July 31, 2023
Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof”
The language picture here of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is one of putting on a garment, of wrapping oneself in a cloak or clothing. While the Holy Spirit lives within us, we give ourselves to a life that inwardly and outwardly imitates the Life of Jesus. Just as the water of baptism covers us as a type of the cleansing of the church by Christ stated in Ephesians 5:26, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”, we are covered with Christ as we live by the Word of God, we walk in the steps of Jesus, and we speak the truth of Christ. As our natural clothing presents us to the world around us, the clothing of the Lord Jesus Christ reflects the image of Christ as a witness of His grace. Our prayer is that God will continually transform us to be like Jesus. At the same time, the part where we, “Make no provision for the flesh”, means we do not do or involve ourselves in the things that would empower the flesh to fulfill its desire to sin. The word “provision” speaks of supplies or forethought as in making something possible by supplying the means. If we are tempted by something it is necessary that we do not put ourselves in a place where that temptation can become sin. People who are tempted by drugs and alcohol should not allow themselves to be in places or with people where those things are accessible to them. Those tempted by pornography should not have open access on their phones or computers that allows them to freely visit websites where porn is found. Anyone tempted to steal money should not be the church treasurer or be able to handle the money of an organization they’re involved in. People who are prone to excessive anger should set their lives to avoid, if at all possible, the things that push their buttons. Sin hurts us and those around us. It makes us weak in faith and loads us down with guilt and shame. Jesus died to set us free and we should do as in Hebrews 12:1, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. Great victory comes when we do not make it easy for our flesh to follow a path of sin.
____________________________________________________
July 30, 2023
John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”
Many people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and then walk away without becoming a follower of Christ. Many people attend church and identify as a Christian but they do not live by what Jesus says. This devotion is not a judgment of salvation for those who claim Christ but will not follow His Word because only God can separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:33). But it is a reminder that Jesus said the test of discipleship is “if ye continue in my word” and means, “if you live by what I say”. “Then”, Jesus says, “Are ye my disciples indeed”. Often, we hear people say, “The truth will set you free” whenever they are making a point that they believe is true as if freedom comes from whatever they’re calling “truth”. Jesus said we will know the truth because we are abiding in His Word and walking according to His teaching. The Holy Spirit within us bears witness to the truth of God’s Word because the Spirit is eternally in agreement with the Word. God’s Word frees us from the lies of the world, the deception of religion, and the errors of our own thinking. I want to be more than just a believer in Jesus, I want to follow Him, learn His Word, and truly be His disciple. I want to be free from anything and everything that can bind me, misdirect me, and cause me to live a life that is not founded on the Word of God. Can the church and its leaders be trusted and followed as if they are representatives of Jesus Christ? Absolutely not. Because every day we read the news of the failures and horrifying sins of priests, preachers, and church leaders that people were trusting in. Pedophiles, thieves, and perverse people have stood in front of congregations claiming to be guardians of the truth. The church that some of them represent has slaughtered untold millions of innocent men, women, and children through the ages of Christendom, claiming the dissenters were “heretics” because they refused to bow to the authority of the “church” and its wicked, insidious hierarchy of clergy. When we follow Christ and abide in His word, we are following a person, not an institution. We are trusting His word and not the word of those who have proven to be a part of a failed, evil system that has deceived, murdered, and robbed people in the name of God. We are disciples of Jesus Christ because we follow Him personally and not because we belong to a church, have been baptized into a church, or are participants in the church’s customs and practices. We are free.
__________________
July 29, 2023
Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”
We’ve been talking about how Jesus carries our burdens and how He has removed our yoke of bondage to the Levitical Law. And now He tells us in this verse that we have a cross to bear. It sounds contradictory. The people of Jesus’ day knew well what it meant if they saw someone carrying a cross. That person was the same as dead because they were carrying their cross to a place of crucifixion. Our cross to carry is not religion, religious acts, or anything that might identify us as a religious person. Our cross is the cross of self-denial where we daily crucify our self-will and identify with Jesus Christ. Even though it is a cross, it is not a cross of burden but of victory. Some have portrayed the cross-bearing Christian as a beatdown, bedraggled, and suffering saint who can barely walk the Christian path because they are so loaded down for the cause of Christ. They speak of the reproach, shame, and sorrow that following Christ brings. But such an interpretation would contradict the promise of our Lord when He said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. There indeed is suffering in the Christian life but there is suffering in life in general for both believers and nonbelievers. We bear the cross of self-denial with its identity with Christ and in return, we receive joy, peace, and the grace to follow our Lord in victory with the expectation of Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”. In the eyes of the world, there may be shame associated with carrying the cross of faith but it is nothing compared to the shame of the load of sin we once carried before Jesus washed it away with His precious blood. Dying daily to the will of the flesh might be a battle but it is nothing compared to the war we were in for our immortal souls before Jesus gave us life and set us free. So away with the picture of believers carrying their cross as if they are poor, sad, and miserable people to be pitied because they follow Jesus Christ. We carry the cross of self-denial because we have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s Son. It is a cross of eternal victory: a badge of honor.
