Devotionals

Intro: This weekend in the United States, we will celebrate Memorial Day—a time to honor and mourn our fallen [killed in battle] military heroes who fought for our freedom. To celebrate the holiday many will enjoy family gatherings, visit flag-dressed cemeteries, and attend parades. Many people will choose to wear red to remember the field of red poppies growing where so many soldiers died during WWI. A poem, In Flanders Field, written by Col. John McCrae tells of a wall of red poppies covering the wheat fields of war. Memorial Day (aka Decoration Day) is a true celebration of sacrificial love. Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). He should know because Jesus, the Son of God, not only said it; like our fallen heroes, he did it.

As well, many Christians will celebrate Pentecost this weekend—the descent of the Holy Spirit—third person of the Trinity—to help fallen [subject to sin] humanity to experience spiritual freedom from sin, as well as affirm the Church’s mission to represent Christ and his work of salvation in the world. To celebrate the holiday many will gather to share food; invite neighbors and even strangers to share in the harvest feast. Many will wear red to remember the joy and the fire of the Holy Spirit that descended upon the apostles (Acts 2:1-4). The Holy Spirit is the source of revelation, wisdom, and power and he has chosen to live in those who believe in the work of Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension. The Apostle Paul proclaims, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16).

In our passage today from the psalter, we are reminded about the nation God cares for and protects with the divine life of the Spirit. When God’s love and principles for living rule a nation, it flourishes. God’s presence, in that nation, serves as the protection for its people; let’s remember even military might is directed by God. May the leaders of this amazing country—the United States of America—remember who is ultimately in control and will be descending once again to re-establish the rule of his world.

Psalm 33:12-22 NLT
12
What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
    whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
13 
The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
14 
From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
15 
He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.
16 
The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you.
18 
But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
    those who rely on his unfailing love.
19 
He rescues them from death
    and keeps them alive in times of famine.
20 
We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
21 
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the salvation and eternal life Jesus provides and for the work of the Holy Spirit to set us free from sin and death. We trust your love and care for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Our words can paint a picture for others of things we have seen and experienced. When I go on vacation, I take fewer pictures than most people; I journal notes and pick up brochures. I want others to experience more than just an image; I want to tell them about what I saw, the affect he had on my thoughts, and how the experience made me feel. For example, last year I took some pictures of Multnomah Falls in Oregan, but when I told people about my experience I took them through the sound of the falling water, the smell of the trees, the hike through the eleven switchbacks to the top that pushed me physically, and the awe inspiring view from the top of the Falls that reminded me of our amazing Creator.

Such is the case when Jesus—the Word of God—came from heaven. He had been there so he was trustworthy to explain to all those who would listen about the holy character, nature, and glory of the Father, the beauty of the angelic beings, the treasure stored there, the dwelling places he would prepare for his children, as well as the existence of God’s Kingdom filled with righteousness, peace and joy. A picture would never be able to communicate all that!

In our passage today, the apostle John wants us to remember the Spirit of God was upon Jesus; he moved with unlimited, love, power, and authority. Deliverance and salvation for those who would listen to him was made available. Jesus imparts God’s life—eternal life—to us and we can enjoy discovering all that Jesus saw and experienced of heaven. If we truly understand Jesus knows of what he speaks, we will run to him for guidance and obey his direction for our lives, while we look forward to our own actual experience of heaven.

John 3:31-36 NLT
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sharing what you know, so we can be prepared for the future with you. We have nothing to fear, because you always prepare us with lessons and verbal pictures. All glory to you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: We live in the last days—the age of Grace for salvation. Humanity, as a whole, enjoys the goodness of God whether we are friends with Him or enemies. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike (Mat 5:45). God has chosen to love His human family and share divine goodness with them in ways that help them turn toward salvation in Christ. However, there is coming a day when the friends of God will be separated from His enemies; at which time the goodness God has been sharing with the whole world will turn to judgment against sin. Therefore, we must press into God’s love and serve him wholeheartedly, because there are many people who still need to meet the Savior we are to represent.

