Devotionals

November 9, 2022
Intro: Did you get a chance to see the total lunar eclipse early Tuesday morning? I got up in time to see the last portion of it. Then, as I was driving to join the prayer team a little while later, I saw a beautiful rainbow.  Multiple marvels in the heavenlies in just a matter of hours. The whole of creation is the Lord’s handiwork; his glory. God is committed to care for creation, because it all belongs to him.  

In our passage today, the psalmist sings about the righteous Creator King whose is steadfast and faithful in his love. He praises God and anticipates His coming to rule His people. As believers, we know Jesus fulfilled this anticipation when He came the first time to save all people from their sins. May we never cease to praise Him for salvation, because we know He will return to judge the world and He has promised to take care of His own.

Psalm 98 NLT
1 
Sing a new song to the Lord,    for he has done wonderful deeds.His right hand has won a mighty victory;    his holy arm has shown his saving power!
2 
The Lord has announced his victory    and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
3 
He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.    The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 
Shout to the Lord, all the earth;    break out in praise and sing for joy!
5 
Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,    with the harp and melodious song,
6 
with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.    Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
7 
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!    Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!    Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
9 
before the Lord,    for he is coming to judge the earth.He will judge the world with justice,    and the nations with fairness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for bringing salvation to earth; to your human family. With all creation, we praise your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Yesterday, our three-month-old granddaughter, Amana, came to spend the day with Grammy and Papa John while her daddy and momma worked. It was so much fun! John and I laughed and laughed at her immeasurable “cuteness.” We have such love for her; what a gift from God she is and what a great blessing to be able to share divine love with her.

We all need to receive and give the virtuous love of God; sharing the love God brings into human hearts is a huge privilege. Divine love is transforming and healing for the soul; exactly what people need. Jesus was critical of the religious leaders around him, because of their failure to genuinely love people; Jesus knew sacrificial and unconditional love revealed an authentic experience with God.

Let’s face it, without God’s life and love flowing through his people, ministry may offer the world something with very little value. Therefore, we must remain connected to the Vine in an enduring relationship of love and witness to the Truth of God’s love with those around us each day. Jesus said, “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. (John 15:10).

In our passage today, John reminds Christ’s disciples (past/present/future) of the importance of living in both the Truth and Love. He warns every disciple about veering from the Truth, because heresy about Christ was prevalent then and still is today. Love must be our compass and, “Love means doing what God has commanded…to love one another” (v.6). It is love that binds the children of God, together in harmony. When we choose to stand in both Truth and Love, we reveal ourselves as Father God’s children—these are the basics of Christian life. If we stand only in love, we will find ourselves in heresy. If we stand only in Truth, we will find ourselves in legalism. Paul teaches the followers of Christ something similar: we are to speak the Truth in Love so we can all grow as a Body to the maturity of Christ our Head (Eph 4:15).

2 John 1:4-10 NLT Live in the Truth
4 How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.
5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
7 I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

Prayer: Lord, please give your children who are called by your name a full measure of your love, today. We want to become mature in your love. Holy Spirit, help us to live the Truth, so we can actually witness to the Truth we know from experience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When Peter’s name is mentioned, most of us remember him for denying Jesus three times during the night of Jesus’ trial and just before His crucifixion. But, prior to that moment and following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus took great care of ensuring that Peter understood that he was eternally loved beyond measure and fully forgiven.

If you recall in Matthew 16, just before Jesus Predicts His Death, He asks His disciples, ‘who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ (v.13) If we move forward a few verses, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon, son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all of the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.’” (v. 16-19)

God used Matthew to pen this important moment of Peter’s Declaration about Jesus so that we would not forget who Jesus declared Peter to be… the rock upon whom He would build His Church. So, as we read Peter’s words today, let us keep in mind that Jesus’ eternal love for Peter is no different than His eternal love for you and me. Jesus wants to build us up as His Church so that we can go out and share His eternal loving message of salvation. Jesus seeks to build His Kingdom through us, but it also requires that you and I live godly lives that reflect our committed faith to Him so that His qualities can shine through the works that He leads us to do.

