Devotionals

March 6, 2019

Joel 2:12-17 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Today is the first day of our 40 Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.”  Lent is a perfect time for prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration.  Authentic reflection calls for a shift in our perspective; to honestly evaluate how near we are to God. He hasn’t moved away from us, but perhaps we have moved away from him. The Lord must always have first place in our hearts; we are to have no other gods before him. Every day the enemy distracts us with “other gods” seeking to move God out of his rightful place in our lives. As well, we can bring along a stubborn will and flesh filled with lousy priorities, careless choices, and unbiblical lifestyles that try to usurp God’s authority to direct our paths. We must draw near to God in prayer and seek him with all of our hearts. No half-hearted measures will do. God desires to pour himself entirely into a relationship with us; so our response should be to give ourselves entirely to him in return.

Our passage today is from the Old Testament book of Joel; he served as a prophet of the Lord following the Babylonian captivity around 538BC. God’s people had allowed things to enter their lives; things that separated them from God.  The all-knowing God was waiting for his people to return.  Now, to avoid judgment, the people needed to embrace change. Prayer would bring that change. Joel told the people to place their hope for restoration in the Lord. Hope was possible because of God’s steadfast love and generous mercy. Joel called people to repent and encouraged them to ask the Lord for relief.  

As Joel called God’s people to pay attention to their lives; today, I call us to do the same. During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.  

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March 5, 2019

Acts 10:23-33 Good News Translation (GNT)

When it comes to our relationship with God, there is always going to be room to grow and receive more. God is limitless in supply and love. In our passage today, Cornelius is hungry for more of God, but he does not really understand the work of faith, the supply of grace, or how to be filled. Charity and giving to others has been Cornelius’ focus, but now God is directing his attention toward a personal relationship of power from the inside out. Peter has a personal relationship with Christ and God is setting him up to share about it with hungry souls. The connection between Peter and Cornelius all began with prayer.

People around you need to know a personal and loving God; the God you serve and love. If people do not know Christ, nor have received him into their hearts, they are hungry for something they have not identified. So, pray and make yourself available to God then turn and help others put the pieces together and make the connection.

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March 4, 2019

Acts 10:9-23 Good News Translation (GNT)

The longer I walk through life with Jesus, the more aware I am that his plan for me—and all the connections with others he has for me to make while in this world—comes together precisely at his appointed time. It is really quite exciting; only God could line everything up so perfectly.  Of course, individually and collectively we must be in step with the Spirit.

Peter is filled with the Spirit, but he drags along some religious misconceptions.  God has a plan to change Peter, so he can embrace a Kingdom mindset.  Peter goes to a high place—the rooftop—to pray.  God uses Peter’s hunger to teach him something about his present level of spiritual understanding, as well as God’s heart and plan for salvation.  While Peter is praying, the Lord releases a vision.  Much of that vision doesn’t make sense to Peter until the Lord brings in the next step…a connection to Captain Cornelius.  Peter is a Jew and he truly believes the gentiles are unclean, but God instructs Peter to the contrary.  Like Peter, we must embrace God’s Word as Truth and adjust our lives accordingly.  God wants to redeem the whole world; he is ready to make any willing heart clean.

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March 1, 2019

Acts 10:1-8 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Cornelius is a Roman military leader on assignment from his headquarters in Rome; soon he will return to Rome.   He is noted as a generous man who believes in God; he guides his family to do the same.  Cornelius faithfully practices his faith by praying to God; his prayers are sincere.  Then one day everything changes.  The Lord communicates back to Cornelius through a vision, calls him by name, and gives him specific “marching orders.”   This is a huge change in the prayer life of Cornelius!  What is his response?  Obedience to God’s Word. The results of Cornelius’ obedience is the gospel will spread to the empire’s capital city.

Praying to God is a wonderful act of reverence and respect.  Seeking, communing, conversing with the living Christ is a whole new level. Cornelius has a religious practice, but he realizes this day—a day of conversion—that Christ is real, alive, and with him.  Does God want to speak with you in Christ?  Yes.  Yes he does.  When he does, will you be obedient like Cornelius?

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February 28, 2019

Psalm 99:1-5  Contemporary English Version (CEV)

To be Christ followers is to acknowledge God has a claim on our lives and we are to live under his authority and leadership.  It is no longer about living according to the dictates of our flesh; it is about living under the authority of God’s Word.  He alone is fair and just; he shows no favoritism. Sometimes we think God doesn’t care about our thoughts, desires, or what would make us “happy;” but that is a false perception.  He loves us and knows more about our selfish and corrupt flesh than we do.  If the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, it is because God sees the harm that sin can do.  He knows all things.  He is gentle, kind, and the Spirit’s work is to connect us in his perfect shalom.

