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Do and Done

14 Sep

Do and Done

Romans 4:2-5 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

I have heard many times how you can divide the worlds religions into two categories: Do & Done. Ninety nine percent lead you down the path of what you must Do to obtain your key to heaven; there are countless examples of the works based faith systems. The one percent remaining is Christianity where we believe that Jesus Christ accomplished all the work needed for our salvation, all the requirements were met, it is Done. Jesus even uttered those last words on the cross; So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30). Jesus had come and fulfilled all the requirements of the law; he rose from the dead three days later conquering the power of death, and provided all that we need for the same through faith in him alone. The faith to believe, the simple understanding that God has done for you what you cannot do, that belief in that free gift grants you the key to paradise with him, and a peace on earth for your short time here.

The Message Bible puts it this way:2 If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. 3 What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” 4 If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. 5 But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it – you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked – well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. Grasping the simplicity of Christianity is a sticking point for some. They can’t understand why they don’t have to do something to earn their way into heaven. One of the biggest sects of religion teaches all the works you must do, all the prayers, all the penance, all the worship of many saints, with just enough truth sprinkled in to deceive. Many will fall through it’s deception, many will fall into hell, or purgatory, or wherever, because they believe the things they must do.

All you have to do, is to swallow your pride first, repent of your sins, and have the faith to believe that Jesus accomplished everything for you. That Jesus, the living God, condescended himself to live a perfect life here, die a painful death, and rise again three days later to grant you eternal life. That simple act of faith in believing Him, will change your life forever. Digging into his Word will mold you into what he has designed you for, and you will live your life doing “works” out of a heart of love, and not a false duty.

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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The Good far outweighs the bad

31 Aug

The Good far outweighs the bad

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

If you are seeking to live your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ, reading Matthew chapter ten is a tough read. Jesus was sending out the twelve apostles, and warning them of what they were to face as his disciples. Warning them of the calamities to come, but assuring them of the comfort of God’s sovereignty covering their every step. Jesus was telling them of how they would be persecuted, but promising them not to worry, for God would even give them the words to speak at the minute they were needed most. I can assure you, every pastor has been in those shoes unprepared for a sermon, and became just a mouthpiece for the Holy Spirit that Sunday. Sermons that spoke directly to what someone needed to hear, but the preacher likely can’t recall what he said. I can attest to you, humbling cannot begin to describe the weight of that feeling of being used by God.

Jesus is giving the apostles all this bad news, but in the midst of it, even more good news. He was assuring them that God has a control over his creations that we cannot fathom. He can direct our paths, put words in our mouth, protect us from evil, but even the little creatures are not apart from his control. Free Will is a gift from God, but does not mean we ultimately control all that we face in life. Our limited minds (by his design), cannot comprehend the complexities of Free Will intertwined with God’s Sovereign control. Do not let Satan use the complexity of it to divide your faith in it. If you say that you believe the Bible, believe the complexity of it; 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. How great would your God be if you had all the answers?

All that you are facing in life is filtered through God’s hands; by allowing it or designing it, the purpose of it is to draw you closer to him or show you your need for him. Understanding that statement greatly simplifies your life. Understanding that truth greatly increases your faith, and allows you peace in the midst of life’s storms. Being a Christian in today’s world is becoming more likely you will suffer persecution but, understanding that God is allowing that to happen, gives you strength to face that storm in faith, and to testify of him. You faith must grow in preparation of, and then it will increase as you face these trials. Jesus told the apostles, 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” Jesus loves you so much that he is allowing you to go through whatever you are facing. Jesus loves you so much that he knows it can draw you closer to him. Jesus loves you so much that he wrote of his promises in the midst of his warnings in Matthew ten. The good outweighed the bad.

 
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Posted by on August 31, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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How ya’ living?

14 May

How ya’ living?

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

How ya’ living? How does your daily life reflect your faith? How does you daily life reflect what you participate in on Sunday? Participation in Sunday church alone is called religion, and if Sunday is your only point of reference to gaining heaven, you need to read Matthew 25; no let me put that much clearer; you need to pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal and speak to your heart as you read Matthew 25. This chapter in the gospel of Matthew calls for a self-reflection of your life, for it gives three parables that clearly give examples of how to live, and how not to live your life as a Christian. The parables of the Talents and the Ten Virgins, and the Judgement of the Gentiles. All of these parables reflect what it will be like to kneel before Jesus one day and give an account of our lives. Yep….you have to answer for how you lived your life once you came to hear and claim to know Jesus as your Savior. Saying a prayer and signing a card does not give you hall pass to continue with life steep in sin, living under hyper-grace, and not living a life changed forever by the gospel. If you think you will be entering into heaven just on that 60 seconds of your life, you are wrong and need to read Matthew 25. The power of the gospel has the ability to save all your sins, past, present, and future, but nowhere in the Bible do you find the evidence of today’s week presentation of the gospel. You are called to live your life as a disciple and spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all that will hear. You are called to not live for this world and all the pleasurable pursuits of sin found in it. You are called to dedicate your life for it’s short time here to the One who give you eternity there (heaven).