During this time of Grace, God is forming and raising up servant leaders—those who seek to follow Christ’s example in order to bring glory to God’s name. Every Christian is called and gifted to be a servant leader; it is essential for us to all pray and work together, as well as reach out as a diverse spiritual family in one accord to our community. Today is your opportunity to live for God and make a difference in eternity.

1 Peter 4:7-11 The VOICE
7 We are coming to the end of all things, so be serious and keep your wits about you in order to pray more forcefully. 8 Most of all, love each other steadily and unselfishly, because love makes up for many faults. 9 Show hospitality to each other without complaint. 10 Use whatever gift you’ve received for the good of one another so that you can show yourselves to be good stewards of God’s grace in all its varieties. 11 If you’re called upon to talk, speak as though God put the words in your mouth; if you’re called upon to serve others, serve as though you had the strength of God behind you. In these ways, God may be glorified in all you do through Jesus the Anointed, to whom belongs glory and power, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, please give your children a passion for prayer and help us to get out of the church building and start living to increase God’s eternal family. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die”. For a Christian, this quote should speak to the core of a person’s salvation and redemption. How when a person allows Jesus into their heart, and when they truly turn to Him through salvation, that person’s old life of habits and of sinful living need to die, because now that person is redeemed and should be choosing to live in the new life that Christ offers. Is living the new life in Christ easy? No, it takes obedience and focus on wanting to grow in a thriving relationship with Christ.

Prior to today’s passage, Peter ended chapter 3 with Suffering for Doing Good, we must “Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” (3:17) Peter goes on in chapter 4 to help us see how we are now to be Living for God. He wants us to realize that Jesus changed and continuously is changing us from the inside out. The old person who we once were is no longer alive, because Jesus saved us from that wasted dead life that we once entertained.

Friends, we cannot go back to our dead living, we must stay the course with Jesus and live in the new life that only He can offer and we must focus on growing ever so close to Him each day.

1 Peter 4:1-6 (NLT)

Living for God

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for what You endured so that I might be forgiven and truly live. Help me, Lord, to keep living for You. Please use me to bring more people into Your Kingdom. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: In our passage for today, the Apostle Paul restates that all humanity begins life spiritually dead—governed by the devil—because of sin and disobedience to God. Therefore, a turning toward God in obedience for salvation—by grace through faith in Christ—is necessary. That is why the devil is busy trying to lure people to serve him through the pleasures of the flesh. The flesh is hostile to God (Ro 8:7). A person either chooses salvation in Christ [the One who takes humanity from death into life] or by default will serve the devil—“the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Eph 2:2).

To be spared the judgment of God, we must connect to Christ and be united to his sinless life. In Christ, sin no longer has power over the believer. We can live with a new nature—a righteous One. But, let’s be real about the fact that as long as we live in these bodies of flesh we will feel like sinning; yet, to serve Christ we must deny the flesh that power. The Living Christ is the only One who can help us overcome our sinful nature. Aren’t you grateful for Jesus? Have a blessed weekend!

Ephesians 2:1-7 NLT Made Alive with Christ
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of your grace and kindness by making every believer alive with Christ. May we wholeheartedly serve you today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Have you ever noticed that your mind can wander when you are reading something even if it is important? You can find yourself turning the pages, but you cannot remember the details of what you have read, because your mind was focused elsewhere. This is important to remember as we read and seek to comprehend the Word of God. We must stay focused on the Spirit’s work of making us in Christ’s image. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Tim 3:16). We need to approach the Word of God with prayer and expectation, because transformation will always be Christ’s goal for us.

In our passage today, even though the disciples had studied the Torah and the sacred writings, they did not truly comprehended the prophesied work of Messiah. The prophets wrote about his suffering for the forgiveness of sins in order to offer believers reconciliation with the Father, but when he chose to ascend back to heaven it baffled them. So, Jesus opens the disciple’s minds to receive the truth, promises to send the Holy Spirit to give them power, and then commissions them to go and preach that truth in his name.