In Peter’s second letter, which was written to the persecuted Christians at the time, as well as to you and me now, Peter reminds ALL believers of his presence with Jesus during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). Peter wants believers to understand the power of Christ which he miraculously witnessed in-person. He also wants believers to connect the Old Testament prophecies of Truth to the New Testament Truth of Jesus, the Messiah, and His return. Today’s passage begins with Jesus’ transfiguration, which took place about 6 days after Peter’s declaration that Jesus was the Messiah. Image, Jesus invites you and me up a mountain and He begins to change, His face shines like the sun, His clothes become white as light, and we hear directly from God (Matt 17:2-5). There is no question, that you and me, would fall down on our faces in pure reverence of His holiness. Peter explains this miracle, and much more, in today’s passage:

2 Peter 1:16-21 NLT

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word which brings us Truth through our Biblical brothers and sisters. Help us, Jesus, to be lamps that shine Your Truth for others to see within this dark world. Keep us rooted in Your Word, growing ever so closer to You. Allow us to be filled with joy, each day, for our salvation and for the daily miracles that You provide to us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: God offers every person the freedom to choose whom he or she will serve while in the world. Christ invites people from different backgrounds, personalities, and commitments, to make him Lord and Master by following his commands of love. So, the most important choice we will make each day is whether we will choose to abide in eternal life or worldly living. We cannot serve two masters (Mat 6:24). So, may we choose wisely.

The world has a sinful inclination to take all that belongs under God’s authority and bring it under the control of self-centered human beings; this is Satan’s handiwork and his purpose is to rob, steal, and destroy humanity’s peaceful relationship with God. Satan tempts people to walk away from the sacred; Christ leads people toward God’s holy heart. Satan lies to human beings in order to get them to reject God’s authority; Christ has been made divine wisdom for those who desire to obey God. Human wisdom will always be outmatched by God’s spiritual wisdom, insight and authority. It does not matter how many people converge against God’s authority, he will always have the last Word—which perfectly accomplishes its purpose (Is 55:11).

Jesus’ closest associate at the beginning of his ministry was John the Baptist—who also found himself on the wrong side of the religious leaders when, based on God’s authority, he called for repentance from sin. Humans do not innately want to accept God’s authority. The tangible world seems so much more real than the spiritual Kingdom, but is it? Both John and Jesus disregarded the world’s power, chose to serve the divine Kingdom, and walked in humility before Father God. Trust and honor God’s authority in your life and you will never be sorry. Have a blessed weekend.

Luke 20:1-8 NLT The Authority of Jesus Challenged
1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Prayer: Lord, I accept and honor your authoritative and trustworthy Word over my life. Continue to renew my mind and transform me for your glory. Have your way in me and through me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Most of the time, it is easy to love our family and friends. Even when they are challenging to our sense of peace, we choose to love them and keep them near. When they align with our values and add to our sense of well-being, we truly like spending time with them. As well, we deliberately choose our friends wisely, so they will be a good influence on us and vice versa. Conversely, most of the time we run from an enemy [one who hates], because he or she do not share our same values and being together puts “undo” pressure upon us. But, where is Jesus—the Living Word—in all of this?

Scripture teaches, as God’s children, we are to deeply care for and honor our brothers and sisters in the family of faith (Ro 12:10). However, Jesus also came to teach a new way to look at life: we are to love our enemies and those who persecute us for living the Truth. When we love our enemies, we are overcoming evil through self-sacrificing love for others (Ro 12:14-21). God sees and he deals with things according to his will.

In our passage today, The Jews despised the Romans because they oppressed God’s people. Jesus told them to love their enemies and that was a message they did not want to hear. As a result, many people left Jesus’ teaching. They missed the greater meaning of what Christ was saying; he was not telling his disciples to extend affection for their enemies. Jesus wanted his followers to pray for their enemies and help them see and know the God who is love. Every human being needs the love of God even though none of us deserve it.

As well, Jesus is not promoting injustice in verse 30, and he is not asking his disciples to let criminals take advantage of them. He is simply asking believers to reveal his moral character in the midst of injustice by acting in a way that leads them toward God. Treating others the way we would like to be treated is a fundamental ethic that governs the behavior of believers.

Luke 6:27-31 Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to teach us how to be peacemakers in the midst of conflict and challenges. Help us to be examples by treating others the way we would want to be treated. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: I love that God has promised to pour blessings into the lives of his obedient children. Whatever God wants to pour into my life, I want it because God is so very good. In our devotion yesterday, we noticed the momentary suffering that comes when we humble ourselves to the righteous rule of God; we are compensated for our obedience with blessings. It’s like making a great exchange: experiencing suffering by letting go of something we have held onto in order to receive something better from God. However, if people are unwilling to humble themselves, then God does the humbling which brings greater suffering and even sorrow. It is much better to cooperate with the righteous work of God in our lives.

