October 31, 2024
Psalms 23:5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies”
In a few days, the 2024 election will be over and someone will be the President. And, except for casting our single vote, you and I have no control over the outcome. We can argue, get angry, get discouraged, and give in to gloom and doom but none of that will change what lies ahead: It’s all in the hands of God who allows leaders to rise and fall at His will. I don’t know about you, but I know that the day after the election, God willing and I’m still on this earth, I’ll be doing the same things I’m doing today. I’ll be trusting in the God who made heavens and the earth of Whom the Bible says in Isaiah 40:17, “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” Why? The nations of the world always fall to pride, self-exaltation, and corruption which they flaunt in the face of the Almighty. Even His chosen people, Israel, turned away from Him and crucified His Son. And even though He blesses some like America, they will all pass away and the Lord will reign in truth and Sovereignty. Until then, His hand of favor is upon those who trust in Him regardless of which nation they live in. Today’s verse tells us that even when we are surrounded by enemies, God spreads a table of blessings before us. And it doesn’t mean we’re going to sit down at a table with a Happy Meal, but the word “table” means a full banquet, a spread-out table like you would see set before a king. I know we all see many things about our nation we’d like to see change for the better. And, those of us who follow Jesus Christ, know that the only way to make America great is for us to return to the God of the Bible and follow His Word. We can hope for economic increase, safety from crime, and a better, peaceful place to live but for a nation that says, “In God We Trust”, none of those things will happen unless we humble ourselves before God and the Almighty God of Heaven places His hand of blessing on us. But as believers, no matter if it’s Trump or Harris God will still be on the throne, Jesus is still coming again, and believers will be blessed no matter who is sleeping in the white house.
________________________________________
October 30, 2024
Psalms 130:5 “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope”
When we receive the Word of God on a matter and the Holy Spirit enlightens us and bolsters our faith, we expect that God will keep His promise. After we have prayed and asked, then we have to wait until God in His timing brings it to pass. Several times in the Psalms we are encouraged to wait upon the Lord as in Psalms 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” We have faith to believe God will do it but it’s hard to wait until He does. It could be anything that concerns us and no matter how strong our faith is, the waiting part can wear us down. Maybe you’ve prayed for a family member to be saved and you’ve believed for their salvation because God’s Word says He doesn’t want anyone to perish. You’ve witnessed to them but they didn’t want to hear you. Perhaps you’re in a situation at your job and you are troubled and grieved but you know God is working all things for your good. But no matter how hard you’ve tried to fix things, it’s still a mess. Or maybe you’re struggling in your health and you know Jesus is the healer but no matter how many doctors you’ve visited, you can’t get better. We all get to a place where we believe what God said but all we can do is wait for Him to move. Today’s verse gives us the picture that while we are waiting, we hold tight to God’s Word because His Word will never fail. That’s the importance of knowing what God’s Word says and then keeping that promise in front of you. Some people write the verses down and tape them in places where they can read them throughout the day. I sometimes put them on note cards to carry in my pocket or as memos on my phone and I read them over and over to let the Word sink deep into my heart. God will do what He promised and when we wait while holding tightly to His Words, our faith is being exercised. We battle fear and doubt when the answer doesn’t come the way or as quickly as we had hoped. We battle unbelief when it seems God will not keep His promise. But we remember the Lord told us to patiently wait and He will bring it to pass.
__________________________________________________
October 29, 2024
Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”
When the Israelites, having been delivered from Egypt, first arrived at the border of their promised land, they had a choice as to whether they would have faith in God and continue or turn away from their destination in unbelief. They sent 12 spies ahead into the land to check out the situation and of the 12, only two, Joshua and Caleb came back with a message of faith and hope. The other 10 told the people it was a hopeless situation and that there was no way they could possess what God had promised. They said the opposing armies of the land were too great. God had promised His people the land and they had heard the truth from the day Moses first came to them with God’s message. And, standing at the border of the land, they heard Joshua and Caleb declare and affirm the same truth called in today’s verse, the gospel (good news). But they refused to believe what God had already promised them and they did not join with Joshua and Caleb’s faith but turned their backs on God. That generation did not enter their land because of unbelief. As with the Israelites, hearing the Word of God is not enough: Hearing must be mixed with faith. Faith is not just saying, “I believe”, it’s acting on what we hear. The Bible says in James 1:25, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” When the Israelites reached the border of Canaan, they should have believed the land was theirs because God had promised them. Then they should have entered the land saying, “Lord, we praise You and thank You because You have given us this land and You will ensure no enemy can stand against us.” When we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit makes it alive within us, we move forward and obey what the Word says. Our faith anticipates a victorious outcome because we believe what God said and act on it. Our natural unbelief must be overcome by stepping away from fear and doubt and declaring what God says is true and that He will be forever faithful to perform what He promised. The hearing of the Word and our faith are inseparably mixed and we are joined with all those who hear God’s Word, believe it, and act on its promises.
_________________________________________________
October 28, 2024
Ephesians 5:18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”
Every believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit but not every believer lives with the fullness of the Holy Spirit manifested in their lives. In this verse, the carnal contrast of being filled with the Spirit is drunkenness and we know God says that drunkenness is a sin. A person under the drunken influence of strong drink is overcome by the alcohol and their body, mind, and senses are under the alcohol’s control. A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit acts, talks, makes choices, and views the world around them from the Spirit’s power and perspective. When the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and the believers were filled with the Spirit, people who saw them were convinced they were drunk because they were acting and speaking out of the ordinary. They were free and uninhibited as they praised God, preached the gospel, worshipped, and fellowshipped. But the filling of the Holy Spirit is not something that happens to a believer once, but the words in today’s verse in the Greek, mean “Be constantly, continually filled with the Spirit.” If you read the daily prayers we post on the website and social media, you know that part of every daily prayer is a request for God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. And, as we pray that prayer, we believe by faith we are receiving what we ask. By faith, we then walk in the Spirit. Because, we know it is God’s will, that He wants us to be filled with the Spirit, we have the confidence that He will never turn us away. If we are ready and eager to receive, He is ready to give. The Bible says in Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” The verb phrase here, “Be filled”, is an imperative command, not a suggestion. The effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit are given in verses 19-21: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Dead religion does not satisfy. Church affiliation does not satisfy. Knowing about God and believing the message about Jesus does not satisfy. But when we are filled with the Spirit, receiving that desire daily from the Lord, it is the well of living water that satisfies us.