___________________________________
July 28, 2023
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”
What we think about matters and can be a big factor in whether we are having good days or bad ones. The scripture says in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” helping us understand that motives and the will to act are products of our thoughts. The Bible tells us that even the Lord has thoughts as revealed in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” and in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD”. If our thoughts are filled with worry, if we always expect the worst of everything, and if we think about things that are not in line with the truth of God’s Word and His will, our days will be spent with a mindset of this world, one that finds no pleasure and joy in the things of God. Today’s verse tells us to bring our thoughts under control and focus them on things that are pure, lovely, good, honest, and praiseworthy. The Holy Spirit is ready to help us in this for the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, that we are, “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. God loves us and does not want us ruining our precious time on this earth filled with brooding thoughts, plotting revenge, always seeing things from a negative perspective, and missing the joy of His great blessings. If we hang around people who are always complaining, always finding fault, always seeing themselves as victims, and always spinning every circumstance into gloom and doom don’t be surprised when we become cynical, miserable, and sour just like them. God is not telling us to lie to ourselves about the circumstances of life but to interpret them from a Biblical perspective. We might get up in the morning to find a flat tire on our car and that might seem bad. But it does not change God’s promise to us that He is with us in our trials and is working all things for our good. When I was diagnosed with cancer it was a shock to me but it did not change the truth that I am a child of God and that He is more than able to heal me and help me through the battle. We can see ourselves as helpless, trapped in the spiderweb of life’s forces or we can see ourselves as more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. So, how will you think? According to this fallen and corrupt world’s thinking or according to the Lord and His eternal truth?
______________________________________________
July 27, 2023
Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord”
When we are saved, we still battle with temptation. We might ask the question, “How can I win this daily struggle where my new nature is drawn to the will of God but my old self fights to follow the sinful ways of the world? The Bible says in 1 John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”. We know we are saved by faith but the scriptures tell us we also live by faith. A part of salvation was when we confessed Christ and we were expressing what we believed to be true. God promised in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” and we believed that meant us. So, we were “reckoning” (deciding, deeming, judging, and concluding) ourselves saved because God said it and we believed His Word. That was the basis of our saving faith. Somedays we may not feel saved, act saved, or talk like we’re saved but our faith in what God said means we continue to believe and confess our salvation. We “reckon” ourselves saved by faith. According to today’s verse, we also reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive unto God. The sooner we begin seeing ourselves delivered from the power of sin, confessing we are no longer sin’s servant, and believing that sin no longer has dominion over us, the sooner we will overcome it by our faith. This is the meaning of Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Living by faith means we reckon ourselves saved because God said it and we reckon ourselves victorious over sin because God said we are dead to it. Sin may tempt us and our flesh and human desire may be drawn to it. But our faith says we are dead to it so we believe what God’s Word says and declare ourselves dead to sin. This is not a matter of self-control, it is a matter of living the same way we are saved: by faith and reckoning ourselves to be what God has declared we are. One day, we will be set completely free in a glorified body and we will never deal with temptation again. But for now, and by God’s grace, we will live by the faith of the Son of God.
____________________________________________
July 26, 2023
Hebrews 12:14-15 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”
A section of the sidewalk in front of the house we lived in when I was a child was unlevel. Over many years, one end of the slab had been raised almost three inches by the root of an old Elm tree near the sidewalk. I often used the raised slab as a jump when riding my skateboard and marveled at how the root of a tree can raise a massive slab of concrete. Roots are powerful and when a root of bitterness gets embedded within us, there’s always trouble ahead. Whatever causes us to harbor bitterness sets us up for misery and affects everyone around us. We might be bitter because our parents failed us, or because we didn’t get the breaks in life we deserved. Someone may have hurt us or we may be battling an illness that seems unfair. Sometimes our bitterness is directed at God because He didn’t answer our prayers the way we wanted or we think He has let us down. Whatever the case, the word “bitterness” here means “poison” and that’s exactly what happens to us when bitterness along with its fruit of unforgiveness, revenge, stubbornness and pride, and a pessimistic spirit grows in us. We become poisoned people and lose the joy and peace God intends for us. The reference here looks back to the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 29:18, “Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood” and speaks of how bitterness and its ill-will can contaminate God’s people. Today’s verse tells us that the result is that it can cause many people to be defiled (tainted, polluted, dyed as with a dye of color). The Lord would have us be aware of any time we are tempted to become bitter and immediately deal with the issue before it takes root within us because, after that point, it becomes difficult to “root it out”. People sometimes carry bitterness for years and it destroys them and hurts others. The words of our verse, “Follow peace with all men” is a much better and blessed way to live.
_____________________________________
July 25, 2023
Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh”
Jesus was speaking prophetically in this chapter of Luke about the events that would happen before the restoration of Israel. But the words apply to us as well because our destiny with the Lord is bound up with Israel in the culmination of the mystery of the church age. No matter how you interpret the events foretold for the coming of Christ, all of us can agree that we’re quickly moving toward His appearing. What we see every day and what we’re experiencing is causing widespread discouragement, depression, and misery. There seem to be no answers, no solutions to get us to a place of safety and normalcy. But the Word of God says these are times to look up and lift up our heads. Our hope lies in the promise of the Lord that He is about to make all things new. When we continually look around us and immerse ourselves in current news, it fills us with a sense of foreboding, that everything is spinning out of control. Our governments are failing, many of our leaders are idiots, truth has been replaced by lies, war and destruction hangs like a dark cloud over the world, and we have little confidence in our economies. “Look up, and lift up your heads” are the words of Jesus. The structure of the family has disintegrated, we’re ravaged by drugs and alcohol, and perverseness is forced on us with “accept it or else”. Jesus says, “Look up, and lift up your heads”. There is peace in the shelter of His arms and there is hope in the surety of His Word. We might be seeing the end of things as we know them but the Lord promised in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”. At daybreak, sometimes I look out the front window of the house and watch the sunrise in the east. With each passing minute, it will get lighter and lighter, and soon the fullness of the sun will light up the little valley below us. We’re about to see the fulfillment of Malachi 4:2-3, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings”. The glory of the light of eternal truth is about to shine on this world of darkness.
