Devotionals

Daily Reading: 7-19-16

1 John 2:1-6 The Voice (VOICE)

I am going to set a word out for you today that most people are afraid to use because it sounds judgmental.  The word is “sin” or that which is evil, immoral, and transgresses against God’s Word.  Jesus is the Living Word, so when we follow the Word we are following Christ.  For the Christ follower who is seeking to know the Father and gain understanding, the word “sin” is familiar.  It is not a judgmental word; rather, it is an honest assessment of our human behavior and sincere recognition of our need for a Savior.  Jesus died for the sins of the whole world; in other words everyone sins.  

We are to avoid judging the sins of others and focus on our own journey; remember Jesus saying, “Why is it that you see the dust in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but you can’t see the wooden plank in your own eye? (Matt. 7:3-4).  Christ’s followers realize sin is our natural condition and, without the supernatural work of the Living Word, sin separates us from our perfect God.  Knowing God means learning to follow His holy ways; we grow closer to God (intimacy) when we confess our sins to Him and choose to allow the Spirit to bring the necessary change into our lives that causes us to align our ongoing choices with God’s Word.

In our passage this morning, the Apostle John is writing a letter and urging Christ’s followers to avoid the inevitable pain and guilt that comes when we practice sin.  There are always consequences to practicing sin.

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Daily Reading: 7-18-16

Colossians 1:27-2:7 Living Bible (TLB)

This is a Word for today; keep it in your heart and never let it go:  Christ in your hearts is your only hope of tasting the glory and culture of heaven.  You need to connect to Christ.  God desires to give us glimpses of the glory; it pleases Him to share with His children.  We must press in and open ourselves up for the revelation and understanding; to live in vital union with Christ.  

Several weeks ago in our LIFE lesson series on Revelation, we read about the lukewarm church at Laodicea who turned away from Christ’s highest for them.  In our passage this morning we see the Apostle Paul had been pouring himself out to help them grow in the riches of heaven, but in Revelation we can see they were too full of themselves to be full of Christ and, therefore, faced God’s discipline instead of being filled with His glory.  It is always about humans making wise choices.   

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Daily Reading: 7-15-16

Ephesians 3:14-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

When we truly allow Christ the Living Word to make his home in our hearts and trust our lives to his design and purpose, we can experience the unmeasurable love of God for us. God’s presence causes us to grow up spiritually. When we feel empty in our souls, it is simply because we have not invited the Word to transform us, fill us up, and become what we lack; God has fullness for each of us. He did not create us to be spiritually weak nor fragile when facing difficulties in this temporal world. By the Spirit we are to be full of love and mighty in bringing down evil. He created us to be filled with the fulness of Life (mature in Christ), so as his followers we may connect to all the resources of heaven and the wisdom to know how to use them. Every battle in this temporal world originates from a spiritual battle between good and evil and the intersection of the human will to choose between them. God’s Word teaches us about the strategies of evil, as well as the spiritual weapons (resources of heaven) that cause us to stand firm against every attack. 

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul encourages the church at Ephesus to give praise to God for His love and goodness in bringing spiritual maturity to everyone who desires it: 

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Daily Reading: 7-14-16

Luke 8:4-10 The Voice (VOICE)

Our world is certainly complex and challenging for me right now.  I am not discouraged; rather, I simply recognize what seemed really secure to me has become shaken.  This challenge has to do with the release of words.   A person’s word—what is chosen to be said—is powerful.  It has far reaching effects.  I listen to reports, leaders, and public figures, but what is said on the surface sounds like garble filled with half-truths and many times absolutely void of wisdom.  Yet, I am still grateful for free speech in this country.  The challenge that I spoke about is simply the need to cut through the garble to find Truth.  Honestly, I care about this country and world very much, so I stay connected and informed.  But I put my trust in God who is Truth.  So, I spend a lot more time in the eternal Word of God than listening to the words of the world, because His Word brings me direction, hope, joy, and blessing for eternal living.  There is life beyond this temporal world and I want to be ready for it.

People say the Word of God is difficult to understand and apart from the work of Holy Spirit to bring revelation it can be.  The difficulty came with humanity’s choice to know good and evil.  So now we must sift the words for Truth.  Jesus spoke in parables—little works of art—that were intended to hide the truth and force those listening to go to a deeper level in his or her understanding and comprehension. This is a deeper level in intimacy with God.   The Word of God is a love letter penned by the Spirit that always points to the spiritual riches found in Jesus Christ—Messiah.  The natural mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit, so we must press in by reading, and rereading, and praying for revelation.  Investment, understanding, application, and harvest is the Word process partnered with the Spirit. 

In today’s passage, Jesus tells a parable about the potential power of His Word when it is released in the natural soil or soul—mind, will, emotions—of God’s human family.

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Daily Reading: 7-13-16

Matthew 25:31-46 Living Bible (TLB)

Please pause with me today, as I have many things on my heart. Some times I am entirely taken back by the attitude and responses of people in our world who profess to know God. To actually know God, we must not only profess Christ’s work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin, we must put his loving Grace and mercy into action and witness to Christ’s presence in us by the integrity of our Love. Otherwise, we are simply pretenders of the gospel and not true followers; followers of Christ bear the fruit of the Spirit so the world will be given an accurate image of the One True God. It is by our fruit that we are distinguished as Christ’s followers: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). When we operate in this fruit, we accurately represent God’s attitude toward His children.

It isn’t hatred in the heart that causes people to be separated from God who is Love, it is indifference and rejection of His Law of Grace to bring forgiveness and eternal change to the innate selfish attitudes and routines of human beings. Grace leads us to embrace the merciful heart of God as we look at others. Hatred then has no room to grow.

