Devotionals

December 13, 2022

Intro: The first advent of Jesus set into motion what Scripture calls “the last times.” Jesus came as a baby in a manger and he lived his life as the humble and suffering Servant mentioned in Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah (Isa 7:14; Ch 53). Yet, we must also remember not all of the prophecies regarding Jesus have been fulfilled; more revelation will be coming (Luke 22:37). According to prophecy, the second advent of Jesus will be when he returns with the armies of heaven to rule the nations (Rev 19:11-16).  

Truth is always under attack; therefore, the Church must remain vigilant and faithful. Preceding our passage for today, Jude—the brother of Jesus—condemns false teachers and their heresy. These teachers distort the Scriptures in order to serve their own desires. Jude proclaims the Holy Spirit is simply not in them (v.19). These leaders teach Christians they may live any way they want and still be free from God’s punishment. Jude warns the Church not to reject the lordship of Christ.  

False teachers seek to stir doubts in believers. They basically use the same line Satan used in the Garden with Eve, “Did God really say…?” If believers are not careful, they will discard the righteous commands of God and wander into deception. Jesus said, “When you obey my Father’s commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:11). So be filled with the Holy Spirit and let the joy of your salvation fill you, today. As we follow God’s commands, we are held in God’s love!

Jude 17-25 A Call to Remain Faithful

17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.



22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

A Prayer of Praise

24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

If you joined us for worship yesterday, you may recall that Pastor Mary talked about how as believers we have a dynamic power, the Holy Spirit, working inside of us. She reminded us, that as God’s people, we have no clue just how powerful this dunamis (which is a Greek philosophical concept meaning power, potential, or ability) Spirit, that lives inside of us, truly is at any given moment. When we are operating in oneness with the Holy Spirit, no matter what is going on, we can stay in the abiding presence of Almighty God, and in His presence is the fulness of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23)

In today’s passage, Luke reminds us of just how powerful the Holy Spirit is and how it operated through the Apostles as they were performing many miraculous signs and wonders. We see that God’s people, the believers, were meeting regularly; yet no one dared to join them, but at the same time, more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord, crowds of both men and women (v.12-14). Regardless, of who didn’t dare join to them or why, because there are many theories, the Apostles were still “among the people” while “all the believers were meeting regularly” (v.12), it was through their evangelistic Spirit that “more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord” (v.13), and “crowds came from the villages…and they were all healed” (v.16). It’s amazing that we contain this same Holy Spirit within us.

So, we are all called to evangelism, or to share Jesus with others, and we all do it in different ways. The key is that each of us share the love of Jesus, and the miraculous gift of His Holy Spirit, that we are given through salvation.

One day a lady criticized D.L. Moody, the American evangelist and founder of Moddy Bible Institute, for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The lady replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody retorted, “Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”

Acts 5:12-16 (NLT)
The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Please help us to be more aware of this gift each day, and especially as we are sharing Your message of love with others. We ask for the fruit of Your Spirit to grow more and more within us each day. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: I am always blessed to see God’s family reach out when others around them are in need. This is reflective of a life led by the Spirit; the Lord will always respond compassionately when others are suffering in distress and lack. God cares about the wholeness of every person, not just the spiritual well-being. The Lord heals all our brokenness.

Many people think about peace as merely the absence of conflict. However, the biblical meaning of the word “shalom” is much, much more—it means universal flourishing or wholeness. Christ is the liberating King who connects us in the restoring wholeness or shalom of God—Jesus is our Prince of Peace.

Yesterday, we held onto our desire for peace as we reached for God our Helper. When our lives are built upon Christ’s love and Word, he promises to hold us in his care. This is such Good News, because the unredeemed world does not share God’s values, nor does it have a genuine love for people; it simply wants power. The government on Christ’s shoulders [under his authority] is governed completely different (Is 9:6). I pray for the kingdom of the world to become the kingdom of our Lord (Rev 11:15).

In our passage today, the psalmist continues to share how God cares for his children with a goal to restore wholeness. Believers desire spiritual wholeness first and foremost, because from that proper foundation we open the door for the shalom of God to come in and mend all that is broken and supply all that is lacking. As human beings, if we would just get our spiritual lives fixed upon Christ, we would be building a life that can withstand any kind of storm [and there are plenty of them circulating around us]. For believers, we have the opportunity to help people see their greatest need as making Jesus the Savior in their lives, because then they will see and know the Truth. Be Christ’s ambassador of peace, today.

Psalm 146:7-10 NLT
7 
He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8 
    The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
    The Lord loves the godly.
9 
The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
    He cares for the orphans and widows,
    but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 
The Lord will reign forever.
    He will be your God, O Jerusalem, [Zion] throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the justice in which you govern your kingdom. You provide a path toward restoration through your amazing shalom. Please continue to help us see the truth, lift our burdens, and feed our souls in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If we are going to remain in the supernatural peace [Heb. shalom/Gk. eirene] of God, we will need to respect God’s guidance about where we place our trust and confidence. We do not trust everyone; sadly, not everyone is trustworthy. If we foolishly build our confidence [and lives] upon what people can do for us, we will be unsettled and distraught most of the time. The biblical definition of trust is an action based on the bold confidence we have in someone or something. Therefore, believers wisely place their complete trust in the loyalty, truth, ability, and strength of Almighty God.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us about the connection between trust and peace, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed upon you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4). We all need stability in our lives, so making Christ our foundation of peace is the place to start, because he alone can bear our load (Mat 11:28-30).

In our passage today, the psalmist sings praises to God for his divine help. Human beings can never save us, so we cannot place our trust in the fallible and have peace. Rather, real peace is found in the infallible love of God who because of the OT covenant he has made with Abraham and the NT covenant Jesus affirms with his followers, he will always be there in our times of need. The enemy comes each day to knock us off our foundation and shake our faith in the Lord’s care. However, keep your thoughts fixed on the Lord, because God is our Helper (Ps 121:1-2). The enemy must bow to the power of Christ. Peace be with you, today!

Psalm 146:5-6 NLT
5
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6
He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our Helper. You are always there for me, so I trust you completely. Help all your children abide with you in peace, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: This week we are walking through Scripture with the righteous fruit of peace on our minds. In a world that is always producing diverse perspectives on right and wrong, truth and lies, good and evil, belief and unbelief we must decide how we are going to respond to this fruit salad! Peace comes as we draw near to God. Our perspective and decisions about these issues must always be built on the foundation of Christ and obedience to him. Our response must be righteous.
It is easier to deal with the bad fruit production of strangers than trying to sort through the good and bad fruit production in our inner circle of family, friends, and neighbors. Nonetheless, we must continue on with Jesus. We will find greater victory as we identify the fruit; knowledge with understanding comes from God.

Jesus is all about the heart; so, let’s face it he is always going to get to the heart of the matter. If we are not walking “with” Jesus, we are opposing him. It really is that simple. If negative or nasty comments and immoral living is manifesting in our lives, it is because the desire for it lives in our hearts. If we have a rebellious problem in the heart, no amount of self-discipline is going to fix it. Only Jesus can fix and redeem our ungodly attitudes, desires, and motives.

In our passage today, Jesus calls out the Pharisees, because their evil hearts are directing their mouths. These religious leaders have such hardened hearts, they are literally rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit who desires to help them repent, receive forgiveness, and be restored to God. Jesus wants to bring healing to the heart. If we are connected in obedience to Christ, we are connected to the Tree of Life and our fruit will be good. If we are trying to connect to a worldly idea/action thinking our disobedience to Christ doesn’t matter, we are actually connected to a corrupt tree and will bear evil fruit (Mat 7:18).