______________________________
July 24, 2023
Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
What does it mean to, “acknowledge the Lord in all our ways”? It’s more than giving just a nod in God’s direction every now and then or attending church. Many people go for hours and even days and weeks without praying, looking to God, or considering God’s will. The thought of God seldom crosses their minds. The Bible says in Jeremiah 2:32, “My people have forgotten me days without number”. All our ways means the way we live. It’s our thoughts, actions, plans, and speech. It includes our home life, work life, recreation, business, relationships, how we raise our children, how we treat our spouses, and everything else we do and who we are. When we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, we are talking to Him about everything, asking for His leadership, inviting Him into all areas of our lives, and trusting His Word that He is listening to us and ready to help us. That’s the promise part of this verse. When we open up every part of ourselves to the Lord and put ourselves in the position of the previous verse 5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”, then the Word of God, His promise to us, is that He will direct our path. The word direct here means, “to make straight, smooth, level, pleasing, and prosperous”. That’s a much better way than hard, unpleasant, wearisome, and crooked. It reminds us of Proverbs 13:15, “The way of transgressors is hard”. God is with us and we are never alone. He is the source of all truth and wisdom and what He wants to do for us is reflected in His words to Cyrus in Isaiah 45:2, “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron”. When the Lord directs our life, His ways are perfect and His unfailing foreknowledge and purpose are at work on our behalf. He will bless us, provide for us, and will turn all the enemy intended to harm us into good. He wants to lead us and be a part of every detail of our lives. God doesn’t want to be forgotten, ignored, or left behind when we leave church. He wants us to invite Him into every day, every decision, every choice, and every area. If we do, He, the perfect and faithful One, will direct our paths.
__________________________________________
July 23, 2023
Hebrews 4:9-10, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his”
When people followed the law of Moses, they were continually doing acts of obedience to keep the law. There was never a time when they could say, “Ok, I’ve done everything the law commanded and now I’m finished”. They could never rest in their work to meet the demands of the law. The irony of the Sabbath Day, a day of rest, they were occupied with making sure they were not working. When Jesus came, He spoke to this problem when He said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. He was not speaking of physical rest but of rest from the continual efforts to be right with God. Human nature is such that we feel we must do something or refrain from doing things and keep it all up to win the salvation of our souls. Many times, we might read the Lord’s promise to give us rest but we never understand what He’s talking about and we continue in our religious ways, our rituals and routines, and our attempts at good works to please God. We enter into the rest of Christ when we trust Him as our Savior. His life and His death fully satisfy God in all things concerning sin and the judgment for sin and the Almighty God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to our account. Once and for all we are eternally set free and we enter into rest. No more working to be saved, no more efforts to please God, and no more routines and rituals to become righteous and maintain it. We are free to live, free to love, and free to enjoy what God has given us without the cloud of sin and uncertainty hanging over us. The Bible says in John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”. The pressure is off of us to save ourselves because Jesus did it for us. Any good works we now do is not to benefit ourselves but to honor him who saved us and to be a blessing to others. It is only by this that we understand the words of our Lord in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”.
July 22, 2023
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”
Pray about everything and don’t stop praying. We read it often and yet it’s easy to get discouraged in our prayers. Maybe we don’t get an answer quickly or we might have doubts that God isn’t listening. Sometimes the situation seems so big or complicated that we lose faith that it will be resolved. Whatever the reason, the truth is that fervent, faithful prayer is a battle. And yet we know the promise of Jesus in Luke 11:9-10, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. God delights to answer our prayers but He does so according to His timing and will. We’re so used in these times to getting our Amazon orders delivered quickly, getting a quick email or text answer to our questions, and having most things at our fingertips it’s tempting to get impatient when we have to yield to God’s pace of doing things. But the Lord is faithful and He will always answer our prayer and it’s our faith in who He is and what He has promised that keeps us praying. When we know He is our loving Heavenly Father and that He is listening to our prayers it encourages us to pray. When we have faith that He will answer and that the Holy Spirit is helping us in our prayers we start expecting to receive answers. And when we remember the words of our Savior in John 14:13-14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it”, those words give us power to pray faithfully without stopping. Let’s look back and remember all the prayers the Lord has already answered. Let’s remember the times we prayed when there seemed no way out of a situation and God delivered us. And let’s read the accounts in the scriptures when people just like you and me prayed and God answered them and let’s stand firm in the faith that He will not fail us or fail to honor His promises. Keep praying because the Bible says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. James 5:16.
__________________________________________
July 21, 2023
Matthew 4:16 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”
The New Testament here is quoting Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 9:2 and is calling attention to Jesus, the light of the world. But the first darkness Jesus encountered, was the darkness of the Jews, people who were religious. They were the people of the covenant and people who God had called out from Abraham to be a witness for Him for the whole world. They were living in the darkness of religion that talked about God, pointed to God, was filled with a myriad of things that symbolically reflected God, and supposedly held the key to how to be right with God. And yet the Bible tells us they were in darkness, in the region and shadow of death. It is just as true today. Religion never leads us to God, it leads us into a maze of confusion that substitutes rituals, icons, people masquerading as pious leaders who say they represent God, and a bevy of ceremonies and customs. People believe this religious mess and place their trust in what it presents. But it is darkness just the same as if it were some pagan, idolatrous mythology. Jesus spoke of the religious Jews in Matthew 15:8, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me”. The problem of such darkness, or any darkness for that matter, is explained in John 3:19, “and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. Many people will run for religious cover to the church, to its clergy, to the rituals and sacraments, to the theology and doctrines, and tradition, and will never yield to a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The church is a light of the world only because it reflects the Light of Jesus Christ to the world as the moon reflects the light of the sun. The saved are lights only because the Holy Spirit within them reflects the light of Christ so that when people see us, they are seeing what the salvation of Jesus can do. We are not “little gods”, we are ambassadors and representatives of God’s kingdom. Praise God for 1 John 2:8, “because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth”. Colossians 1:12-13, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”.
