February 28, 2025
Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven”
This statement turned the religious world in Jesus’ day upside down. The Pharisees were a religious group that lived by such a strict code of conduct and rituals, which they believed expanded upon the Law of Moses, that to the world around them, they seemed ultra-religious. The thought of having a level of righteousness that surpassed the Pharisees was unimaginable. If exceeding the righteousness of the Pharisees was the only way to heaven, the Jews would have thought it was an impossible hope. But what the Lord was doing, was opening our understanding of what it means to be righteous by smashing our preconceived notions and traditions of righteousness. God never intended the law to create righteous people. The law could corral people’s behaviors but couldn’t change what was really the root of human sin and that is our heart. Listen to the words of our Lord in Matthew 15:19-20,” For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man”. Correcting our actions does not change who we are. Correcting behaviors helps us in our interpersonal relationships, helps keep us out of legal troubles, and perhaps can protect us from harm. But our heart, which is the source of our sin, is a problem that is much more troublesome and its sin-contamination is so deep and hardened, that there is nothing we can do (or not do) that will make it righteous. Our hope is when the Bible says in Romans 3:21-22,” But now the righteousness of God without (apart from) the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, God takes the righteousness of Christ and imputes it to us. He transfers, credits, the perfect righteousness of Jesus to our account while obliterating all our personal unrighteousness. At that moment and for eternity, our Christ-given righteousness far exceeds the righteousness the Pharisees thought they were obtaining by their good works. The Pharisees have not disappeared from the earth. Many people think they can become righteous on their own by doing good things and being “good” people. But only the perfect righteousness of Christ, imputed to us by faith in Jesus can make us fit for heaven.
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February 27, 2025
John 6:26 “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled”
In this chapter of John, Jesus fed thousands of people with a little boy’s lunch. But the next day, people came looking for Him but He was gone, having crossed the Sea of Galilee in the night. The people started a frantic search for Him and found Him on the other side of the sea. They asked Him, “When did You get here?”. That’s when the Lord spoke the words in today’s verse, pointing out that they were not looking for Him because they were drawn to Him to witness His glory but because they wanted another free meal. They were there for themselves and what they could get out of an encounter with Christ. I’m not sure we can completely eliminate the selfishness within us and get to a place where we only live for the glory of God. We have human needs and desires that we deal with daily and appreciating a good meal at the hand of the Savior is not in itself a bad thing. But God’s will for us is to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus and when that is our primary goal, our lives are Christ-centered. What if the people that day had packed themselves a lunch and determined that Jesus might or might not feed them but they were going to look for Him because they believed He was the Son of God and they wanted to be near Him and hear His words? Our purpose and desire concerning our spiritual life is what God is looking at. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. When we go to church, do religious stuff, and identify with the Lord we need a soul-search as to why we’re doing what we’re doing. May the Holy Spirit shift us away from self-centered motives that come from a distracted or unrepented heart and help us keep our eyes on the Eternal Son of God. Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”. May He help us in our worship, church stuff, and religious routines so that our desires and actions are not fueled by a “what’s in it for me” motive but a purpose that asks: “How can I honor Jesus and other people?”. And, when the Lord blesses us like He did those fish and bread-loving people on the hillside that day, we will receive it with humble, thankful hearts.
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February 26, 2025
Hebrews 11:6 “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”
This verse is a treasure house of truth regarding our relationship with God. The first word that grabs our attention is “impossible”. The scripture doesn’t say it’s hard to please God without faith but that it’s impossible to please Him. It can’t be done. Heaps of good works, well-crafted theologies or even extreme personal sacrifice are not what moves God. Dedication to religion, faithfulness to our local church or personal piety do not open the door into His presence. Faith is what He wants when we come before Him. It is the ground of our salvation. Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. The grace is on God’s part and the faith is on ours. We can debate the meaning of Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” where it says, “God hath dealt to everyman the measure of faith”. But regardless of how we attain faith, faith is still the only thing that pleases God. And, it begins with us acknowledging His existence. Not the existence of a god, some “higher power”, of any other abstract conclusion but faith in the existence of the God of the Bible. The One revealed in the scriptures as the only true and living God. The God who manifests Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ. It goes further than just believing He exists. Faith moves us to diligently seek Him. If we believe God is who He says He is, the all-powerful, all-knowing, and eternally present Creator of all things, it would be foolish to believe that and ignore Him. He rewards those who seek after Him. Those who hunger for His presence and look to His Word. Thayer’s Greek Dictionary says the word diligently means, to search out, investigate, crave, beseech earnestly, enquire about, and carefully seek after. Sounds like an intense, carefully pursued relationship. Let’s addict ourselves to seeking the Lord and have the expectation that when we do, He is well pleased and will keep His promise.