As believers, if we are going to proclaim Christ’s message in his name, we must stay focused on Christ and how he wants to lead our lives. We are called to live the gospel message by honoring Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In this way, we become witnesses to the transformation Jesus alone can bring our lives. He is transforming you in his holiness, so stay the course and look for the blessings to follow.

Luke 24:44-53 NLT 44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations [all peoples], beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

The Ascension
50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for opening our minds so we can comprehend your will and plan for our lives. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit who bears witness to the Truth when we read or hear the Word. Please bring righteous transformation and growth to our lives; we are dependent upon you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: “I don’t understand!” Surprisingly, I hear myself saying that phrase quite frequently. Sometimes, my frame of reference, experience, or my fund of existing knowledge is just not sufficient. Therefore, I need supernatural help understanding the circumstances before me. I don’t have a problem acknowledging things that do not make sense to my natural mind. However, I know it means I must press in for greater wisdom and understanding from my Lord who has promised to equip me for life with him.

In our passage today, the disciples are struggling to understand the words of Christ. Jesus tells them he’s leaving, but will be returning. Huh? They know their present level of understanding is inadequate. Jesus knows this as well; so he promises the disciples the ability to ask for more understanding soon.

The disciples realize later on, Jesus has been telling them he is going to die, but in the resurrection he will be returning in power and authority. Because of Christ’s resurrection and the impartation and power of the Holy Spirit, every believer can now enjoy divine guidance. Believers can have the wisdom we need, pray for understanding, and know Christ intercedes for us with the Father to release God’s plan.

Maybe you find yourself not understanding certain things in your life right now, but do not despair because the greater One—the Spirit of Christ—lives within you. When you need help to know the Truth, all you need to do is pray and ask; your prayer will be successful. Confusion is not from God; it is from the world under Satan’s influence. Rejoice and rise above all the confusion and chaos by listening to the Voice of the Lord who guides your life into all Truth. Trust and wait…you will receive.

John 16:16-24 NLT Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy
16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.”
17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”

19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us wisdom and understanding. We need both and you are the living Lord who provides for us. Please continue to help us rise above the confusing things that are plaguing the world; we know your Voice and we will not follow a stranger. We will ask in the name of Jesus knowing we have a connection to the Father. Being filled with your Spirit beings us great joy; so Lord fill us to overflowing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our passage today, the Apostle Peter wants believers to look at life as a whole through the lens of God’s love. I imagine we would all theologically agree with Peter; however, when someone we care about is verbally unkind to us or speaks critically about us, those actions can be very difficult to forgive or emotionally move beyond. Our minds spin as we try to understand that person’s motive. Words can convey blessings or curses. When we are verbally wounded or cursed, the temptation arrises to protect ourselves from further interaction or insult.

If we come into our relationships with “one mind” and remain focused on sharing life, we will find it easier to keep compassion at the center of our actions. This should certainly be the mindset of believers to one another. We are to approach our spiritual brothers and sisters with a humble and sympathetic mindset—to rejoice with them or cry with them. If we notice someone is facing challenging times, we should come alongside him or her to share our concern through prayer. If we notice someone is rejoicing over spiritual breakthroughs and answers to prayer, we should join him or her to offer praise. When we work for this kind of peace—oneness—between us, we set ourselves up to be blessed by our Lord.

Blessings are gifts from God to his children; they all flow from our Creator’s love for us. God’s blessings empower, strengthen, and enrich our lives with righteous things that lead us into fruitful living and spiritual well-being. We can help one another share and enjoy these wonderful blessings. But, let’s never forget, the greatest blessing we will ever be given is the salvation and new life we receive by faith in Christ. Blessings for your day!

1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT All Christians
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”

Prayer: Lord, it is a temptation to retaliate when we are insulted or diminished by others. Although this should never be the case among your children, we know it can and will happen if we focus on ourselves more than you and the call we have to work for peace. Help and empower us to speak the truth in love to one another. Holy Spirit, increase our self-control to tame our tongues, so we can share life and do good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today we will be looking at the last six verses of Acts 27. As a reminder, Paul is a prisoner who is being taken, by boat, to Rome where he will face trial before Caesar. Up to this point, 276 people had been sailing for days with great difficulty and they had lost a lot of time due to bad weather. Paul spoke up to the ship’s officers, “’Men,’ he said, ‘I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.’” (v.10) Since there were prisoners on board, like Paul, the officer in charge of the prisoners, listened to the ship’s captain and to the owner and not to Paul. They ended up in a great storm at sea with gale-force winds that required cargo and gear to be thrown overboard, like Paul had predicted. Paul called the crew together and told them that they should have listened to him, Paul went on to say: “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” (v.22-25) Paul goes on to guide the commanding officer and the soldiers, and he even breaks bread, much like Jesus did with the disciples, giving great thanks to God before everyone on the ship and in the midst of the storm. That brings us to today’s passage, where we see what takes place next, and how God remains true to His Word, and everyone escaped safely to shore.

When you are in the midst of one of life’s great storms, do you rest peacefully in God’s loving care, listening for His guidance, and allow Him to bring you through the storm? Or do you panic and try to do things your own way?

Here’s another question, in the midst of your most recent storm, did you find yourself giving thanks to God and bringing others to Him, like Paul did when he broke bread? Or did you isolate yourself and not share about the goodness of the God that you serve?

Many times, within our storms we question “why God” because we want Him to stop the storm. Right? Think about it, God could have stopped Paul from being arrested, he could have stopped the storm, he could have stopped the shipwreck, and the list goes on and on. But, when we patiently wait until the end of the chapter, we see that God spares everyone’s life. Think about this, if you could sit and talk to all 276 people who were on that ship, how many would share a testimony from that storm that forever changed their lives and brought them to a relationship with “Paul’s God” and saved their lives for all Eternity!

Acts 27:39-44 (NLT)

39 When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. 40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.
42 The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape. 43 But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land. 44 The others held on to planks or debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore.

Prayer: Jesus, please help me to be more like Paul when I am in the midst of life’s storms. You did not leave Paul during these many storms, and I trust that You will not leave me. Help me to see You within each storm, to praise You for the lessons that need to be learned, and to glorify and share Your Holy Name no matter what I am walking through in this life, because I am living for Eternity with You now, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: How patient are you? Every time I read Scripture, I have to confess how very patient God is with his human creation; how patient he is with me. The Lord epitomizes the word “long-suffering” in spite of the trouble and disorder on earth caused by human beings. When we think about human corruption or the sinful state of people, we may be tempted to focus only upon our present culture. However, that would be a terrible mistake and a dangerous one, as well. Biblical history is important to know, because it reveals the wickedness of human beings, as well as what happens when God’s patience has been push too far.

In our passage from Genesis today, God said to Noah it was time to get in the boat; the flood was coming in seven days, because the wickedness on earth had become consistently and totally evil (Gen 6:5; 7:1). God sent Noah to be a preacher of righteousness; announcing to the people they needed to leave evil and turn to God, but his announcements were rejected (2 Peter 2:5). Therefore, God promised to keep Noah and his family safe in the ark which is a picture of the salvation we can have in Christ (Gen 6:22).

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his followers something important to remember about his Second Coming. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People did not realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Mat 24:37-39). We need to wake up and seek God with all our hearts; to live ready in Christ’s righteousness. We have been warned there is a limit to God’s patience.

Genesis 7:1-5 NLT The Flood Covers the Earth
1 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.”
5 So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the unfathomable patience you continue to extend to your human creation. Help us to heed the warnings in your Word and live ready for your return. It does not matter if your return is near or far; Holy Spirit, help us to live in a way that honors you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.