Devotionals

Intro: It is easy for us as believers to shout on Sunday mornings “Jesus is Lord,” but it takes the power of God operating in us to actually follow our Lord’s leadership the rest of the week. Our obedience to follow him causes us to be separated from the world, so we can be rooted and established in his strength. In the midst of a culture that seems to be bedazzled by the deception of darkness, aren’t you glad you know the person who lived the Truth as God intended when he created humanity. Jesus is the only way for you to know who you were created to be for eternity.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reiterates the essential need for us to connect to Christ and to other believers. In fact, Paul’s letters to the church at Colosse are all about making righteous connections. Deception, division, and false deities will always permeate this world seeking to rob people of Christ’s rightful place as Lord and Ruler of every heart. We must be connected to the Righteous and Anointed One, so we never follow the lies. Worldly teachings and opinions are empty; so, it is fruitless to try to blend sinful human ideas into Christianity and call it Truth. A Christian is a person whose heart and behaviors reflect Christ and his righteousness, as well as work to increase and further his Kingdom rule. Live the new life in Christ and find completeness in his love.

Colossians 2:6-10 (TPT) New Life in Christ
6 In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him! 7 Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!

8 Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you [takes you captive] in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.

9 For he is the complete fullness of deity living in human form. 10 And our own completeness is now found in him. We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us. He is the Head [Source] of every kingdom and authority in the universe!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this new life you have called me to live. Each day I grow in my devotion to your authority and need for your strength. Some days I feel weary as I listen to the arguments of arrogant human flesh, but I realize it is important to understand how different your Kingdom is from this present world. Thank you for making a place for me in your Kingdom! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Most every day, as we listen to the news reports we will hear about cases of injustice. A common definition of injustice is “unfairness or inequity.” Injustice is actually something human sin has created, because many have chosen to live outside the righteousness of God. When God uses the term “justice” he means “to make right” or righteous before him.

Today, we celebrate Veteran’s Day; a time to honor our military veteran’s and appreciate their service to our country. Justice according to God’s written word is a relational term meaning people living in right relationship with God, in right relationship with one another, and in right relationship with creation. We are called to reflect our Creator’s love and exercise his justice while we live, move, and have our being. So, may we pray for the pursuit of justice or righteousness, today, for the honor and glory of God.

Psalm 94:20-23 (NLT)

20 
Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—
    leaders whose decrees permit injustice?
21 
They gang up against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
22 
But the Lord is my fortress;
    my God is the mighty rock where I hide.
23 
God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.
    He will destroy them for their sins.
    The Lord our God will destroy them.

Prayer: Father, today I want to thank you for every veteran who has served this amazing country of America—One Nation Under God. Bless every military veteran, Lord, who has served in the armed forces. May they receive the honor they are due for the freedoms they have protected on behalf of our citizens, as well as the injustice they have fought against for the sake of every human life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us evil cannot stand against Yahweh’s righteous outflow of grace. His grace is so powerful—like a righteous River—we can only hold one day’s supply. But never fear, because when tomorrow arrives, so does more of the Lord’s grace. Even though we may pass through times when it looks like the wicked are not being punished and justice feels diminished, remember God has promised to use what the enemy meant for harm and make it work for the good of his children.

Rejoice my friends because Lord Yahweh is our Protector. He sends his Word and calls us to obey in the power of the Spirit. Our flesh has the opportunity to reveal the Truth of God’s righteous love and provision. So focus on the “bigness” of our Lord, today, and believe he is all you need because he can impart inspiration to your thoughts, he will release strength through his Spirit to support you, and he will lead you into victory even though sometimes you feel yourself slipping. Praise God, his grace has got you!

Psalm 94:16-19 (NLT)

16 
Who will protect me from the wicked?
    Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
17 
Unless the Lord had helped me,
    I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.
18 
I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
19 
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for supporting me and helping me to stand in your righteousness. All praise belongs to you! Please continue to be my Protector against evil and use everything the enemy has meant for harm in my life to reveal Christ in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

November 9, 2021
Intro: God is still in the ministry of teaching people right from wrong, because it is his desire to save every human being from wrath or judgment. I know it may not look like God’s discipline is working in the world as a whole, but the success of God’s teaching has to do with the pliability of individual hearts. If people are rebelliously bent on embracing and living what God declares is wrong, he is probably not going to stop them. Instead, he will give them time even though he knows they will dig a painful pit for themselves. The good news is God is still responding to the cries of those who need pit rescues; yet, this is learning the authority of God the hard way and I don’t recommend it. One day the pit rescues will cease; judgment will be all that remains.

Judgment is very different than discipline. According to Scripture, God disciplines those whom he loves. Who does he love? The answer is God loves the world (Jo 3:16). However, true discipline in God’s economy is about righteousness or justice. If people choose to reject God’s righteousness, they will face his judgment rather than his discipline. I will take the discipline, because God is always right and I, unfortunately, am not (but, don’t tell my husband). Therefore, I will find joy in God’s discipline in order to make more righteousness available to me.

