Devotionals

Biblical theology [the study of the whole Bible that forms the redemption story] guards and guides the Church [believers] toward God’s full nature and character, as well as reveals what it means to be his people living his way. For the past seventeen weeks, I have been teaching a Bible Study based on the doctrines of Grace [the divine nature and power working in us] and Faith [the substance of things we hope for and the evidence of things not yet seen] (Heb 11:1). We must learn how to balance these two extraordinary gifts from God, because our very lives rest in the love of God who provided them for our growth and well-being [wholeness].

Grace and Faith work because of God’s unconditional and perfect love. We have been saved by grace through faith in Christ’s atoning work on the cross. At that intersection of grace, faith, and repentance God bestows the gift of eternal life and calls the believing sinner righteous even in his or her present sinful state; this gift is called justification.

As wonderful as this gift is, it does not mean our souls (mind/will/emotions) are suddenly perpetually perfect. It is only a beginning. Now, the justified sinner lives by grace [God’s empowerment] through faith [believing] in God’s love to bring day by day transformation; this is called sanctification (Phil 2:12-15). We cannot create a holy nature in ourselves—holiness is the opposite of our sinful nature—but God’s grace and love can and will if we believe!
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds the Church in Rome about their need for the day to day transformation of their flesh or sin nature—sanctification. Paul is talking to believers who have accepted Christ, they just have not fully understood the true gift and work of grace through faith. He reminds these believers to live each day as though Jesus was arriving; the One who said, “If you want to follow Me, you must deny yourself the things you think you want; You must pick up your cross and follow Me” (Mat 16:24).

According to our faith in Christ alone, as believers we are learning to share the love of God with others in practical ways and learning to love ourselves in humble ways. In this way, we are emulating the life of Christ who gave up his perfect flesh for our sinful one, so our souls could now be made mature by God’s divine nature and power working in us. When we really love God and others as Christ has loved us, it’s incredible what that does to purify our eyes, our tongues, and our motives. Have a blessed weekend…

Romans 13:11-14 VOICE
11 And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. 13 May we all act as good and respectable people, living today the same way as we will in the day of His coming. Do not fall into patterns of dark living: wild partying, drunkenness, sexual depravity, decadent gratification, quarreling, and jealousy. 14 Instead, wrap yourselves in the Lord Jesus, God’s Anointed, and do not fuel your sinful imagination by indulging your self-seeking desire for the pleasures of the flesh.

Prayer: Lord, help us to understand the times in which we are living. Help us to put aside the weight and guilt of past-living that tries to hold us back, as well as deny our present self-seeking desires. Your grace is what we need and by faith help us believe in the change we long to see in ourselves. We want to further your Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy with our very lives. So, fill us with love and make us lights in the darkness who are grateful for the transformation you have sent grace to accomplish in our ongoing salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Because God has gifted me as a visionary and planner, the unknown is a place of discovery for me. It is both exciting and unsettling. I have to work to find my place in the “rest” (Heb. nuach—calmness) of God. I seek to spiritually help others do the same.

Life can bring many uncomfortable places; our circumstances can change in a moment and we must find a solid place to regain our peace and stability. I like to make decisions and start working on what needs to be done. Yet, there can be aspects of achieving a vision goal that I may not see or understand at the beginning. God may give a vision, but his time and process may not look exactly the way I have anticipated or perceived it. I have to remain obedient and flexible as I trust God and discover the next step.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds the Church in Thessalonica (and all believers) they belong to God and even though they feel unsettled about the future, God will provide his grace and peace. Paul goes on to remind us trying to plan for or know the day or time of Christ’s return is foolish. Only the Father knows; EVERYONE will be surprised.

Therefore, humanity must be ready every single day for the Lord’s return. We can remain calm while we wait, because Jesus said his return would upset worldly affairs that will take place prior to destruction. Believers have not been created for destruction, we are children of the Light and we are destined for an amazing reunion with our King Jesus.