_____________________________________________
October 27, 2024
Haggai 1:5-7 “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways”
When the Jews returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile, they began to rebuild the temple. But after two years of work, they got discouraged and quit. Fourteen years later, the prophet Haggai preached encouragement to them to resume the work and finish rebuilding God’s house. He tells them to, “Consider their ways”, and points out that their lives were not going very well and that they were not being blessed. Their crops were not producing enough, they were hungry and thirsty, they didn’t have enough clothes to stay warm, and no matter how much money they earned, it wasn’t enough. And again, the prophet tells them to, “Consider your ways”. Maybe that’s a message we need to hear in America where it looks as if the hand of God’s blessings is slowly being pulled back from us. We have forgotten that it is God that made us a great nation and it is God that has given us the blessings and prosperity we enjoyed. Some argue against that but the scriptures declare in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach (disgrace) to any people.” Haggai delivered God’s words to the people in Haggai 2:17, “I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.” When the Jews heard the message, they returned to the work of rebuilding the temple and God blessed them. The Lord said in 2:19, “From this day will I bless you.“ We pray that America hears the message to consider our ways and that we turn away from the things that are against God and return to believing and following God’s Word. We pray that people will believe 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 alone is the source of our greatness and our blessings. In the words of the Doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen”
_____________________________________________
October 26, 2024
John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”
It’s startling to fully receive these words of our Lord concerning the material world and our involvement in it: “The flesh profiteth nothing.” Jesus isn’t saying we shouldn’t take care of our bodies and the things He has provided for us. But He is comparing all which that entails to the value of our spiritual lives. It echoes the thought of Mark 8:36-37, ”For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” We spend enormous time, energy, and resources pouring into the things of this life that will all pass away. But what we invest in the things of God has rewards beyond comprehension because those rewards are eternal. Jesus revealed one of the keys to this when He said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Compare this to the truth of Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” and we have the means by which we can be sure we are attuned to the spiritual and not the natural. When we fill ourselves with God’s Word, when we take it in like bread and water, we are filling ourselves with that which produces faith. We listen to the Word preached, we study the Word, and we pattern our lives by it and the Word is spirit to us. The faith produced by the Word gives us the power to act, to live, and to conduct ourselves like Jesus Christ. Our lives become a wellspring of spiritual goodness and we bring glory to God while we lay up treasure in heaven. We love people, we forgive those who wrong us, we minister to those in need, we give of our time and resources to the things of God, we invest in missions and outreach to a lost world, and we have the power to overcome whatever comes against us. A life lived walking in the Spirit is a life anchored in God’s Word. We drink from the well Jesus said will satisfy us so completely we never need to look elsewhere. Let’s pick up our Bibles daily, get apps like e-Sword that help us dive deeper into the Word, attend a Bible-based church, and commit to walking in the Spirit.
______________________________________
October 25, 2024
Exodus 12:13, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt”
When God delivered the people of Israel from Egyptian slavery, He sent the last plague, the plague of death. But before He did, He told the Israelites to smear some blood from a sacrificial lamb on the door jambs and the lintel over the door. God gave them the promise in today’s verse that when He saw the blood, He would pass over that house and everyone inside would be safe from the plague of death. The difference that night between death and life was the blood. When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His blood and His blood is now what saves us from eternal death. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”. Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” And then in Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” When the Lord spared the Israelites in Egypt, it was their faith, acting on what God promised, that caused them to put the blood on their doorways and the blood saved them. When we hear what God said about Jesus and we put our trust in Him, God allows the blood of Christ to wash away our sins. The scripture says, speaking of Jesus, in Romans 3:25-26, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Notice the phrase, “Through faith in his blood”. The good works of Jesus do not wash away our sins and neither do our good works save us. Praise God for the truth of Hebrews 10:19, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
__________________________________________
October 24, 2024
2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall”
The most important thing all of us should be sure of is that we’re saved. It would be a horror beyond imagination to live this life assuming that all is well between us and God and then find out after death we had been deceived. But it is a great concern because many people assume they will go to heaven because they believe it’s an automatic thing. Yet Jesus said in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is why today’s verse tells us to consider our lives carefully and make sure we have been converted. When the scripture says “If you do these things”, it is referring to verses 5-7 which tell us that we start with faith, that is faith in Jesus Christ. And, then our lives will show goodness, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, Christian affection, and love. It doesn’t mean we live out these things perfectly, but they should be a great part of the life we live. Otherwise, there is no proof of the Holy Spirit working in us. We can be assured of salvation by the way we answer these questions: Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died in your place on the cross, was buried, and arose from the dead three days later? Have you admitted that you are a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive your sins? Have You asked Jesus to come into your heart and save you? And then, have you confessed aloud that you have received Jesus as your Savior? If so, you have followed the words of the Holy Bible when it says 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.” Salvation is not us giving a nod toward God and thinking that believing in God is all it takes to have eternal life. Salvation is committing ourselves to Jesus as our Savior and believing that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Salvation is not submitting to water baptism believing that baptism saves us. Salvation is trusting in Jesus alone and believing that God honors our faith in Jesus and that saves us. Water baptism is a step of faith to follow Christ after we are saved. It’s a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus which identifies us with Him. If you are not certain you’re saved, turn your attention to God and pray a simple prayer like this: “Jesus, I believe You died on the cross, was buried, and arose from the dead. I confess I am a sinner and I ask You to forgive my sins. Come into my heart. I give You my life and I confess you as my Lord and Savior.”
