplished nothing of my own will.

Let me not hide my talents, and be unfruitful like a cursed tree that will be cast into the fire because it did not fulfill its purpose.

Let me not be gathered out, weeping before the outer darkness, for it is written to be the Father’s will that none perish and all repent (2 Peter 3:9). Thank you for the opportunity that is today to change my direction and return to the narrow road.

Today, Lord Jesus, renew a right spirit within me, give me a heart of wisdom, set a guard over my mouth, and let my words and meditation please you so that I may do the work You’ve given me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and quench the enemy’s fiery darts, and enter into my Father’s rest through Your blessings of “Come forth!” and “Well done.”

Let it be done to me as You have said.

Amen.

Devotional 215: More With Us

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

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2 Kings 6:16

16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

2 Chronicles 32:7

7 “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.

1 John 4:4

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The concept of ‘more’ and ‘greater’ was always with us. It was greater to know G-d, and have more than we needed preserved by His hand, as long as the Tree of Knowledge remained untouched.

Lucifer was the brightest, most beautiful, angel in God’s sight until he no longer chose to submit to God’s sovereignty, taking a full third of all the angels with him.

And therein lies the problem, and the reason for our need to be reconciled: It is not that we don’t have God, it’s the fact that we don’t choose God.

If children inherit the genetics of their parents, and Adam and Eve were the source of all humanity, it stands to reason we are inherently prone to sin and all that comes with it. The problem for us is that God will not purge and block it from us, as He did with the Tree of Life, because He wants us to choose what is greater, which is to renounce sinning and choose to love Him and do His will by keeping His commandments and holding His name in reverence and fear, as befits a Father worthy of the title.

Today, even as His wrath kindles against the nations and we hurtle toward the prophesied end as this evil world grows full of days, in His great mercy and everlasting love, He provided us a way out through Jesus whom He strengthened to be worthy of redeeming us from death, and reconciling us sinless before Him, that He might receive us into His eternal kingdom.

And even in that, our Savior tells us this: (John 10:10)

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

That being known, we are not to drop our guard against sin. We are also told that not everyone who calls Him ‘Lord’ will enter because in their daily lives their hearts are far from Him, and He will cast them out because of their lawlessness. (Matthew 7:21-23)

Just as there is more and greater in life, there is also more and greater in sin, and three that bear special mention by Jesus: corrupting children (Matthew 18:6), rejecting the Gospel (Matthew 10:15), and blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:32), the last being unforgivable even in the day of resurrection.

In whatever ways we have fallen, no matter how frequently or far, we are encouraged that the Father and Son tell us that repentance, confession, and rejecting sin will attract the Father’s attention and re-establish fellowship with Him, as long as we abide in Jesus and listen to the Holy Spirit when convicted that we’re on the wrong path. (Jeremiah 15:19)

Be mindful that not only those who are lawless, but those who are faithless, doubting, rejecting, mocking, and condemning the Word of God, though they don’t believe they are serving His enemies, are in fact, doing exactly that. Their spiritual eyes have been closed as they continue to walk the wide road to hell’s own gates.

Choose this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15)

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

As we read and meditate on the Word of the Father, made flesh in You, and told to us by You, even as the Spirit imparts to us what is Yours, we rejoice in the time we spend with You, and our hearts and spirits are refreshed and renewed.

We thank You for provision, mercy, grace, access to the throne without sacrifice, and seek Your absolution for our sins. We seek to be worthy of having our names in the Book of Life, and be profitable, fruitful servants worthy of the Kingdom of God, our Father.

We choose, this day, to serve the Father in reverent fear, love, and obedience as we return from the wilderness and traps of a powerful enemy who hates us.

Today we choose more and better for ourselves over the lives we’ve led before You revealed the Father to us and called us out of the world to share the Good News with others, that the Father’s wrath no longer pursues and marks us as Satan’s own. Forgive us, Lord, when we fall away because of the persecution that comes with following You. Send the Spirit to us, that we might have discernment and ignore the fiery darts hurled at us to make our faith waver in anger and fear.

Today, and always, may we abide in You so that we don’t commit more and greater sin, and live the time remaining in abundance and obedience, hand in hand, that we might gain a heart of wisdom and dwell in the house of the Lord our God, forever, in the Kingdom that will not pass away.

May it be done to us as You have said.

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 212: The Deception of Many

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Matthew 24

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.“

John 10:27 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

In the perilous days to come that will determine who survives the harvest, and who ultimately enters into the Father’s rest, having not been earmarked as an enemy of G-d, we see that our Savior, through time and space in warning the disciples, has in His grace, warned us as well.

It is why the doing of the Father’s will is as important as the hearing of it, and why backsliding, doubt, and compromise are dangerous to the soul. We have all, at one point or another, during one trial or another, felt like giving up. We had unanswered questions, and seemed to be perpetually praying for deliverance that was so long in coming, it seemed it would never happen.

When we refer to such long-suffering, the phrase “…has the patience of Job” used to be a go-to. The fact of the matter is that Job had no say for how long G-d would permit Satan to test him. Neither do we, but we are told to always rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things (1 Thess: 5-17), to ask, seek, and knock (Matt 7:7-12), to abide in Jesus (John 15:5-8)

What Job had was not patience. Indeed, what he suffered would have broken lesser men who were not so grounded in the Lord. His wife, who’d suffered the same losses, gave in to her despair and put it on Job to rebuke God, but he didn’t.

What Job did have was faith, up to and including that if he died, he would still have trusted in God’s goodness to redeem his soul. Where he went wrong was to defend his own righteousness. (Job 13:15) In his trials, his pride took over and his anger got the better of him until God questioned him, and he repented in ‘dust and ashes.’ (Job 42:6)

As we watch Jesus’ prophecies come to pass, just as they did with the temple the disciples marveled at (Mark 13:2), we are to discern the times as foolish men with wealth and power vie to control a world they didn’t make and can’t own. We are also to stand for the Truth among the mockers and spiritually confused and blinded, waiting for a sign they won’t receive because their hearts are hard, even as they proclaim to ‘walk in my truth’, which is of this world and therefore leads them astray. Let us remember, as humanity becomes lovers of themselves, that God is not mocked. (Galatians 6:7)

Today, let us till the soil of our own hearts, that we not be deceived, (Matt 13:8) , and let us also encourage one another to endure to the end, that we might be saved. (Matt 24:13)

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, I would not be a fool to proclaim in my anger, pride, or sadness in the midst of my trials, that there is no God. Forgive me for my times of backsliding, breaking fellowship, and going my own way. That is the way of darkness, and will lead to the destruction of my soul, the consumption of my works, and the condemnation of my spirit to the outer darkness, a just decision for my lawlessness.

Help us to realize the world is in crisis, and that self-serving, self-important leaders are vying for control of a world they did not make and can’t own. Let us be sound in our doctrine, and clear in whom we are serving, that their words of worldly comfort and isolation don’t become a tempting snare.

As such, help us be more fruitful workers for the kingdom, not just faithful hearers, that the light in us and the works we perform point to God and give Him all the glory, as You have said. (Matt 5:16)

Today we confess our sins, forgive our brothers and sisters their trespasses, and stay still, that we might know that You, O Lord, are with us, and know us, as we listen for Your voice to guide us out of the worldly wilderness that clamors for our attention, just as the false christs and prophets will in the days to come.

Strengthen us with times of refreshing, heal us, guide us, and restore us, that we may gain a heart of wisdom as we return to our Father through faith in Your sacrifice, and grant that we grow to love each other as You love us.

May Your Word be sealed to my Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.