The parable of the Ten Virgins tells us about those who live their lives unprepared; are you so focused on success and sin that you do no invest in things that eternally matter? The parable of the Talents speaks to those that do, or do not invest their time eternally; where is your time being invested in the only place with a guaranteed return? The Judgement of the Gentiles speaks to those that claim Christianity, but have no evidence in their lives of it; they may have prayed prayers or signed cards but their lives produce no fruit of their salvation; they are living a lie. All throughout the New Testament we are called to live our lives as disciples; we are called to let Him do work through our lives to produce eternal fruit through us; we are called to be servants to the One who saved us from eternal punishment to eternal paradise. Jesus did not come the first time to judge the world, he came to save the world. The next time he returns he will judge the world and we will be held accountable to a Holy, righteous, judge. Think about this from 2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. You will never be perfect, only One was, but you are called to try every day to live your life for the One who gives you life. How ya’ living will be asked of you when he returns to judge. Are ya’ ready to answer for yesterday?

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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His Spirit, his Word, his saints

26 Apr

His Spirit, his Word, his saints

Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
The battle of good and evil is portrayed, evident, and real in all our lives and in every part of our lives. It is a battle from within, and a battle that plays out in front of us every day. This battle has been around since the Fall of Man at the Garden of Eden; sin came into this world and paradise was lost until Jesus Christ returns to eternally restore his creation. There is no one of us that does not struggle with sin every, single, day. There is no lofty pastor in any pulpit that does not struggle; even the great apostle Paul wondered why he did the things he did; he wrote in Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. There is so much to unpack in this chapter, but Paul is speaking about the struggle of good and evil, the struggle that all of us face, one that even himself battles from within. Paul goes on to explain how sin has such a hold over us, that he really can’t explain. My study Bible puts it like this, “Being fleshly, sold over to sin, involves a conflict that mystifies Paul and other believers. Paul feels he does not understand himself. He finds himself defeated, not doing what he wants to do, and doing what he hates to do. the conflict indicates that there is a battle between two identities in the believer. First there is something that acknowledges that the law is good. Second there is something within, called sin, which produces evil.” The battle of good and evil inside of us.

God uses his Spirit, his Word (the Bible), and his saints to convict us of sin. He uses the Spirit to put that tug in our conscious, the same Spirit that tugs at our conscious when we read our Bible, and his saints (pastors and friends) to bring those convictions to us. Are we listening, or are we wrapped up in the temporal pleasures of it? I am no different; sin creates many temporal pleasures for me too; the convictions sting and produce great pains. I would be much more scared if I didn’t feel convicted of sin. Can you imagine the realization that one day you did not feel any inward pain related to sin? Romans 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. One of the best sermons I have ever heard was from Dr. Adrian Rogers on when God gave up on us and let us die in sin; conviction and reverent fear does not do that message justice.

You are going to fail, but you can be eternally forgiven. You are never going to be sinless, and the battle of good and evil will always be present until you die. You can only seek with your heart to draw closer to God today than you were yesterday, and to seek him for the strength to resist sin. There is just as much power of God in the conviction of sin as there is in the hope of the Gospel. Paul puts that promise on the heels of Romans seven. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Just take life with an eternal view; rest in your Salvation and seek to work out your salvation by abiding each day with Him. The more you seek him with your heart, the closer you draw to him, and the more sin will sting and produce a cleansing effect on your soul. All of this work is accomplished by his Spirit, his Word, and his Saints.

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Will you take a bullet for Jesus?

16 Apr

Will you take a bullet for Jesus?

1 Peter 3:13-17 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

I am struggling this morning if to write or not. Today my mind is racing and trying to unpack dreams and scripture. I am only writing because I have always sought to be transparent; I do not hide the sinner that I am, I seek no lofty goal, I only want to show you I am no different from you, and that you too can be saved by Grace and have every blessing that God desires for you also. I am a man humbled greatly by God, stripped of pride and rooted in the love and reverent fear I have for Him. I only seek to point you to your need for Jesus also; I only seek to prod you to living your life daily seeking his will for your life, and knowing you will reap a heavenly reward for your life as a disciple here.