So, with the help of the Spirit, let’s keep our souls obedient to God’s fruit-producing Word [self-control] and encourage each other to press on as we seek to use grace to enlarge our King’s Kingdom. Controlling life is impossible; but, controlling our souls is possible if we lean on the strength of God. We have to choose the rest and calm of our Savior for the unsettling places in life, but fear does not have to be our dwelling place—choose today to be sons and daughters of the day!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 VOICE
1 Now, brothers and sisters, you don’t need further instruction from us or anyone else for that matter regarding how the seasons and times will play out. 2 That’s because you know the truth well enough. The day of the Lord will race onto the scene and surprise us like a thief in the night. 3 People will be going about their business chanting, “All is well! All is at peace!” and in the next moment, ruin and destruction will suddenly seize them as labor pains grip a woman about to give birth; for them there will be no escape. 4 My brothers and sisters, it will be different for you. You do not dwell in the darkness, so that day will not surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light. You are sons and daughters of the day. We are not created of night, nor are we owned by darkness. 6 So then let’s not give in to sleep or wander around in a stupor as some do, but let’s stay awake and in control. 7 You see, sleepers sleep through the night, and drunkards drink the night away; 8 but since we belong to the day, we should stay sober and in control, covered with a breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us, His chosen, to face His wrath but to be the heirs of salvation through our Lord Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, 10 who died for us. So regardless of whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 So support one another. Keep building each other up as you have been doing.

Prayer: Lord, let our plan today be to remain in your rest and allow the calmness of your Spirit and strength to carry us through any uncomfortable challenges. Making plans in this world is something we will continue to do, but help us make our relationship with you our greatest quest, do our best to live for you, and trust you with the rest. We wait for your return and we long for the day when we can be reunited to enjoy life with you in the eternal realm. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When you hear the word “defilement,” or dirty does it make you think about something that happens outside of you? Defilement actually has to do with impurity and God mentioned it frequently; it is a biblical issue. Jesus tells his disciples and the crowds gathering near him that a person cannot be defiled by what goes into him or her; it does not enter the heart but the stomach and then exits (Mark 17:14).

On the other hand whatever proceeds out of a man or women is what defiles him or her, because out of the heart comes evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness (Mark 7:14-15, 18-23). Jesus teaches we must be able to distinguish between defiled or righteous thoughts and act accordingly. We need to listen carefully and pay attention to our hearts and the people we empower.

The Apostle Paul—a Pharisee and religious leader—was very proud of his work and reputation. In fact, he described himself as blameless, zealous, kosher, and an ardent keeper of the law (Phil 3:5-6). His ignorance about his own heart enabled him to justify sinning against others and orchestrating horrendous and murderous actions without any conflict to his conscience. How was it possible that he was blind to the defilement of his heart to the point he persecuted the Church and thought he was living as a pure leader?

When Paul came to the end of himself—met Jesus on the road to Damascus—he got a taste of how blind and lost he actually was in his heart (Acts 9:1-9). He needed Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit to be a godly leader. That day changed everything for Paul; Jesus has a way of doing that to defiled hearts.

In our passage today, Jesus uses symbolism to teach a valuable lesson. He refers to yeast as evil; that which causes something to rise up against the Truth—Jesus the Word of God. In the same way, Jesus wanted people to know a hard-hearted leader—religious or political—could rise to power by evil, permeate and contaminate an entire society, and turn it against Jesus—the Creator of all (John 1:3-5). The disciples and many in the crowds had already tasted the Truth of Christ’s power, but due to preconceived attitudes and desires, their hard hearts did not allow the Word to be bread or food that fed righteous thinking and courageous faith. They remained defiled.

Ridding ourselves of the temptation to make God in our image or rewrite his Word, is the challenge before believers, as well as unbelievers. It is tempting to think religion makes us new; it does not. Jesus makes us new and he begins to renew our minds to catch up with Truth as we follow him. Humility is essential to see the Truth which presents an obstacle for most leaders. We all go through trials and tribulations, but God is faithful to those who stay the course with him. We learn about who is actually pure—Jesus—and the more time we spend with him the more we see our own hearts in need of ongoing transformation. May God be praised for purifying our souls. Do you understand?

Mark 8:14-21 NLT Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”
“Twelve,” they said.
20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

Prayer: Lord, please draw us closer to you, so we are closer to the Truth. Cleanse and purify our hearts, Lord! Help us take in everything you desire to teach us, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Each day brings to our attention a great contrast between the world’s ways and the Word’s way. For example, the world is focused on that which is temporary and making everything pleasing to human flesh—self-centered. Wisdom and restraint are absent, because many people have no fear of the Lord [no reverence toward God or concern of His judgment]. In contrast, the eternal Word teaches Christ-followers to be focused on denying self in order to live in His righteousness, peace, and joy as we serve God and others—God-centered. Wisdom is present and enthroned, because believers understand the fear of the Lord brings protection and blessings in His care. God welcomes all into this covenant place, but it requires humble submission that leads to an eternal relationship.

In our passage today, David—servant of the Lord—proclaims the faithfulness of God and he contrasts it with those who live foolishly. God’s servants turn from sin, because he or she hates iniquity [the residue sin leaves behind in the soul that dishonors God]. Believers understand sin diminishes the character of a person, while wisdom increases character and positions a person at the table of the Lord’s loving and protective care. For this reason, the wise will praise God and seek His help through prayer. God’s unfailing love reaches to those who desire divine wisdom; those who ask for his guidance toward truth and strength for the journey.

Today, a journey sets before us. Even if we never leave the house, our souls will travel one of two paths—the path of the righteous or the path of the wicked (Ps 1:6). There is no middle ground. May we pray for the Wisdom and courage to walk in the character of Christ as a servant of the Lord.

Psalm 36
1
Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts [the core of one’s being].
    They have no fear of God at all.
2 
In their blind conceit,
    they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
    They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4 
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
    Their actions are never good.
    They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
7 
    How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
8 
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
9 
For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see.
10 
Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
    give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 
Don’t let the proud trample me
    or the wicked push me around.
12 
Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
    They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for removing the scales from our eyes, so we can see and examine our own hearts. We run to find shelter in the shadow of your wings, today. Feed us truth from your Word and help us drink of the Spirit, so we can grow in the wisdom of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the book of Acts, the Apostle Luke helps us to understand the early days of the church. Last Thursday, Pastor Mary’s devotion guided us through the second part of Acts 6, with verses 8 through 15. Today, we are going back to the first part of Acts 6 and looking at verses 1 through 7. Keep in mind what Pastor Mary already shared as it directly connects to today’s passage. We are to “feed” off of the Bread of Life, Jesus, and allow His Spirit to fill our souls, spirit, and body by His Word. With His Word, we are to seek God’s holy wisdom as a guide for our lives, because only then are we divinely given the ability to remain in a place of love (His love) no matter how others treat us. We must call on the Holy Spirit to make us mindful of our responses to others, asking that our hearts remain sensitive, and that our souls remain humble with each righteous response that the Spirit provides through us. “Since God chose you (and me) to be the holy people He loves, you (and I) must clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Making allowances for each other’s faults and forgiving others who offend you (and me). Remembering, that the Lord forgave you (and me), so you (and I) must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:12-13)

In today’s passage, we see that the early church was growing as believers were rapidly multiplying. We also see that there were two distinct “groups”, the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The Hellenists were complaining about the Hebrews, because they believed “their” widows were being treated unfairly and discriminated against. When you stop and think about it, today’s church is not much different from the early church. Far too often God’s Family (His Church) becomes divided into “groups” when that shouldn’t happen because we are called to be One Body with Christ as the head (1 Cor 12). The division happens because believers start to feed on the world’s “food” instead of allowing God’s food, the Word, which is perfect, to fill, sustain, and guide us. Since the world’s “food” is fleeting, we see that even believers will complain and point fingers at others because of fear. When we “feed” on this world’s food, Satan creeps in and fills us with fear. Satan’s fear seeks to rob us of the trust we should firmly have rooted in Jesus, and that fear branches off into doubt, anger, and all areas of sin.

Next, in our passage, we see that the twelve apostles call a meeting of “all” believers. Here, and for a moment, we witness the Church (God’s Family) living out the Word and working as One Body. Notice, that scripture doesn’t say that any of the apostles started yelling and pointing fingers at anyone, rather scripture says that they came together and worked in the Spirit seeking wisdom and prayed over the decisions made by Spirit and through the entire Family.

