Jennifer A

In Acts 26 Paul has been held in custody for two years and he has finally received an opportunity to plead his case before King Agrippa. So, with Governor Festus and other noblemen present, Paul chose not to plead his case, but to share the full story of his miraculous conversion to Christianity. So, instead of trying to save his own physical life, Paul shared his salvation story, with others, in hopes that they too would be saved for eternity.

Following Jesus’ visit to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was physically blinded for a period of time, but only so that he could open his spiritual eyes and then allow Jesus in to make the necessary changes that would impact eternity for his own life and for the lives of many as Jesus worked through Paul.

When given the opportunity, do you make things about yourself, or do you make things about Jesus? How often do you share your salvation story with others?

Paul was given an opportunity, and he made it all about Jesus instead of making it about himself. Paul said, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Cor 4:17) We see this very Truth through Paul in today’s passage. He didn’t think twice about his present troubles, rather he shared his heart for Jesus through his salvation story because he knew that vastly outweighed the trouble and eternity lasts forever.

Acts 26:19-29 NLT

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

24 Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”

25 But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. 26 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”

28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for the miracle of our salvation. Please help us to share our salvation story more and more. Guide us with Your wisdom to think less of ourselves and more of You. We want to share You with someone today. Please allow Your Holy Spirit to move through us to touch the hearts of others. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Last week someone asked, “why isn’t God stopping Hurricane Ian, or better yet, why did He even allow the storm to begin in the first place?”

If we are all being completely honest, at times along our faith journey we have found ourselves in difficult places and have asked questions like: “Why, God?”, “Where are You, God?”, or “Are You really good, God”? If we take our honesty to a place of Biblical humility, we can admit that in those times we were doubting God, we were not trusting in Him, and our doubt and lack of trust were directly connected to our lack of Biblical saving faith. That Truth might be a tough and ugly pill to swallow at times; but our actions and inactions are a direct indicator of our faith or lack of faith.

So, how are we as believers supposed to respond to the destruction of Hurricane Ian or to hard times? In today’s passage, James tells us that as believers we are to consider ourselves fortunate, or in other Biblical translations we are to consider it a sheer gift (GNT), consider it pure joy (NLT), or allow it to give us a reason to be very happy (ERV), because it will all be worth it in the long run (for eternity)!

Considering ourselves “fortunate” during a hard time might sound like a crazy idea. But James wants us to know that when we allow the Spirit of Christ, by our faith, to guide us during hard times that our faith succeeds (or grows) and as a result our ability to endure during hard times also grows. It is all about God seeking to grow us up in our faith, so that we trust in Him at all times, and ultimately, He can keep producing something worthwhile and eternal in each of us. The key to this happening is that we have to be fully willing to allow God to work within us.

James is not telling us to plaster on a fake smile in the midst of pain during a hard time. Remember, James was the younger son of Mary and Joseph, so he knows pain as he watched his own Brother be nailed to a cross and crucified. Rather, in today’s passage, James is guiding us towards praying to God in the midst of pain and calling out for His Godly wisdom. You and I need God’s wisdom to lead our faith in hard times. Otherwise, Satan will seek to weaken our faith with doubt. Doubt is not from God, and if you and I allow it within our souls (our minds, wills, and emotions) Satan will use it like Hurricane Ian to cause destruction of our faith. God’s wisdom within us stands against Satan and his tactics to destroy us and our faith…so we need to pray for God’s wisdom every single day!

James 1:2-8 (GNT)
Faith and Wisdom

2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, 3 for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. 4 Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. 6 But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. 7-8 If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the ultimate example of faith. Your faith never wavered on the cross, the most difficult of times, and so we call on that faith for our own lives. We seek Your wisdom, Lord, and we need Your help to cast out all doubt. Forgive us for our lack of faith and our lack of trust. Strengthen our faith, Jesus, by Your wisdom. We ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, I’ve mentioned in the past that we follow the Lectionary with the passages that we use for the daily devotions; and it seems like Jesus is divinely connecting so many of my recent devotions to the urgency of our spiritual readiness as His church in preparation for His return.