____________________________________
October 23, 2024
Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength”
News stories around the world keep saying, “Is World War 3 about to erupt?”. Russia, China, and North Korea are in alignment. The Middle East is aflame in combat and there seems to be no end in sight. The nations of the world are turning their backs on Israel, the only truly democratic nation in that area, and pandering to terrorists. Mexico and the Latin American countries are overrun with gangs and drugs. And it seems that America is being weighed in the balances like the Babylonians in Daniel 5. People all over the world are filled with fear and anxiety. But God’s promises to His people do not change with the times and His Word is eternally established in heaven. In today’s verses, He promises us perfect peace when our minds are fastened on Him and when we trust in Him. God is greater than the armies of the world, He is more powerful than any weapon known to man, and He is safer than any bomb shelter when we fasten our eyes on Him, fill ourselves with His unfailing Word, and anchor our faith in who He is and what He has promised. These may well be the last days before the coming of our Lord and all we are seeing may be signals that a big shift is coming. But praise God the future is in His hands and His people have nothing but blessings promised to them. We can go back to the promises of Psalms 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace and in these troubling times, He is our Rock of Ages. Let’s push aside the doubt and fear, call on His name, and sing His praises. Let’s declare that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
__________________________________________
October 22, 2024
Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”
Even though we have no power to change our past, many people allow their past mistakes and failures to rob them of their joy of today and their hope for their future. And, some will never forget the pasts of other people and they keep the memories of their failings alive as if they are punishing them over and over. But the new birth is a restart and the Lord washes away our sins so completely He will never remember them again. He then pronounces us “justified” as if we had never sinned. So, if God clears our slate of past sins and errors why do we keep holding on to them, allowing them to keep us from enjoying the complete freedom and victory we get from Jesus? Just as we trusted Christ to save us, we must trust what He says about how completely He forgave us. A cornerstone verse for believers is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When our Lord was calling people to follow Him, He gave us the words in today’s verse that tell us we can not move forward if all we do is keep looking back to the past and give ourselves to regret and concerns over what we can’t change. Also, because we have been completely forgiven, we must forgive others and allow the mercy we receive from God to be the standard by which we deal with all people. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Like a farmer who holds the plow and looks ahead at a point in the distance, guiding the plow straight towards that mark, we look ahead to a life where we walk forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit. Every step we take, we rejoice to know we are covered with God’s favor. Our sins are gone forever and we live in the light of Philippians 3:13-14, “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.”
________________________________
October 21, 2024
Revelation 18:11-14 “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more”
No matter if you are a believer in Jesus Christ or not, if you are watching all that’s happening around you, you know that the economic state of things can not continue as they are. Since the pandemic hit four years ago, most Americans can not afford to buy a home and if they do, they will never get their loan paid off in their lifetime. Not only has the cost of home ownership risen out of reach for many, but millions can not afford the cost of renting as the prices in that market too have soared beyond many people’s means. And most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and one small downturn in their circumstances like an illness or job loss would leave them homeless, at the mercy of their family or friends, or out on the streets. And, we need not mention the costs of food and other essentials that have many scrambling, wondering how they’re going to feed their families. Today’s verse tells us that there is a day coming when the Lord declares all this system of economics, merchandising, investment, marketing, and advertisement, the buying and selling that drives the world, is going to completely crash. Globally. Verses 12-14 of this chapter list the goods and materials we call commodities and merchandise that were common in Bible times and some of them are still the same with untold millions added in our modern world. Our only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The view of what lies on the horizon for this world is unsettling when we look at it with our human reasoning because no matter what our political views are or how much faith we have in science and technology, we know none of those things can save us. The winds of change now blowing are claimed by some to be blowing us in a progressive and healing direction. The truth is they are actually blowing us, like a hurricane, towards God’s foreordained destination when the One who created us steps in and sets this world in order. But before He rebuilds, He will first destroy what is now and that time will be a time of great tribulation the likes of which have never been seen. Praise God for the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 9, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
_____________________________________________
October 20, 2024
Judges 16:20 “And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not (didn’t know) that the LORD was departed from him”
We usually picture Samson like we have seen him portrayed by artists: A big, strong, bodybuilder-type man with bulging muscles. But he may have been an average or even smaller fellow with the difference being that he became incredibly strong whenever the Holy Spirit came upon him. Either way, we know God used him to fight against the Philistines, the enemies of Israel. But this verse tells us about the moment when Samson gave in to Delilah’s wiles, laid his head in her lap, and she had a man shave off his hair. His hair had never been cut as a part of a vow between him and God that he would separate himself completely unto God. His uncut hair was a seal of the vow. When his hair was cut, the vow was broken, and his strength was gone. But one of the saddest lines in the Bible is here. Samson woke up and did not realize his power was gone. We can find a parallel here between Samson’s situation and the condition of the modern church age of Laodicea. Many in this last and apostate church world have given themselves over to what the Bible describes in Jude 16:20, “sensual, having not the Spirit” and they have no realization that they are powerless with God. They continue to do their religious routines, immerse themselves in church stuff, talk about God using religious terms, preach, and consider themselves spiritual because of these things. But it’s all works of the flesh fueled by habit, obligation, and self-will. Again, Jude describes them in verse 12 as clouds without water and trees without fruit. 2 Peter 2 says they are wells without water giving us a picture of a well that offers the hope of life-giving, refreshing water but when people go to it for a drink, it is dry. We are in the time of a famine foretold in Amos 8:11, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” These words were spoken to Israel first but they also have their fulfilment in our age of Laodicea. Not cold, not hot, but lukewarm and they do not even know it.
