Devotionals

Intro: Human relationships are always going to need spiritual help and reconciliation; if not today then perhaps tomorrow or next week. Relationships are precious, but they require hard work and sacrifice. We can be so very different in our individual personhood and beliefs; therefore, even small clashes and conflicts are inevitable. When groups of people violently demand their own way and expect everyone else to bow down to them, it quickly escalates the conflict and war ensues. Wars are being fought all the time [look at the immediate situation with Israel/Hamas]; because without a desire for peace with God and neighbor based on a love and respect for the laws that govern, there can be no lasting agreement, so defending and protecting land and people becomes the urgent focus. Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6). The Hamas catalyst appears to be hatred living in the heart; the pursuit and quest for greater land, power, and autonomy through horrific lawless means.

Hatred is not isolated to other nations. Look at our country and the daily demonstration of lack of respect for the laws established by our U.S. Constitution; as well as, the lack of governing leadership to empower peacemakers who enforce justice: 1) against law-breakers, 2) protection for law-abiding citizens, and 3) help for immigrating neighbors built upon our legal foundation for entry to this country. Human to human relationships have hope for reconciliation when Christ is the Lord of the heart, because without him we live in darkness with deceitful, self-serving, and lawless inclinations.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us it is Christ who makes human beings right with Father God and in so doing we become new people living with a purpose. Our purpose is to help others meet Jesus, so they can also be reconciled to God and receive changed hearts. Not only does Christ instigate a reconciled relationship with the Father, he sends us to be ministers of reconciliation in our other relationships, as well. Christ rebuilds and repairs broken relationships all the time; he is all about addressing sin and healing human brokenness.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NLT
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making every willing heart a new person in Christ. We need you to forgive our sin and heal our human brokenness. Today, we continue to pray for our hearts, as well as the hearts of our loved ones, friends and neighbors; may every heart be reconciled to you. We pray for our communities to be made whole and healthy in your reconciling love; make us examples who shine your love. We pray for our nation’s leaders to wake up to what is happening each day and take a stand against lawlessness. We pray for the nations of the world to see you are the only One who governs justly. Holy Spirit, please bring revival and reconciliation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our passage today is from the Apostle Peter, and it directly connects to the message from the Apostle Matthew that Pastor Mary preached on yesterday about the “Parable of the Evil Farmers” (Matt 21:33-46). If you recall, within the parable Jesus recites Psalm 118:22, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” Peter also recites that same verse within today’s passage, as well as some verses from the prophet Isaiah, which also referred to Jesus being our cornerstone.

Peter wants you and I to understand that as “Living Stones for God’s House” we must use our seed of faith, and stand confidently on Jesus, Who is our cornerstone. Jesus has commissioned us as His follower to each be His royal priests because we are His chosen people. That means that we must use our seed of living to clearly be set apart from this world, because we belong to Jesus, Who is holy, and this world is far from holy. So, Jesus wants us to use our seed of purpose to concentrate on bearing righteous fruit, because He is the One Who is righteous. He calls us to live lives that reflect His character and goodness to others, because it is by His goodness that you and I were once called out of darkness and into His wonderful Light, and He wants that for ALL of His creation. So, friends, we need to be in oneness with Jesus so He can use us at any given moment for His glory and to further grow His Kingdom.

Pastor Mary shared the following seeds with us yesterday, and they clearly have a direct connection to today’s passage. I intend to hold firmly onto each one of these seeds this week and I am asking Jesus to grow them within my own life, and I hope you will join me in doing the same for your life:

1. Seed of Faith = Confidence (Be the good soil, because God is the good source of everything)
2. Seed of Living = Commissioned (Be set apart by God, Who is the Ruler of everything)
3. Seed of Purpose = Concentration (Be focused on bearing righteous fruit, God is the One Who is righteousness over everything)

1 Peter 2:4-10 (NLT)

Living Stones for God’s House

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”

7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”

8 And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our cornerstone. Please help to grow our seed of faith so that we can grow in our confident hope in You. Thank You for setting us apart from the world. Please grow our seed of living so that we are living more and more for You and less for this world. We want to bear more of Your righteous fruit, so keep growing our seed of purpose. Help us to concentrate on You so we are quick to move on Your behalf and for the good of Your Kingdom. Please be with Israel. May eyes see You even in the midst of this worldly evil and may hearts cling to Your promise for eternal life in Christ Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Joy (Heb. שִׂמְחָה pronounced see-m/KHA) is an eternal emotion, because it comes from making a choice to allow Christ to rule in our hearts knowing he will fulfill every promise he has made to us. Joy is an action word that can be experienced in good times, as well as bad times. However, we must make the choice to receive the joy of the Lord.