Today we will be looking at the last 9 verses of Revelation 3 which is a message from Jesus, through John, to the Church in Laodicea. Before we look at today’s passage, we need to remember that the book of Revelation is an unveiling of the future. Every message to all 7 churches is in red print, meaning these are direct words from Jesus to “the church”…and since you and I are the church, that means He is speaking to us. This particular message, or letter, is the final instruction that Jesus has given to John to write for the 7th church. These messages/letters advise you, me, and all believers that as the church we must repent and hold firm to our faith, or else we will become lukewarm which is exactly where Satan wants each of us so he can turn our hearts cold to Christ.

Every message/letter, prior to this last one, has included at least a compliment from Jesus to the churches. But, right out of the gate in this one, Jesus says, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mount!” (v.15-16) We must remember that Jesus knows the intensions of our heart. He knows if we are serving Him (and on hot fire with the Holy Spirit) or if we are serving Satan (have grown cold and desiring more of this world). It is imperative that we remember what Jesus taught us through Matthew during His Sermon on the Mount that “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (6:24) Anything of this world that enslaves us is simply Satan taking us further away from Jesus. Satan plays a long-term game for our hearts, he knows if we are enslaved to the things of this world, we will grow lukewarm and eventually we will turn cold. If we go a little further in Matthew to chapter 24 Jesus speaks about the future and He specifically says that “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (24:12)

We can say we are good, that we have everything we need, even that we are rich which money, love, things, etc. The physical churches can be beautiful, with large budget lines; but, when everything goes away, you and I want to make sure that we have stored up “wealth” in eternity…and that starts right NOW. We must live for eternity now, which means we ought to be repenting daily in prayer and allowing God to purify us, so we can inherit the riches of heaven. We also want to be made righteousness in the likeness of Christ, which requires the same, constant repentance in prayer and seeking to have spiritual eyes to be guided on the path Christ has for us. We have to welcome the correction that God has for us, because if we don’t, we are walking off of the path He has so beautifully created for each of us as His church. Listen for His knock, quickly answer Him, and remain on HOT fire for Jesus, no matter what is happening around you.

Revelation 3:14-22 NLT

The Message to the Church in Laodicea

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for hearing our prayers. Help us to be on fire for You, Lord. When we step into sin, help us to immediately stop, repent, and turn away from that sin. We ask for Your angels to guard us, and for all of heaven to join us in prayer as we hold firmly to our faith in You, Lord Jesus. We join our hearts in asking for Your protection over all who are in Ian’s path. Please weaken this storm, Lord. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

It has been 6 years since I began to study the Bible, and I am so grateful that God continuously reveals so many beautiful connections to me throughout His Word. I have grown to understand that every book, in the Bible, from the first page of Genesis to the last page in Revelation are collectively the only Truth that you and I must have engraved within our hearts. With that being said, I realize that some people struggle with reading the Bible, and I am not here to judge the “whys’, but I feel a great responsibility placed on my heart to encourage you today to read Mark 13. If you’ve already read it many times, read it again, if you’ve never read it, please read it after this devotion. We all need to keep reading it over and over and over again, so we understand what Jesus is speaking about for our “future”, which many believe we are living in now.

Friends, our passage today is from Acts 4, but we need to recall what transpired in Acts 3 in order to understand where Peter and John find themselves, and I will do my best to connect their time and ours back to Mark 13.

So, in Acts 3 Peter and John went to the Temple for a 3 p.m. prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a crippled man (from birth) was being carried in and he was put at the Temple gate, where he would often beg. When Peter and John entered, the man asked them for money. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (v.6) Then Peter took the man’s hand and “He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.” (v.8) Many people saw this and knew the man. So, Peter and John took this as an opportunity to witness about the saving love of Jesus. “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed – and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.” (v.16) “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (v.19-21)