______________________________________________
July 20, 2023
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
This verse is given to believers and is not teaching that each time we confess our sins we are re-saved. It is about keeping an honest relationship with the Lord concerning the times we fail, fall, disobey, and go against God’s will. And it’s not an “if” we will sin because the Bible makes it clear in verses 8 and 10, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” and “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and God wants a confession from us. The word “confess” here means to agree and say the same thing as another and means we see and admit our failures just as God calls them out. For example, if we say or do something we shouldn’t, we don’t say to God, “Lord if I’ve sinned forgive me”. We say “God I have sinned please forgive me”. And we have His word that He is faithful and willing to forgive us and take away all the stains of our errors. Also, the word confess carries the verb tense that means to “keep on confessing”. God wants an ongoing, sincere relationship with His children. And while the blood of Jesus has purchased our redemption so that we are eternally forgiven from our sin, as we walk with our Lord, we keep the record straight as to our daily walk. The Bible says in Titus 2:12 that God’s grace is, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. When good parents are teaching their children right from wrong, when the child errors they want it to own up to its errors. It’s not to humiliate the child but to help it become honest and trustworthy, and to live a better life. When a child (or anyone for that matter) admits error, then there is a way forward to leave the error behind and determine not to do it again. This is God’s will for us, that we admit our mistakes, learn from them, and stop repeating them. He has a better life for us than we can create on our own and He has a better plan for us than for us to carry a heavy load of sin.
_____________________________________________
July 19, 2023
Revelation 21:21 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass”
Today’s devotion verse is a reminder that soon, we’re going home. Every Bible-believer, all who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit knows our sojourn here is coming to a close and we’re about to inherit all that God has prepared for us. Finally, after centuries of waiting, we’re about to see the promise of our Lord fulfilled: John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”. Our spiritual heartbeat is testifying to Hebrews 10:37, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”. When our Lord was ascending back into heaven, the angels said to those standing by: Acts 1:11, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”. We’re going home soon. My wife and I remind each other of that anytime we hear the news of suffering people, the violence of war, the horribleness of human trafficking, the plight of children, and we feel the overwhelming sense of despair that this world is on a course of destruction. Revelation 21 stops me in my tracks as it describes what lies ahead. It’s hard to believe the picture it tells of the heaven the Lord has prepared for us yet its words are just as true as John 3:16. God didn’t save us just for some comfort in this life, He saved us to live with Him forever as described in Revelation 21:22-23, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”. In the words of the old hymn by James Rowe: “Walking and talking with Christ, the supernal One, Won’t it be wonderful there? Praising, adoring the matchless eternal One, Won’t it be wonderful there?”.
__________________
July 18, 2023
Luke 15:4-6 “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost”
The Shepherd in this parable points us to Jesus, the Good Shepherd and it tells us of His desire and purpose as given in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”. It is not the story of a lost sheep trying to find its shepherd but of a loving and caring Shepherd going after the lost sheep. Religion puts pressure on people to measure up to some standard in order to find God. The religious crowd in Christ’s time had set up a system that was so encumbered with rules and laws that it blocked people from seeing the Almighty God and the thought that God was actively seeking sinners to save them was a flabbergasting thought. The ending of the parable is a wonderful picture of the Shepherd carrying the sheep home and then He calls together a celebration for His friends and neighbors so they could all rejoice that a sheep had been saved. When Jesus spoke these words, He went on to say in verse 7, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance”. For us, it’s about being rescued and coming home where we’re safe and finding that the Lord, His angels, and everyone else in His family are very happy we were lost but now we’re found. We can rejoice in so many insignificant things like our favorite team scoring a run or a touchdown but I wonder if we can find such joy when we hear of someone who was eternally lost being rescued by the grace of God? The parable here is not at all about percentages of lost versus saved or about who was taking care of the 99 while the shepherd was seeking the lost one, but about the Lord being, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
________________________________________
July 17, 2023
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”
The Apostle Paul was a well-educated man and was both a Jew and a Roman citizen. He had a heritage as a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin and was raised as a Pharisee. Because of his upbringing and talents, he could have been positioned to be a prominent leader of the Jews in his day. But when he was converted, he turned his back on all the things that could have made him successful in the eyes of the world and tells us in Philippians 3:7, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ”. Sometimes the only way to move forward for the Lord is to abandon our past and reach for the new life in Christ. This is the meaning of the mysterious words of Jesus in Mark 8:35, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it”. On the surface, it doesn’t make sense that we have to lose our lives to save them but it’s talking about forgetting lives lived with worldly possibilities and trusting the Lord to fulfill His purpose in us when we follow Him. Paul could have lived a life well rewarded by the world’s standards and been a leader of great position in his community. Instead, he followed a path of sacrifice and suffering for the glory of God and was martyred for his faith. The world might look at his story and consider him a man that failed to maximize his potential. We know he was highly favored by the Lord and in eternity, has gained a great reward. When we forget the things which are behind us, we are forgetting both our failures and all that the world considers successes. Then we are reaching forward as a runner might lean forward towards the finish line to accept what God has purposed for us. We remember the words of our Lord when speaking to the covetous Pharisees in Luke 16:15, “For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God”. The accolades of this world cannot compare to the words of our Lord when we get home and He says, “Well done”.
