This Week's Focal Passage:
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God." Psalm 42:1
About two months ago, I was walking down the hall in church feeling very defeated and overwhelmed. I was silently crying out to the Lord asking Him what was happening within my soul. My mind could not comprehend how I could be studying, writing, preparing and sharing His Word with our Ladies' Sunday school class yet I was feeling a personal disconnect with God. It was about that time that a sweet friend, one of the most encouraging ladies I know, came walking down the hall. She stopped me and shared with me what God had taught her in a conference she had just attended. She said to me, "Michelle, I just have to tell you something that I learned this past week. The Lord showed me how I had been studying His Word and sharing it with other ladies but I was not using it as food for my own soul!"
WOW!! I cannot tell you how blown away I was by her testimony. She had no idea that what she had just shared was by God's design. HE used her to answer the very question I had just cried out to Him. You see, I had been so busy studying, researching, preparing, and gathering information that I thought would be helpful, useful, and applicable for those who would hear the lesson that I had failed to stop and sit at Christ's feet seeking what HE had for me to learn.
God began to do a mighty work in my heart that day. HE used our focal passage to draw me deeper into His Word, but this time, HE set my focus on my own spiritual growth. "Pants" in Psalm 42:1 is 'arag which means to long for. The deer not only longs for the water brooks because he enjoys the nice, cool water but he also longs for the water brooks because he needs the water to survive. As children of God, we must have a heart that longs for God. We cannot survive without Him. Not only does God provide for our physical needs but HE is the source of all spiritual fulfillment. Without God, we have nothing. Nothing this world offers will satisfy to the very depths of our soul. No matter what earthly gain we may have, our flesh will never be fulfilled and our lives will be wasted and dead.
Are you crying out to God to create in you a heart that longs for Him? Are you seeking Him daily for your complete source of satisfaction and fulfillment? Are you allowing Him to cultivate a desire in you that glorifies Him and points others to the cross? You see, My Friends, we cannot teach what we do not know. We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot lead others to the cross when we are walking in a different direction. It is so easy to get distracted. We may begin with good intentions, but along the way, our flesh takes over and we begin to make our journey more about us than about the Lord God.
One example of this is found in Luke 10:38-42. Sisters, Martha and Mary, had opened their home to the Lord Jesus. Martha's heart was to prepare a warm, comfortable place for Him to enter and be refreshed. Scripture tells us, "…and a certain woman name Martha welcomed Him in to her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
We all have many roles in our lives and many people in our sphere of influence. If we want to accomplish the unique and specific purpose God has designed for us, we must make sure the "role" does not become our focus! Our hearts must be steadfast, rooted and established in God alone. Our primary purpose must be to sit at His feet and learn from Him so that we have something eternal to offer those HE has placed around us. No matter what our role in life may be, our purpose is the same - to glorify the Lord God. Take time this week to sit at Christ's feet and allow Him to evaluate your heart against the plumb line of Scripture. "One thing I have desired of the LORD, That I will seek; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And, to inquire in His temple." (Psalm 27:4)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Monday Morning Devotion #267
This Week's Focal Passage:
"Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John 2:19
Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to live in the days that Jesus walked the earth? Oh, to see the face of Jesus, to hear His voice, to see first hand the miracles/signs HE preformed, to witness the 5,000 being fed with just five small barley loaves and two small fish, to watch the thousands of people come to Him in genuine saving faith, to be there when HE died for sin, and to rejoice in complete awe when HE rose again!!!! My Friend, the pages of Scripture give us a complete account of those things and so much more. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
When we dive deep into the Word of God, we are never the same. "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) This week is a precious week for all Christians. This is the week we celebrate our Passover (our protection). We have reason to rejoice because our Savior willingly died to pay our sin debt and set us free from the bondage of sin and self. "…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that HE might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that HE might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27) The picture of Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb is priceless. Turn to Exodus 12:21-24:
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when HE sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this things as an ordinance for you and your sons forever."