I do not remember my dreams, but I remember part of one vividly from last night; being shot at by a sniper and a bullet grazing my back. I woke up thinking about it, and I prayed for wisdom as I entered God’s Word this morning; I felt the Holy Spirit tell me 1st Peter 3, and the passage above seemed like it was in bold print. The obvious speaks to suffering for Christ, but there also is the addressing of sin and suffering. The deep convictions of sin are ever pressing; the only way to cope is to pray for forgiveness and healing. This is part of my daily walk; I must repent daily for my struggles the day before. I stand amazed by the level of mercy that God shows me as I am ashamed of the sinner I still am. I thank him for those convictions and pray for the strength through him to improve my daily life. I am a different person than I was only a few years ago, but sanctification is a lifelong process that we must endure.

In the middle of this passage is the question of will you stand for what you believe? Will you take a stand and witness of Jesus Christ, even as the passages is bookended by asking if you are willing to suffer for your response? Do you see evil killing Christians at a rate my generation has never seen? Do you see that you may be called to profess or renounce your faith with your life in the balance? Will you die for your faith in Jesus Christ? Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Will you take a bullet for Jesus? The world we live in is changing; Satan and evil are peaking before his final demise by Christ. The day is coming when you are going to see the world economy change to one central system, and a person arise with the promise of a solution of peace. You can see this work around you coming to these “solutions.” This is biblical and all God’s plan to provide an eternal paradise free from sin. Your generation too is playing a part; which side are you on? Will you stand for what you believe no matter the cost?

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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If He can fix me….he can fix anybody

05 Apr

If He can fix me….he can fix anybody

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Sitting here watching the sun rise, wondering how many of you might be at Easter Sunrise Services? Today is the most holy day of our Christian calendar; it celebrates Jesus rising from the grave 2000 years ago, forever conquering the power death has over those who repent and believe in Him. Do you believe that Jesus died, arose, ascended, and that he is coming back? Do you believe that the Son of God condescended himself to live as one of his creation to provide the only means possible to right the wrong that man committed in the Garden of Eden? Do you believe that the only way you can get to heaven in through a humble repentant heart that understands we can only get to heaven by acceptance of what Jesus accomplished 2000 years ago? Do you understand that you can never do enough good works, live a good life, go to church every Sunday, give to the poor, love everybody, and yet think those good merits will get you into paradise? You can label it religion, legalism, any “ism” sect of religion that teaches you must do any work yourself other than humble yourself condemns. Jesus condemned the religious throughout the New Testament.

Some friends of mine on social media have been sharing their hearts for Christ; mini-testimonies of their love for him and those that don’t know how much Jesus loves everybody. Our world is spinning seemingly out of control headlong into sin. Our churches are conforming to the world rather than standing for truth and against the world. Christians are being slaughtered daily for their faith and many of us believe that decision may not ever come to us. Will you die for what you say that you believe? Will you put your life on the line for One who did the same for you? If you doubt, you need to go to God in prayer and his Word for a strengthened faith. I promise you will know when you possess the power to say you will die for your Christian faith; you have no fear, for you understand you will be at the feet of Jesus hearing him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” (Matthew 25:21 paraphrased)

Why do I write this devotional blog? In hope that God does a work through it to show you that he can fix me, he can fix you. To show you a testimony of incredible mercy and grace. To show you that you do not need an education to find God; it is a matter of the heart and I graduated high school on straight D’s. I have lived most of my life stuck in pride and committed great sins. I relate strongly to Paul’s statement of being “the chief of sinners,” yet he wrote most of the New Testament. There is nothing you have done that you cannot be forgiven for; all you must do is realize that, then repent and believe. There is such a hope in heaven that the fears of this world will pass away. You will live in an eternal security that you desire for others to possess. You will become bold in your faith and not worry about those that ridicule you. People that knew you before Jesus will be your biggest critics, but they don’t likely possess Him, and if they do, they don’t truly understand grace.

Listen to my heartfelt plea; there is an answer to what your problem is, that answer if Jesus Christ. If you will only ask him to forgive you, then seek Him in his Word. I grew up in religion, and my life truly changed much later in life when I began to read my Bible every day. You cannot spend daily time in God’s Word and remain the same person you were the day before. If He can fix me……he can fix anybody.