When we struggle, we need שִׂמְחָה in our lives and we gain it by focusing on the faithfulness and greatness of our Lord. If we do not choose joy and step into the well-being of Christ, we will be tempted to focus on our stressful earthly circumstances which most of the time leave us drained, arguing with others, or complaining. We were created to praise not complain; complaining is harmful behavior because we have been commissioned to reveal Christ in us to the world. Joy keeps us focused on Christ and moving along with the Spirit to develop humble and godly character within us.

In our passage, today, the Apostle Paul urges the early church to be humble, obedient, and filled with the joy of the Lord. It is a tough request, because these Christians in Philippi are experiencing persecution; they are being targeted and they see negative circumstances all around them. Paul knows God’s people need to become more resilient by abiding in the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit. We, too, need to become spiritually strong, so we can withstand the pressures of a sin-filled world. Difficult times abound across the globe, but God is greater and imitating Christ is the race set before each one of us. So, let’s press on and share in the joy of our salvation. Praise the Lord!

Philippians 2:14-18 NLT Imitating Christ’s Humility 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making a way for us as your children to live in your joy. The world’s way is dark, but in Christ you have made us lights for others. Continue to keep us strong and moving forward in the race to reveal Christ the Savior. May your word living in us be a torch helping others to see your love in action. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Years ago, when our sons were in elementary school, I volunteered to be a part of the Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA). During the boy’s last year, I served as the PTA president. As I was getting ready for the new school year of leading the PTA, my father said, “Mary, you need to learn Robert’s Rules of Order if you are going to lead your team in discussion and decision-making.” Robert published his adaption of Rules from the practice of the United States Congress (but for the needs of non-legislative groups). The rules to govern meetings—adopted as parliamentary authority—were intended to help any assembly accomplish the work for which it was designed.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul takes issue with the rules of conduct that have been demanded of Christians by false teachers. These teachers are focused on outward observances more than remaining focused on the power Christ; the followers of these leaders are not growing and getting the real work of the Kingdom done.

Hallelujah, the Old Testament law is fulfilled in Christ; he is the only one who can bring us the power to conquer our evil desires for sin and control. When we give Christ rule over our lives, he has promised to make us complete or whole in spiritual growth; he will empower us to accomplish everything he has planned for us. We must allow Christ to lead us so we accomplish the work for which ‘we’ are designed.

Colossians 2:16-23 NLT 16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you there is no condemnation for all who have accepted the work of Christ for the forgiveness of sin. You have called us out of legalism and into faith. Thank you for connecting us to Christ and bringing us liberty and life, so we can pursue spiritual growth. Please continue to rule and bring divine order into our lives for the work of your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro:

Only Jesus can heal spiritual sickness; it is what the Father sent him to do. Because of sin, we all start out spiritually unhealthy and disconnected from the truth of God. Spiritual health is found in the redeemed spirit that accepts and honors the work of Christ for the forgiveness of sin, as well as turns away from further sin by connecting and communing with God. Did you know you are first and foremost a spirit being?

Your body is not alive without your spirit—it’s only a shell. You are a spirit, you have a unique soul—mind, will, emotions—and you live in a body. Every part of you has been created to serve your spirit while you serve and honor God. When our spirits are unhealthy, it most certainly effects our emotional and physical health, as well.

In our passage today, Jesus encounters the hopeless paralytic man and heals him; he tells the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” In other words Jesus is saying, “Based on the authority the Father has given me, I am healing your spiritual sickness.” But what else happened at the same time? This man experiences a miraculous emotional and physical healing; he is filled with joy and walks home! You see, only God can make us whole, again.

Matthew 9:2-8 NLT

2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”

4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the wholeness you alone bring our lives. We praise you for the spiritual health made available in Christ. Perhaps some of us today need your touch in other areas. Therefore, we ask for you to bring health to our weary emotions and strength and restoration to our infirm bodies. Make us ambassadors of your gospel for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day my husband, John, and I were laughing about his transparency; I usually know what John is thinking by his facial expressions. When John plays cards or dominoes with the family, we can all read his next move. He just cannot hide his thoughts or plans. If he is getting ready to go out and win the round or game, we all know it. Transparency may not be great if you are serious about competition, but it is a sweet fragrance before the Lord in spiritual matters.

