Devotionals

Intro: Encouragement is a blessing every human being needs to experience. That is why the spiritual gifts God has given his children are so precious; such a treasure. Some of God’s children have a wonderful and weighty gift of encouragement they joyfully share with the spiritual family. Encouragement is strengthening; it builds up and gently nudges one forward.

In the Old Testament, we find many priestly blessings of encouragement for God’s people. This was not only a spoken spiritual blessing from faith leaders, it was a provisional blessing because the people’s needs were practical. They needed food, water, health, children, protection, and security; so, a blessing was prayed over the people and, by faith, they began to look for their supernatural God to provide in some way.

The world speaks cutting, shaming, judging, criticizing words over people every day; it is anti-God. To use our words to build and strengthen the hope and trust of others in Christ—our living Lord—brings forward the love of God that unites us in Christ. We care about helping one another. Encouragement helps the weak and weary to gain strength in the Lord. Jesus was always encouraging his followers by nudging them forward toward greater transformation in their lives. In Christ, may we be encouragers of one another.

In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews shares a priestly blessing to encourage believers to stay focused on their relationship with God and his involvement and favor operating in their lives. Our Good Shepherd not only laid down his life for us, he continues to provide out of concern for us as his family; those who do the will of the Father. Our needs matter to the Lord. He has promised to provide strength and equip us to share his goodness with others in spiritual, as well as practical ways.

Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT
20
Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21
may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer: (Num 6:22-26) May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you joined us yesterday for worship, you may recall that we spent time in Psalm 23 and John 10. We were reminded by David, in Psalm 23, that the Lord is our shepherd and that His goodness and unfailing love will never stop pursing us because it is gravely important to God that we ultimately reside in His House for all eternity.

Then Jesus, in John 10, uses a parable about how He is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. At the end of John 9, Jesus was debating with those who objected to Him giving sight to a man who was born blind. Jesus is still speaking to those criticizers, but they tell Jesus that they do not understand what He is saying. “So, He explained it to them: ‘I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.’ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:7, 9-10)

Today’s Psalm is “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”, and it invites all of the earth to shout with joy to the Lord. Remember, Pastor Mary helped us yesterday to understand that the enemy will do anything to steal our joy. But, handing over our joy is a chose we have, because Jesus lives within us, and He is our joy. So, even though the enemy is always around, he has no power to take our joy, unless we give it to him, because Jesus, Who is divine and holy power, resides in you and me.

Psalm 100 is meant to encourage us to acknowledge God and His vast power that created us. It is directly connected to Psalm 23 and John 10, because we are God’s people, the sheep of the Good Shepherd’s pasture. As His sheep, you and I must enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with joyous praise because His love will never fail and will continue for all eternity.

Psalm 100 (NLT)

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.

3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Help us to hold firmly onto our joy. We do not want to hand anything that is of You over to the enemy. Thank You for being our gate, the One Who welcomes us into our eternal Home. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Every person develops a reputation—the opinion people have about us—over time based on the behavior that is demonstrated in our relationships whether personal, work, leisure, etc. If we have a habit of acting unjustly, disrespecting others, or making negative or condemning statements, we will develop a bad reputation. Depending on how often we display this poor character, we can gain a bad reputation very quickly. Unfortunately, it is hard to lose or repair a bad reputation once we have set it into motion. Only humility and grace can bring healing and restoration.

In our passage today, the tax collectors—those working for the Roman government—have established a bad reputation of corruption with the Jewish people. In fact, any Jew who became a tax collector was consider a traitor, as well as a thief—a notorious sinner. Jesus was aware of all these accusations, but the bad reputation of these tax collectors did not detour him from spending time with them. Jesus was determined to be a Voice of Truth for the sinners; he was not worried about his own reputation being soiled. However, the religious leaders and Pharisees saw the tax collectors as unworthy of God’s love, so sharing a meal with them was considered unthinkable, as well as spiritually defiling. The Pharisees’ image of their piety was as wrong as the tax-collectors’ image of their corruption, so Jesus reminded them every person’s way of life needs to be changed.

Jesus uses a parable to explain why he was willing to spend time with sinners: He felt deep sorrow for them because they were like lost sheep in need of a shepherd. In the Old Testament, God is pictured as the Shepherd of Israel who cares about his people’s well-being (Ps 23). In the New Testament, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. Since the religious shepherds of Israel failed to show concern for God’s people who were lost in sin, Jesus proved faithful as the Shepherd who laid down his life for the lost (John 10:11).