_________________________________
July 16, 2023
Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein”
When Jeremiah preached this message, Israel was in a backslidden condition and facing destruction because of their sins. Yet the Lord was pleading with them to stop and consider the direction they were headed, return to the ways that honor God, and they could again live lives of blessing and peace. But the people’s response was, “We will not walk therein”. The old paths are called “The good way” but it seems that when it comes to the things of God, we are always bent and determined to abandon what we think is outdated, old-fashioned, and boring and invent new things that suit our fancy. Jerimiah phrased it metaphorically as such in 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water”. The fountain of living waters is the Word of God, breathed by the Holy Spirit as Jesus taught us in John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”. It’s not saying that we should not use technology or modern methods to evangelize and teach the gospel but that the message should remain unchanged. The cross, the blood of Jesus, the grace of God, the forgiveness of sins, the gift of eternal salvation, and the way of faith should never be abandoned and replaced. The Lord laid the foundations for our faith in His Holy Word and any departure from those eternal truths is a result of our insolence in thinking we can follow new ways and still be following the ways of Christ. In our world, emotionalism sometimes replaces faith. Human efforts replace grace. Self-determination replaces submission to God’s will. The teaching of “many paths to God” replaces Jesus, the only door to heaven. And self-centered prosperity replaces sacrifice and benevolence. Revival helps us return to the ways of God and we pray the Lord will send us such a revival to awaken our hearts to God’s Word and restore us to the old paths of truth.
_______________________________
July 15, 2023
Romans 4:18-21 “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”
These verses are some of the greatest in the Bible concerning faith. Abraham and Sara were well past childbearing years and for this reason, according to the nature of things, all hope of them having a baby was long gone. Abraham could have said, “Well, it looks like God must have meant something else or perhaps He was speaking to me symbolically so we may as well quit trying to have a child. We’re just too old”. But the words here, “Who against hope believed in hope”, means that when all hope according to what we understand naturally was gone, Abraham reached higher than reason and logic, past human understanding, and beyond despair at the circumstances and held to the promise of God’s Word. When there was no hope left, Abraham still hoped and believed. When we are believing God for something, there may be a period when it looks like it can happen because the conditions are right and we can see a way it might work out. But if it happens that way, we can always think it might have not been a miracle but just a coincidence that worked out to our benefit. God sometimes waits as He did with Abraham and Sara until all hope is gone and then He steps in to show His power and glory and does the impossible. Isaac was not born of immaculate conception but from Abraham and Sara continuing to believe God’s promise long after they were able to have a child naturally. And likewise, the Lord would have us keep living and trying to do our best while we are waiting for Him to fulfill His promises to us. It’s easy to give up when it seems all hope is gone and it’s easy to explain away why God doesn’t answer the way or in the timeframe, we expect Him to. But the Bible gives us this passage in Romans 4 to help us understand how He works and to give us the faith to believe Him when our minds and the enemy is yelling at us to just give up. What God has promised, He can do even when it’s humanly impossible and He will do it because He cannot lie.
______________________________________
July 14, 2023
Matthew 20:27-28 “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”
We measure greatness by wealth, popularity, status, and achievements. But God measures greatness by our service to others. The Bible, in Philippians 2:7, declares that Jesus, the Almighty God incarnate, “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”. It’s hard to understand the God that created all things becoming a servant to the people He created. And yet today’s verses tell us: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister”. For us, God’s path for greatness is given in 1 Peter 5:5-6, “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time”. We don’t view servants as great and we tend to shrink away from anything that makes us appear as servants as if such things are beneath us. But becoming like Jesus means we follow the way of Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. And we know the mind of Christ is the mind of service, to minister freely, willingly, and selflessly. Pride is the enemy of humility and as long as we hold ourselves in a place where we refuse to stoop as Jesus did when He washed His disciple’s feet, we can never become great and fulfill God’s purpose for us. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. And as we receive more grace and become humbler, we become more like our Savior and God will exalt us. Not to a position of arrogance and pride but of greater service and greater value to God’s kingdom. It doesn’t take a lot to get started on this journey, for the Bible says in Mark 9:41, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward”. The Lord is calling us to see the needs of others and to use what He has given us to be a blessing to them. In God’s kingdom, the greatest are the ones who serve.
________________________________________
July 13, 2023
Acts 16:29-31 “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”
Paul and Silas were preaching in the city of Philippi and they were accused of being troublemakers, arrested, chained, and put in jail. But God shook the prison with a great earthquake and their chains fell off. Instead of making a break for it, Paul and Silas remained in the jailhouse and today’s verses tell that the jailer went to them and asked the most important question that anyone can ask: “What must I do to be saved?”. People always want to “do” something to be saved and religion and the world give them a lot of false answers. Some say there are steps to take, acts to perform, tithes and offerings to be paid, a trust placed in clergy to represent us before God, sacraments to be administered, good works to perform, and the list goes on. But the answer given to the Philippian jailer was simple and to the point: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”. It’s wonderful that even though the jailer didn’t ask for his household, the answer included them in the promise. Now if the same question about being saved were asked today at some churches and to those who claim they represent the Lord, you can be sure there would be a lot of rubbish given in response. But the Bible’s answer given to the jailer is still God’s answer today just as it was 2,000 years ago. If it seems we belabor this point it is because the salvation of our eternal souls is the most important thing we have to consider as the Bible says in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”. We do not believe on the church or its clergy for salvation. We do not believe in our efforts or good works to save us. We do not believe in religious rituals and routines for salvation. We place our faith only in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. And God, who knows all hearts, saves us according to Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” and Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.