In our passage today, David is entirely transparent in his song of prayer before the Lord. He cries out to God by saying exactly what he is thinking. He hates evil and asks God to deal justly with it because he is tired of the wicked getting away with their deeds. David wants God to give those who do evil a taste of their own wickedness. He doesn’t try to hide what is going on inside his head, he knows God is already aware. David is transparent and honest; therefore, the Lord ministers grace to him.

We know God will deal with evil one day; however, we do not know when that will be. Therefore, in His goodness, God moves to make us strong in the midst of the world’s mess. The Lord encourages us to press on as He fills us with joy. Trust will always be a necessary part of our faith while we live in this fallen world; so, be transparent with the Lord in your prayers and know He will find a way to lift your head, touch your heart with confidence, and fill your soul with joy. He is the Savior and His grace is always enough!

Psalm 28 NLT
1
I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
    Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
    I might as well give up and die.
2
Listen to my prayer for mercy
    as I cry out to you for help,
    as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
3
Do not drag me away with the wicked—
    with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
    while planning evil in their hearts.
4 
Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
    Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
    Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
5 
They care nothing for what the Lord has done
    or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
    and they will never be rebuilt!
6 
Praise the Lord!
    For he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 
The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
8 
The Lord gives his people strength.
    He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.
9 
Save your people!
    Bless Israel, your special possession. 
Lead them like a shepherd,
    and carry them in your arms forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for welcoming us to your throne of grace and inviting us to be transparent with you. Sometimes it is hard to watch evil prevail, but we know you are stronger and we trust your promise to one day bring everything under your authority. As we press on in faith, please strengthen us and fill us with joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

For those of you who joined in yesterday’s time of worship you heard me talk at the end of service about my upcoming change from being a paid employee at C2C Church to being an active voluntary pastoral assistant during the times when I am not working a full-time job that will serve and further financially support my family. I am mentioning this change again, because just like Pastor Mary’s message yesterday from Matthew, today’s message from Paul is all about growing to love more like God intended us to love, like Jesus.

When I decided that God was calling me to make this change for my family at home, I immediately thought about my time with our spiritual Family. Jesus allowed me to see that I would still be able to attend Tuesday morning prayer, Wednesday night Bible study, Sunday worship, and many other times of gathering with our spiritual Family at nights and on the weekends. I immediately praised Jesus for this knowledge because much like Paul, every time I pray with and for our spiritual Family I am filled with great joy. As Paul mentions, the joy that we feel when we are together as a spiritual Family is because we are living out the Gospel message and spreading the Good News in an effort to further grow God’s Kingdom.

Friends, Jesus does not care about our attendance, nor does He tally our good deeds, He is concerned with our hearts and how we love Him and how we love one another (Matt 22:37-39). Pastor Mary reminded us yesterday about this sacrificial, obedient, and serving love. You and I are called to love like Jesus by loving our enemies, praying for them (Matt 5:44), and forgiving anyone who sins against us (Matt 6:14-15), because that is how Jesus loves you and me. He is our High Priest Who has all authority, and as we grow to love more and more like Him, we bring Him glory and much deserved praise.

Philippians 1:3-11 (NLT)

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for loving us and for setting the example of how we are called to love. Help us to love deeper and more authentically like You. Allow us to love those who hurt us, to forgive them, and to trust them and their actions, in actions, and/or words in Your Hands. We want to continue to grow individually in our faith walk, we want to grow collectively as Your Church, and we want to be used to further grow Your Eternal Kingdom, Lord Jesus. Please use each one of us today. Help guide us, Holy Spirit, to be a container of Your perfect love. All of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Wisdom is essential for our lives because we live in a sinful world that provides a wide open door for ungodly living. However, we are blessed with godly Provision, because Jesus has been made wisdom for us by our heavenly Father (1 Cor 1:30). Connecting to Christ is God’s plan for rescuing those who seek to live in a way that pleases the Father. We simply need to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we may forget we are all—every created being and thing—part of God’s story. Satan consistently plants doubts and unbelief in human minds to generate the idea we somehow have the power to rewrite what God has decreed, but all of these thoughts are lies. We can either get into agreement with God or not, but history is His-story. This does not mean we always understand the chain of events that manifest in our lives. It is simply that God’s will is sovereign [supreme and absolute], He is Love, and His-story will prevail. God has the final say in all things. Oh, how I pray for us to learn from His-story. I also pray for the wisdom to accept the things I cannot change.