That leads us up to today’s passage in Acts 4. So, when Peter and John were speaking to the people about Jesus after they healed the crippled man, they were confronted by all of the “head leaders” of the Temple. Basically, anyone who had some type of “religious” authority, fearfully came to confront these guys. Out of their own prideful fear, they arrested Peter and John. The next day some of the “head leaders” met and “They brought in the two disciples and demanded, ‘By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?’” (v.7) Here’s the cool part, so Peter and John already knew from Jesus that this would happen, it’s recorded for us within Mark 13, where during Jesus’ ministry He is speaking directly to these guys about what they will need to do when this happens. In Mark 13:11, Jesus told them, “But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Peter allows the Holy Spirit to speak, and the Spirit through Peter reminds these religious leaders of their sin, and of the authority by which the miracle was done, and it was by the Name of Jesus, the One whom they crucified. The cripple man who was raised to walk, was healed by the power of Jesus who was raised up from death.

Friends, when you read Mark 13, please keep in mind that Jesus’ teachings, warnings, and every piece of His Word was (for that time), is (for our time), and will (for time to come) remain the Truth. The Word is active and alive, because Jesus is alive, and His Holy Spirit is active and alive within us. So, since we know the end of the story (the book of Revelation), our hearts need to remain prepared with what He tells us will happen in the Future (READ MARK 13).

Acts 4:1-12 NLT

Peter and John before the Council

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.

5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.’

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for being our guide and for revealing to us what is to come. Help us to lay down our sins and our earthly desires at Your feet, and to truly pick up our crosses and move forward with You. Be our wisdom, Lord, and give us spiritual eyes, spiritual ears, and allow Your spirit to take control of our souls. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Fight the Battle Well…Wage the Good Warfare…Fight Well in the Lord’s Battle…Fight the Good Fight

In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul charges his mentee, Timothy, to “fight the good fight” or in other translations it is written as listed above. “This command I entrust to you”, Paul says to Timothy, because Paul is transferring his spiritual wisdom to Timothy and he knows that Timothy must engage in the battle, warfare, and fight not just for his own faith, but by his calling as a Pastor he must speak the Truth and warn against false teachers for the faith of all believers. As believers, we are all ministers of faith and so we must acknowledge that there is constant battle, warfare, and fight between good and evil, which is God and Satan, for us at all times. Each side is wanting our allegiance. So, you and I might not be a Pastor, but as believers, and ministers of faith to others, we still have the same choice to make at all times…good or evil, God or Satan.

Paul reminds Timothy that as he fights the good fight of faith, it must be in good conscience. In Romans 2:13-15, Paul wrote about how the Gentiles didn’t have the law, but “their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right”. (v.15) “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.” (v.13) A good conscience that is fed by the Spirit of Christ will produce the Fruits of the Spirit, and when evil behavior takes place that person’s conscience will feel a sinful response and that person will know that they must repent and turn away from sin.

Our “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Heb 11:1) So, by rejecting a good conscience, a person will shipwreck their faith. We must remember that Satan is cunning, and he will use people, circumstances, events, things, and take small steps to cloud our understanding of the Truth, and to slowly pull our souls towards him and away from God. We must never lose sight of the significance of this life, and it is to remain in alignment with God and to keep moving towards Him and away from Satan. We see below when Hymenaeus and Alexander shipwrecked their faith where that led them, and we do not want that for our own lives.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NASB)

18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

Prayer: Jesus, please keep growing my faith walk each day through Your Word. Help my conscience to be renewed by Your Spirit and drawn to live and speak Your Truth. Please quicken my soul by Your Spirit to turn away from sin. Forgive me, Jesus, of all sin. I want to walk each day with You, standing against all false teachings, and further and further away from Satan. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Today is Labor Day and for many working and school going Americans it’s a three-day weekend. It’s a day that marks the end of summer, the start of the school year, it kicks off the first college football games of the season, and lots of people are coming together in outdoor events. In the late nineteenth century labor activists came together to push for today to be a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions that workers have made to make America strong and prosperous.

When you think about your strength and prosperity, is your job the first thing that comes to your mind? Obviously, we need employment to sustain our livelihoods, but where does your strength come from and how is your prosperity determined?

We are reminded by our biblical siblings of where to find our strength: in one of the Books of Wisdom, King David says, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!” (Psalm 121:2) In the Old Testament, Isaiah says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Finally, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13) Although our employment may bring financial stability to our household, our “actual strength” is divine and comes directly from the Lord, as we see throughout scripture.