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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The Story

03 Apr

The Story

John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

I heard a quote once of the Gospel of John that said, “It is shallow enough that a toddler may wade, but deep enough that an elephant may swim.” The simplicity of the passage above explains why Jesus had to die; to save us from sin and provide eternal life to all who believe in him. The depth of this passage when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus goes way back into the typology of Christ in the Old Testament with Israel fleeing captivity with Moses leading them in the desert. If we look back into Numbers 21, we find that Israel had rebelled again, and God had punished them by sending poisonous snakes that bit many who died. Israel had recognized their sin, and asked for Moses to pray to God to forgive and heal them. This was Moses’ last miracle before he died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Matthew Henry has a powerful commentary on this passage from Numbers 21 on the sting and recognition of our sin also. Israel found the serpents repulsive, just they found the Cross repulsive. Now God was showing them in the desert that they must look upon what turned their stomachs to be healed. Jesus was telling Nicodemus of his coming death at the cross; Jesus was telling him that he must look upon what he despised to be healed from our sins.

One of my sons told me recently of how a kid at school said he didn’t believe some of the stories in the Bible. It bothered him deeply, and I pray that the Lord gives them time alone to let the Holy Spirit lead a conversation. Many other religions tell that Jesus was a good man, a great prophet, a man like none other even, but a division comes at him being the Son of God. It is proven in history outside of Christianity of his life, death, and resurrection, yet many argue he was not the Son of God. Do you believe? You can’t say you are a Christian and not believe the foundational truth that the Son of God came to earth, died for your sins, and arose from the dead to return to heaven. This must be bedrock, this must be understood that their is no other way to heaven except through Jesus Christ and what he accomplished just over 2000 years ago. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Do you have questions also about Jesus? What is the Easter season where we are celebrating his death and resurrection? I am including a link to a great website that will help you understand. Take a few minutes and explore The Story and let God open your eyes through your heart.

http://viewthestory.com/viewer/?c=1000&p=t&quality=high

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Holy Week – time to share

30 Mar

Holy Week – time to share

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

How do I plea behind a keyboard? How do I convey to you my heart that yearns for you to know Jesus Christ not only as your Savior, but your Lord? How do I get you to understand that this temporal life is simply a preparation for the next eternal one? I really can’t get you to do any of these things……God does these things….I am nothing but a disciple with a heart for you to have all that I have in that relationship. I am nothing but an ol’ unedjumicated’ country boy that God has extended unimaginable mercy to; granted unworthy grace to, and is stripping all that pride I once lived in. He has pursued me, and I have humbled myself at that realization. I did not find God through study, I found God when he put that inquisitiveness in my heart. If you are questioning God, he is placing that same tug inside of you that he has done for countless others throughout history. You are a chosen child of God and your eternity revolves around your response. Look at the verses prior in John’s gospel; 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. Without arguing deep theology you must understand that God pursues you first; you must understand you either respond or deny that tug from him. What if you think you will do it on your own timeline and yours does correlate with His? You do know that God does not recognize time right? He sees the past, present, and the future all the same so your timeline will not match his I promise you. Repent and believe today!

As a Christian this is our most Holy Week. Over two thousand years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as a king, and was killed by the same people who worshipped him only a few short days later. It was all part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity, but it should stir our hearts at the events that took place. There is no better week to share your faith with someone at work or school; even those outside of the faith know it is Easter, and likely know something about the faith you claim. Many will recognize the most famous verse in the Bible; John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Many may not know the next; 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Right there is the good news, or the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of humanity is lost eternally in sin without knowing Jesus as their Savior. God is a holy God and he demands holiness in his presence. Without accepting Jesus as your savior, you will never be holy enough to enter heaven. You can never do enough good works to be considered holy; only one person to walk this planet has ever been holy, and He told us he is the only way to heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. God has given you, just like he has given me, the ability to show those around you that he is available to everyone. Knowing him is a matter of the heart, a humbled heart that desires the grace we do not deserve, and thankful for the mercy he shows us. God wants to use you this Holy Week to reach others with the gospel; pray this morning for the boldness to share your faith and a deepening of your faith as you realize what this week represents.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Was he right or wrong?

25 Mar

Was he right or wrong?