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February 25, 2025
Matthew 4:18-20 “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
These verses tell us much about God, His plan, His methods, and His eternal purpose for those He calls to serve Him. If we read too quickly through them, it’s easy to miss the message they send to us today. The University of Jesus Christ was the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the hillsides overlooking it, and any number of places where He met with people and taught them eternal truth. In these verses, He came across Peter and Andrew and enlisted them as His disciples. Peter and Andrew were not educated, sophisticated, or wealthy. They were not religiously certified, elite, or refined fellows. They had an honest but humble craft: They were fishermen. It was their family tradition and like their father before them and perhaps even their grandfather, they thought about boats, nets, water, currents, and weather patterns. Most days, they reeked of fish because the type of fishing they did, put them in constant contact with all that smelled of fish. They manually cast their nets over and over, sweated, and hauled their catch over the side of the boat into the boat bottom. They were touching, grabbing, and handling the squirming, slick creatures of their employment and all the fish-tainted equipment the job required. In times before deodorant, air fresheners, perfumed soap, showers, and washing machines, they were constantly connected to and identified personally with their fishing and all its attributes. As far as careers go, it wasn’t exactly a class act. But the Father wanted these men and He appointed them to Jesus as is revealed in Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17:6, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.”. God’s methods to use what He chooses, not what people would esteem worthy or qualified, is His own plan. By His own wisdom, He forged ahead to fulfill His eternal purpose with these lowly fishermen. God doesn’t need or want our thinking, our ways, our “wisdom”, or our advice. He is certainly not swayed by our objections and demands. He uses fishermen, people just like you and me with all our flaws, weaknesses, and sinful, heathen backgrounds to serve Him. He takes us just as we are, performs His awesome work of grace, and makes us His own brand of fishermen.
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February 24, 2025
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”
After I had mostly recovered from my initial cancer surgery about five years ago, I had a growing desire to join a gym and work on getting my strength back. I found a small one close to our house and showed up there one day and discovered there was a group of senior men like me who were also working at getting stronger, more flexible, and developing stamina. I did not know at the time that as I worked out several times a week, getting stronger bit by bit, I was preparing my body for another cancer diagnosis and rounds of radiation and chemotherapy which came about 3 years after I joined the gym. I believe the gnawing desire I had to start exercising was the Holy Spirit, preparing me to get more physical strength for that next trial. I praise God that He knows how to direct our steps even when we do not know where we’re headed. Now, having recovered from the treatments, I’m back in the gym working to maintain strength. Today’s verse is a call to us for a similar thing in our spiritual realm. God wants us strong, tough, and ready for all the battles that come our way and He’s telling us to set our determination in that direction. I’m 68, retired, and could lay around on the couch all day and never lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee. But I’ve been through the fires of illness and I know that those battles are better fought when your body is strong. Likewise, I’ve been a Christian for over 50 years and have been through many spiritual battles. And, I know when I’m strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, it makes a world of difference in how those battles are fought. People can love you, encourage you, and pray for you. Thank God for that. But in the heat of the battle, it’s that inner strength of unquenchable faith, enduring confidence that God is with you, and unshakable certainty that no matter how hard the battle, you are always more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. I encourage us all to work out spiritually. Learn some Bible verses we can use in any situation we’re in to vocally proclaim victory. Develop patterns of prayer and make them a daily part of our lives. Pray about everything. Listen to Godly teaching and preaching that fires us up and motivates us to trust God more deeply. Learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit by acknowledging His presence and being sensitive to His voice. And, Let’s keep our eyes on things above where Christ sits at God’s right hand. Let’s let the mighty power of God make us strong.
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February 23, 2025
Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”
Jesus gave this warning about the danger of covetousness after a man came to him asking the Lord to make his brother give him his part of an inheritance. It wasn’t that Jesus was dismissing justice but that He knew the intent of the heart: covetousness which is a grasping, overreaching desire for money or material possessions. Greed. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:20, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied”. The reference here is to covetousness and is linked to hell and destruction. The word beware means to be on guard and has the root of a word describing a place of isolation and protection, a refuge of safety. Why would the Lord warn us with such a strong statement? The answer is given in Colossians 3:5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”. When our desire for the things of this world, especially money, becomes our driving force, we are idolatrous. Then covetousness, which is always accompanied by pride, blinds us to our sin and we will not admit we are worshipping material possessions, making them our idols. Greedy desire, day and night, cries, “More, more, more” and we can not step back, appreciate what we have, and be thankful. Let’s let the words of our Lord sink in deep: ”A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”. We hear the wisdom of Proverbs 15:16, “Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith” and Proverbs 16:8, “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right (the state of being just and right before God)”. It raises the question: Is it ok to have stuff? Certainly, because Abraham, the father of faith, had great possessions. But he believed the Lord when God said to him in Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward”. When we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways and know that all our possessions have been submitted to Him, the owner of all things, we can enjoy the blessings of God and be satisfied whether they are few or many.
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February 22, 2025
John 13:7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter”
Our Lord spoke these words to Peter when He was washing the disciple’s feet, telling Peter that what was happening that day was a mystery at the time but later, they would grasp its significance. That’s how it is with the things of God. We see things from a human perspective but later, the Holy Spirit opens our understanding and gives us heavenly vision. We read in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, “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. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God”. Sometimes we interpret the words, “The things which God hath prepared for them that love him” as speaking about the things the Lord has waiting for us when this life is over. And, that’s one level of meaning. But it also refers to the things that are of God here and now. Just as Jesus told Peter the meaning of the foot washing would become clearer later on, so many things God does in our lives become clearer after the fact. God is always at work in our lives, working all things for our good. But at the time we’re living out our daily routines, it might not seem like God is doing anything. Stuff happens that we don’t understand and we sometimes fall into the trap of taking our eyes off the things which are above and we get bogged down in the confusion of the world around us. If we just stop and listen to Him, the Holy Spirit is always present to remind us that things are not the way they may appear. When Joseph was maligned by his brothers, sold into slavery, and ended up falsely accused in a prison in Egypt, he could not see at the time what God was doing. But later the Lord made it all clear to him that what happened was God’s plan. If you are a believer, take courage that every twist and turn in your life has God’s fingerprints on them. Trust His providence even when you don’t know what He’s doing and ask for wisdom to more clearly understand His purpose. Just as Peter finally dropped all his objections to the Lord washing his feet and received the experience without fully understanding it, let’s receive God’s actions in our lives, believing that in His good time, the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth.