____________________________________________
July 12, 2023
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments”
When Jesus spoke these words, He was not giving us the plan of salvation but telling us that our love for Him is made evident by our obedience to His words. And He is not talking about the ten commandments which we commonly call the Law of Moses, but He’s talking about what is referred to in Galatians 6:2 as, “the law of Christ”. Jesus gave us that law, or commandment in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” and the Bible says in Romans 13:10, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”. Our Lord gave a practical demonstration of the depth of His love in John 13 when He washed His disciple’s feet. That action where He humbled Himself to the place of the lowest servant in a household, the one whose job it was to wash feet, was an example of how much God loves us and how we should imitate Christ. He said in John 13:14-15, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you”. It’s not about the washing of feet but about our willingness to serve others. It points to the teaching of 1 John 3:17, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” When we keep His commandments, we are putting the law of love into practice. It’s easy to “I love you” to the Lord or other people but those are empty words without action as the Bible says in 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth”. The proof of our salvation is summed up in 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death”.
____________________________________
July 11, 2023
Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”
Before the flood, the scriptures describe the condition of the world in Genesis 6:11, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence”. In our present world, we see the same conditions as our Lord said in Luke 17:26, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man”. Here in America and all around the world murder, domestic violence, violence against children, gang violence, and the horrible violence of war dominate the headlines. People are being abducted in broad daylight and human trafficking is a grim reality that we are living in the last days. Children are not free to even play in their own front yards and we fear for their safety in our schools. Just as God sent a great flood to put an end to the wickedness and violence of humans in the antediluvian world, He will bring an end to it in our time. Today’s verse tells us that there will come an age when “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” will fill the earth. Another prophet, Isaiah, also said the same thing in Isaiah 11:9, ”for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”. That chapter in Isaiah tells of a time when even the animal kingdom will live in harmony and will not kill each other as the Bible says in Isaiah 11:6-7, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox”. There have been many attempts through the ages to create utopias where there is peace and every attempt has failed. The innate sin of humans will not allow it. But the Lord will establish a theocracy where the knowledge of God and the joy of His presence will reign supreme. Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one”.
___________________
July 10, 2023
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe”
Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Not that it contains some words of God but that it is, in its entirety, the Word of God? How you answer that question might well be one of the most important things in your life. Those who say, “Yes, I believe it is the Word of God” believe it can be trusted and that when they read or hear its words, they are listening to something that the Almighty God gave by Divine inspiration to human writers to express His truth to humanity. We receive it as this verse says, “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God”. We trust the Bible as God’s promise to us that our past, present, and future are securely in God’s hands. The Bible, inseparable from the One who gave it, is our anchor, our place of safety, our blessed assurance, and our eternal hope because we know heaven and earth may pass away but God’s Word remains forever. The Word of God is a living entity and it is working in us to bless us and to change us to be like Christ as today’s verse says, “the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe”. Those who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God have no idea what we’re talking about when we say such things and they are clueless to the power of God’s Word because in their unbelief they will not take the step of faith. And so many of them scoff and declare the Bible is “just another religious book”. Have pity on them because they have never enjoyed the peace and pleasure that God’s Word brings. They have never experienced the power of God’s Word surging through them and becoming their strength. They have only themselves to rely on and they grasp for whatever they can find in this life to give them purpose and meaning. They push aside the bread and water of eternal life and disregard Jesus Christ as if they do not want Him or need Him and in His place they fill their lives with all the things and ideas that offer no real, lasting hope, no promise for the future, and no comfort for life’s sorrow. The answer? The Bible.
____________________________________
July 9, 2023
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”
Sometimes when the pressure of life is bearing down on us, we need to stop, close our eyes, and think about this verse. All that is waiting for us in heaven cannot be compared to anything we’ve seen or experienced down here. But The Holy Spirit will help us get a view of eternity that brings peace and comfort as the scripture says in the next verse, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God”. And it’s not “if” we get there, it’s “when” we get there because our home in heaven is surer than our home on this earth. All that’s here is temporary, subject to destruction, and at its best, will pass away. But what awaits us, beyond this realm of the here and now, is promised in 2 Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”. It was so real to the Apostle Paul that he said in Philippians 1:23, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better”. There is beauty and joy here because God’s creation is a marvelous thing and He gave us the ability to love, be creative, and enjoy blessings while we live here. Our thoughts of our eternal home are not because we’re living deprived. Our homes, good food to eat, and the daily blessings and benefits He gives are ours because the Lord loves us and will always provide for us. But today’s devotion is just an encouragement that when the news tells us about the meanness and ugliness of this life, let’s lift our heads and look toward heaven where all is wonderful and beautiful. When we hear about or experience for ourselves the incredible suffering that sometimes accompanies this life, let’s look ahead to a land where suffering will never happen. When we are in trials that make us feel we can hardly endure them, let’s remind ourselves that the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. As we say many times because it’s true every time, “The best is yet to come”.
___________________________________________
July 8, 2023
Matthew 6:34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”
The phrasing of “Take therefore no thought”, doesn’t mean we should not make any plans or prepare ourselves. That would contradict the principle of Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest”. But the words have the meaning of, “Do not worry or have anxiety about what might happen tomorrow”. We prayerfully make our plans and then follow the teaching of James 4:15, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that”. So much time and energy is wasted and so much stress and worry comes when we miss the opportunity of enjoying what the Lord has provided for us today by allowing ourselves to be consumed with thinking and worrying about the future. When we follow the ways of God, our present and our future are bound up in the promise of Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. The Lord is faithful and He already knows every detail of our lives. Every need we have or will have, every desire of our hearts, and every circumstance we face. And not only does He know all, but He also Has a path forward for us that is fool-proof and one that will bless us and bring Him glory. We are blessed today and the Lord is taking care of us. When tomorrow comes, our God who cannot change has already looked ahead and tomorrow is completely safe in His hands. It sort of reminds us of the song we sang as a child, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”. Remember the words, “He’s got you and me brother, in his hands, He’s got you and me sister, in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands”? We believed it when we were little children and He’s calling us to believe it again. In Matthew 18:4, Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven”.