We can all wander away from our Shepherd and the protection of his care; however, we may face the difficult consequences of our sin when we do so. May we never forget the gift of mercy and grace, as well as the goodness of God to come and find us in order to lift us from sin and restore us in relationship with Father. May we live with gratitude that God changes our identity by making us his children, so our reputation can begin anew when we are born again. In Christ, we are a new person—the old life is gone…a new life has begun (2 Cor 5:17). Have a blessed weekend! Hope to see you Sunday!

Luke 15:1-7 VOICE
1 Jesus became increasingly popular among notorious sinners—tax collectors and other social outcasts. 2 The Pharisees and religious scholars noticed this.
Pharisees and Religious Scholars: This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal!

Jesus (with another parable): 3-4 Wouldn’t every single one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? 5 When you find the lost sheep, wouldn’t you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? 6 And when you go home, wouldn’t you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn’t you say, “Come over and celebrate with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep”? 7 This is how it is in heaven. They’re happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don’t need to change their ways of life.

Prayer: Father, as your children, may we care greatly about the reputation we are developing while we are in this fallen world. Our lives need to emulate your beauty and holiness. Please continue to bring change to our lives, so by our attitudes and actions we begin to emulate your character and reputation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: I am truly enjoying our new Bible Study Video Series: The Chosen. If you haven’t been joining us on Wednesday evenings, you are missing a blessing. It’s not too late; simply go to our website and click on the Bible Study tab on the menu bar. You will be able to get caught up very quickly. There are so many valuable lessons we can apply to our lives. Each one nudges us forward with a renewed perspective of the Living Word of God—Jesus—and how we grow as his disciples. Christians represent God to others; we witness to the reality of our reconciliation with God made available in Christ. I cannot imagine what life would be like without Jesus and I am so glad I will never know.

The world does not recognize Christ, so we must help them see the Lord in us. In the Old Testament, heaven came to earth symbolically in the Tabernacle/God’s dwelling place. In the New Testament, heaven came to earth in Jesus/God with us. And, at Pentecost, heaven came to earth in the work of the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer. Everything in heaven is directed by God—operates by his principles and authority. So, the chosen should be permeated with the glory of heaven.

Please do not allow the world to define you. Instead, invite God to reveal to you who he created you to be; a person with great worth, value, and special gifts he designed just for you. Truthfully, because believers are loyal to God, we automatically position ourselves in opposition to the world’s way of thinking, speaking, and acting. Being rejected by the world is no big loss; being cherished by God is the greatest treasure.

1 Peter 2:9-12 NLV
9 But you are a chosen group of people. You are the King’s religious leaders. You are a holy nation. You belong to God. He has done this for you so you can tell others how God has called you out of darkness into His great light. 10 At one time you were a people of no use. Now you are the people of God. At one time you did not have loving-kindness. Now you have God’s loving-kindness.

11 Dear friends, your real home is not here on earth. You are strangers here. I ask you to keep away from all the sinful desires of the flesh. These things fight to get hold of your soul.

12 When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. Even if they talk against you as wrong-doers, in the end they will give thanks to God for your good works when Christ comes again.

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful to belong to you; heaven is my home. Thank you for the love and mercy you extend to anyone who desires a relationship with you. As your children, may we honor you with how we live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, the disciples have decided to go fishing. Fishing is familiar and the disciples need to do something that brings them comfort. They are still trying to process the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and what it all means for Israel. They know they are to meet Jesus in Galilee, but there are still so many unknowns. Perhaps the disciples are wondering what is to become of them now? Or, will Jesus continue to provide for his own? The answers to those questions are swimming their way.

Even though the disciples are knowledgable fishermen, they encounter a fruitless night of fishing. They find no comfort from their own hard work. Remarkably, finding people in fruitless places is Jesus’ specialty. The Lord always seems to add his miraculous substance to our lack; we cannot take credit for grace, can we?

No matter how much knowledge we may gain in a certain area—and certainly knowledge is good—we will always require the supernatural work of God to take us into miraculous results. None of Jesus’ instructions make sense in the natural—“Put your net over the right side of the boat”—yet, it makes perfect sense for the supernatural. By this miracle, the disciples realize the man on the shore is the Risen Christ—the Lord—in whom all comfort and provision is found. When you experience a miraculous work of grace, you know the Lord is involved and has chosen to provide for you.

John 21:1-11 The Risen Christ Talks to His Followers
1 After this, Jesus again showed Himself to His followers at the lake of Tiberias. It happened like this: 2 Simon Peter and Thomas who was called the Twin and Nathanael from the town of Cana in the country of Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two other followers were all together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into a boat. That night they caught no fish.

4 Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore of the lake. The followers did not know it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They said, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Put your net over the right side of the boat. Then you will catch some fish.” They put out the net. They were not able to pull it in because it was so full of fish.

7 Then the follower whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard it was the Lord, he put on his fisherman’s coat. (He had taken it off.) Then he jumped into the water. 8 The other followers came in the boat. They were pulling the net with the fish. They were not far from land, only a little way out.
9 When they came to land they saw fish and bread on a fire. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went out and pulled the net to land. There were 153 big fish. The net was not broken even with so many.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your generous provision for our lives and for the miraculous way you work to communicate and deliver grace to us. Thank you for bringing provision to our lack. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Nothing can ruin human relationships quite like hateful speech and lying. When someone implements these tactics of evil within relationships, it is not long until others around him or her begin to distance themselves. For those wounded by words, maintaining a distance becomes a way to guard their hearts from further injury.

God did not create us to use our words in unloving or cruel fashion. When we lie or talk about others behind their backs, we are hypocrites and Jesus is dishonored; nothing can justify such behavior from believers. If we are willing to be honest, we know better. When we belittle other people or speak unkindly to them or about them, we have forgotten the mercy and goodness of God toward us. Instead of casting blame or pointing out the shortcomings of others, let’s take responsibility for our imperfect behaviors—this is what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

We can all learn something from our passage from Peter, today, because he is a very credible witness to the verbal traits God had to redeem in his very own life. Many times, Peter spoke and then thought; by the way, this is just the opposite of what believers should be doing. Jesus calls us to remember his goodness to us and respond to others from that point of revelation.

The Apostle Paul also knows how dangerous evil speech is for those wanting a relationship with Christ, so he tells believers, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Eph 4:31-32). So, let’s be mindful to carefully choose what we say and how we treat others.

1 Peter 2:1-3 NLV Food for Christians
1 Put out of your life hate and lying. Do not pretend to be someone you are not. Do not always want something someone else has. Do not say bad things about other people. 2 As new babies want milk, you should want to drink the pure milk which is God’s Word so you will grow up [become mature] and be saved from the punishment of sin [God’s Wrath]. 3 If you have tasted of the Lord, you know how good He is.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the truth we clearly understand from your Word, today. Holy Spirit, please convict us every time we fail to honor others with our words or actions. Please don’t let us become hypocrites who speak evil and dishonor the mercy you have granted to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When we look at the Old Testament writings from the prophet Isaiah, we see a total of 66 chapters. In the first 39 chapters, Isaiah warns the people of Israel (so it’s a warning from all of God’s people) of forthcoming judgement and their need for repentance of their sins and to turn back to God and to His Word of Truth. In chapter 40 we see a shift as Isaiah is offering comfort for God’s people, but what he shares continues to be rooted in God’s Word of Truth. Isaiah 40:7-8, are quoted in today’s New Testament passage from Peter.

Within these verses, Isaiah wants God’s people (us) to understand their (our) frailty. So, he compares people to grass that withers and flowers that fade. Then in stark contrast Isaiah reminds us that the Word of God remains forever. During yesterday’s sermon, Pastor Mary said that “we are temporary residents of earth”. She is speaking the same Truth that Isaiah shares in the Old Testament and that Peter shares in the New Testament.

When you and I chose to give our life to Jesus, we began drinking from His cup of salvation. In that moment we were reborn, our old life of sinful dead living was laid down at the cross, and we picked up our cross and began to walk out our born-again life. This new life lasts forever, because it is eternal with Jesus; but our physical life and all of life on this earth is fading and it will all come to an end. But, until the end comes, you and I have a holy expectation from God to spread the Good News message about Jesus. Just as each of us wants to be drinking from the cup of salvation, we also want as many people as possible to meet Jesus and to drink from that same cup. We do not want to see anyone parish from being trapped in the cup of God’s wrath.

1 Peter 1:23-25 (NLT)

23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the Scriptures say,

“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the most precious gift, my salvation. I know that I had to choose it, but I also know that You have been cheering me on from the moment I took my first breath, and you will keep cheering until I take my last breath and meet you face-to-face. Wow, that will be the greatest moment! As the earth fades and as I grow older, I remain hopeful even when I am in the valley because I carry You, Jesus, within me and I know that the best is yet to come with You in eternity. Please help me to keep drinking from Your cup of salvation as I stand firmly rooted in You and against the enemy. I lift all of this to You, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Biblical hope is connected to holy living which is God’s desire for believers. Conduct is a big deal with God and it takes faith and self-control to live wisely. The chosen people of God conduct their lives by his standard or plumb line, because God is the one who will be doing the measuring (Amos 7:7-8). God’s plumb line helps the born again understand holiness, righteousness, justice, and love. Scripture unveils the Truth for how believers are to live while we wait for the return of Christ.