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February 21, 2025
Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him”
Job couldn’t understand why he was going through his great trial and he didn’t know why God was allowing it. He was in such a pitiful and painful place that even his wife looked at him and said in Job 2:9, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? (Are you still clinging steadfastly to your principles?) curse God, and die”. But Job’s faith and his determination to do what was right no matter his circumstances, gave him the courage to speak up with the words, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”. In the heat of our battles, when the storms we’re going through are beating us severely, the enemy and our flesh will tell us to throw in the towel. The enemy will lie and tell us that we’ve been trusting in God and now see what has happened: God doesn’t care. The lies will continue that God has forsaken us and that He will not do what we believed He would do; that is, to help us and deliver us. But that’s when we have to dig in and proclaim that no matter what is happening, we will not surrender our faith in God. Job did not believe he was being punished for disobedience and even as he declared he would keep believing even if he died, he said he would continue to plead his case with God. The words, “I will maintain mine own ways before him” means Job was determined to state his case before God, that he had not done any evil to deserve his afflictions. This opens a window for us into Job’s conversations with the Lord and helps us to understand it’s ok to tell God exactly how we’re feeling and ok to talk openly and unafraid about our situations with the Creator of all things. The history of Christianity is filled with innumerable accounts of people whose faith never waivered even when they were killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. And, the martyrdom of believers continues to this day in places where the Gospel of Christ is hated. But their testimony is that even when faced with death, like Job, they refuse to surrender a believer’s most precious thing in the world: Their faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”.
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February 20, 2025
2 Peter 2:6-7 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked”
The scriptures here tell us that what God did to Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of what He will do to the ungodly. When we think about the city of Sodom and the surrounding cities that God destroyed with fire, we sometimes think their judgment was only because of their perversions. But the Bible gives us a list of grievances the Lord had with them in Ezekiel 16:49-50, “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good”. Some unbelievers, masquerading as Bible teachers, try to spin the Word of God saying that God brought judgment because the inhabitants of Sodom were, “inhospitable to strangers”. But the Bible is clear in the matter, saying in Genesis 13:13, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly” and, in the description in the verses from Ezekiel mentioned above. In relation, we are watching a great divide in our nation made more evident every day. It seems the Lord has allowed the curtains of secrecy to be pulled back and people’s hearts are being exposed. The Bible says in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”. What’s encouraging is that many people are joining together, praying for revival believing it is revival, not political change, that will set our nation on course towards the things of God. Politics change from administration to administration and people’s opinions of what path America needs to take for its future survival are not what determines our destiny. The Word of God concerning this is given in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. We certainly want good for our nation: good choices, honest government, and laws and statutes that are based on truth”. But the spiritual health of our people is what matters above all and we need revival. If you are of like mind, let’s encourage each other to pray every day that God will send revival.
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February 19, 2025
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise”
God’s Word calls believers to engage the world around them with the message of hope. The principle was given in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. The medicine our sick culture desperately needs is the gospel of Jesus Christ. But we have to be sure that we are not just offering solutions to people’s problems but that we are concerned about the eternal state of their souls. The Bible says in Psalms 142:4, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul”. What do we really want for the people? Consider the prodigal son when his life deteriorated until he was living in a hog pen, feeding swine. If this was someone we know, would our desire for them be that they get a better job, find a good place to live, and meet a nice girl who also has a job? I mean, that sort of solves the problem and the outcome is commendable. But do we really care for their souls? When the prodigal returned home and his dad said, “This is my son who was dead but now is alive!”, doesn’t that make the other ending of: he found a better job and so on pretty pathetic? When we care for people’s souls above all else, we want them reconciled to their heavenly Father because that’s their destiny, their purpose. It’s what puts all the other pieces of their life’s jigsaw puzzle into place. The sobering thought is that if we help people live comfortable lives without caring for their souls, we have done them eternal harm. If we see success for our children as them getting a good education and achieving a life of material success but ignoring their need for a relationship with Christ, are we really loving them? This makes me think about the prayers I pray for people and the point of the prayers. In a lot of cases, maybe I’m praying for their needs to be met and not for the salvation of their souls. May the Holy Spirit help me to begin praying, “Lord, fill me with the love for souls and help me see their eternal destination as a priority above all else. Help me attend to basic needs and have compassion for people’s circumstances but let me never be blinded to the truth that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Please give me those eyes and give me that kind of heart.”