In our passage today, we are reminded about the hidden lessons (symbolic) God writes in order to impart wisdom to us about who He is and what we can expect from his nature and rule. Wisdom is not about some mystical theology. Wisdom is about trusting the Truth of “In the beginning God created…” and living in a way that pleases our Creator. If we truly believe God desires to deliver believers from evil, as well as continue to reveal Himself each day in life around us, we will soar in wisdom by having the same attitude as Christ. 
Psalm 78:1-4 NLT A psalm of Asaph.
1 
O my people, listen to my instructions.
    Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 
    for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3 
    stories we have heard and known,
    stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4 
We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for writing your instructions on the heart of every believer. Continue to open our eyes and ears to the spiritual significance of each day and the importance of every choice we make to follow you. Give us opportunities to teach our children and grandchildren more about your instructions, as well as model and share your loving nature with them and others around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Although it is not always easy to hear, I do appreciate honest character and ministry feedback. In seminary, we were taught to receive instruction from those who were “seasoned” in leadership, as well as welcome feedback from those who were experiencing our leadership. The challenge comes when we encounter folks who simply do not like us, approve of us, or accept our style of leading things. Sometimes, we are simply not welcome to speak into people’s lives; their hearts are not open to the gifts we may bring.

For the past 13+ years, I have been blessed beyond measure to be in ministry with a group of people who are honest with me as family members, but do not seek to condemn or destroy. Instead, the goal is to encourage and edify. Just for honesty sake, the reason I so value our present spiritual family and those God has placed in my life, is because I have walked painfully in the past with “self-appointed critics.” This does not just happen in ministry, it happens in every area of life. The flesh nature of people just loves to judge others—placing self on the throne in the center of it all expecting he or she knows much more than anyone else.

In our passage today, James is giving encouragement to the Body of Christ—believers. We are all called to be on the field of this world and participating in the events of redemption. There is no room for arrogance. Many times, people feel justified to judge another; yet, they have no idea what it is like to be that person…or lead that ministry…or experience their burdens and infirmities. Satan always comes to bring division and destruction, so he will try to manipulate believers toward arrogance. There is only One who does know the heart of every human being, so let’s invite Christ to be the only Judge and resist the temptation to be a self-appointed critic, ok?

James 4:11-16 NLT 11 My brothers and sisters, do not assault each other with criticism. If you decide your job is to accuse and judge another believer, then you are a self-appointed critic and judge of the law; if so, then you are no longer a doer of the law and subject to its rule; you stand over it as a judge. 12 Know this—there is One who stands supreme as Judge and Lawgiver. He alone is able to save and to destroy, so who are you to step in and try to judge another?

13 Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, “We are traveling to this city in the next few days. We’ll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up.” 14 The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. 15 It would be best to say, “If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream.” 16 But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the character check we have been given today in our passage. Help us to remain humble and loving with others. Correct us when we need to stop talking before being unrighteously critical. We bow to you and choose to love others as you love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The word ‘turn’ in Hebrew is shub and it is mentioned over 1000 times in Scripture. The fact that it is repeated so many times means we need to pay attention. The definition of the word shub is to overturn, change, transform, or turn back. When we ‘turn’ toward God, we ‘turn’ away from sin. God cannot tolerate sin, because it is the devil’s/liar’s work (1 John 3:8). There is no sin in the Lord (1 John 3:5). So, to turn away from sin is to turn toward our destiny; living the Truth. No matter which direction we turn, we face the results of our choosing. If we do not turn toward God, our future is guaranteed to be permeated with sin and littered with destruction because the devil is a liar (John 8:44).

In our passage today, Jesus teaches his disciples about their need to turn. The focus of his lesson is for them to turn from sin toward humility—which would be right actions with God. Our actions are the results of the choice we make in whom we will serve, as well. The disciples must do more than say they serve Christ, they must live their destiny. Every time we turn toward making a righteous choice, we are turning our backs against sin. To every sin turn, turn turn…

Matthew 18:1-5 The Greatest in the Kingdom
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to teach us the many ways we must turn toward you in order to develop righteous actions. Keep us humble and focused on the greatness you bring our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.