______________________________________
October 19, 2024
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”
When Jesus spoke of carrying a cross, everyone living then under the control of the Roman Empire, knew what He was talking about. They knew when a prisoner was condemned to die by crucifixion, the prisoner had to carry the crossbeam he would be crucified on to the place where he would die. Someone carrying a cross meant that person was walking under the weight of the cross, to their death. For a believer, it is a picture of turning away from a life lived for ourselves and our selfish reasons and desires and follow, a word meaning to imitate, Jesus Christ. When we say, “No”, to a life centered upon self-gratification and self-service and live the way Jesus lived, we become Christ-centered and others-centered. Jesus’ example is found in His words in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” But unlike a criminal who carries his cross, is crucified, and it’s over, we die daily because every day we face the temptations and desires of the flesh and say, “No” to them. The first thing we do every morning is to pick up our cross and begin to walk in the steps of Jesus. When we speak, we speak words of hope and compassion as did our Lord. When we deal with others, we do it honestly and Christ-like so there is no reproach to the name of our Savior. We forgive those who wrong us, we bless those who curse us, we give to those in need, and we share the good news of the gospel. And, all the while, we do what we do for the glory of God and the well-being of others. None of us do all this perfectly but despite our failures, we keep walking in the steps of the Man with the nail scars in His hands. Above all else, we confront an unbelieving, skeptical world with the power of God’s love. As the scripture tells us in Colossians 3:12-14, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness (maturity).
____________________________________________
October 18, 2024
Proverbs 4:18-19 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble”
When Jesus came and began His ministry, the Bible declares in 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 darkness of the world and its unbelief now has the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today’s verses tell us that those who follow Christ, follow a path of light. It refers to the way we live, the way we see our lives, the way we anticipate the future and the way we react to our circumstances. The light that illuminates our lives is the power and understanding the Lord brings to guide our steps referring to our choices, our values, and our worldview. In the world’s darkness of despair, we have the light of hope. In the darkness of confusion, we have the light of faith. In the darkness of hatred, bigotry, and violence, we have the light of love. And, as we come closer to the end of our journey and the appearing of our Lord, the sinful world around us gets increasingly darker while our path gets brighter. It’s astonishing to listen to the nonsense this world tries to palm off on people as the truth. The experts line up like bobbleheads spewing utter foolishness assuming everyone is gullible enough to swallow what they’re saying as fact. But God’s Word is described in Jeremiah 23:29 as a hammer that smashes the rock (of lies) to pieces. It’s interesting that when the Lord gave Jeremiah these words, He was referring to His Word smashing the lies of false religion and its ministers. We who follow the Lord follow Him as described in 1 John 1:6-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Our blessed hope is brighter than ever. Our faith, brighter than ever, guides our steps. God’s love, shining in us, is still the light of the World.
_____________________________________
October 17, 2024
Job 1:9-11 “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought (for no reason)? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face”
All the elements of the book of Job; The suffering, the uncertainty, the lack of compassion from friends, and the great philosophical and theological dialogues on the surface seem discouraging and depressing. After all, Job was a fine fellow who was living right and doing all the right things but he was bombarded with such adversity we wonder, “What was God thinking?”. But the premise of the book is that the earth and everything that exists belongs to God and He does not always act and work the way we think He should. Satan argued that the only reason Job honored and trusted God was because the Lord protected Him as if he was fenced in and covered him with blessings. Satan said if the protection and blessings were removed, then Job would curse God to His face. Yet as we read the account and Job’s story unfolds, we hear him express his anguish and we hear him struggle to understand his circumstances. We listen as his closest friends tell him that his calamities came to him because he had sinned against God. We hear the outpouring of his soul as he declares the truth of his situation as far as he can understand it. Then we hear Job continue to trust the Lord and praise Him despite his circumstances. And, we hear the words of God speaking about His power, majesty, and supreme authority over the universe. When the book ends, we find joy in knowing that after Job’s season of sorrow and confusion was over, God restored him double for all He allowed the enemy to take away. We sometimes look at the world and our own circumstances in terms of what seems fair or unfair. Or, maybe we are like Job’s friends and when we find ourselves (or someone else) in a season of hardship we think, “Wonder what I (or they) did for God to punish like that?”. But our faith in God trusts Him when He does what we believe He should or the way we think He should and it also trusts Him when He doesn’t. When He has us fenced in like Job and we are blessed and well, we praise Him. But when He allows trials and troubles, we continue to praise Him because we worship Him as Lord of all heaven and earth and we know when the trial is over, we will come out stronger, better, and more blessed than ever.