In our passage today, Jesus speaks to the religious leaders who have become prosperous in earthly riches at the cost of genuine eternal life. The spiritually oppressed and poor were being neglected while the prosperous enjoyed all their finery and proclaimed it was God’s favor. So, Jesus took issue with this behavior and turned the tables by promising blessings for the spiritually poor [humble] and sorrow for the rich and powerful. Mary sang a prophetic song about this corrective character of Jesus even before he was born, “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).

Please keep in mind there were many false prophets in the Old Testament whose message continued to resonate with people in the New Testament and still does, today. The message predicted by this false gospel was prosperity of riches and victory in earthly war; a message the people wanted to hear. Even though people wanted to believe God would bring prosperity that would fulfill self, it did not result in truth. If we will face our condition apart from God—poverty in spirit—then spiritual blessings will be our reward. If we will face our commission, we will help to take care of one another knowing there is a River that flows into our lives and will continue to flow as we obey.

Luke 6:24-26 NLT Sorrows Foretold
24 
“What sorrow awaits you who are rich,    for you have your only happiness now.
25 
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,    for a time of awful hunger awaits you.What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,    for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,    for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessings you bring into the lives of your humble children. Continue to teach us your ways and help us learn how to live each day bearing the fruit of your righteous Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If we are going to profess Christ, we must choose to accept the invitation he offers to live in his righteousness. Otherwise, he does not know us through an intimate spiritual connection—because we have disregarded his commands on how to live righteously in the Spirit (Mat 7:23). Christ is righteous and we are invited to follow his righteous ways of eternal or abundant living—love God wholeheartedly and love others as much as we love ourselves (Mat 22:37-40). When we demand our own way, is God really in charge of our lives?

My friends, if we are going to remain devoted in our commitment to Christ, we will need to daily acknowledge our own sinfulness and repent (give our unrighteousness to Christ), we must pick up our cross of selfish inclination and personal ambition (take authority over anything unrighteous in us), and choose to be living sacrifices (by following Christ) into Father God’s will for righteous living. This is the way we worship him (Ro 12:1-2).

Christ carried the cross that caused suffering to his flesh and we are going to have to follow him by carrying our own (Mat 16:24). Our flesh—those areas within us that are still unrighteous, unrenewed, and opposed to God—suffers when we deny it. We will always try to avoid any kind of suffering, right? Well, our flesh will and must suffer if we are going to pursue Christ’s righteousness for our lives. This is what it means to live in Christ as a people called by his name (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In our passage today, Jesus reminds his disciples (then, now, and forever) that if they will humbly acknowledge their inadequacy to save themselves and accept their own weaknesses, God will be there to provide his power, strength, and resources. God values very different things than this world. Christ calls us to live obediently according to God’s standards and if we will follow him, we will have his power and strength to overcome our sinful flesh. Grace is not a way to get out of dealing with our sinful habits; it covers us while we learn to be Christ’s followers. The grace Jesus provided with his death, cost him everything. To follow Jesus, will cost us, too. We must say “no” to our sinful flesh and “yes” to the Spirit of righteousness.

Luke 6:20-23 NLT The Beatitudes
20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“God blesses you who are poor,    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 
God blesses you who are hungry now,    for you will be satisfied.God blesses you who weep now,    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the abundance of grace you provide to all the children called by your name. I thank you for my portion of grace, today. It will be exactly what I need in order to live for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I have mentioned before that Pastor Mary, and I follow the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings for the passages that we include within these daily devotionals. What I may not have mentioned is how God is always timely with His Truth, and as I prepare to share, sometimes His Truth can be difficult to study and even more difficult to pen for all of you to read. When that happens, I usually know that there is most likely an area of repentance and/or refinement, within me that needs to take place so that I can continue to grow in my own relationship with Jesus and allow Him to strengthen and keep moving me forward in my faith.

So, I recently witnessed fellow believers inside the Church passing judgment on what they probably believed were the sins of others outside the Church. The fellow believers did not know that I observed their interaction, and my immediate reaction was to cry like a baby. I am sharing this situation with you because it directly connects with today’s passage. Also, since I am responsible for my own heart before the Lord, I share this with you because I was not blameless within this situation. I have since repented for my inaction to lovingly talk and pray with my fellow Family inside the Church.