We are not to judge people, but let’s be real…you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions (Mat 7:20). Lastly, what we say flows from what is in our hearts (Luke 6:45). Don’t let someone producing evil fruit rob your peace. Love them, pray for them, but do not let them steal your treasure.

Matthew 12:33-37 NLT 33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sharing the wisdom your children need about the connection of the heart to righteous or unrighteous fruit production. Create in us clean hearts. Holy Spirit, please empower us to walk in obedience to the Word, so the fruit we bear through our words and actions will please you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For believers, the holidays can be a beautiful time shared with family and friends coming together to celebrate the birth of Messiah the King of Glory. I truly enjoy the Christmas season and the time I spend with loved ones. Quality time is my dominant love language so naturally all the gatherings and meals shared just fill me up physically, emotionally, and spiritually. However, I do realize being around family, friends, and many people is not everyone’s “happy place.” If we are going to surround ourselves with human beings, then there is a potential for the perfect storm—conflict. Pray about everything and ask God to use each Christmas gathering as a way to live the peace revealed in the Gospel of Christ.

As long as the Father leaves his children on earth, we will be exposed to the conflict experienced by human sin. Sometimes it is our own sin that rises up to rule, sometimes it is the sin in others that screams for satisfaction, and sometimes it is simply because we live in a spiritually fallen or broken world. Even on the best of days, please do not lose tract of that reality or you will be unprepared. Every human being requires deliverance from sin (Romans 3:23). That is why Jesus came to bring us life from above, so we may receive healing and experience inner peace with God (John 14:17). We then must work for peace with others (Mat 5:9). Scripture reminds us to place our hope in God’s promises while guarding our inner peace, because conflict between good and evil will continue to exist in this world until the Father sends Jesus a second time to judge sin in the living and the dead (John 5:26-29; Phil 4:7).

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul finds himself in prison for preaching the Gospel; suffering from the spiritual conflict between good and evil. Paul would love to go home to God and be done with this fallen world; yet, beyond his own desires to be free of the conflict raging against the righteousness of Christ in him, he wants to see more and more people find peace with God. So, Paul presses on with hope, in spite of his present suffering, to reveal to others the peace he found in fellowship with Christ.

Philippians 1:19-26 NLT 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Paul’s Life for Christ
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the promised peace you always provide as we place our hope in you. Help us to hold fast to our purpose in this life to live the Gospel. May this Christmas season bring us opportunities to be victorious peacemakers in Jesus’ name. Amen.

When I gave my life over to Jesus, I initially didn’t realize how unhappy that commitment would make Satan. I had no idea that I stepped into spiritual warfare with Satan. If I am being completely honest, at that time I didn’t even consider Satan. Which is exactly what Satan wants, to be out of sight, out of mind, to fly under the radar, hide in the shadows, cloud our judgement, and work to undermine what God is doing in and through us. When we welcomed Jesus into our hearts and handed our lives over to Him, simultaneous to heaven rejoicing for another heart saved for the Kingdom of God, Satan and his dark realm were plotting to win back our souls.

Do you realize that while God is seeking to shape us into the image of Jesus that Satan is seeking ways to win back our souls…actually, he is doing it right now, because he does it every second of every day. I know that isn’t a warm and fuzzy thought, but as we grow with Jesus through His written Word, we should begin to know that angels, demons, spiritual warfare, and certainly Satan are all real. We also should not fear the supernatural as God’s Word reminds us of Who God is, who we are in Christ Jesus, and how His Holy Spirit guides us to know what Truth is…and that should be our place of warm and fuzzy.

In today’s passage, Paul encourages us to have an active part in our salvation, which should be an ongoing daily process, during every second of every day, we are to be living in a way that pleases God. But let’s be real…many Christians have a lackadaisical attitude, and they tolerate certain sins. Friends, we need to get to the point where we understand that sin is sin. In fact, when we sin, we are in alignment with the unbelieving world and allowing Satan to work in and through us. Paul talks about sexual immorality in today’s passage, and everything he says is true. Let’s remember that anything that interferes with our godly living and growth with the Lord is immoral and sinful. We need to lay down our sins at Jesus’s feet, ask for His forgiveness, let go of immoral living, turn back to Jesus, and allow His wisdom to guide us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Satan has no place working in and through God’s people when we understand our holiness through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT
Live to Please God

1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example for what pleases God. Help us to be more like You. We want to be quick to turn from sin, to be encouraged by Your Truth, to not be indifferent, and to be responsible for our daily walk and growth with You. Please hedge protection, through Your angels, over us from Satan. Guide us with Your wisdom to see spiritual warfare and to turn towards You so that we can allow You to handle it for us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: What do you have to say about yourself? How we see ourselves in this natural world has everything to do with who we know we are in the spiritual realm. If we have our focus on earthly things and want to gain a sense of identity or belonging from the world, we will demand this present culture and social institutions satisfy us. There is a lot of that going on in our culture now. If we are focused on heavenly things, we will reach for the gracious hand of Christ to provide for us and live satisfied in the abiding presence of God knowing we belong to him. If we know who we are in the Spirit, then we will never be satisfied by the temporal things of this world nor will we ever fit into the culture that demands for the world to be its god.

Scripture teaches John the Baptist is the first to identify Jesus as the Son of God. John knows who he is in the spiritual realm; therefore, John knows who he is in relationship to Jesus. As well, please notice John the Baptist knows who he isn’t when facing the questions issued by the religious leaders. John wants to be known as a voice shouting in the wilderness! As believers, we must know who we are, as well as who we are not. Like John, we are voices calling people from the dark places they have settled to come and meet Jesus who baptizes his own with the Holy Spirit of Truth.

John 1:19-23 NLT
19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” 20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”
“No.”
22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”
23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
    ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us know who we are in relationship to you. We look forward to your Second Coming. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: God is all about giving his children new beginnings; he brings forgiveness, salvation, and hope. God is merciful and he knows how difficult life can be, so his mercies are new each morning and he brings a glorious new beginning with each sunrise (Lam 3:23). We can place our hope in the faithfulness of God. Yet, as God’s children, our part is to align with his nature and live for his purpose. How can we live with that hope?

In our passage today from the prophet Isaiah, Israel is facing a new beginning following the Exile. They have new choices that come with this new life. Although God brings judgment on Israel, he does not completely destroy them. He leaves a remnant to demonstrate his mercy and faithfulness; God helps them gain a truer picture of his nature and his purpose for them. God lives high above human difficulties. So whatever is going on in your life, God is able to help you.

Today’s passage speaks to my heart about the Righteous Branch who brings my life eternal salvation and hope. The Lord promises to cleanse us and sanctify us [transform us by making us holy]. Everything about God is a message of renewal, we just simply have to desire the offer he brings. God’s purpose is to make those called by his name into a new creation in Christ Jesus. As his new creation, God dwells with us and protects us. As followers of Christ, we are the chosen who have become the temple of the Living God (2 Cor 6:16). If you need restoration, Jesus is your answer. Trust him with your life.

Isaiah 4:2-6 NLT A Promise of Restoration
2 
But in that day, the branch of the Lord
    will be beautiful and glorious;
the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory
    of all who survive in Israel.
3 
All who remain in Zion
    will be a holy people—
those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem
    and are recorded among the living.
4 
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion
    and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains
    with the hot breath of fiery judgment.
5 
Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion
    and all who assemble there.
He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day
    and smoke and flaming fire at night,
    covering the glorious land.
6 
It will be a shelter from daytime heat
    and a hiding place from storms and rain.

Prayer: Lord, to align with your nature and purpose is always difficult for our flesh, but thank you for providing the Holy Spirit and the power to follow you into something so much better than what the world offers. Thank you for your mercy and your many blessings. In Jesus’ name. Amen.