________________________________
October 16, 2024
Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”
A large part of social media is a collection of influencers and followers. Many young people hope they can start their own trend, be influencers, gain millions of followers, become famous, and make a lot of money. In this election year, there are concerns by some that other countries are trying to influence people’s voting. It’s a crazy mess but the craft of influencing has been a part of the human experience since the beginning. After all, did not the devil in the form of a snake influence Eve to eat the forbidden fruit? We have seen the effect of religious influencers throughout history and are shocked at the stories of some who have enslaved their followers in cults and movements that have drawn them into darkness and death. And, it’s not just people of the past but today there are millions trapped in false religions and cults and blindly follow their leaders. Today’s verse encourages us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ until we become firmly established in the truth, mature in our faith, not gullible like a small child. There are charmers and smooth influencers on every side vying for our attention and their intention is not to point people to Christ and the freedom He gives. Their goal is to attract followers either for themselves or the cause they represent. Their methods are described here as sleight, cunning craftiness, and deception. It’s a thought repeated in 2 Timothy 3:13 “But evil men and seducers (influencers) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Our protection comes from knowing God’s Word, being careful who we let influence us, and holding everything we see and hear up to the standard of God’s truth. We make it our practice to immerse ourselves in the Word of God as the Bible says of the Berean believers in Acts 17:11, “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Our prayer is that God will continually fill us with the Holy Spirit because the Spirit reveals truth, we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. We will not be influenced by this world, false teachers, or corrupt doctrine. We will place ourselves under the influence of scripture because the Word of God, rightly divided, is the final authority.
______________________________________________
October 15, 2024
Hebrews 11:39-40 “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect”
Hebrews 11 gives an account of many believers of the past beginning with Abel and includes saints both before and after the law of Moses. The point of the list is to help us understand that all the things they did and what they were, were by faith. The chapter begins in verses 1-2, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders (saints of the past) obtained a good report.” Today’s verses tell us they kept believing and acting on their faith even though they had not received the promised Messiah. We might sometimes forget that the ancient believers were very aware that a Savior was coming and they lived their lives in faith that He might come at any moment. The scriptures tell us in verse 13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” All believers past, present, and future are saved by faith. In ancient times there were elements of sacrifices, prophets, and ceremonial law just as today there are churches, ministers, baptisms, and symbols of crosses and such. But none of those things have saving power. It is by grace through faith and it is faith that God honors. The Bible says in verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Some might say that it is the obedience, the seeking part that wins God’s favor. But that part is just the actions that accompany faith. And, faith that is anchored in God’s Word, what God said, will produce obedience just as Noah’s faith in what God said moved him to build the ark. Today, faith still moves us like the saints of old, to look for the appearing of our Savior. We are not obsessed with it, as some might charge, to the place where we are distracted from living and enjoying the life God has given us here and now. But it remains a great part of our faith just as much as the cross and the empty tomb. As the scriptures declare in Titus 2:13, it is the blessed hope of believers and when it crosses our mind for consideration, we rejoice just as Abraham rejoiced to see the day of the Lord.
__________________________________________
October 14, 2024
Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime”
When Daniel knew his enemies had schemed behind his back to get rid of him, he went to the one place he knew he could find help. He went to a spot in his house where he always went three times a day and kneeling, called on the name of the Lord. He knew he was facing the possibility of losing his life because of his faith but he never wavered in his personal devotions. He prayed and gave thanks, leaving his windows open as he always did. He always prayed this way, people knew it, and until this time, as far as the Bible tells us, there had never been a threat to him because of the way he believed and worshiped. This speaks to us that when it comes to our faith and we get tested, God is either real to us and we will never back down or the pressure of the situation will cause us to compromise. As in Daniel’s day, some people will always scheme behind our backs and hide their real agendas. Sometimes they are like Daniel’s enemies and are determined to destroy people who honor the name of the Lord. Or, if they are religious, they will do it in the name of being “Led of the Lord” when in reality, they’re about as spiritually minded as wolves in sheep’s clothing. But no matter our situation, we can take our example in this man of God and continue to give ourselves fully to the Lord and His purpose for our lives. In Daniel’s story, God allowed it all to play out including the part where Daniel was literally thrown to the lions. But when the trial was over, those who opposed Daniel were brought down. Daniel was blessed and honored, and God was glorified. What looked like a test of Daniel’s faith turned out to also be a test of his enemies and they failed the test. Perhaps you are going through a trial where it looks as if you’re being tested. You knew the Lord was leading you but others, or circumstances out of your control, caused your path to get sidetracked. Keep praying and keep trusting. It may be the Lord is testing those who interfered and using you and your situation to test them. Like Daniel, all weapons either intentional or just the fleshly failures of others will never prosper against you. The God who shut those big cat’s mouths will get you where He wants you to be.
__________________________________________
October 13, 2024
Psalms 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry”
This verse is repeated in the New Testament, 1 Peter 3:12, and gives us comfort that the Lord is watching over us and listening to our prayers. People are more connected nowadays by their smartphones and email than any civilization before us and yet people are lonelier now than ever. A report by the Surgeon General last year entitled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation”, says that half of adults in America report being lonely and all people spend much of their time isolated from others. Some studies suggest that we have replaced real, face-to-face friendships and relationships with technology connectivity and as a result, we are not fulfilled in the ways our Creator purposed when He said of Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone”. God didn’t give Adam a cell phone to text his wife, He placed them together in the garden to share their lives in close contact. We are more satisfied when we are in real, intimate, and personal contact with other people, especially the people we love. Today’s verse speaks to us of God’s interest in us on a level that’s wonderful and sets the pattern for how relationships are made strong. The eyes of the Lord mean that we have God’s full attention and He is carefully attuned to where we are, what we’re doing, the situations we’re in, and the details of our life. His care for us is so acute that the scriptures tell us He even knows the number of the hairs of our heads. When we have the faith to believe that God cares for us on such a level, it makes us know we are not alone and that we have a friend in Jesus that surpasses any other friendship. And, not only is He focused on us, He is listening to us when we speak to Him. Such a close relationship with the God who made us sets the foundation for all other relationships. We do not have to feel lonely because the Lord is always present with us. And, because of His friendship, we can build better relationships with our families, neighbors, and coworkers. It’s time to stop depending on technology to satisfy our need for connecting with others because it’s not doing the job. It’s time to get back to some face-to-face fellowship, friendships, and relationships. It is not good for us to be alone.