Psalm 94:12-15 (NLT)
Joyful are those you discipline, Lord,
    those you teach with your instructions.
13 
You give them relief from troubled times
    until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.
14 
The Lord will not reject his people;
    he will not abandon his special possession.
15 
Judgment will again be founded on justice,
    and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me find joy even in the midst of your correction. I choose discipline, because I choose you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, Naomi loses her husband, her two sons, and she decides to move back to her home in Judah. Naomi encourages both of her daughters-in-law to go back to their family homes. One daughter-in-law chose to return home, and here is the other daughter-in-law’s response:

Ruth 1:16-17 (NLT)

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

It is amazing that the heart of a young Gentile woman from the Old Testament, is directly connected to our relationship with Christ. You and I can only pray that we are as surrendered, committed, and faithful to Christ, as Ruth was to Him through her actions towards her mother-in-law. Let’s look at some verses within the New Testament that connect to Ruth from the Old Testament:

Surrender: When Ruth says, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.” It is a reminder of what Jesus says to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Commitment: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16) Ruth gave up her human life to experience the Glory of God by going and living with Naomi and by accepting her people and God as her own.

Faith: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Ruth asked for the Lord’s punishment if she allowed anything to separate her and Naomi.

Without knowing in her human mind, Ruth’s spirit understood that her surrender, commitment, and faith to the Lord was absolutely everything. Ruth would become King David’s great-grandmother, and we know that Jesus is part of that blood line. We must allow Ruth to serve as an example for our own lives. We cannot wait to surrender, to commit, and to have faith. We must do it now, and remain stable in Christ all of the time.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word. Help us to always be surrendered to You, to remain fully committed, and to never lose our faith. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant

Intro: Before we begin our passage from the gospel of Mark, we need to bring the events into context. Jesus has been in Bethany [meaning House of Afflicted] and is making his triumphant entry through the Mount of Olives [symbolic of entering the holy of holies] and into the holy city of Jerusalem or Mount Zion—the City of Peace/Wholeness. Jerusalem is the appointed holy place where God promises to meet with his human family to heal them and make them whole/complete. Jesus is God’s prophesied and ultimate plan and gift for bringing that wholeness. Jesus walks into the Temple [which is to represent heavenly realities on earth], looks around and then returns to Bethany.

The next morning Jesus decides to go back to the Temple, but he plans to teach the disciples some important spiritual truth along the way. Lesson #1: Jesus is afflicted by hunger and he sees a fig tree nearby, so he draws near to inspect it. He anticipates fruit, but all he finds are leaves. Lesson #2: Jesus curses the fruitless fig tree and it withers from the roots up. Lesson #3: Jesus heads to the Temple and notices the money changers and the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices and he judges the Temple, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” (11:17).

The faith we are instructed to have must be undivided. In Christ, we believe our prayers connect heaven and earth to make sin afflicted people whole. Believers are to connect hungry or seeking people to the Savior—the Tree of Life. Like the fig tree, the Temple had the appearance of caring for the souls of people, but it was barren of righteousness fruit, so it robbed them of the salvation God actually intended. Lastly, Jesus wants faith-driven prayer to be the avenue for wholeness, because he is the Healer and his sacrifice is enough for the world.

Mark 11:20-24 (TPT)
Lessons of Faith
20 In the morning, they passed by the fig tree that Jesus spoke to and it was completely withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Teacher, look! That’s the fig tree you cursed. It’s now all shriveled up and dead.”

22 Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! 23 Listen to the truth I speak to you: Whoever says to this mountain with great faith and does not doubt, ‘Mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea,’ and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done. 24 This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—be convinced that you have received it and it will be yours.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for your wholeness and faith to rest in me. May I be a holy instrument that brings wholeness to the souls of your people by connecting them to the Savior. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Intro: It is fascinating to me just how “real and living” the Word of God is for believers. The Word offers revelations that are endless and the scope of opportunities and applications it presents are vast. Consider how beautiful the gift of the Word is in its “bigness,” because it can reach every heart in practical ways no matter how diverse the people. God’s Word contains personal stories of how the Anointed One has revealed His Love throughout history to touch the world. Every unique human being has the invitation to receive and to demonstrate God’s Love in word and action; there are no limits for how it is done in God’s Anointed One.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul wants us to know the human state before Christ comes to set up his Kingdom in our hearts. We are helpless, weak, and powerless to save ourselves! Wow, let that soak in for just a minute. In spite of how messed up we can be as a human creation, Christ died for us so he could exchange that mess for a Kingdom ministry. That ministry is birthed from the inside out; our hearts become the womb of Love. If we will die to our selfish fleshly demands we can live the resurrection life in Christ’s Anointed Love. If you have invited Jesus into your heart to be the Lord of your life, you are set up for victory so let that JOY fill you. Look for someone who needs Christ’s love and share him, today.

Romans 5:6-11
6 For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate his love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves.

7 Now, would anyone dare to die for the sake of a wicked person? We can all understand if someone was willing to die for a truly noble person. 8 But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!