In today’s passage, Paul addresses relationships and sin in the Family of God, “the Church”. He helps us to understand that we need to know the difference between inside the Church or outside the Church.

Paul was writing again to the believers in Corinth (inside the Church) because they were ignoring incest within their community. That is why Paul begins by pointing out sexual sin. He continues to mention many other kinds of sinful actions from people in the world, because the Corinthian believers (as well as us) are not to avoid unbelievers. Rather, believers are expected to have contact with the unbelievers of the world, because that is how we bear witness to Christ in the world and act as His Salt and Light to spread His redeeming message of love. Jesus is the Great Physician Who wants to bring physical, spiritual, and soul affliction healing. He seeks out the lost, and we know this because He ate with the tax collectors, He associated with prostitutes, and He held the lepers. Jesus is the corner stone who brought all of these unbelievers to faith in Him; so, if we say that we live in God, then we should live our lives as Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and seek to also bring the lost to Him.

When we read about “judging” our fellow believers we must remember that “God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17). This Truth means that our judgement of others is a sinful place of self-righteousness. Paul isn’t telling us to be the judge of one another, rather he is guiding us to love our Family of God, “the Church”, towards the much-needed repentance for the judgement of sin. Continuous sin has no place in the Church and real love confronts sin. Together, as a Family, with the leadership of the Church, we pray and seek for the love of Christ to guide us towards repentance, redemption, and wholeness. If someone inside the Church wants to hold onto sin and continue to sin, then they must go.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for not coming to judge, for we are all guilty. Help us to love as You love, and to put away the spirit of self-righteousness and judgement. Give us a heart like Yours, Jesus, so that we may love unbelievers like You love them. Help us to bear witness to You. Guide us with Your courage and wisdom, as a Family, to deal with sin in our own lives and within Your Church. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: We serve the God of all comfort; the One who surrounds us with encouragement in the midst of affliction—crushing pressure . Sometimes that encouragement comes through words, but sometimes it comes when someone graciously walks along side us to offer help when we need it most. Comfort is sent by God to strengthen us and to lift our souls [mind/will/emotions] out of a place of pressure, lack, or grief. Comfort brings us courage and the perseverance to press on in faith. When we are sent to comfort others, our mission is to pass on the relief we have experienced. Did you know the Holy Spirit is our divine Comforter—the One who comes along side to help—who brings us the ability to comfort others?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is filled with gratitude, because even though he has faced many challenges and struggles, God has covered him with mercy and brought him comfort. Because we are the children of God, we face things that reveal the power and presence of God with us. We are not alone—we have God and one another—so we experience the comfort of our salvation. God gives us grace and one another, so we will have a sense of well-being even in the midst of difficulties.

Are you in a place of lack or grief? If so, invite the Comforter to come and bring you relief. Look around you and reach for a spiritual brother or sister who is ready to help. Realize that God never wastes our suffering, but uses it to lift the next child of His who may need comfort, too.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NLT God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my Comforter, so that I may comfort others. If your children are determined to live in righteousness, we will need the comfort you alone can provide. Holy Spirit, please continue to build patience and endurance in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Preceding our passage for today, the religious elders and leaders once again reveal their spiritual blindness to Jesus when they demand to know by what authority Jesus clears the temple and performs his many miracles. Because they refuse to repent, the leaders cannot understand the Truth of God standing before them. To receive salvation, we must believe in God, repent of our sin, receive the sacrifice of Jesus, and through acts of our faith, welcome the Spirit who helps us become the children of God (John 1:12).

Jesus is the Word or authority of God; therefore, he offends these Jewish leaders when he boldly tells them God’s children are true to their word—they don’t say one thing and do another. To do so reveals hypocrisy. Therefore, these leaders lack integrity and the ability to be forthright. They deny the work of John the Baptist because he proclaims the need for repentance and the arrival of Messiah’s kingdom. These are Words they do not want to believe even though they proclaim to serve God. So, Jesus tells them a parable [a Word story] to help them understand their hearts better.

The authority of Jesus has always been under attack and remains as such, today. People love the idea of Jesus—the loving and indwelling Savior—but we do not necessarily like the way the Word instructs us to live. Most of the time our flesh demands its own way and we find ourselves with a spiritual battle raging within. If we ask God to save us, we need to follow his instructions. And, we need to care about the salvation of others around us.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”
They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be authentic to your Word and follow in your Way. We do not want to be phony Christians; we want to become the children made in your image. In Jesus’ name. Amen.