We know from Pastor Mary’s devotion on Thursday that this moment is short lived, as Stephen is arrested. However, go back and read over those verses again, because even though the enemy is speaking lies about Stephen, he stands firmly on the Word of God and speaks the Truth. Stephen is determined to share the righteous “food”, the Bread of Life, Jesus, with anyone who will listen, and even in the midst of what is his greatest trial on this side of heaven, as is believed that Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

Acts 6:1-7 (NLT)

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Bread of Life. Help each one of us to keep feeding on Your Word. We do not want what this world has to offer. We want You, Jesus. Keep us knitted together as Your Family, working as One Body with You guiding us, Jesus. May our faith be like Stephen’s faith. May we be filled with You, Holy Spirit, and covered by Your grace. I ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

To be a faithful worshiper of God requires a decision, devotion, dedication, and development. Obviously, passivity is not the role of a worshiper; we must be actively engaged in our relationship with God. We must come with a passionate desire for God, learn to depend upon divine goodness and grace, be determined to sow what we want to reap, and accept that every difficulty is an opportunity for growth.

Therefore, believers will have to choose to “rest” (Heb. nuack or calmly dwell and remain) in the strength of the Lord. The devil will serve up temptation and deliver spiritual battles to keep us from this place of worship or oneness for the purpose of distancing us from God’s promised blessings. We must remain fixed on our decision, because the devil’s goal for us is destruction, but God’s goal for us is abundant transformation (John 10:10).

In our passage today, David reminds us of the great blessings God has for those who fear [reverence] and trust the Lord. When we really trust the Lord we rest the weight of salvation upon him; we don’t try to save ourselves by putting on a religious image or trying to fix the surface level of our brokenness. Instead, we use our faith in a positive way to obediently navigate new spiritual life with God.

Only God can bring the healing and help we need to become worshipers in Christ—Spirit and in Truth. Our attitudes need holy help. Our tongues need holy help. Our actions need holy help. We need our Teacher and the work of the Spirit to produce the fruit of self-control in order to fulfill the new creation design Father has for us. We no longer belong to the world; we belong to Christ. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Cor 5:17). Becoming one with God is the most exciting journey anyone can ever make and the goodness of the Lord and the spiritual prosperity of his Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy awaits you, today! (Romans 14:17).

Psalm 34:9-14 NLT
9
Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
11 
Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12 
Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
13 
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
14 
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Prayer: Lord, we make a decision today to rest in your promise to impart wisdom and strength for our spiritual journey. Thank you for providing the direction and power we need to resist the evil permeating the world by turning toward you with sincere devotion. Today, we dedicate ourselves to your plan and the work of the Spirit for the spiritual transformation of our souls. Bring growth to the new life in Christ we have been given. May your will be done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Everyday, believers are to be fed from God’s Word—to eat the true food of God’s love and power. If we do not eat the truth from the Hand of God, we will certainly seek to satisfy our spiritual hunger from this fallen world. Jesus reminds his followers we must, “eat his flesh and drink his blood,” which he uses as a metaphor reminding us our flesh is fallen and we will face death and hell without him (John 6:53). Eating the Truth of Christ is the only way to turn us away from this cursed physical realm to see our most basic need for the One who is spiritually righteous. Yet, pride and spiritual arrogance against God is like an evil root that holds and connects human beings to the dust of the earth. For this reason, God sent his Son to humbly lay down his life and die, so we could make a divine connection to him through faith and begin to learn the Truth.

Pride is such a thief, because it blinds us to the truth of our own deceived hearts. It is the work of Christ to bring divine humiliation; a humbling of our pride so we can accept the Truth of the Lord’s sacrifice and provision of grace. We cannot receive salvation without divine humiliation; otherwise, we will try to justify sin to avoid facing the Truth and receiving his righteousness. When God humbles us it is a blessing, because this humiliation allows us to be his servants filled with grace and love.

Exalting and displaying the Truth is God’s plan for his children. However, human beings filled with pride run to throw stones that publicly injure a person’s dignity. Our political system is suffering “food poisoning,” because, as a nation, we have empowered leaders who have chosen to eat from the dust of the earth rather than consume the heavenly Bread of Life—Jesus. Essentially, the world is demanding its own way and some may think this is progress! Yet, this act of fleshly pride and retaliation is not new and God will deal with it!