___________________________________
October 12, 2024
Psalms 37:1-2 “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb”
For everyone who loves God and loves America, these are troubling times. We are appalled watching the utter nonsense of our leaders, the corrupt media, and the wickedness that parades itself as progressive and good. There is a fear running through many minds that America as we once knew it, is stumbling downward at such a speed it can’t be turned around. But we have to turn to God’s Word for the truth of the matter and today’s verses declare plainly that we must not fret because of evildoers. Fret here means to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, or be kindled with rage. Unless we look at things from the perspective of God’s Word, that’s how we feel when we see the evildoers of our age harming people and oppressing others. We want justice for the victims and we feel powerless to help. But God says they will soon be cut down like the mowing of the grass and they will wither like a little plant. Consider the words of verses 9-10: “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” So, we will do everything we can on our end. We will vote, we will speak up for the truth, and we will pray and trust in the Lord. But on God’s end, He will set things right. The scriptures describe His return in Revelation 19:15, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Let’s keep on praying, keep doing what is right, keep living for God’s glory, and keep believing that evil will not triumph. God’s promises are clear: Psalms 37:7-10 “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”
_____________________________________
October 11, 2024
2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”
Most of us want people to like us and we do not want to be persecuted. The word persecution means harassment, or mistreatment, and has the idea of chasing someone away in hostility. The world is quick to label believers as crackpots, out of touch, and barriers to progress. So, when it comes to the gospel and our stand for Christ, it’s tempting to compromise, keep silent, or water down the message to shield us from being persecuted. But the scriptures warn us in Romans 1:18,” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” with the word “hold” here meaning to suppress or hold back. This speaks not only to those who think they can throttle the truth in their culture but also to the hirelings who, for their own protection, either choose not to tell God’s truth or spin the rhetoric to avoid confrontation. In another devotion, I said can you imagine the politically correct Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal and saying, “Now guys, there’s room for us all in Israel so let’s not be enemies. God loves everyone and we can have our places of worship side by side. Let’s form an alliance of faith diversity and stop this bickering”. Or the politically correct Jesus saying at His trial, “I really didn’t mean all the things I said the way you took them. I want to be at peace with the Pharisees. I welcome an open and inclusive dialogue between us. There’s no reason for any of us to feel bad or get hurt here”. And, imagine those who died in faith, as martyrs for the glory of God, being reduced to a bunch of whining, sniveling, spineless, and truth-dodging wimps trying to save their own skin at the cost of betraying Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life. When we stand up and speak up for the Lord, even when we do it in the power of God’s love, there will be pushback from an unbelieving world. Sadly, at times there will be persecution from some who claim to be followers of our Lord. But it’s nothing new as we are reminded by Jesus in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Again, today’s verse: ”All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
_______________________________________
October 10, 2024
John 11:21-22 “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee”
Jesus was about 20 miles from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha when He received the news that His friend Lazarus was very sick. If we follow the timeline in the scriptures, Lazarus died during the time it took the messenger to travel 20 miles from Bethany to the Lord. So, when our Lord got the message of Lazarus’ illness, Lazarus was already dead. The Bible says that Jesus then waited two days before He started towards Bethany and when He got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days. In the Jewish tradition, the four days of death were important because they believed when a person died, the soul hung around the body for three days, and after three days, the soul then departed and at that time, decay set in and there was no chance of resuscitation. But when the Lord finally got to Bethany, Martha met Him and her words reveal her sorrow and disappointment that if only Jesus had gotten there earlier than four days, Lazarus’ soul would not have departed and He would not have died. She is revealing how all of us might feel sometimes when it seems the Lord is nowhere near when we need Him the most or that His timing is off in our particular situation. We want God to act on our behalf before the time runs out or before things get too far out of hand. When God doesn’t arrive on the scene when we think He should, we begin to lose hope. But looking at the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus had already declared to His disciples before He started for Bethany that Lazarus was dead. If He had gotten there before the fourth day, people would have doubted it was a resurrection but just a reviving of an unconscious man. That’s why our Lord said to Martha, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” The Lord does things in His timing and in His way so that while we get the blessing, He gets the glory. As with Martha and Mary, God doesn’t usually tell us His step-by-step plan as He is working on our behalf. In all things, our faith in Him is what He wants. Even in her sorrow and disappointment, Martha said, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” That’s the kind of faith that says, “God I don’t know how you’re going to do it and I don’t understand Your timing, but I still trust in You.”
___________________________________________________
October 9, 2024
Psalms 120:7 “I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war”
People who follow the Lord follow a path of peace because Jesus is called The Prince of Peace. When we look at the works of the flesh, the natural attributes of those who walk in the ways of this world, the Bible says in Galatians 5 there is anger, fighting, and hostility. But when the Holy Spirit is leading us, we have a spiritual nature of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We may not always show these things because our old nature sometimes rises up and we get angry and do and say things we later regret. But we desire to be like Christ and that’s the place the Holy Spirit always leads us back to. Today’s verse declares, “I am for peace”. I know personally that as I’ve gotten more mature in the faith, peace is one of the things I long for and live for. I do not want the drama and confusion of this world and I love the serenity and peace that comes when I abide in the Lord and His Word is working in me. Yet the ways of God are not accepted by this world and the irony is that even though this world talks about peace, whenever we speak about the only true peace, the peace that comes from a relationship with God, the same world that says it wants peace is ready to fight against the truth. They believe they can have peace apart from God but the Bible says in Isaiah 48:22, “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” The very history of our world shows people do not want peace because all we’ve ever done is wage war and plan the destruction of each other. But believers will still declare that we are for peace and live according to Psalms 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” The power of God’s love is working within us and His love leads us as declared in Isaiah 55:12, “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace”. The best way to follow peace is to speak peacefully, think peacefully, and live peacefully. We embrace the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
________________________________________________
October 8, 2024
Exodus 14:11-12 “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness”
God delivered the Israelites from Egypt with a great show of miracles the last one being the death of all the firstborn of the Egyptians. They had every reason to rejoice and completely trust in the Lord. But fear does something to us that left unchecked, beats down our faith and song of victory. That’s exactly what was happening in these verses. Pharoah changed his mind about letting Israel go and came after them with his army and 600 of his best chariot warriors. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians coming, their faith and joy evaporated, and in their panic, they turned on Moses, blaming him for what they thought was to be their certain destruction. The Bible says in verse 13, “And they were sore afraid.” We all know that feeling when we’ve been full of faith, praise, and joy and then we get some bad news, upsetting situations hit us, or something else that knocks us to our knees. Like the Israelites, we feel fear rising in us, maybe even panic, and we lose sight of the truth that God is still in control and He will never leave us or forsake us. The phrase they shouted at Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt” was a sarcastic statement because Egypt was obsessed with death and the whole land was full of monuments, tombs, and markers to commemorate dead people. They were just a few days out of Egypt and already they were thinking that the horrid slavery of Egypt was better than their present ordeal. But in verses 13-14, Moses spoke some great words of faith in response: “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” We will have times when fear comes and we have to dig deep and take our stand on what God has promised. Our circumstances may seem out of control and we might be tempted to give in to despair and hopelessness. But God will never fail to help us, comfort us, and deliver us. We will always see the salvation of the Lord.
___________________________________________
October 7, 2024
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”
What does it mean to, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might”? The verses that follow this one, tell us we are in a battle and the Bible says in verse 12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The only way we can have victory in these struggles is to have heaven’s supernatural strength, the power and might that come to us through the Holy Spirit. One thing is to be like Abraham who the Bible says in Romans 4:20, was, “strong in faith, giving glory to God.” That’s the strength we have when we know what God says in His Word, and we take our stand on it, refusing to accept anything else. We know who God is, we know what Jesus did for us, we know what God has promised us, and we stand firmly on that solid foundation. Believers who do not know the Word of God, who do not have it hidden in their hearts, don’t have the strength of its power. They are left to their own reasoning and the wisdom of this world. When the storms hit them and they find themselves in a struggle, they are not able to withstand them. All the “church stuff” and religious routines can not substitute for the power of faith in God’s Word. But when you know what God says and you are able to declare that truth against the forces that come against you, you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might because the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Then there is 2 Timothy 2:1, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Believers who are strong in grace have surrendered their will to the will of God. They know they can do nothing without the Lord but they know through Christ, they are more than conquerors. When we face our enemies, we stand strong in the confidence that the Lord has gone before us, clearing a path through the opposition, He is fighting our battle for us, and He has never lost a fight and never will. That is the grace of God in action. We are told in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Because we belong to Christ, we will never be defeated.
________________________________________________
October 6, 2024
Exodus 4:2-3 “And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it”
When Moses left the palace of Egypt and became a shepherd in the wilderness, he had no idea what future God had in store for him 40 years ahead. Somewhere, he found a long stick or a staff, called a rod in today’s verse, and it became the tool of his trade. It was just a piece of wood he used to steady himself when walking with his flock in uneven terrain, something he might use for protection against wild animals, and something he used to guide his flock. Such a rod or staff was the symbol of shepherds in his day. But God takes the ordinary, the things that are least esteemed, and the things that are insignificant and small and uses them in powerful ways. The rod of Moses in Moses’ hand, was a stick of wood used in shepherding chores. But when God began to use it, it became a rod of power, manifesting the glory of God. Notice when Moses returned to Egypt after 40 years in the desert, the Bible says in Exodus 4:20, “And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.” Moses’ stick of wood which before, was simply his shepherd’s rod, is now called, “The rod of God”. When God chooses ordinary people or ordinary things to use for His glory, they are no longer ordinary. This applies to you and me who may seem ordinary and our talents and abilities may seem insignificant in the eyes of the world. But God describes us in 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Don’t be afraid to be what God has called you to be or do what He has called you to do. He’s the same God who used a wooden stick and with it, displayed His glory and power. We are far more precious to Him than a wooden stick.
___________________________________________
October 5, 2024
Jonah 1:17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”
Jonah ran away from God’s call not because he was lazy, distracted, or dabbling in worldly pleasure. He ran away because he didn’t want to preach God’s message of mercy and forgiveness to the Ninevites and then have them turn to God and be spared. He wanted God to destroy them because of their great sins. He was doing the same thing we are warned about in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (hold back) the truth in unrighteousness.” When Jonah was found out and thrown overboard, it was God’s way of stopping him from running away and correcting him for his disobedience. When Jonah was tossed into the sea, God could have had a huge shark waiting for him to eat him alive. That’s the view of God some people have and it’s one where our acts of disobedience are met with God’s anger and rage where He meets our sins with horrific judgment. But the whale that swallowed Jonah was an instrument of God’s grace and while it was not a comfortable place for Jonah to live for three days, it served to both correct and protect him at the same time. He was corrected in a whale jail where the whale’s ribs were like the bars of a prison cell. For three days, he had nothing to do except think about what he had done wrong and repent. He was spiritually rehabilitated and when the ordeal was over, he was more than ready to obey the Lord. But he was also protected from drowning, being eaten by sea creatures, and any other calamity that could happen to people alone in the middle of the sea. God’s amazing grace covers us at all times and when we’ve behaved like Jonah, that’s when we need it most. Praise the Lord He never abandons us when we fail, but is ready to correct us as a father does a child, and in the times of correction, He is faithful in His steadfast love for us. It’s the wonderful truth of 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
________________________________________
October 4, 2024
Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men”
If you believe what the Bible declares about salvation, then you believe this passage: Titus 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” But being saved by grace through faith and not by good works does not mean we are free to live any way we want. Good works are not the method of salvation but they are the result of salvation. We have the words of Titus 2:11-12,” For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The Holy Spirit within us is leading us, convicting us, and teaching us to do what is right in God’s eyes. Good works make better families, communities, neighborhoods, and nations because they provide a foundation of safety and trust that safeguards who we are, where we live, what we possess, and our personal rights and freedoms. Saving faith, that is, faith that looks only to Jesus Christ for salvation, will be accompanied by good works as settled by James 2:17,” Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Today’s verse tells us to, “Be careful to maintain good works” because this is the way we help people. It is through our good works that people are brought to the truth as Jesus said in Matthew 5:16,” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. Even for people who are not Christians, good works are a refuge because they protect us from being punished as law-breakers as described in Romans 13:3, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same”. We can do what is right and show this world a pattern of good works. God will be honored, people will be helped, and we will be a better testimony of God’s grace.