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February 18, 2025
Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”
When the temple was standing in Jerusalem, there was a wall separating the areas where the Jews worshipped from an area where Gentiles we allowed. It is said to be a stone wall about 60 inches high. The Gentiles were not permitted access to the areas set apart for the Jews and there were signs posted warning Gentiles not to enter Jewish areas. At the time he was writing this, the Apostle Paul had been arrested and falsely accused by the Jews of taking a Gentile past the wall of separation into the Jewish areas of the temple (Acts 21). Jesus changed all of that and all people, Jewish and Gentile are welcome in the presence of the Lord, the Prince of Peace. These verses here, especially verse 17, “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” look back to Isaiah 57:19, “I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him”, and remind us that God’s plan for us is to live in His peace with nothing separating us from Him. The wall of partition can also refer to the Law of Moses which kept the Jews hemmed in until Jesus the Messiah came. The law was not given to Gentiles and was an object of scorn on both sides. The Jews thought they were superior and God’s favorites because He had given them the Law and they despised Gentiles. The Gentiles thought the Jews were ridiculous because of all their Laws, all their ceremonies, and the peculiar ways they lived. Today, even though we are charged to live separate from sin and sinful ways, we sometimes build walls of separation that are against God’s will. We sometimes hold church traditions and ways of worship above the scriptural call to unity and instead of peace among God’s people, there is division and strife. Let’s pray for the grace to take to heart the words of Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”.
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February 17, 2025
Acts 13:50-52 “But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost”
Paul and Barnabas were persecuted in Antioch as they preached the message of Jesus. The Bible tells us in verse 45 that some of the Jews there were overcome with envy because crowds of people gathered to hear the gospel. They organized a mob against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of the area. But instead of becoming disheartened, God’s men were filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit. When we know we’re doing what’s right and confident in our relationship with God, opposition is proof that we are doing God’s work because it’s stirring up the enemy. If you read our daily prayers on our website or the reposts on Facebook, you know that every day we pray for God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. We’re not wanting more of the Holy Spirit because He lives in us in His fullness but we’re wanting Him to occupy all of us: Our minds, hearts, and all our faculties. We want His power to manifest and have control of our thoughts, speech, and the choices we make. We want our attention focused by spiritual discernment as we interact with the world around us and we do not want anything about us to grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul and Silas were filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit despite their circumstances and that should be our daily desire. I believe it starts with desire: A desire for the fulfillment of Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”. We all desire a lot of things, some of them in God’s will for us and some not. But this is one thing we know is God’s will for us. He wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts has many references to people who did God’s work, filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not a Pentecostal thing; it’s a Christian thing available to all of us who are born again. The fullness of the Holy Spirit and Joy go together because joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. I urge you to make that request a principal desire of your heart and a part of your daily prayers. Desire to live a Spirit-filled life. Ask God to help you to allow Him to have free reign of your entire being by willingly submitting to His power and anointing.
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February 16, 2025
Colossians 1:25-27 “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
The day of Pentecost described in Acts 2, was a defining moment in God’s plan of redemption. That was when the Holy Spirit came to live within believers, the mystery declared here in today’s verses. The Bible says this mystery was hidden from past generations but has now been revealed to His saints. God declares that Christ living in us is the hope of glory. Throughout my Christian life, over fifty years, I’ve tried to fully grasp the truth that every second of every hour of every day God lives inside me but I have been unable to fathom it. I know He does because the Bible says it and His presence is real in me, manifesting Himself just as Jesus declared He would in John 14. Beyond that, my human reasoning fails. The scriptures tell us that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the guarantee, downpayment, the earnest of our salvation and fulfills the Lord’s promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. In the Old Testament covenant, the dwelling place of God was declared to be “between the cherubims” (Ex 25:22, Nu 7:89, 1 Sam 4:4, 2 Sam 6:2, 1 Kin 7:29, and so on) and He remained there with the ark of the covenant until the ark disappeared before the Babylonian captivity in the sixth century BC. The Bible gives the picture of His departing in Ezekiel 10. The Jews, blinded to the mystery of God’s plan to live within us, thought that the mercy seat throne of His presence was God’s permanent dwelling place and they believed God would never leave the temple. But the Glory of God did depart and was not seen again until Jesus appeared and John declared, “And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” St John 1:14. Now we have received this mystery and God lives in us: 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”. My prayer is that I will always be aware of the Lord’s presence in me. I pray that I will not think God is a million miles away up in heaven somewhere, distant and detached from my daily life but that He is right here, right now, and a part of everything I do, say and think. My hope of glory.
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February 15, 2025
Mark 6:34 “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things”
There were times when Jesus was angry as the Bible says in Mark 3:5, “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other”. The Lord was angry at the way the religious crowd had no love for people, especially those who were suffering. The wrath of God can be called “Righteous indignation”, that is, God’s hatred of all things evil and His determination to set things right. But the heart of Jesus is seen in today’s verse. We reference this to the words of Psalm 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust”. He knows we are weak, prone to unbelief, that we shield ourselves with pride, and compared to our Creator, we are helpless children. He is moved with compassion towards us. When we try to emulate Him and live as compassionate people, it’s not always easy because people make us angry. We forget that they all have a story and some of them are a product of broken homes, abuse, and horrible circumstances. We forget that except for God’s grace, we could well be worse than them. We forget the words of Jesus from the cross towards those who hated Him and nailed Him there: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”. Those were words of compassion and mercy. He is described in Psalms 103:8-12, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide (accuse us of wrong): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”. My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit will help me be moved with compassion. That He will empower me to pray for others that their eyes will be opened to Christ and that they may know His peace. Everyone I know, those I don’t, and also my enemies need the mercy and grace of God. When we show all those things, it’s part of doing the right thing in the Name of Jesus.