2nd Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (ESV)

Peter was writing this epistle from Rome, likely from prison, and likely awaiting execution for his faith in Jesus Christ. This is his last letter of warning to the church against false teachers. False teaching with just enough truth to sound like the truth, has tickled the ears of the hearers and led thousands to condemnation as a result. Peter writes here in this second chapter how those false teachers are going to pay eternally for leading people astray 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment. When you begin to teach the Word of God, you are held to a higher standard by God; no teacher worth his weight in salt takes this knowledge lightly. My study Bible puts it, “Teaching and learning involves truth and error; it becomes ingrained in the soul. And if the truth or error involves our eternal destiny, the stakes only go up. This is why Peter wrote his second epistle.”

There is more of the world coming into the church that the church going out into the world. The church is seeking to please and entertain everyone; the church is seeking to become politically correct and not offend anyone; the church is bending the absolute truths of God to please everyone; those in authority will pay the price that Peter describes in his second epistle. Do you see it all around you, especially here in the USA? These false teachers are entertaining their congregations while building themselves mansions and earthly kingdoms and asking for private planes. They are seeking to exploit and milk their followers into believing they are doing good, all the while they are headed to hell and taking many with them. They preach sensuality and the pleasure that the world measures by. Why would a preacher torn by how lost the world is in sin waste thousands or millions of dollars on anything for themselves? How far could those millions of dollars for a house, plane, or fleet of cars or toys have gone to help the poor and needy by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ?

You may ask, how will I know if I am sitting under a false teacher? It is simple, and yet divine. If you will pray and study God’s Word diligently yourself, the Holy Spirit will open your heart to the truth. Listen to what God told the prophet Jeremiah that applies to all that will diligently seek Him. 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ God was talking about all the sins of Jerusalem, but this book of Jeremiah applies to all of us as his eternal people. Jeremiah continues to write; 6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. If you will seek Him, just as he was telling Jerusalem, he will bring health and healing. The more time you spend seeking God in prayer and his Word, the greater the Holy Spirit grants you discernment for the world. The greater your discernment for the false pleasure of the world, the greater your discernment for the eternal things also. You are to test scripture with scripture; you are to test those preacher and teachers by studying your Bible. How will you have any possibility of knowing you might be led astray? The answer lies in the Holy Spirit and the diligent daily study of God’s Word. It is there, and only there, that He shows you the difference in truth and error.

 
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Posted by on March 25, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Do you trust Me?

13 Mar

As I started to read this today, I remembered how much God has spoken to me through it as I have read this devotional for getting close to 10 years. This devotional speaks to all of us who claim Christianity; all of us have been and will be continually called to trust God on levels we are not comfortable with. The level of trust is directly related to our level of faith; as our faith grows so will we be called to trust him with greater things; trust him where it stretches and grows our faith. Each of you have experienced these tests of our faith, and when obedient in them, he has built your testimony to him, for you to encourage others how he provided for you. Your life as a disciple is a loving act of continual obedience.

This also describes the glimpse of understanding of God’s sovereignty. The peace that Jesus described in John 14:27 was the gift of the Holy Spirit that God will give to believers. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. That gift is God living inside of you; that gift is an understanding that he is guiding you through life and no matter where free-will lets you stray, he is still ultimately in control. Our limited minds cannot comprehend the complexities of free-will intertwined with God’s sovereignty. Let the peace that the world does not understand compel you into a life of obedience continually stretched in order to obtain a deeper relationship with the One who created and sustains your very life and everything in it.
EXPERIENCING GOD DAILY DEVOTIONAL by Henry Blackaby
Christ Must Reorient You
Daily Devotional for Friday, March 13th, 2015
When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Mark 1:19-20

We have a natural tendency to find our “comfort zone” and then position ourselves firmly in place. If you are in a situation or lifestyle where you are perfectly capable of handling everything, you have stopped growing in your understanding of God. God’s desire is to take you from where you are to where He wants you to be. You will always be one step of obedience away from the next truth God wants you to learn about Him. You may experience a restlessness whereby you sense that there is far more you should be learning and experiencing about the Father. At times, this will mean that you should move to a new location or take a new job. It could indicate that you need a deeper dimension added to your prayer life. Perhaps you need to trust God to a degree you never have before.
The fishermen could not remain in their fishing boats and become apostles of Jesus Christ. Abraham was seventy-five years old when God gave him his major life assignment. These men had to disrupt their comfortable routine in order to reach new heights in their relationship with their Lord. Likewise, in order to experience God to the degree He wants you to, there will be adjustments He will ask of you. Are you prepared for Christ to reveal Himself to you in dimensions that will change your life? Are you willing to abandon that which makes you comfortable?

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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