___________________________
July 7, 2023
Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”
It doesn’t seem so long ago that whenever I thought of anyone 67 years old, I thought of them as “old”. And today, my birthday, I’m 67. It’s funny how when you hit 67, it doesn’t seem that “old” anymore. Whatever I have become through the years, in it all, my life verse has to be 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am”. My wife put today’s verse in large letters on our bedroom wall and when we open our eyes every day, it’s what we see before we even get out of bed. Before coffee, before our high protein smoothies, and before we take the dog out for her morning routine, we begin the day knowing the Lord has given us another day to be blessed. And nothing can stop us from rejoicing and being glad because nothing can separate us from God’s love. It was true the day I was born and it’s true today on my birthday. It’s because every day and in every circumstance God and His grace never change. When I look in the mirror, I see a different fellow than I used to be but when I look to the Lord, I’m looking at the same One who is the same as He was the day He made Adam and Eve. And when I see Him face to face in glory, He will still be the same. The Bible says in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not” and in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”. It’s a blessing to me to know that today I’m just remembering how long I’ve been on this earth but as far as my future is concerned, I’m an immortal, eternal child of God. I was born but I’ll never die because Jesus said in John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”. This day that the Lord has made is a day of joy. A day of life and blessing. A day of looking back with thankfulness for the grace of God and of looking forward with hope to our Lord’s return. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
__________________________________
July 6, 2023
John 4:6 “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour”
In this story, Jesus and His disciples were in Samaria, a territory and people that were despised by the Jews. It’s profound to think that in those days when the Samaritans were so detested by Jews that any Jew whose journey took him near Samaria would walk miles out of the way rather than set foot on Samaritan soil. And yet early that day when the Lord and His men woke up and started out walking, the Bible says in verse 4, “And he (Jesus) must needs go through Samaria”. The Samaritans, although half Jewish but rejected by those who considered themselves “fully Jewish”, needed to hear the gospel. And the Lord purposefully, by the will of the Father, walked a great distance to enter their country and open the door of salvation to them by beginning with a woman that both the Jews and the Samaritans considered a moral failure and outcast. The Bible says in the verse here that Jesus was “wearied with his journey”. God in the flesh was tired. Maybe as my mother would have said, “He was plumb wore out”. This is a point recorded here to show us that though Jesus was God, He was not super-human and He shared our weaknesses, identifying with us in our humanness. In the whole story of His visit to the Samaritans, the Lord identified with people who were weary in sin, thirsty from their suffering souls, outcasts and alienated from God, and desperately needing salvation. Because of the Lord’s compassion for all people and His willingness to meet people where they were, the Jewish leaders called him, “a friend of publicans and sinners”. Maybe the woman at the well didn’t have any friends because of her past but she found a friend in Jesus at Jacob’s well. He knows we are weary, tired from the cares of this life. He knows our souls are thirsty and we need the Lord. He knows our past and our condition is one of sin and shame. But He understands us where we are and meets us in mercy and love. He reaches low into our sinfulness and by His grace, He lifts us higher than the heavens. When we’re weary in our journey, we have His promise that He will give us rest.
_____________________________________
July 5, 2023
Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world”
What is your glory? The word means something we brag about, something that sets us apart and makes us special. It can be anything: good looks, wealth, intelligence (real or imagined), education, careers, heritage, possessions, children, grandchildren, and the list goes on endlessly. A young man on our street glories in his car, an impressive black Mustang. It’s always shined to perfection and is enormously powerful. When he pulls out at the stop sign, the rumble and roar of the engine rattles the house windows. I lay no judgment on him because he’s just doing what he loves and no doubt gets great pleasure from it. The point in our verse is that there are many things we can hold up as something that could impress others or if we aren’t looking to impress, something we can use to show we are in some way, special or unique. But for believers, it all comes down to the truth that were it not for the cross of Jesus, and what took place there where we were reconciled to God and made heirs of God, nothing we are, nothing we do, or nothing we have means anything because all that stuff will pass away. The most beautiful men and women in the world all soon become feeble, doddering old people that can’t remember anything. And hang on, we’re all getting there. All the possessions wear out, get outdated, and become fodder for the trash pile. Careers are ended and we’re replaced by someone in the workforce and after a few months, no one even remembers our name. Have you ever walked through a cemetery and realized it’s filled with the bodies of people that no one living knows who they were and what they did? Do you ever think that they represent billions upon billions that have walked on this earth, thought they were glorious or special in some way, and now no one But God even knows they existed? When we find our glory in the cross, it is an eternal glory of which the Bible says in 1 Peter 1:4, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”. It’s good to do our best, to look our best, and to excel at whatever we can. It’s good to enjoy our blessings, cherish our families, and take care of what the Lord has given us. But above all, may God help us glory in the cross because when it’s all said and done, that’s all that will matter.