February 14, 2025
2 Peter 3:5-6 “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished”
What does it mean to be willingly ignorant and to what are these verses referring? It means to deliberately, purposefully push, or hide something: to push it out of mind and to deliberately forget. In this case, it is referring to the second coming of Jesus Christ and looks back to verses 3 & 4: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”. Those who scoff or minimize the second coming of Christ are trying to willfully bury the truth that there was a world of people long ago who turned away from God and rebelled against His will, and God destroyed them all with a flood except for Noah and his family. The second coming of Jesus Christ is not only the blessed hope for believers both alive and deceased, but also a time of judgment for those who oppose the truth. In the whole span of all creation, just as there was only one appearing of Christ to live a human life and die for sins, there is only one second coming to end the world as we know it and usher in the finality of all earthly things. Those who still sneer at the second coming of Christ, believing that most churches still major on it, are flailing the air with their opposition. They speak to an empty audience that no longer cares about Biblical eschatology. In the past, it was one of the church’s main messages. But many churches have silenced that truth as they drift further away from dispensationalism towards a confused mess that has no clear, unified message of Biblical truth concerning the future. Perhaps the influence of the scoffers mentioned above destroyed the fundamental faith of many or maybe the writings of the peddlers of replacement theology and other twisted human reasonings have fueled willful ignorance. But no matter the case, their departure from truth fulfills the prophecy. Jesus is still coming again and He will resurrect the deceased saints, instantly glorify those living, and the time of God’s judgment will begin. I staunchly believe in the second coming but I am not obsessed with it. I’m having a joyous time living in the here and now, enjoying the presence of the Lord and praising His name. . But it’s as much a part of what I know and believe as the virgin birth and the cross of Calvery. Saved by grace and not willingly ignorant but willingly aware and increasingly hopeful for our Lord’s appearing.
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February 13, 2025
Acts 20:26-27 “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God”
There is no doubt that the thought of these two verses has its roots in Ezekiel 33:8, “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand”. The principle is that we have the responsibility to declare God’s truth. The Apostle Paul writes that he did not hold back from declaring the whole counsel of God and there was no blood on his hands. The whole counsel is the whole plan and purpose of God as it has been revealed and recorded in His Word. I wrote recently that God said it is wickedness to hold back the truth no matter what our personal objections are. People have been threatened for several years by the vocal cancel culture, and bullied by those who want the truth of God suppressed until fear has driven many to avoid the reproof and rebuke part of our commission. Churches have had the threats of losing their tax-exempt status and the possible arrests of their leaders looming over them. In response, we have majored in the exhorting part towards already saved congregations while the world is drowning in darkness. But praise God the true light still shines and we now have an open door to proclaim all the counsel, advice, purpose, design, determination, and decrees of God. We have recently seen firsthand the message and posture of the apostate churches. Their motives have been brought to light and the ugliness of their greed has been made public. There’s no mistake about their message because they’ve declared it through their ministers and it was recorded for all the world to see and hear. Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned”. But the whole counsel of God, the pure, rightly divided, and spiritually discerned Word of God is not bound by the shifts in culture, the timidity of humans, or the onslaught and threats of the enemy. It is not canceled by the crafty deceptions of those who pressure God’s people to circumvent, alter, or replace the established and time-tested Biblical Protestant Catechisms of faith. In the time we have left before the coming of our Lord, let’s unite around the Scriptures, the whole counsel of God, to warn about the wages of sin and proclaim the glorious liberty of Jesus Christ!
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February 12, 2025
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 these words from God were spoken to Israel in Jeremiah’s day, the nation was on the verge of being conquered by Babylon. The Jewish people had turned away from the Lord and idolatry filled the land. Corrupt leaders, false prophets, and a general disregard for the ways of God were the norm. Despite many warnings to repent and turn back to God, the nation continued its headlong course into apostasy. The corruption extended from the common people upwards through the rulers and religious leaders. Today’s verse was a call to them to stop, take a hard look at how they were living, seek out the old ways of God, and do what was right. The Lord promised they would find rest for their souls. But notice the response of the people: “We will not walk therein”. Perhaps they were following the message of the false prophets who were telling the people that everything was OK, that they were God’s chosen people, and that He would not punish them. Sound familiar? When the goodness of God is separated from the severity of God and the severity of God is disregarded, it is a false message. And, those who preach it that way, holding back the truth, are false teachers. Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (hold back, suppress, restrain) the truth in unrighteousness”. The Lord is calling us back to the simplicity of the faith, a place where the gospel is central to our lives and to our way of worship. That’s the old paths of sin, mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. The ways of religious psychobabble do not set people free. They’re just attempts to make us feel better about our sins without teaching the gospel of repentance and faith towards God. A Godly sorrow for our sins produces repentance that leads to salvation. And then we have peace with no regrets. (a reference to 2 Corinthians 7:10). Do we want the old paths, those that honor God and offer hope? Then let’s not be afraid to teach the Word of God correctly (Rightly divided 2 Tim 2:15). 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”.
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February 11, 2025
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us”
At some time in their Christian walk, most believers question the assurance of their salvation. Our evil hearts of unbelief continuously try to retreat to the deception that we must in some way have a hand in our salvation. Either by works, association with others or organizations, conference of forgiveness by a religious leader, or at least through experiences, feelings, or emotions. But God completely refused to allow us to participate in our own redemption because His glory alone is revealed when we are eternally forgiven. As Jonah declared in Jonah 2:9, “Salvation is of the LORD”. If we think any deeds we’ve done or any efforts on our part played a role in our eternal redemption, we could say, “God and I saved me”. But God sent Jesus to become every detail needed to save us. Today’s verses show us how he is our high priest, a picture that looks back to the time of the Law and its ceremonies. In those days, the high priest represented all the people before God and the priest offered an animal blood sacrifice to God for himself and the people of Israel. By doing so, people received an atonement, a restoration of divine favor in exchange for their sins. But Jesus offered His own blood as a sacrifice for us all (not for himself for He was sinless and needed no sacrifice) and that sacrifice bought our eternal salvation. Unlike the earthly high priests who offered sacrifices continually, our Lord offered His perfect blood once and that satisfied God forever. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:12,14, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;(14) For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Halleluiah!!! I encourage you today to trust what Jesus did for you. Don’t believe the lie that you have to earn your salvation or keep your salvation by following some set of rules or laws. Jesus didn’t make a down payment to save us and then expects us to make installment payments with our good works. Jesus Paid it all. By Himself, He obtained eternal redemption for us.
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February 10, 2025
John 6:65-66 “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him”
These verses tell us of a moment in Jesus’ ministry when a lot of people who were following Him, turned their backs on Him and did not follow Him anymore. It is a pivotal point in the chronology of Christ’s time on earth. I believe it was providential, not accidental, that when the Bible was divided into chapters and verses several hundred years ago, John 6:66 says, “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” 666 is the number of the antichrist and in the verse considered today, it is the verse of apostasy. The key to them walking away from the Lord is the discourse in the previous verses that lead up to verse 65 where Jesus tells them, “No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” Why did Christ say that because, obviously, they had traveled from wherever they lived to “come to Him” that day? It follows His words in verses 53-54, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day”. We know that these words spoke foreshadowing His sacrifice on the cross where His flesh was tormented and His blood was shed for our sins. Yet the deeper meaning is that until we come to Jesus and wrap our arms of faith around Him as the Son of God, trusting who He is, where He came from, and the purpose He came to earth, we are not coming to Him for salvation. That day, some might have been curious, looking for entertainment as if He was a magic show when He was healing people, or hoping to get another free meal of fish and bread. But only those who were yielding to the Holy Spirit Who was at work on their hearts to convince them of truth, were there for the right reason. The Father was drawing people by His Spirit and those who were not yielding, walked away. Let’s consider carefully the words of 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us”. Have you come to Jesus Christ because You believe He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world and do You receive Him as Your personal Savior? Then say, “Jesus is Lord!!!!”.
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February 9, 2025
Matthew 7:21 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”
This is a startling verse and might seem to contradict 1 Corinthians 12:3: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost”. But the two verses, rightly divided, refer to two types of people: Those who speak about Jesus but have no faith in Him as the Savior and those who place their faith in the gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection. Of the first kind, Jesus said 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 teaching is echoed in Titus 1:16, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate”. Jesus continued this truth in verses 22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. H.A. Ironside commented, “There may be much of outward show and apparently successful service coupled with a Christless profession. In the day of manifestation, nothing will avail but a personal faith in Him whom we profess to own as Lord”. The second type of people are those who have done the will of the Father. So, what does it mean to do the will of the Father in heaven? Jesus gave the answer in John 6:39-40, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day”. Many religious people will not enter heaven because their faith is in something besides Christ alone. Their church, their goodness and good works, their baptism, their reasoning that they are ok because they’re not really bad people or any number of other things except Jesus alone. It’s Jesus only. He is the door to heaven, the way, the truth, and the life. And, He said that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
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February 8, 2025
1 John 3:20-22 “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”
God wants to bless us and answer our prayers. He is the One who gave His Word that if we would ask, we will receive, seek and we will find, and knock and He will open the doors. He also said we do not receive because we do not ask. But it’s not the length of our prayers, the wording of our prayers, or the frequency of our prayers that moves God to answer. He is moved to act by our faith. Today’s verse gives us a key to what blocks our faith: Known sin. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit within us is to convict us of sin. When He makes us aware of something we’re doing, saying, or planning that is against God’s will, He stirs us with uneasiness to make us aware we need to correct whatever is amiss. If we do not obey Him and continue down the path He warned us about, it brings condemnation and condemnation blocks our faith. But when we walk in repentance and obey God’s will for us, our heart is free from condemnation and the scriptures here tell us that we have confidence (cheerful courage, boldness, assurance) towards God. When we pray uncondemned, there is nothing within us to speak against our faith and we can strongly believe that God hears us and will answer our prayers. His Word promises, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”. He is not talking about the Ten Commandments of the Law because the next verse clarifies it: “And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment”. We obey those commandments and, led by the Holy Spirit, we do what is pleasing in His sight. May we all confess any sin we know we have and may we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. What a wonderful way to live: with an uncondemned heart, led by the Spirit, and free to boldly and unashamedly come into the presence of God and speak with Him, believing He is hearing us and ready to answer.
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February 7, 2025
Numbers 23:10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!”