In the Acts of the Apostles, Stephen and six other Greek-speaking disciples of Christ are chosen to handle food distribution. Now, Stephen takes this opportunity to speak the Word of God about the Bread the people really need. In doing so, he finds himself in a debate with other religious leaders. Stephen is so passionate about the Truth, because he has been eating from the Hand of God; his loving response and words humiliate other leaders and they retaliate with lies and false accusations. Rather than deal with their pride by focusing on their own corrupt hearts before God, they dig into the earth’s ways—lie—to publicly injure Stephen’s dignity and destroy him. They are a pile of unrighteousness, but they think they are doing God and people a favor.

Acts 6:8-15 VOICE
8 Stephen continually overflowed with extraordinary grace and power, and he was able to perform a number of miraculous signs and wonders in public view. 9 But eventually a group arose to oppose Stephen and the message to which his signs and wonders pointed. (These men [slaved freed by Rome] were from a group called the Free Synagogue and included Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians, and Asians.) 10 The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in responding to their arguments that they were humiliated; 11 in retaliation, they spread a vicious rumor: “We heard Stephen speak blasphemies against Moses and God.”

12 Their rumor prompted an uprising that included common people, religious officials, and scholars. They surprised Stephen, grabbed him, and hauled him before the council. 13 They convinced some witnesses to give false testimony.

False Witnesses: This fellow constantly degrades the holy temple and mocks our holy law. 14 With our own ears, we’ve heard him say this Jesus fellow, this Nazarene he’s always talking about, will actually destroy the holy temple and will try to change the sacred customs we received from Moses.

15 The entire council turned its gaze on Stephen to see how he would respond. They were shocked to see his face radiant with peace—as if he were a heavenly messenger.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for more wisdom and the ability to stay in a place of love no matter how others react to us. As well, make a mindful of righteous responses and keep us sensitive to the matters of your heart. We know retaliation is not for us, so please keep us in peace and help us to hold onto our joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus takes issue with hypocrisy, because it is based on unbelief. Most of the time his criticism and name-calling was reserved for the pharisees and religious teachers of the law who saw themselves as examples of good leadership and genuine caring of God’s people, but they were only fooling themselves. Jesus knew their hearts were corrupt. The biblical definition of a hypocrite is someone who pretends goodness but underneath has a godless heart; he or she is self-deluded by his or her own pretension. A hypocrite cannot discern spiritual truth, so he or she rebels against God’s laws—again this describes an unbeliever.

It upsets me when people associate hypocrisy with a believer who professes Christ as the Way to live. Whether or not we achieve it, Christ is the Standard of righteousness. We had better profess him as the Truth in which every person is to grow, because Christ is the integrity of God and our transformation of character is his plan for human beings. So, don’t let anyone make you feel like a hypocrite because you have made Christ your Standard. Believers fall short, but we never stop trying to be like Jesus. The hypocrite is the unbeliever who has no desire to follow God’s commands for living in the first place, but wants to look honorable through good deeds.

In our passage from the gospel of Luke today, Jesus encourages believers to tenaciously serve him by holding onto supernatural joy. We look forward to his coming and we know he will return “suddenly.” We want to be living the Word when Christ returns, because there are both rewards or punishment based on how we have prepared or not prepared ourselves in cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:35-43 NIV Watchfulness
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance (Word of God) at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.

Prayer: Lord, we pray to be people, like Jesus, full of integrity and godly character. Please continue to work in our lives, so we are ready when you return. Help us to not be ashamed of your righteousness, nor cease to strive for spiritual maturity. We do not judge others, but we do proclaim you as Lord. We accept the fact that we may be accused of hypocrisy, but we know the real hypocrites are those who pretend to be good without a godly heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Envy is a sin and certainly a huge—yet rather subtle—temptation the enemy uses to trap every human being. The sin of envy leads to greed which brings horrific effects when it is involved in spiritual leadership. Those who are anointed to bring the Word of God to his people are simply servants who have been granted the ability to search the mysteries of God and share them.

Preachers and teachers are never invited to feast on God’s perfect manna and then rewrite it, before sending it out to feed the Lord’s flock. God’s Word is pure and powerful; it is given to help Christ’s followers stay on the narrow path of salvation. Ministry is about exalting Jesus—the Living Word of God—in the lives of his worshipers. We find hope for the journey in the Word knowing God will be faithful to fulfill it in every life seeking salvation.