Do you see our redemption mirrored in the above passage!?!? The Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians and they could not free themselves. We are in bondage to sin and self and there is nothing that we can do to set ourselves free. Jesus Christ is the Lamb by which we are redeemed. HE was crucified so that His blood would flow and that blood is the blood that cleanses all our unrighteousness. There is no other means by which we receive salvation. Man has always attempted to "get to" God through their own methods/ideologies/rituals/religion but God's Word is clear - if we want to "get to" God we must do so on His terms. "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Look once more at our focal passage. "Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Our pastor has been walking us through the book of John. I love the way he explained this passage of Scripture. "When we read how Jesus came into the temple and cleared out the merchants and money changers, we tend to focus more on Jesus' righteous anger and how HE displayed that. What we really need to understand and focus on is WHY Jesus was so grieved by the sinful acts taking place within the temple."
"You see, the temple in that day was the center of worship. There were three specific festivals in which all Jewish males over the age of twelve were required to attend: Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:14-19; Leviticus 23). The Feast of the Passover was the most important of the three because it was the remembrance of God's dramatic deliverance of His people from Egypt. The temple symbolized God's presence. The defaming of God's glory angered Jesus. God is to be glorified and taken seriously. Jesus will tolerate no less!!"
How does this apply to our lives today? Let's look at God's Word for the answer. "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God" (Romans 3:11). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
In the book of James, we are continually challenged to examine our faith in light of Truth. Why? Because Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And, then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23) My Friend, there is only one way to heaven and that is through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. Many people know that Jesus is God's Son. Many people understand that God is Sovereign and HE alone controls all things. Many people do wonderful things and live a life that is selfless and giving. Many people tell others to pray and believe in God but that does not indicate genuine faith. Jesus tells us what genuine faith is - "doing the will of the Father".
God's will is not about a ritual or good deeds. God's will is that we respond to Him with a humble and repetitive heart. Only then, can we be redeemed. Knowing about God, doing good, and counseling other to do the same is our attempt at salvation. However, salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Only HE can open our spiritual eyes and bring forth a true heart of repentance and humility. Repentance is not merely agreeing with God that we have "done bad things" but rather a true understanding that we are vile and wicked creatures who deserve nothing less than hell and damnation. Christ owes us nothing and we, in and of ourselves, can never achieve holiness. Christ loves us so much that HE gave up His own life that we can live.
When we bow before Him in true surrender, HE comes into the temple of our hearts and HE cleans out all the vile and wicked practices that are taking place. HE destroys our "temple" (our attempt to be godly) and HE alone becomes the Temple - the center of our worship. Nothing else will satisfy the wrath of God and nothing else will bring forth salvation and eternal life. If we are attempting to "get to" God in any other fashion, we are walking down the path of destruction that will only lead to spiritual death.
Beloved, take heed, God is serious about His glory. Take a moment this Resurrection weekend to bow before the Lord God and allow Him to search your heart and reveal to you anything that is contrary to His Word. Do not hesitate to allow Him to begin a transforming work in your life. HE loves you and His will for you is to be transformed into His image. If someone you know is walking along a path that is contrary in any way to God's Truth, PLEASE be bold enough to confront him/her in love and with the Truth. Keep in mind that we are the mere vessels God uses to proclaim truth to a dark and dying world. The eternal work is the job of the Holy Spirit. God calls His children to proclaim and HE completes His purposes. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…" (Matthew 28:19-20a)
"Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John 2:19
Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to live in the days that Jesus walked the earth? Oh, to see the face of Jesus, to hear His voice, to see first hand the miracles/signs HE preformed, to witness the 5,000 being fed with just five small barley loaves and two small fish, to watch the thousands of people come to Him in genuine saving faith, to be there when HE died for sin, and to rejoice in complete awe when HE rose again!!!! My Friend, the pages of Scripture give us a complete account of those things and so much more. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
When we dive deep into the Word of God, we are never the same. "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) This week is a precious week for all Christians. This is the week we celebrate our Passover (our protection). We have reason to rejoice because our Savior willingly died to pay our sin debt and set us free from the bondage of sin and self. "…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that HE might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that HE might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27) The picture of Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb is priceless. Turn to Exodus 12:21-24:
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when HE sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this things as an ordinance for you and your sons forever."