In the Wisdom Book of Proverbs, we find seven things that God calls abominations; things that God’s Grace was sent to change. These things should never find a welcoming home in the heart of those who profess to know God, because the Spirit will aggressively convict us: a proud look (overestimate oneself and discount others), a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that creates wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to do evil, a false witness who speaks lies (half truths), and one who stirs up trouble among the faithful (6:16-17). Now, think about our world, country, leaders, and people who profess to know God.

In our passage today, Jesus reminds his disciples that the Father is looking for followers who have offered his or her entire being to the work of His kingdom. Christ is returning to earth for a second time and when he does the attitudes, integrity, and faithfulness of his followers to extend mercy and bear fruit will be evaluated. Are we doing our daily work out of love for God while responsibly loving the people around us (neighbors)?

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Daily Reading: 7-12-16

1 John 3:11-17 The Voice (VOICE)

Every day is a gift from God. How we live out each day is a choice. We can choose to live out the day by practicing good (loving God and others) or we can live out the day by practicing evil (loving only self). According to the Word of God, since the beginning of the Garden the choice to practice good and evil was made available to every human being. God said, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life!” (Deuteronomy 30:19). If we choose life we choose love; they go Hand in hand. Jesus who is Life and Love takes our hand and lives His Life through us to Love the world.

As we look at our world, it becomes obvious that not everyone takes the Hand of Jesus by choosing Life and Love, but we cannot stop releasing both because heaven and earth witnesses our choice. If every follower of Jesus would choose TODAY to release Life and Love, the media would light up witnessing accounts all over the world; because earth would witness our choice. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the media to be shaken with reporting Good! The Love and Life of Jesus on the move…because He alone overcomes evil.

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Daily Reading: 7-11-16

Psalm 15 The Voice (VOICE)

God created humans to enjoy relationships. We are to love Him and worship Him alone. In His Presence we find our true home and our hearts His dwelling place; our hearts are supremely valuable. Just think of it. The Eternal One knows our hearts and welcomes us to enjoy Him when our motives are sincere. This is the very reason we must diligently guard our hearts because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life (Proverbs 4:23). Out of our hearts, we can release the life of God into the world through our thoughts, words, and actions. But with that knowledge, we must remember turning our hearts and devotion will always be the target of the enemy.

For people who do not guard their hearts, they will be led all over the place by their emotions and fears. We see that going on in our world, today. Do not be tossed to and fro by the enemy. Allow God’s love to rule your heart and trust the work of His grace through you.  Listen to the Voice of the Spirit and follow peace.

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Daily Reading: 7-8-16

John 3:16-17; 19-21 The Voice (VOICE)

God sent the Light, Jesus, to expose the darkness of the human heart that exists without the reigning authority of God—Love.  Every human heart needs to receive the love of God.  Jesus is the answer to our greatest need as humans; otherwise, we will live in a spiritual state of anarchy.  Every act of darkness—hatred, lies, greed, violence—grieves my spirit.  This morning my heart is grieved by the darkness of the heart—the violence—released against the Dallas Police Officers.  Everything in me cries, “We must pray in Jesus’ name!”  I pray for those wounded and fighting for their lives to be healed and restored in Jesus’ name.  I pray for the families of the fallen officers to be covered and held by the Comforter in Jesus’ name.  I pray for truth and justice to rise up and take authority in Jesus’ name.  I pray for peace to cover our nation in Jesus’ name, because it is being shaken by darkness.  

To pray in Jesus’ name is to ask God for everything to spill forth from the glory of heaven that is consistent with His perfect character and fill the earth.  It means as humans we lay our hearts before the Savior and surrender to the work of Love who will cast out darkness from our sinful souls.  We must pray consistent with His nature to rule in our individual lives, as well as care about the things that matter to God.  I pray for our country and the world to embrace the Love of God found in Jesus Christ, because in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  Light overcomes the darkness (John 1:5).

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Daily Reading: 7-7-16

James 2:14-17 New Living Translation (NLT)

As God’s children we are to live our life each day by faith in His Word of love, not by what we see in our realm of awareness (Hebrews 11:6) “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1 CEV). Maybe another way of saying these two things in a personal affirmation might be: I confidently live my faith out in tangible expressions of love by following the example of Jesus Christ in doing good and when I do I experience the heavenly realities of God and the riches of His kingdom being manifest on earth. Jesus prayed, “This is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (John 17:3) Faith is a catalyst (stimulus) for experiencing the realities of heaven on earth and it is connected to God who is Love and the work of Christ to provide eternal life. 

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Daily Reading: 7-6-16

Luke 10:8-11,16 New Living Translation (NLT)

Rejection can be difficult to deal with no matter what season of life in which we find ourselves; it’s a painful reality that can be found in relationships because they involve feelings and commitments. We want to belong and feel needed; we want people to listen to our thoughts and ideas about life and the things that are important to us. 

Now, think about God for a minute and our conversation about rejection.  God desires to get a very important message to humanity about how much He loves us and how He longs to have a relationship with us.  All are welcomed to live in His Kingdom of love. He created us so we could all enjoy communion or fellowship with Him and one another.  How does God convey His love message?  The answer is through creation, Jesus Christ and his followers, and the work of the Spirit.  Will we welcome and listen to God’s love message or reject it?  It is our choice and we must face the effect of our decision.

In our passage, today, Jesus makes a point about rejecting God’s love message.  Having the right priority will help his followers.  Jesus sends the disciples out to share the Good News of God’s love and His desire to have a relationship with His human creation.  He prepares them by issuing a warning that not everyone will welcome their message about God’s love or the invitation to live in His Kingdom.  They are not to take it personally; they are to put it into perspective.

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