In our passage today, the psalmist reminds us about God’s greatness, mercy, and might.  Our response should be “Yes” and “Amen” to that truth.  God is great, full of mercy, and brings his might to help us live each day.  Praise for the Lord should continually flow from our lips.  Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “It ought to be our daily delight to magnify so good and great a God.”

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February 27, 2019

Luke 17:1-4 The Message

In our lesson today, Jesus is teaching the disciples about sin and their need to live as examples, as well as, their need to forgive others.  We live in a fallen world and sin is a part of human nature.  We tend to think about sin being an individual matter, but that is rarely the case.  Think about Adam and Eve.  Scripture teaches Eve was deceived and sinned, but Adam did not stay the course to obey God and sinned, as well.  Bottom line, as believers we do not want to be the ones tempting or causing another child of God to sin.

Do you struggle forgiving fellow believers who repeatedly hurt you?  We must forgive personal offenses; it is a part of Kingdom living.  In fact, we may have to forgive the offending brother or sister multiple times.  Therefore, forgiveness is granted by faith. Forgiveness is a holy act; when we forgive and move on we are the most like Christ.  When we have truly forgiven someone, we ceased to discuss it with others or mentally entertain it further.  Otherwise, we sin before God, too, because we say we have forgiven and our mouths prove otherwise.  This makes us hypocrites.

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February 26, 2019

1 Samuel 24 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

There are so many amazing life lessons David teaches us, today.  I know the passage is long, but please take the time to read the whole story.   As you read our passage, please notice how David demonstrates the Fruit of the Spirit; I have noted nine in parentheses.  Manifesting the character of the Lord is David’s passion and should be ours, as well.  David trusts God even though his circumstances remain challenging and evil pursues him.  God is preparing and providing for David who will soon step in to be the King of Israel. The Lord himself referred to David as “A man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). David ran from Saul for about fifteen years.  If you were David, would you have handled fifteen years of testing this way?  The lessons are abundant and the fruit David grew during the years of preparation are eternal. 

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February 25, 2019

Luke 10:21-24 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

It is the gracious will of God to reveal his goodness and love to those who are humble enough to receive it.  Pride is a spiritual sickness that God rejects; Jesus is the Cure.  Prideful people think they see and know all things, so God confuses them in order to lovingly “dethrone” or humble them.  “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Education is valuable and we are blessed when we can enjoy higher learning.  However, we must never let what we know with our natural minds make us think we know supernatural things apart from the revelation of Christ.  It is the work of Christ to make the Father known to us.  And, with Christ, only the humble are welcomed into Kingdom Living.  Take a humble position, today, and ask Jesus to teach you about the Father.  

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February 22, 2019

1 John 2:15-17 The Message (MSG)

Since the first of the year, our LIFE Lessons Bible Study group has been focused on the Fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23).  Through his writings to the Galatians in the early church, the Apostle Paul helps us better understand our need to allow the Spirit to produce and ripen spiritual fruit within us.  The fruit is unified and not separate; it is grown within Christ believing individuals as a whole.  The evidence of fruit reveal the manifesting characteristics of Christ’s presence in our lives; he is One and he is the Firstfruit within us as the redeemed.  

The Lord God is to be our First Love and allowing our lives to faithfully bear fruit pleases and exalts him.  That is why the enemy tempts us to get us off the righteous path by distracting us with desires for the temporal things of this world. We are innately deficient in spiritual fruit; so, instead of connecting to the Vine to be filled with righteousness, we want and accumulate worldly stuff thinking it will satisfy.   We must love the Lord and what he provides more than what the world offers, because the stuff the world offers will not last.  Don’t let the enemy squeeze out your First Love. The world’s way is not worth the price. God’s provision is abundant, satisfying, and eternal.

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February 21, 2019

Romans 8:5-7 New Living Translation

According to the Word of God, humanity has the opportunity to follow one of two paths; 1) the path of righteousness, or 2) the path of foolishness.  We must make a choice for our minds to follow; our behaviors follow our thoughts.  If we are focused on pleasing God, we will follow the path of righteousness (life in the Spirit).  This is a new life imparted by God. When we accept Christ, we are born anew from above and we cannot remain complacent to sin.  When we choose life in the Spirit, sin becomes exceedingly sinful and we never feel right or have peace about practicing what God calls sin. 

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