We are also reminded by our biblical siblings throughout scripture that our prosperity is in our spiritual connection with Christ. Everything of this world will one day perish, but our connection with the Living God is the only eternal thing. Again, in one of the Books of Wisdom, King David says, “You will enjoy the fruits of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!” (Psalm 128:2) In the Old Testament, Jeremiah says, “For I know the plans I have for you’, says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) In the New Testament, our dear brother, Paul, says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19). All prosperity points to Jesus, to truly know Him is to be prosperous, because all of the “financial and tangible prosperity” of this world will one day vanish, but Jesus remains the same for eternity.

So, how do you grow in your strength with the Lord, the One who offers you eternal prosperity? Well, a simple shepherd boy that grew up to be a great King who sought after God’s heart tells us in today’s passage. David outlines for us the starting points to cultivating a God centered life. In addition, I’d add, pick up the Bible every single day and ask for Jesus to grow you up in His Truth, and that is labor worth celebrating!

Psalm 101 (NLT)
Of David. A psalm.

1 I will sing of your love and justice;

to you, Lord, I will sing praise.

2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life—

when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs of my house

with a blameless heart.

3 I will not look with approval

on anything that is vile.

I hate what faithless people do;

I will have no part in it.

4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me;

I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

5 Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,

I will put to silence;

whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,

I will not tolerate.

6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,

that they may dwell with me;

the one whose walk is blameless

will minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit

will dwell in my house;

no one who speaks falsely

will stand in my presence.

8 Every morning I will put to silence

all the wicked in the land;

I will cut off every evildoer

from the city of the Lord.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for all of the work that You lay entrust in my care. I ask for you to guide me to do everything in Your excellence. Grow me in Your strength and help me to see each step of faith with You as the only prosperity that I need for this life, because this physical life is fleeting, but my spiritual life with You is growing each and every day. Thank You for continuing to see me as a labor of love worthy of You, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Today’s devotion is from the last chapter in Hebrews. The author reminds us of the importance of the leaders of the church, and we are encouraged to live a life that is growing in faith by Truth, and Truth alone. We read within the passage that the leaders of faith much imitate the life of Christ, and thus their teachings must be of sound biblical doctrine, because the Gospel message of Truth is never changing as “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (v. 8)

In today’s passage we see the comparison of the Old Testament animal sacrifice, to the New Testament sacrifice of Jesus, through His death which reconciled us back to God. This connection needs to be one that we hold firmly to, because it’s a reminder of our eternal promise in Christ Jesus. But, as He was persecuted, so will we for our faith, so never let go of Jesus!

Question: When was the last time you prayed for Pastor Mary? Not, when was the last time you prayed with Pastor Mary because you asked her to pray, but when was the last time you actually prayed for her as the shepherd of our spiritual family or as the shepherd of your own soul?

If you go to 1 Peter 5 you will see that the word “pastor” isn’t merely a title, it’s a very serious calling on one’s life to be a shepherd of God’s flock that is placed under their care. Shepherds guide the flock (or spiritual family), they provide biblical nourishment, they seek after the ones who stray, and they guard the flock from wolves. This is why we should all be in prayer regularly for Pastor Mary. She is not only responsible for caring for our spiritual family, but she also knows that those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1).

Hebrews 13:7-17 NLT

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for Pastor Mary, the shepherd of our spiritual family. We are blessed to be nourished with Your Truth through her. Please allow each of us to be continually growing in Your Truth. Help us to be drawn to You in prayer for Pastor Mary each day. May You give her the wisdom and strength she needs to guide, to feed, to seek, and to guard the spiritual family. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

The author of Hebrews uses strong warnings in an effort to keep true Christians preserving in their faith. God desires that we move with faith from one day to the next. We cannot leave yesterday’s faith behind, as we need to build upon it with today’s faith. Even though we need constant encouragement in faith, we should be comforted to know that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8), which means that He is our constant and all we need to do is to stop wavering.