No one knows the day or time, but Jesus is coming back; he has promised and given his Word (Matt 24:29-31, 35-37). Therefore, we need to live alert and prepared for every promise Jesus made about the Kingdom of God. God will gather his chosen people for the perfection of Christ’s salvation, grace, and glory, because Jesus will return to set up God’s rule over creation and humanity (Zech 14:9).

In our passage today, Peter tells us our relationship with Jesus allows us to become holy people, because God makes it happen. If we welcome Christ’s work to make us holy, we will have to separate from the world’s way of thinking and living. This is Good News, because it means we will be separated for God and have the ability to imitate his attitude and actions. Holiness is not based on our nature or character, it is based on God’s power and our relationship with him. This is a very exciting aspect of our faith, because we are set free to live a fruitful and meaningful life by putting our hope in the power of God. “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:8b).

1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT A Call to Holy Living
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.

Prayer: Lord, you have called us to build our lives on the foundation of your glorious and holy presence. Help us to choose obedience to your standard rather than living for our pleasure, so we can be ready for your return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Salvation is for the whole person not just an inner portion of a person. Christ brings the gift of salvation to both the physical and spiritual dimensions of life. Believers are being saved in terms of past, present, and future time by the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). When we call upon Christ for salvation, God forgives our past sin, empowers us with grace to follow the Spirit in the present, and prepares and equips us to be witnesses in the future as we look for Christ’s return.

As we obediently give our whole bodies and lives to Christ, he begins to live in and through us bringing salvation—Christ is God with us—and he is creating his righteous dwelling place IN human beings. The salvation Christ brings includes: peace and restoration between God and humans, peace between human beings, and peace between human beings and nature. Christ is the Prince of Peace—his peace is not the absence of conflict but rather wholeness—so he is always wanting to reconcile and restore lives and relationships (Isa 9:6).

God loves you! He calls you by name and he reaches down to touch your life with his saving goodness as each day he refashions you in his righteous character and image. This is a process of transformation in which human beings surrender to the purposes of God. To deny this transformation is to reject the salvation Christ actually offers. We must stop trying to live like we are our own god. So, live by faith and trust God’s plan for you. As you walk with the Spirit, you will experience more and more wholeness and the inexpressible joy found in God’s presence. It is all possible because Jesus brings us a right relationship with Almighty God.

1 Peter 1:8-12 NLT 8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the transformation you are bringing into the lives of your children as you dwell with us. We welcome the changes you bring, because we want to bring you the glory you so rightly deserve. Be glorified in us today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen (Heb 11:1). Therefore, faith is a humble attitude of expectation and trust in Christ to draw God’s grace or favor into our lives. We do not deserve grace, but when we humble ourselves and repent, God responds in love and pours his goodness upon us. The law of Moses [Mosaic covenant made by God] was a good thing, but grace and truth through Christ is even better (John 1:17). In fact, we are taught in Scripture “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Eph 4:7). Grace is an extravagant Gift from God; the riches of heaven that are apportioned as Christ directs. As his followers, let’s wisely position ourselves with our Master.

In our passage today, the teachers of religious law demand a sign to prove Christ’s authority; that he was sent by God. God’s grace empowered Moses to perform many signs that would convince others he was sent by God. The religious leaders demand a sign to see what Jesus can do in order to decide if God sent him. Jesus confronts these faithless expectations with a sign of salvation he had already sent so many years earlier; as Jonah was resurrected out of the belly (grave) of the fish, so the Son of Man would be resurrected from the tomb of the earth (grave).

To reject Jesus is to make evil one’s master which brings God’s judgment. Jesus walked by faith and lived in the grace provided; in doing so, he demonstrated a deep love for humanity and performed one miracle after another for those willing to embrace humility and repentance. As Christ’s humble followers, miraculous signs can continue among us in order to demonstrate the power of Christ to save humanity from sin and death. I am so grateful Christ has written his law on our hearts and given us the Spirit who bears witness to the Truth, so we can walk obediently by faith and receive the grace of God as we live, move, and have our being in Christ (Acts 17:28).

Matthew 12:39-42 NLT The Sign of Jonah
38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”
39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

Prayer: Lord, throughout history, you have proven your love for humanity. Everything we could possibly need for salvation has been provided in Christ. Thank you for your favor and for grace that is more than sufficient for our every need. By faith, we will walk forward each day knowing you are with us and your purpose for our lives will be fulfilled. You have promised and by faith we believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen.