Devotionals

I read a statistic this morning that 25-30% of young people struggle with an unhealthy form of perfectionism—a personality trait that involves having unrealistic expectations for self and others.  Anxiety overwhelms these young people with the fear of failure or even simply making a mistake.  For them, flawless living is the perceived goal to success and many times striving to please other people consumes their individuality and creativity.   

Perfectionism may be prevalent in young people, but we all struggle with a taste of it.  Failure—not being able to fulfill the desired outcome—is emotionally unpleasant and it certainly leaves its mark on every soul.  Trauma can cause false perceptions of the truth. However, perfectionism is an impossible standard to achieve. Perfection is an illusion in this fallen world and it will never be achieved in our human strength. 

We must stop comparing ourselves to others. You are a unique creation of Almighty God; you are filled with wonder and awe (Ps 139:14). On top of that basic truth, we now need to invite Jesus to rule our lives. He is the only Perfect One. 

So, let’s connect to Christ and be grateful for his love, acceptance, forgiveness, and guidance.  We can grow way beyond our failures into that unique creation in Christ.  Our lives are designed to bring glory to God—the true goal to success.  On our own, pleasing God is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Mat 19:26).

In our passage today from the Book of Hebrews, the writer encourages us to run the race of life with endurance, because living for the glory of God is hard work.  If we lean into perfectionism, we will not want to run, because we will face disappointments, struggles, and perhaps even failure by the world’s standard.  But God NEVER gives up on us and he is laser-focused on our hearts, not our performance.

We cannot perform or earn our way into heaven; we need the Savior. Jesus certainly cares about righteous living and we are learning to please him; he transforms our motives and desires according to his glorious standard of Love.  Therefore, we must press on knowing Jesus is waiting at life’s finish line for us…inviting us to cross over to his complete and perfect image by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).  Hallelujah!

Hebrews 12:3-17 NLT  

3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[those who hurt themselves by opposing him] then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? [sons] He said,

“My child,[son] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6 

For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 

8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[really live]

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

A Call to Listen to God

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for this encouragement today.  We need to honor you with our lives, but also rest in your work to bring righteousness to our souls.  As we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, we are believers who are becoming more like you.  When we fall, you pick us up and help us continue in the race of faith.  Today, we cast down any worldly spirit of perfectionism for the truth that you are making us sons and daughters.  We are blessed to belong to you and to be disciplined by your love.  In Jesus’ name.

Every time I come to the gospels to read, I am amazed by the courage of our Lord as he demonstrates living in hostile earthly environments. He very carefully chooses where and when to reveal his righteous anger; he is patient yet focused. Surprisingly, it is not against the Roman ruling authorities or sinners. No friends, Jesus’ anger is focused on those who say they belong to God, but actually live in resistance to Him by disrespecting the Father and taking advantage of others.

In our passage from Dr. Luke, today, Jesus has made his triumphal entry. He has shed tears for Jerusalem [the Holy City of Peace], because she does not recognize the Lord of all creation in her midst. The people desperately need salvation from sin, but the leaders are fleecing people and turning saving grace into a commodity. So, Jesus comes to offer himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the world; he is right there before them and people are so entrenched in what they can do to maneuver salvation or extort it they feel no shame for how that reflects upon the holy reputation and character of God. This indifference to the holy makes Jesus angry. Nothing that is going on in God’s house reflects the heavenly Temple for which the earthly temple was to emulate.

Both the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied to God’s intent for his house to be filled with prayer, but the religious leaders allowed evil and fleshly endeavors to fill it. “I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa 56:7). “Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Jer 7:11). God’s Word was given, so God was going to deal with the hypocrisy in his House.

To take it a step further, Jesus came to be the sacrificial Lamb to pay for our sins, forgive us, and make human hearts a holy temple for his presence. When we do not allow the purification process—the transformation of our souls—we are taking what has been purposed to make us a holy temple of grace and traded it for a hypocritical replica. Jesus weeps when we do not recognize the cost of salvation and we just want a “bit” of him—just enough to keep us out of hell.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Heb 4:12). When we invest our time in reading the Word of God, we are actually saying, “I choose to put myself under your Physician’s knife, Lord, so you can cut away the things that make me a hypocrite to your Word!” Salvation is the most holy experience that will ever touch our lives, so we dare not treat it as an earthly exchange or transaction.

Luke 19:45-48 NLT Jesus Clears the Temple
45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

47 After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. 48 But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for salvation and for the work of the Word and Spirit to influence our hearts and desires with divine holiness. Help us remain focused like Jesus on prayer and the power of living righteously. May we have an awareness of your presence with us every day and may we press in to receive your strength and grace for the growth of our souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sharing the gospel of Christ with the world is not just a good idea, it is a God-directed commission for believers. In other words, the people who are called according to the name of Christ—the Church—are instructed by the Lord to take his message of hope and salvation into all the world (Mat 28:19-20). According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit is sent at Pentecost to empower the Church’s commission and the Book of Acts chronicles the expansion of God’s Kingdom through the Apostles. It begins with Peter sharing faith in Christ with a Jewish audience and then moves through him to share the Gospel message with Gentiles. Paul carries the Good News further, because it is the goal of Christ’s passion to save “everyone” from sin (Mark 16:15).

In the midst of proclaiming the Gospel and sharing the Acts of the Apostles, we meet Stephen—“a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Stephen has been “performing amazing miracles and signs” among the Greek-speaking people in the Church (Acts 6:8). Therefore, this amazing man of God meets tremendous opposition from Jewish religious leaders who truly hate him and have chosen to set up false testimonies against him in order to kill him.

In our passage today, we find Stephen’s last time to witness for Christ and it’s before this unjust religious council. He shares the truth about Jesus being the Messiah and how the Savior has changed his life. Stephen never disrespects the Jewish forefathers and prophets of old, the Law, or the work of the Temple. Instead, Stephen boldly shares his faith in Christ and confronts the sin of the leaders before him who prefer to honor a dead religion for salvation instead of running to the Living Lord of all creation who came to save them—the Promise of Messiah the forefathers actually believed. This moment with Stephen is a crossroad for these leaders; God wants them to know and be loved by Christ.
The Spirit uses the words of Stephen to convict the religious leaders; however, that conviction is turned into violence against Stephen rather than help the leaders run to the Savior. Religion can create self-righteous people who desire to silence what they do not want to hear. Remember, the Truth convicts, as well as affirms. As a result, Stephen becomes the first martyr of the Gospel and all he does to warrant this death is speak the truth.

When we are confronted by the Spirit with our sin [lack of trust and reliance on God/unbelief] how do we react? Do we bow humbly to allow Jesus to do what he knows is God’s best for us by leading us toward the truth? Or, do we defend ourselves, lash out at others, and try to silence the internal war building in our souls? Christ offers an unsettling path toward peace with God. Conviction is a gift from God; we must receive and empower the work of the Spirit. Otherwise, we too, will resist the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:44-53 NLT
44 “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle [tent of witness] with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
49 
‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?’
    asks the Lord.
‘Could you build me such a resting place?
50 
    Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’[Is 66:1-2]

51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen [uncircumcised] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

Prayer: Lord, sometimes the Spirit pierces our souls with a Truth that can be hard to hear, but we ask for the strength to receive it. We desire to work with you in salvation and the renewing of our souls in the Truth. We need to hear it, so please continue what you have started in Messiah. We love you and trust you; yet, we pray for the power to believe for more opportunities to learn, grow, and witness to your passion for saving the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, our greatest joy is found in just how much we trust God and allow His guidance for our lives.

In Psalm 32, David reminds us that true joy can only come from the Lord. Within this powerful psalm we witness David’s expression of great relief that came from the Lord’s forgiveness of his sins. Think about the weight that David carried from attempting to hide his sins from the Lord. David had an affair with Bathsheba, he murdered her husband, Uriah, who was one of his loyal soldiers, and he attempted to cover it all up (2 Samuel 11). David initially refused to acknowledge his sins, and he described the torment he experienced until he finally confessed, and the Lord graciously forgave him.

Friends, when our sins seem too weighty to carry, we need to remember that God’s grace is so much greater. David reminds us within today’s passage that all we need to do is come with honest hearts before the Lord, humbly confess our sins, and ask Him to forgive us. It is within this liberated place from sin that then we can hear, see, and receive more clearly from the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s guidance to lead our path. We must also remain obedient to God’s Word. Remember, the world is rebellious to God’s Word and enjoys lawlessness, but we are faithful to follow His Word and within this place God can use us to lead others into His loving arms.

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 the gift of Your forgiveness. Help each one of us to come humbly to confess our sins to You. Holy Spirit, please shine a light on the areas of our lives that need to change. We do not want to hide anything from You. We want to live as one with You, Jesus, and to not carry sin. Your joy is what each of us wants, and we know that comes as we are cleansed by You of our sins. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

In our world, there are many “sensitive, controversial, or even difficult” topics people avoid talking about; they are like “hot potatoes” because to discuss them is “risky.”  Yet, there are many topics we need to discuss, anyway; the most important being salvation in Christ.  The world needs Jesus and it is the work of believers to share the Truth. Without Jesus, humanity will face the consequence of sin (Romans 6:23). 

In the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 4, the Philistine army is at war with Israel and because of Israel’s apostasy the Lord allows Israel to be defeated.  But, instead of placing their faith in a relationship with God, the Hebrew elders decide to bring the Ark of the Lord into battle thinking the object will save them from their enemies.  All it does is cause the Philistines to fight harder; after all they had heard about the Ark of God and how the Egyptians were destroyed with plagues.  

So, the Philistines defeat Israel again and capture the Ark of God.  They are excited to get the Ark, because they practice the worship of many gods.  Adding one more god to their collection would make things better, right?

In our passage today from 1 Samuel Chapter 5, the Philistines place the Ark of God next to their chief pagan god, Dagon.  God does not share space with other gods, so Dagon takes a nosedive and the people in the vicinity of the Ark begin to get sick.  The people realize the power of the Ark of God and decide to shuffle it around to other capital cities, but no matter where they take the Ark it brings people chaos, pain, sickness, and tumors—perhaps the bubonic plague due to mice.

The Philistines struggle and ask, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” It’s like a hot potato no one wants.  Instead of submitting their lives to God, the elders decide to get rid of the Ark…the shuffling continues.  If the Philistines would have submitted to God, the Ark would have become a beautiful blessing.  But, the people’s rejection of God made the Ark a curse that brought judgment.  The Old Testament foreshadows a deeper meaning in the New Testament.

The New Testament teaches the rejection of Christ will bring the consequence of judgment (Luke 10:16; John 12:48).  Jesus is the Messiah bringing the necessary salvation for people to be spared judgment. We need a relationship with Jesus. So, according to Scripture those in our world who reject Jesus will not experience the blessing.  That hot potato should bring a sobering thought and quick repentance…

1 Samuel 5 NLT  The Ark in Philistia

1 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.

6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.[a] 7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”

The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.

10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.

Prayer: Lord, your gospel is a warning and message for the world.  It is Good News that is either accepted or rejected.  We pray for human hearts to be open and for the harvest of souls saved for your Kingdom to be multiplied exponentially.  You bless us all the time, Lord, and we want to be a blessing by sharing salvation in you.  Empower us, Lord.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.”

[anonymous]

Humanity desperately needs a Guide [Plumb Line] for behavior; consequences—positive or negative—are a part of effective learning. We learn self-control from facing our mistakes. Cause and effect for wrong choices is purposeful and should be a powerful teacher. Consequences for unrighteous and unjust actions toward others must be enforced; otherwise, people will not be motivated to turn toward the holy and Almighty God who can forgive them, empower them, and guide them into abundant living (Jo 10:10).
Our culture is struggling and deteriorating, because it needs to learn a new way of living—the righteous way of Christ. Jesus is the Teacher for Life, because he is Life itself. Jesus is also the Judge of Life, because he is the Judge every human being will one day face (Mat 25:31-46). Scripture reminds us every person will one day kneel before Jesus the Christ and give an account for how he or she has lived on earth (Ro 14:12). It doesn’t matter whether we believe this is the truth; our faith or lack of faith does not change what God has ordained in his Judgment. Denial will not exist. As our Creator, every life will be weighed by Almighty God (Rev 20:11-16).

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews reminds believers they know the Truth—Jesus. Therefore, there is no excuse for denying our mistakes or sinful living. The Lord is not only Life and Judge, he is also Love. Yet, this Love put into place consequences so we will learn from them. Believers and unbelievers will face consequences. Those who honor and live by the Lordship of Christ will face rewards. Those who spurn the authority of Christ over their lives will face punishment.

Brothers and sisters, when we know Jesus—the Living Word of God—we have the Truth. We must not accept into our lives what God rejects. Instead, we need to choose to follow the Holy Spirit into deep love, respect, and devotion to our Lord. As believers, we all make mistakes and the Spirit challenges us to learn from them. It is such a gift to have a Guide who wants nothing but holy abundance for us.

Hebrews 10:26-31 NLT
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
    I will pay them back.”
He also said,
“The Lord will judge his own people.”
31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of the Spirit to guide us into the Truth and away from denial. We need to be real with you and trust you will lead us toward spiritual maturity. Thank you for the consequences we have faced in the past that have helped us grow in your character. Continue to help us reach for the abundant life you offer. We honor your authority, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The season in which we presently live is a “God-season” and whether we realize it or not we live at the crossroad of grace every day.  We must decide to follow God’s path for us, because it is easy to become distracted by the world.  Time moves forward each day and we must move in synchronicity with the eternal Spirit to manifest Christ’s anointed love in real time. 

As the redeemed of the Lord, we must be about our Father’s business to love the world and reveal salvation in Christ. We cannot afford to find ourselves going backward or off to the sidelines. We are Christ’s witnesses. Living in his salvation is the agenda every day. 

How we live and treat people each day is not only important it is a place of judgment for our very own souls.  The Church needs to take this God-season very seriously.  To do or not to do…that is the question.  What is the right thing to do in order to reveal Christ’s way of living? Do it!

In our passage today from Dr. Luke, Jesus is teaching his disciples about the urgency to be ready for his return.  Think about that for a minute…just under two thousand years ago Jesus is teaching his servants about the urgency of their work and the potential for reward.  Jesus presses the point that no one knows when the Son of Man will return by sharing an illustration with his disciples and instructing them to be ready.

Peter asks a question that I find fascinating, because I believe some folks today think like him.  Is the illustration Jesus shared just for his small group of disciples? We are either faithful disciples living the Word of God and proclaiming Christ for salvation with our very lives pointing the way to Truth, or we are religious people who think simply caring for our own salvation is sufficient—a false gospel.

Believers are recognized in the world by the righteous Light and passion he or she brings to all of life. We are constantly allowing the Word to feed us, so we can turn to feed others the true love of God. Worldly love never satisfies. Jesus has high expectations for his followers, because we have been provided grace to fulfill our commission. We can share Christ in power and passion each day, we simply must choose to do so.  

A faithful servant of Christ not only gives his or her heart to the work of the Lord, a believer’s entire life revolves around the understanding that we are blessed to be a blessing.  The blessing of the Lord is not simply to enrich our lives—although it certainly does so.  The blessing of the Lord is the power to be Christ’s ambassadors in the world, as well as welcoming humanity to his holy table to eat the Truth.  What will we do today to reveal our love and faithfulness to Christ with all that we have been given? 

Luke 12:41-48 NLT  41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”

42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for our passage today that reminds us about the empowerment of our salvation.  Please forgive us when we make salvation about anything we may bring to life.  We are simply recipients who should do the right thing each day to reveal the love of Christ in a dark and wicked world.  If we are honest, as believers, we know what is righteous and what is not.  So forgive us when we have not chosen wisely and help us to stay moving faithfully forward to your call and commission.  You truly have entrusted your disciples with life itself.  May that understanding humble us today and help us to look at each day with the same urgency you did years ago.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Good Morning!  I have missed writing and sharing the devotionals with you; however, in my absence, Jen has shared the Word of God beautifully and I have enjoyed being on the receiving end of her devotionals this past month.  The Spirit moves through us all as we open ourselves up to the work of the Word to stir and increase our faith.  Thank you, Jen!

In our passage this morning, we continue with the letter to the Hebrews that began, yesterday.  These heroes of the faith are described as calculating—in Gk. λογισάμενος or logisamenos—meaning through logical thought they weighed the circumstances before them and they formed a conclusion to stand in a place based solely on what they had experienced or understood about God’s character and power written in His Word and lived through previous generations.  Conclusion:  If God revealed his faithfulness in miraculous ways in the past, he will be faithful to reveal himself and manifest his promises to every child of faith. Period.

These heroes are not standing on the foundation of wishful thinking, they are firmly placing their present hope in what the Word of God has revealed to his people in the past while looking for his goodness to manifest in the present and future.  How far into the future will that faith need to sustain God’s people?  Well, for many of these biblical heroes they had to hold onto their faith for a very long, long time.  Some even died holding onto their faith in the work of God through future generations.

Our faith isn’t just important to our Author; it is His passionate life-giving work.  Jesus died to rewrite our lives according to the living Word of God—the character of Jesus.  Spiritually, we arrive into this world lost and blind. Jesus comes to open our eyes and help us see through experiential learning opportunities that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him (Heb 11:6).  The more we pursue God, the more we understand his character and desire to emulate him.  

We were created to bring honor and glory to our Maker….our Creator.  Without the saving work of Jesus, the guidance of the Spirit, and the confident application of our faith in the Lord’s goodness and purpose, we are incapable of pleasing God.  So, let’s continue to pursue our Lord and increase our faith, today, because we are seeking to understand a very BIG God who loves to release unfathomable grace to his children!

Hebrews 11: 17-28 NLT  17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[a] 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

Prayer:  Lord, when we are actually called according to your name, it requires an act of our faith to follow you.  Thank you for rewriting our lives in your love.  Thank you for stretching our faith as we pursue your goodness by choosing to allow your passionate work to bring holy love to our lives. Change is never easy and having the faith to believe you have only better things for our lives will be our challenge.  Yet, we want you and the life you died to provide us.  So, continue to refresh us in the Spirit and motivate us to want all you have for us.  Make us heroes of the faith who prevail in your power and grace.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Friends, our faith is directly connected to our obedience to God and to His Word! Pastor Mary often says that “Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith” and that means that our faith is a big deal with God.

In today’s passage, the writer of Hebrews uses some of the Biblical Heroes of Faith to remind us of what Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah did, because we too need to be great examples (or heroes) of faith. These Biblical brothers and sisters lived by faith, not by their own physical sight, but rather by God’s spiritual sight and His guidance. They believed in God and His Word to navigate in the Spirit, because within the physical realm things seemed impossible, but by their faith, and with God all things were possible.

Friends, with God, all things are possible for us too. Even when moments seem bleak, we must press into our faith, remain obedient, and patiently trust and wait on God to unfold what He has for us. Within the first verse of today’s passage, we find the Biblical definition of faith, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” This means that our faithfulness to God requires that we are obeying His Word for every aspect of our life. Thus, we cling to the reality of our hopeful faith in Christ Jesus and submit our souls to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this faithful place we disconnect from this physical/temporal realm (earth) and we become more and more connected to our Eternal Home (in Heaven) with God.

Hebrews 11:1-12 (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.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example of faith. We want to be like our Biblical brothers and sisters of faith. Holy Spirit, help us to grow in our obedience to You and to Your Word. We want to be champions of faith for You not only so that we trust You with our lives, but also so that You can use us to extend Your love to others. We want to help grow Your Kingdom and leave a legacy that is all about You, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, if we are being completely honest, there is not one of us who has never felt the need to defend ourselves. So, when we go to defend ourselves, do we seek for God’s guidance? There are many places throughout the Word where God permits self-defense from both physical and/or spiritual danger, but His Word always guides us to defend with wisdom, restraint, and righteousness, through the Holy Spirit, Who does not harm others, but guides our souls (minds, wills, and emotions) and hearts with love and never with revenge.

Prior to today’s passage Stephen was falsely accused of blaspheming God, Moses, the Law, and the Temple. In today’s passage, Stephen begins his defense, as he is on trial before the Jewish council of approximately 70 Pharisees and Sadducees (High Priests). Stephen had been performing miracles, and most likely healings, and all in Jesus’s Name. Men were paid to spread lies about Stephen to stop him and to get him on trial. Our passage reveals how the Holy Spirit moved through Stephen to give a defense, and what better way than to walk them (the High Priests) through the early history of Israel. Stephen confronts the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin) and demonstrates how Jesus is their Deliverer Whom they rejected. He talks about God’s covenant with Abraham and how from the very beginning, Israel, was God’s chosen people who continued to be disobedient instead of remaining faithful.

Friends, Jesus is our Deliverer, and we need to remain faithful to Him, obedient to His Word, and be willing to defend His Holy Name.

Acts 7:1-8 (NLT)

Stephen Addresses the Council

1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. 3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

5 “But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. 6 God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.’

8 “God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.

Prayer: Jesus, help us to remain faithful to Your Word, and to be willing to defend You. Holy Spirit, guide us to be more like Stephen, and to have faith and trust like Abraham. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.