These are the words of Balaam, a very mysterious man in the Bible. He was not an Israelite but he was still a prophet that God spoke to and through. His story is not a good one because at least three times in the scriptures we’re told of his wicked ways: 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 11, Revelation 2:14. Balaam took money from a pagan king in exchange for instructions on how to harm God’s people. And yet, in today’s verse, Balaam said he wanted to live his last days as a righteous man and die the death of the righteous. Even though he said these words, he did not live as a righteous man and he died a horrible death: Numbers 31:8, “And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword”. Even though he had the opportunity to follow the ways of God, Balaam chose how he wanted to live his life as we are warned in 2 Peter 2:15, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness”. He chose to follow money and wealth rather than consecrate himself to the Lord. He chose to ignore God’s Words and, tempted by a bribe, spoke what the wicked pagan King Balak wanted to hear. This story speaks to us today about being careful to examine what we are listening to and reading that professes to be from God. Many religious preachers, teachers, and entire churches, like Balaam, are following the money trail. Like Balaam, they hold back the truth and offer people what they want to hear to increase their salaries and sell more books. If it’s not money they crave, it could be any number of other things like big crowds, notoriety, or power and influence. Let’s reject the way of Balaam with its promise of rewards in this life and choose to walk in the footsteps of Jesus without pretense and reservation. Let’s be careful with the things that temp us and admit that none of us are so strong in the faith that we can’t stumble. Let’s live so we can truthfully say, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!”.
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February 6, 2025
Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God”
The Christian walk is how we live our lives. The choices we make, the lifestyles we embrace, the things we value, our character, and the way we represent Jesus Christ before a dying world. The way we live is a reflection of what we believe in our hearts and is the witness of our faith that others see. We can say religious things, identify with a church, and profess to be a Christian but what we do and say is what matters. If we consider the greatness of God and believe that all things exist because of Him, we should live in utter awe of His power, goodness, and love. We should also live in awe of His determination to judge sin and the consequences of that determination. And, to think that He pulled us from the fires of hell, forgave all our sins, and adopted us as His beloved children, should make us want to honor Him and live set apart from all that is against God and His will. We want to walk worthy of who He is and what He has done for us. That means we walk carefully, looking to His Word and making choices that align our lives with His truth. Ephesians 5:15, “See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully, precisely), not as fools, but as wise”. Such a deliberate, willful way of living is pleasing to the Lord as the scriptures say in 1 Peter 1:14-15, “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (the way you live)”. We’ve all made our share of mistakes and we’ve all sinned and come short of God’s glory. But that’s not how I want to live out my life, as if God doesn’t matter and as if it’s ok to live apart from His will. I don’t want to frustrate the grace of God by living in disobedience. Jesus wants us to be fruitful in every good work and grow in the grace and the knowledge of God. For all of us, it’s not too late to double down on our determination to live in ways that please God, ways that honor Him. It’s not too late and we haven’t made too many mistakes to keep us from walking worthy of our Lord. Today is a new day and we can declare Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”.
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February 5, 2025
Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”
When we try to cover our sins, we are trying to hide them. It’s the normal thing for us and we see the first example in Adam and Eve trying to cover themselves with fig leaves and hide from God. We can be sure Adam’s heart was pumping fast and he was sweating when he heard the voice of God booming through the garden, calling him out. When you come across someone who has the courage and integrity to be completely honest about their wrongs, it’s humbling and inspiring. When King David committed a great sin, in Psalms 51:3-4 he says,” For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight;”. It’s no wonder the Lord called him a man after God’s own heart: he was painfully truthful and took responsibility for his actions. What if people would follow this example and stop making excuses, quit blaming others, quit spinning their explanations, and stop executing “damage control”? What if they just admitted their wrongs and tried to make them right? What if husbands and dads, wives and mothers, children and grandchildren would start saying, “I was wrong, please forgive me”? Or, “I did it, and I shouldn’t have”? And what if we all would fall on our faces before a Holy God and come clean with the Creator of heaven and earth about every detail of our life, every wrong, every secret sin, every wayward manipulation, and every covered transgression? What if we asked God to search us and reveal who we really are so we can live honestly and openly before the Lord our maker and the people around us? Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. Perhaps this would be the first step toward true revival. After all, it was the Lord who said in today’s verse, ”He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”. We know it’s the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins before God. But while we are in this world it’s such a wonderful blessing and the right thing to do to be honest and open before God and others when we make mistakes and when we make wrong choices. There’s nothing like being honest, clean, and feeling free.
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February 4, 2025
Psalms 37:4-5 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass”
What does it mean to, “Delight ourselves in the Lord”? A good example is in Acts 16 when a mob of angry people and the local leaders of Philippi turned on Paul and Silas. They beat them and threw them in jail, fastening them in foot stocks. But instead of being depressed and overcome by their circumstances, the Bible says in verse 25, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them”. They were focused on the goodness of God, His power, and His ability to do all things. Their words of praise and prayers meant they were delighting themselves in the Lord. They redirected their thoughts away from their situation and turned themselves to Jesus with the expectation that He alone was their answer, their provider of all good things. This is not something we do automatically when we are saved. It’s something we learn to pursue by faith until it becomes a way of life for us. We see Jesus in everything and every situation. We acknowledge His presence no matter where we are, who else we are with, or what our predicament is. We pull our attention away from all that is distracting us from Him and trust Him to know our every detail, believing that His plan for us has not changed. God promises that when we live this way, delighting in Him, He will delight in us. It goes with the rest of this passage where we “Commit our way to the Lord”. We put our life, our past, present, and future in the hands of God. By faith, we believe God’s way, His plan for us, is better, safer, and far more excellent than anything we could imagine. When we delight ourselves in the Lord and commit our ways to Him, the desires of our hearts will be rooted in His will, not the materialism or power this world offers. People who try to spin this verse to teach God will shower us with whatever we want, are far from the truth of this promise and far from the principle of submission to God’s will as shown in the example of Jesus Christ in Luke 22:42: “Not my will, but thine, be done”. But every good gift comes from God and when we delight ourselves in Him, He is ready and willing to act on our behalf.