When a spiritual teacher discovers, experiences, and shares the Truth, it always brings God’s goodness and provision to the people. Eternal life in Christ is self-perpetuating when we stay connected to the Truth. For this reason, Jesus challenged Peter [the one who had denied him three times] to feed his sheep/people the Truth (John 21:17). Peter experientially understood the temptation humans face to deny the Truth for the greed of earthly power and authority.

Our passage today comes from Peter’s second letter to the early church, as well as to believers throughout all generations. He wants Christ’s followers to be aware of the abounding dangers to their spiritual growth [spiritual attacks], so he sets out some warnings. The early Christians expected the Lord to return to earth shortly after he ascended to heaven. After a period of waiting, false teachers began to interpret the Word of God in a twisted way in order to keep the people assembling which supported their positions and authority; greed was the underlying motivator. Therefore, Peter feels the desperate need to refresh the people’s memory of the timelessness and faithfulness of the Truth—Jesus.

Two things, in particular, motivate this section of Peter’s letter: 1) the ongoing presence of false teachers who will twist the Word of God by condoning and pardoning sexual immorality, and 2) dishonoring the covenant commandments of God by diminishing the need to follow these guidelines for love into holiness. These “leaders” were laying out deceptive practices for God’s people, by removing their responsibility to live godly lives in and for Christ. May we guard our hearts and grow in the grace of our Lord.

2 Peter 3:14 NLT And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
Peter’s Final Words

17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Peter’s letter and for the warning you extend, so your children can follow you along the righteous path. We pray for your love to rise up within us and snuff out the spirit of envy and greed. May we be generous people who share life with great joy as your servants and stewards of grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

On Friday, Pastor Mary used the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (and to us) as a reminder in her devotion that “We Harvest What We Plant” (6:1-10). Remember, we must align ourselves with the principles and commands of God, because He is the Holy Standard for the seeds that we choose to plant. Today, we are going to continue with Paul, but pick back up from last Monday when he wrote to the church in Ephesus (and to us). Please don’t miss it, this message of “Living in the Light” is directly connected to Paul’s message about what we plant we will reap in a harvest.

At the end of Ephesians 4, Paul instructs us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (v. 31-32). Paul wants us to know that there is a clear contrast between light and dark, in other words, good and evil, and it all boils down to the choices we have in everything. You and I either choose God or we choose Satan. We must remember that we cannot serve both. In Matthew 6, we are reminded that no one can serve two masters (meaning both God and Satan), for we will hate one and love the other, we will be devoted to one and despise the other (v. 24). Thus, God gives us the freewill to choose, either Him or Satan.

Friends, we will never be perfect while we are in this earthly realm, but we need to keep choosing to live in God’s light and move further and further away from living in Satan’s darkness of sin. When we do sin, we have a responsibility to immediately cry out for forgiveness, to turn away from that sin, to seek prayer with others to cast down that strong hold, and to ask the Lord for the guidance of His Holy Spirit to move us past that sin and deeper into our relationship with Jesus. Remember, we can’t keep going back to sin, we must be a willing and active participant in our faith walk to move forward in our relationship with Jesus each and every day. If we choose sin, Paul tells us that God’s anger will fall on all who are disobedient. The chose is either: light, which reflects God’s holiness or darkness which reflects Satan’s evilness. It does not matter how much we try to hide our sin, God knows, and He wants nothing more than for us to willingly turn it over to Jesus, and to awaken us from our dead living with Satan.

Ephesians 5:1-14 (NLT)

Living in the Light

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for taking our sins with You to the cross. Please forgive us, Lord, when we sin, because we know that we are sinning against You, and we need Your forgiveness and guidance so we can turn away from sinning. We want to keep growing closer and closer to You, Jesus, and so we stand against the sin in our lives that seeks to keep us from that closeness with You. Holy Spirit, please guide each one of us away from our old sinful ways and away from any darkness that seeks to harm us. Quicken our hearts to press into Your Word, Jesus, and may Your Truth ring loudly and our spiritual ears hear it clearly. We ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.