Do you see our redemption mirrored in the above passage!?!? The Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians and they could not free themselves. We are in bondage to sin and self and there is nothing that we can do to set ourselves free. Jesus Christ is the Lamb by which we are redeemed. HE was crucified so that His blood would flow and that blood is the blood that cleanses all our unrighteousness. There is no other means by which we receive salvation. Man has always attempted to "get to" God through their own methods/ideologies/rituals/religion but God's Word is clear - if we want to "get to" God we must do so on His terms. "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Look once more at our focal passage. "Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Our pastor has been walking us through the book of John. I love the way he explained this passage of Scripture. "When we read how Jesus came into the temple and cleared out the merchants and money changers, we tend to focus more on Jesus' righteous anger and how HE displayed that. What we really need to understand and focus on is WHY Jesus was so grieved by the sinful acts taking place within the temple."
"You see, the temple in that day was the center of worship. There were three specific festivals in which all Jewish males over the age of twelve were required to attend: Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:14-19; Leviticus 23). The Feast of the Passover was the most important of the three because it was the remembrance of God's dramatic deliverance of His people from Egypt. The temple symbolized God's presence. The defaming of God's glory angered Jesus. God is to be glorified and taken seriously. Jesus will tolerate no less!!"
How does this apply to our lives today? Let's look at God's Word for the answer. "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God" (Romans 3:11). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
In the book of James, we are continually challenged to examine our faith in light of Truth. Why? Because Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And, then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23) My Friend, there is only one way to heaven and that is through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. Many people know that Jesus is God's Son. Many people understand that God is Sovereign and HE alone controls all things. Many people do wonderful things and live a life that is selfless and giving. Many people tell others to pray and believe in God but that does not indicate genuine faith. Jesus tells us what genuine faith is - "doing the will of the Father".
God's will is not about a ritual or good deeds. God's will is that we respond to Him with a humble and repetitive heart. Only then, can we be redeemed. Knowing about God, doing good, and counseling other to do the same is our attempt at salvation. However, salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Only HE can open our spiritual eyes and bring forth a true heart of repentance and humility. Repentance is not merely agreeing with God that we have "done bad things" but rather a true understanding that we are vile and wicked creatures who deserve nothing less than hell and damnation. Christ owes us nothing and we, in and of ourselves, can never achieve holiness. Christ loves us so much that HE gave up His own life that we can live.
When we bow before Him in true surrender, HE comes into the temple of our hearts and HE cleans out all the vile and wicked practices that are taking place. HE destroys our "temple" (our attempt to be godly) and HE alone becomes the Temple - the center of our worship. Nothing else will satisfy the wrath of God and nothing else will bring forth salvation and eternal life. If we are attempting to "get to" God in any other fashion, we are walking down the path of destruction that will only lead to spiritual death.
Beloved, take heed, God is serious about His glory. Take a moment this Resurrection weekend to bow before the Lord God and allow Him to search your heart and reveal to you anything that is contrary to His Word. Do not hesitate to allow Him to begin a transforming work in your life. HE loves you and His will for you is to be transformed into His image. If someone you know is walking along a path that is contrary in any way to God's Truth, PLEASE be bold enough to confront him/her in love and with the Truth. Keep in mind that we are the mere vessels God uses to proclaim truth to a dark and dying world. The eternal work is the job of the Holy Spirit. God calls His children to proclaim and HE completes His purposes. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…" (Matthew 28:19-20a)
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