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February 3, 2025
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”
The Lord’s teaching recorded in this chapter, begins in verse 1 with: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me”. Throughout our lifetime we can turn to this truth in times of sorrow, duress, and confusion. We believe in God and we believe in the Son of God. Believers do not find their source of comfort in themselves or what they can do. They do not find peace and comfort in what this world offers. All those things will fail because their sources are the feeble words of humankind and the failed efforts of humans to make and keep peace. The Bible says in Psalms 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help”. For the Jews in that time, the hills were the hills of Jerusalem where the Holy Temple sat and the Glory of God was in the temple. For Believers, we look to Jesus, the Author, and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and the embodiment of the Godhead in all Its Glory. In Christ alone, there is peace and the power to be calm and assured no matter the situation. The words in today’s verse are especially precious when there are calamities all around and the pressure of life bears down on us unrelenting and inescapable. Or, times when fear and uncertainty knock at our door or the door of a loved one. We have real peace because the Prince of Peace has promised us His abiding presence and fullness of peace. The world never knows peace, just temporary ceasefires while armies regroup and rearm themselves to fight again. In times of our so-called peace, we’re busy building more weapons, more powerful ones readying ourselves to fight again. But in Jesus Christ, we know our souls are safe, our eternity is secure, and God is at work ordering our steps. We take comfort in His words, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. Jesus didn’t say He would take care of this automatically. He’s teaching us to reach to Him by faith, trusting His promise. When we’re in seasons of doubt and fear, times when we feel overwhelmed, we can say these words over and over until they move past our minds and lodge in our hearts and spirits, knowing it’s God’s will for us to be at peace and unafraid.
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February 2, 2025
Philemon 1:6 “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus”
The words here, “the communication of thy faith”, is a picture of community, of people sharing in joint participation their personal testimonies. It also means cooperation in giving and communal benevolence. But overall, it is about believers joining together, speaking of their faith, and giving offerings of what God has blessed them. As we share our faith, we grow in understanding all the good things Jesus Christ has done for us. The enemy wants to shut us down and isolate us from others until we are just introspective and uninvolved in the church. He wants us to concentrate our attention on what we don’t have instead of all the blessings we receive from God. But when we open up and talk about the goodness of God, of how He is working in our lives and we listen to the testimonies of others and their words of faith, we start to acknowledge the greatness of God’s grace. We learn about our own blessings by hearing about the blessings of others. When someone tells us about a prayer God answered or a situation that He brought them through, it strengthens our faith. We believe the Lord can do the same for us. And likewise, our testimony does the same for others. It’s good to break down the barriers of fear, embarrassment, and hesitation and speak about the Lord and His goodness. The Bible says in Malachi 3:16, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name”. When God’s people share their faith, when they fellowship from their common bond of salvation, it gets God’s attention and He listens to us. It is so important to Him that it is recorded in His Book of Remembrance. When people ask, “How are you doing?”, let’s not be embarrassed or afraid to tell them how good God has been to us. Let’s look for opportunities and open doors to share our faith and be encouragers. Let’s pray for each other, take time to listen to what others are saying, and offer ourselves as true friends and companions in Christ. It will grow all our faith and bring out the truth that we are all blessed by the goodness of God.
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February 1, 2025
Psalms 61:2-3 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy”
When we see pictures of the recent flood damage in North Carolina and Tennessee and the wildfires in California, most of us can’t imagine what those people experienced. Floods of rushing waters were strong enough to wash houses away as if they were little boats or fires like blowtorches, driven by 100 mph winds until everything including metal beams was reduced to ash. No matter where we find the blame for these disasters, the reality is that people suffered, some died, and the path going forward for them is heartbreaking. It reminds us that no matter how strong our foundations, no matter how well prepared we are, life can hit us with forces we can’t stop on our own. Sometimes, we never see them coming. Today’s verses speak to us spiritually, reaching down into our hearts to promise us that no matter what we’re up against, the Lord is there. When our heart is overwhelmed, weak, hopeless, and in despair, there is a place, a rock, that is above our understanding and above all the chaos and confusion where we can stand firm with Christ. Many of the disaster areas mentioned are complete communities but within each community, there are individuals, families, and people just like you and me who are suffering. Maybe some of you who are reading this devotion have been in a similar place. It might not have been a flood or fire but it could have been an illness, the loss of a child or family member, an addiction, or a season of financial ruin that overwhelmed you. That’s why I believe the Lord often leads me to write these devotions about our hope and help in the Lord. He is our shelter, our place of security when we’re in a fierce storm or battle. When we’ve gone as far as we think we can go, He is still with us, our strong tower of defense. We can declare, “Lord, You are with me. You are my rock of ages, my protection from all that would destroy me. I trust in You because You, Lord, are my hiding place. My shelter from the floods of trouble. When I cry to You, You hear me and are ready to help me. I praise and thank You that You are faithful and true”.