_______________________________________________________
October 3, 2024
Psalms 20:6-7 “Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God”
This Psalm begins in verse one, with the promise, “(May) The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; (May) the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.” It is both a prayer and a promise with the italics added but these are words inferred in the text. And then, we have the promise in today’s verse that tells us our God hears us and will save us, meaning deliver us, with the strength of His power. I write a lot of the daily devotions about the power of God to deliver us in times of trouble because we are living every day in perilous, dangerous times. The world is a powder keg, just ripe for exploding at the seams. We are watching our country struggle with doing what’s right and we are frustrated because we know if we would only turn back to ways of truth and sanity God would honor our repentance by healing our land. But even if our nation will not turn back and embrace God’s truth and even if our world continues down the road of violence, deception, and perversion, God knows those who belong to Him and His promises to us are steadfast and sure. The words, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses”, give us a picture of the ancient world who thought their strength and safety was in their armies of fighting men with their weapons and the power of their armed chariots and superior horsemen. Today, we might say that some people think their security is in weapons, soldiers, and the military might. Some think their defense is money, position, personal power, and human glory, Others believe education, science, and technology will rescue us in the end. But when the glory of humankind fails and falls, the Name of the Lord will still be standing strong, steadfast, and unmoveable and those who stand with the Lord will be safe. Jesus is the ark of safety foreshadowed by the ark of Noah and when judgment and calamity fall on a world that has rejected the Savior, all those in the ark of Christ’s salvation will be saved. Until then, we have the unfailing promise of His presence and power and He will deliver us even in the midst of an unthankful, ungodly mess.
____________________________________________
October 2, 2024
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”
When we stop and consider that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it carries the sense that our bodies are more Holy than the church house. God doesn’t live in the church building but He lives within us and we belong to Him. The popular cry, “It’s my body, my life, and I’ll do and live the way I want” does not apply to Christians because we no longer own ourselves. We might ask the question, “Why do I want to live and what is my life about?”. For the world, life is about pleasure, recreation, material success, and pleasing self. But believers have a complete change of view and their lives become centered on Christ and how they can glorify God. When saved people continue to try to live to please themselves or live to find pleasure, the Holy Spirit will not let them be comfortable or have peace living contrary to God’s will. He will convict us and if we will not yield to His urging, He will correct us. If people say they are followers of Christ but do not live to glorify Him and then are never convicted or corrected, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:8, that they do not belong to the Lord. Those seem like harsh words but the Bible says in Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Those passages of scriptures in Hebrews 12 go on to tell us that while we are being corrected, it’s not a pleasant time but when God’s correction is complete, we have peace and live a life that reflects the righteousness of God. There is no greater honor than living to glorify God with our bodies fully surrendered as living sacrifices and our spirits in harmony with the will of the Holy Spirit. When we acknowledge that we belong to Him, having been purchased by the price of our Lord’s suffering and shed blood, then we are united with Jesus in our will to please our Heavenly Father. We live by the power of our Lord’s words in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
_____________________________________________
October 1, 2024
John 16:20,22 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you”
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples before he was arrested and crucified. He explained that because of the events unfolding, of His arrest, torture, crucifixion, and the scattering of His disciples, they were going to be filled with sorrow. And, while they were suffering, the world would rejoice thinking that the ministry of Christ had ended. But their sorrow would soon be turned to joy because the grave couldn’t hold Him, death couldn’t defeat Him, and He would return to them resurrected, glorified, and holding the keys to death and hell. From that point on, no one would ever be able to take their joy from them. Our enemy, the world, and even some people around us are always positioning themselves against us and trying to create a ruckus to take our joy. They want us to ride the same boat of misery and sorrow they are in. They forecast gloom, and doom, and whisper the lies of unbelief, trying to discourage us, stop our praise, and push us into a place of despair and hopelessness. But joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and because Jesus lives in us, we have a well of hope, a well of faith, and a well of joy overflowing in us. By God’s grace, no one can take our joy, no one can destroy our faith, and nothing can overcome our hope. No matter who becomes the President, Almighty God sits omnipotently on the throne, ruler of all heaven and earth. No matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and we are alive and well, sealed by His Holy Spirit. The Bible says we rejoice with, “Joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). No one can take our joy unless we surrender it to them. It belongs to us because God gave it as a gift of His grace. When the disciples saw the resurrected Savior, all the sorrow and uncertainty of the days before vanished away and they were filled with joy which they never lost. They knew the eternal truth of who Jesus was and who they were: The children of Almighty God. And, so are we.
____________________________________________