_______________________________________
July 4, 2023
John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”
For most of my childhood our family lived in a little house on Myrtle Street in Kingsport, Tennessee. My parents hardly ever went to the 4th of July parade that marched down Center Street a few blocks from our house. But it was the 1960’s and kids were free back then to ride their bicycles all over the neighborhood and I rode mine every year to the parade. I always picked out a perfect spot to watch the floats, marching bands, clowns, and military units. My teachers had instilled in us a reverence for the flag and our nation and even though I didn’t grasp what freedom meant, I can remember the chills that ran through me when the flag came by with the soldiers marching in unison, looking impeccable and precise in their movements. Sometimes Airforce jets thundered overhead, shaking the ground and even as a child I knew something special was being represented. I have no idea all that’s happened to us since then, how we’ve come to a place where our freedom seems to mean so little to many people. How so many take for granted our precious freedoms that began as ideas that the world had never dreamed possible for thousands of years and then became a reality when this nation was created. How soon we have forgotten the blood that was spilled, unthinkable work and hardship that was endured, and unimaginable sacrifices made so that we can be free. The very concept of freedom is from the Almighty God and He is the one that gives true freedom. The freedom of the world always comes with conditions but today’s verse tells us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” and the Son here is capitalized, referring to the Son of God. The Lord gave us this nation and His hand of power is what has kept us strong and blessed. For all those who say that our worship of God and our views of our nation should be kept separated, I say, “hogwash”. Without God, there would have been no America established and without God it will not continue to exist blessed and free. So, when we cross out hands over our hearts or salute today as the flag passes by, I don’t know what other people are thinking but I’m doing it for God AND our country.
_______________________________
July 3, 2023
1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”
Anyone who has dealt with alcoholism or drug addiction in themselves or someone they love knows firsthand what happens when we follow the destructive ways of the world. “Fleshly lusts” here refers to all the baser sins that tempt us to live in ways that are both a dishonor to the Lord who loves us and which also would destroy us in the end. Believers are always at war within themselves, fighting daily against the Adamic nature and refusing the things that the enemy would use to trap us and hold us captive. The scripture says in Romans 8:13-14, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”. To mortify the deeds of the body means to put to death, to kill the actions, decisions, and patterns of our sinful nature by willful choices. In our war against the flesh with its carnal temptation the Bible says in Galatians 5:24-25, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. When, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we refuse to give in to those things that tempt us away from God’s will, we are starving our flesh and putting it to death. Self-control, called “temperance” in the AV, is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is the thought of 1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” meaning I correct my sinful desires and bring them under control. In this war against fleshly desires, our Lord has already equipped us for victory. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. God has a better life for us. A life free from addictions and immoral behaviors. He wants us to live in peace, kindness, and love and be filled with the Holy Spirit. His ways are ways of joy, hope, and faith and we live knowing that while we are blessed down here, the best is yet to come!
_________________________________
July 2, 2023
Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God”
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are filled with warnings and the certainty of judgment against sin. Whether we like it or not, believe it or not, or preach it or not nothing can change the truth that God will judge sin. We protect our little children from dangerous household items and other things that will harm them. We stay away from brown recluse spiders and rattlesnakes and yet we get offended when the Lord warns us that sin will deteriorate us and then destroy us. But alongside all the words of warning, the Lord gives us great hope and tells us to use our words to talk about the comfort and safety there is in the Lord. Teach about the danger of sin but don’t let that be the primary message. People need the comfort of knowing the Lord and the comfort they can have when they are safe and secure in the salvation of the cross. They see hopelessness every day. They hear the bad news of the world around them. They struggle and deal with family problems and the general issues of life. Many people are suffering from sickness, diseases, and some are battling depression and anxiety. All people need the hope that comes from Jesus Christ and all need the comfort of knowing God loves them. Our part is to offer them words of encouragement, worlds of help and healing. It’s easy to get swept up in our own situations and absorbed in our personal routines of life until we can’t hear the cry of those that are hurting. It’s easy for us to become at ease in our blessings and with the things we possess until we lose sight of those around us who are drowning in sorrow and pain. James 2:16 reminds us it’s easy to look at people in need and say a few religious words like, “Be ye warmed and filled” and then walk away without really comforting them. Revival takes us back to the words, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God” and stirs our hearts to be peacemakers, to speak comforting words of God’s truth, and to lift up the name of the Lord. The Bible says in Isaiah 58:12, “And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in”.
___________________________________
July 1, 2023
John 1:16-17 “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”
We have received the fullness of Jesus Christ and never-ending grace. That is the meaning of the phrase, “grace for grace”. Grace on top of grace on top of grace, a continual and inexhaustible supply. This is a humbling thought: God loves us so much that He has purposed to overcome our human condition by completely and eternally forgiving our sins. And then, He opens heaven’s supply of mercy and favor and continually pours it down on us. We are not barely getting by, barely sufficient, and struggling to maintain. But we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ, and we will never run out of God’s amazing grace. Most religions of the world are all about people following lists of rules, keeping traditions, and measuring up to their religion’s demands. But Christianity is all about freedom, forgiveness, blessings, and hope. Imagine that the America you live in was controlled by strict religious rules like Iran or other such countries. Imagine that we did not have an upcoming Fourth of July celebrating our heritage of religious and personal freedoms. Imagine that every day you would wake up to another day of demanded obedience to moral laws and codes and if you broke them, you would be punished or even put to death. What a nightmare life millions of people are forced to live every day. But Jesus Christ brought the grace of God down from heaven and then ascended back to the Father to eternally bless us and set us free. As the Bible says in Ephesians 4:7-8, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men”. The law was impersonal, demanding, and never gave us liberty but grace and truth came to us by Jesus Christ. We have been purchased and set free by the blood of Jesus and we, who were once captives and slaves of sin, have been delivered. Oh, what a Savior! Oh, what a Savior! John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”.
_________________________________