With genuine faith in Christ, you and I can overcome fear even in the midst of the darkest trial. “So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” (Heb 13:6)

Brother and sisters, we need to be encouraging one another in faith every single day. When we stand in faith together, we are standing with Jesus. When we endure in faith together, we are enduring with Jesus. God is present with us through our faith until the very end.

Hebrews 3:12-14 NLT

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for coming into my heart and for making me a new creation in You. Help me to continue to grow each day in my faith, and to be a daily encouragement to other believers for their faith. Fill me, Lord Jesus, with Your wisdom and discernment so that I am not deceived by sin. I want my heart to remain filled with Your everlasting light and to never be hardened by this sinful world. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus.

Do you find yourself being drawn to a Biblical figure or Biblical moment, to the point where you spend a good portion of time learning and growing from that person or moment? That tends to happen to me, and more recently I have been drawn to the life, heart, and teachings of our brother Paul.

Paul reminds us within 2 Corinthians 5:17, that when someone becomes a Christian, they become a brand-new person inside; and they are no longer the same anymore, because a new life in Christ has begun! It is within this new life, through salvation, that we begin to understand the blessing of divine forgiveness by God’s grace. We must remember that “If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the Truth. But, if we confess our sins to Him, He can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away out sins.” (1 John 1:8-9).

In today’s Psalm, David expresses the relief that comes from being forgiven of sin. David sinned with Bathsheba, then he sinned by attempting to cover up his crimes. David initially refused to acknowledge his sin, but once he finally confessed his adultery and murder, the Lord graciously forgave him.

Friends, we are no longer the same as we once were, like Paul reminds us, and we are forgiven of our sins, as David reminds us. So, we must remain obedient to God’s Word. Remember, the world is rebellious and enjoys lawlessness against God’s Word, but we are faithful to follow it and to lead others into the loving and forgiving arms of Jesus.

Psalm 32 NLT

A psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your unending forgiveness. If there is anything that I need to be forgiven for, that I have not brought to You, please shine a light on it so that I can lay it down at Your feet. I want to live as one with You and to not carry sin. I love You, Lord. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Today’s devotion is the first part of Hebrews 11. In the previous chapter, a warning and a word of encouragement were given specifically to “those who have faith”; and now a direct definition of faith and examples are given in a letter to the Hebrews, and to all believers.

So, what is faith? Everyone talks about it, but how many people actually live out the true Biblical meaning of godly faith each and every moment of their life?

We read the “definition” of faith within the first three verses of today’s passage; and it’s clear that faith is not simply knowing a few Bible verses and believing that God exists. Rather, godly faith is based on trust. In order to truly trust God, we have to intimately know Him. The only way we do that is by daily growth in His Word, by understanding our direct oneness with God’s Son, Jesus, through our salvation, by growing in the understanding that our existence is not in this world but is eternal in God’s Kingdom, by our obedience to all that God has revealed through warnings and promises in the Word and not picking and choosing how we live, but by living out ALL of the Word for ALL to witness. Once we are on this path, we are growing in our godly faith.

Below, we see that “by faith” a few Biblical brothers set the example within the Old Testament for us:
· By faith, Abel was commended as righteous (v. 4)
· By faith, Enoch was commended as having pleased God (v. 5)
· By faith, Noah received righteousness (v. 7)

The faith of these men points us directly to our own salvation in Jesus. The only reason anyone can be righteous is because Jesus is righteous and by faith we share in His righteousness. The only way anyone can be pleasing to God, is because Jesus is pleasing to God and by faith, we share in that same spirit of being pleasing to God. Simply put, faith joins us to Jesus. Friends, we want to be joined to Jesus by faith, because in Him and only Him will you and I be carried through the judgment of God. I don’t know about you, but I want my Master to be full of praise and to hear Him say: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful…’ (Matt 25:21).

Hebrews 11:1-7 NLT
Great Examples of Faith

1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying – “he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for being the One who helps me to grow with You. Please strengthen my faith and keep me focused on eternity with you and make me strong in the spirit against this dark and failing world. I love You, Lord, and I ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.