9 And there is still much more to say of his unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in my sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God. 10 So if while we were still enemies, God fully reconciled [exchanged] us to himself through the death of his Son, then something greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, and because we share in his resurrection life, how much more we will be rescued from sin’s dominion!

11 And even more than that, we overflow with triumphant joy [boasting] in our new relationship of living reconciled to God—all because of Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Lord, there are just so many ways you share the gospel every day with your children. Thank you for the reminder today of the great exchange you offer every human heart. May more people in your world, choose you and accept your offer today! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: I am comfortable when I have a plan, but I realize no matter how well I may seek to organize my life and the events around me, I will never know exactly what is going to happen. You and I can honestly say, “I don’t know what the day, week, month, or year looks like.” Do you realize nothing ever takes Jesus by surprise, because he knows all things? Therefore, you and I must be content with making plans to the best of our knowledge unless the Spirit of Christ reveals something different.

In our passage today, Jesus knows Judas is going to betray him. Jesus knows; yet, he never loses his focus on his part in the Father’s plan. Jesus knows he is going to die; yet, he never tries to stop the Father’s plan. All he can think of is pleasing the Father and preparing his disciples for his death. He tells his followers what is most important for them to know for the future, “Love each other just as much as I have loved you.” Even though the Old Testament commands of God laid out the foundation for love, Jesus set a new standard of love for us to follow. He revealed his love of the Father, as well as his love for his human creation in practical ways. This world produces a poor imitation of love; it actually rejects Christ’s sacrificial love. Therefore, as believers we must reveal the glorious Truth. We will know true believers by acting according to Christ’s standard of love. Our days and our tomorrows are known only to God, but whatever days we are given we must live them in Christ’s love.

John 13:31-35 (TPT)
31 After Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the glory of God to surround the Son of Man, and God will be greatly glorified through what happens to me. 32 And very soon God will unveil the glory of the Son of Man.

33 “My dear friends, [children] I only have a brief time left to be with you. And then you will search and long for me. But I tell you what I told the Jewish leaders: you’ll not be able to come where I am.
34 “So I give you now a new [standard of love] commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. 35 For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for holding my days and my tomorrows. This brings me peace and comfort, because I know you love me and will make sure I am ready for each day. Help me to love according to your standard. Cause me to be victorious in your glorious love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, David sings a psalm of gratitude to the Lord; the Lord has faithfully delivered David from his enemies. Throughout this psalm, David sings about how God has been his Rock, Fortress, Shield, Horn of salvation, and the Stronghold that reaches down from heaven. Scripture reveals David was a mighty warrior, but he always knew his success came from fighting in God’s strength and not simply his own.

God wants to be our Protector, too. The Lord works with us all the time to increase our endurance and to make us stronger. With every situation that challenges us, we grow. If, as God’s children, we do not allow ourselves to experience life by his strength, we will not be fit to send back out into the world to stand for him in the midst of evil. You have the choice to be strong in yourself or in the power of God’s might. Choose wisely, today.

Psalm 18:28-30 (TPT)
28 
God, all at once you turned on a floodlight for me!
    You are the revelation-light in my darkness,
    and in your brightness I can see the path ahead.
29 
With you as my strength I can crush an enemy horde,
    advancing through every stronghold that stands in front of me.
30 
Yahweh, what a perfect God you are!
    All Yahweh’s promises have proven true.
    What a secure shelter for all those
    who turn to hide themselves in you,
    the wraparound God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a floodlight of revelation for me each day. You help me see my path, as well as your great provision of grace for each day. Wrap me in your grace today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How do you handle being wronged? Do you retaliate, are you quick to defend yourself, or do you seek revenge? How often do you trust that God will bring true justice?

Today, we are looking at the end of Romans 12 where Paul is instructing the Christians in Rome to never repay evil with more evil. Rather, as Christ’s followers, they (and we) are called to live in peace with everyone. Paul goes on to remind Christians that the Righteous One is the only One who needs to handle revenge. In verse 19, Paul directs our attention back to Deuteronomy 32:35, when we see that through Moses, God reminds His people that only He can use vengeance to make things right.

God has always desired for us to allow His justice to rule over our lives. He has wanted us to trust Him from way back in the Old Testament almost 3.5k years ago through Moses, and again in the New Testament almost 2k years ago through the Apostle Paul. Yet, even with this knowledge, how quick are you and I to retaliate, to defend ourselves, or to seek revenge, instead of turning to God and seeking His justice? God not only wants to care for us in all circumstances, He also calls us to an even higher standard, as He wants us to care for our enemies. He wants them to experience His love through us. So, you and I are not to let evil conquer us, we are called, by Almighty God, to conquer evil by the Love of His Son, Jesus Christ!

Romans 12:17-21 (NLT)

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”[a]
says the Lord.

20 Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”[b]

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your justice. Although I may not always understand Your ways or Your timing, I do trust You. So, please help me to love my enemies, help me to allow You to defend my life through Your justice. Slow me down when I am wronged, so that I can allow You to do what needs to be done, rather than trying to do it in my own strength. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written by: Jennifer Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant