Monday Morning Devotion

Monday Morning Devotion #308

2011-12-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35b

This year, I had the opportunity of being a small part of Journey to Judea (J2J), a living nativity that our church hosted. During Journey to Judea, I had the blessing of walking through with the Deaf tours. I was asked to assist with the lighting and I was excited to serve alongside others who were ministering to the Deaf. It did not take me long to realize, though, that the Deaf were actually ministering to us as much as we were ministering to them. Their excitement about the “journey” and their eagerness to receive the Gospel was amazing and contagious!

All weekend, I would stand back and just gaze into the faces of these precious people and watch their eyes light up and their faces glow with pure joy as the Story of Christ was proclaimed in their language. I remember one night standing at the cross watching the interpreter tell the story of Christ as HE was judged unjustly, beaten, mocked, and then nailed to the cross. When the interpreter signed, “And then Jesus cried out…”Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” my heart broke! For the first time, I really saw myself in that crowd of mockers and felt the pain of my sin and experienced that horrible moment when the people at the cross realized what they had done and walked away beating their breasts and pulling their hair. My eyes glanced around the Deaf that stood there and one of them signed, “Praise You, God!” My heart just cried out, “Yes Lord! Praise You!”

All weekend, I stood back and just watched the Lord impress His Truth upon the hearts of those who walked through, including my own heart, and each time was more awesome than the next. I never got tired of hearing the Gospel proclaimed and I found myself walking back in the building after each tour praising God for something new that HE had taught me through the “journey.”

As I talked with the Deaf from each group, I heard a common statement – “I have never seen anything like this! I did not know all of that!” My heart grew more and more burdened for those Deaf in our community who have not heard the Gospel and have not been exposed to God’s Word on a regular basis. As the Deaf tours ended, I began to talk with some other visitors who had gone through J2J with other groups and they were saying the same thing…”Wow! I did not know all of that…I learned so much!” God brought John 4:35 to my mind, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

All month, the Lord has been quickening my heart to the realization that there are so many around me everyday who have never trusted in Him as their personal Lord and Savior. The Lord continues to impress upon my heart His command that we are called to proclaim His Word to all the nations (see Matthew 28:18-20). The life application question for me is: Do I share the Gospel when the Lord brings that opportunity before me?

During Christmas is a wonderful time for all Believers to stand up and proclaim Christ Jesus to all those around us. Christmas is not just about the birth of Christ but it is also about the REASON Christ came in the form of a baby, grew in statue, and served the Lord obediently even to death! Christ’s birth ushered in the way for man to be reconciled to God. Christmas is a time of celebrating the finished work of the Cross because through the Cross, God provided a cure for sin and death. We are no longer bound to sin but we are free in Christ Jesus to live a life that is full of the abundance of God Himself. We are free from guilt and shame and we have new life in Him! We are vessels for God to use to reveal His truth to others and to draw them to Himself! My Friend, isn’t that truth worth proclaiming to each and every person we meet!?!

Lord, may that be the priority of our hearts. May our lives be a true representation of who you are and may our obedience to the call on our lives lead others to You!
No matter what season, what circumstance, what position we may be in, may we remember that the Lord has placed us there for a divine purpose and HE will use us to shine light into a dark and dying world. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:14-16.

Monday Morning Devotion #307

2011-11-21T06:05:00.001-08:00

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Over the past several years, the Lord has really been reworking my heart! It has been a slow, deliberate, and often times, painful transformation. The process is not finished nor will it be until I met my Savior face-to-face but God is graciously revealing glimpses of my new heart along the way. This “reconstruction surgery” has not been limited to one area of my life but rather has encompassed my entire person. I am learning that I have never had a “right view” of God.

Now, please understand; I am not saying that I was not exposed to the Truth as I grew up. I am simply saying that my heart was not ready to receive Truth and I continually rebelled against the Lord during most of my youth and early adulthood years. You see, I knew God’s Word, I could answer most Bible questions correctly, I shared the Gospel with others, and I knew there was a God but I did not believe His Word applied directly to my life. I was rebellious, stubborn, and determined to “run my own life.” I did pray but those prayers were self-serving, unrighteous, and usually accompanied situations in which I needed help. And by “help” I mean I had gotten myself into a situation and I was trying to avoid further consequences. My view of God was formulated by my immature, limited rationale and understanding. I did not seek to know God through the pages of His Word.

Several years ago, God drew me to Himself and gave me a passion to study His Word and to get to know who HE says HE is through Scripture. God has been (and continues) teaching me that His Word is absolute! HE is God and I am not! “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer; the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images” (Isaiah 42:8). My entire life I have tried to be my own god. Praise be to the Most High that HE did not allow me to continue in that bondage of sin. HE rescued me from my sin and myself and reconciled me to Himself through the finished work of Christ on the cross!! Scripture says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

My Friend, God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. HE offers eternal hope, complete freedom, and a new life for all who believe. There is no sin too great for His blood to cleanse, remove, and forgive!! Through Him, we are able to “live no longer for (ourselves), but for Him who died for (us) and rose again” (see 2 Corinthians 5:15). We are able to die to self and live for Christ when we surrender ourselves to Him and apply His Word to our daily lives. Yesterday, one of my mentors handed me a slip of paper that contained a powerful explanation of what it means to biblically die to self. May the Lord create in each of us a desire to die to ourselves and live a life completely surrendered to Him alone!

Dying to Self

When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at nought, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,
That is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence.
That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruptions by the will of God,
That is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you truly love to be unknown,
That is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances,
That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from someone of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no resentment or rebellion rising up in your heart,
That is dying to self.
(Author unknown)

Monday Morning Devotion #306

2011-11-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

“So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.” Genesis 7:7

In our Ladies’ Sunday School class, we have begun a journey through Scripture studying different women along the way. Our purpose is to gain a better understanding of who God is, increase our love for Him, and to gain valuable life applications (learning to apply God’s Word to our daily lives). Each woman we encounter gives us glimpses into the character of God. There are life applications rooted deep within each woman’s story…Those who loved the Lord and obeyed His commands as well as those who did not. As we mine our way through the pages of God’s Word, we are blessed with the opportunity to know God more. The more we know who God truly is, the more we desire Him. The more we desire Him, the more we seek Him. The more we seek Him, the more we are satisfied in Him – “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (John Piper).

My Friend, God is at work in each of us for the purpose of transforming us into the man/woman HE created us to be – A Man/Woman After His own Heart. Recently God has been using one Biblical woman in particular to teach me about faithfully obeying the Lord. This woman is Noah’s wife. Scripture does not give us any background information about Noah’s wife, nor does it record her name, personal information, or any words that she spoke but Scripture does record two facts about her – she got on the ark (see Gen. 7:7, 13) and she got off the ark (see Genesis 8:15, 18)!

We do not know what Noah’s wife was doing or saying during this time. All we know is that she did get on and off the ark in response to God’s command. Each of us have our own personal “arks”. In each of our lives, there are times when God gives us commands that do not make sense to our limited, human minds. We may find ourselves struggling with obedience. Perhaps we question the Lord or we try to rationalize a “better” way to approach a situation. We begin to allow “fear of man” (placing a higher value on what others think or say about us than seeking our satisfaction in God alone) to guide our thoughts, actions, and decisions. Noah’s wife was asked to board an ark that would take her away from her home and all that she was familiar with. Her life would never be the same once she stepped onto the ark. The Lord God would close the door behind her and her family, send flood waters to cover the entire earth, and destroy all mankind except for those on board. God had been using the past 120 years to bring them to this very moment…The doors were open, would they follow Him onto the ark?

Life Application Questions:
Sometimes God changes our lives dramatically…Do you see God’s faithfulness in every circumstance of your life? Do you seek Him daily in the midst of the chaos and changes or do you allow yourself to become overwhelmed, fearful, and depressed?

I love the picture of Noah’s wife obediently following her husband onto the ark. She had no idea what it would be like to live on the ark. She had no idea what it would be like in the midst of the storm. She had no idea what life would be like “on the other side of the storm.” Yet, she trusted the Lord and her husband and faithfully obeyed. Life before the ark was not Mrs. Noah’s permanent home! Life after the ark was not her permanent home either. Her permanent home is where she is spending eternity. Scripture does not tell us about Noah’s wife’s spiritual condition so we will not make any assumptions here. What we can do is ask ourselves, “Where is our home?”

My Friend, are we seeking to set up residence here and try to fit in, succeed, take root, and remain or do we understand that this is just a temporary dwelling for us and we are here for a divine purpose? God has carved out this moment in history and placed each of us in it. We are called for a purpose…Are we obedient to His commands? What ark are you facing today? Are you willing to trust the Lord, board that ark, and ride the waves of His faithfulness? If we will follow Him, we will never regret it! God is faithful! God is trustworthy! God’s plans for us are designed to grow us in Him and to point others to Him. Do you trust the Lord God completely with every aspect of your life? “Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually” (Psalm 119:117).

Monday Morning Devotion #305

2011-10-24T05:03:00.001-07:00

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Over the past two years, the Lord has really been dealing with bondage in my life…Habitual sins that lingered across the years as well as very dark areas of my life that I tried to “tuck away” and forget. God knows exactly what we need and HE is so faithful and gracious to give us our needs. I used to believe that this verse in Philippians applied only to our physical needs. God has been revealing to me that while HE does care about our physical needs and HE is faithful to meet each of those needs at perfect moment, HE is more concerned with our spiritual needs.

I would like to share an article with you that I wrote for our Church’s Newsletter. God continues to bring this truth back to me every time I try to “tuck away” my sin instead of allowing God to deal with it in the light of His Word:

In our Ladies’ Sunday School class as well as the Deaf Ladies’ Bible study, we have been learning to Seek God and to Become a Woman after God’s Own Heart. God has been teaching us that HE is sovereign and HE knows each of us better than we know ourselves. HE can see the depth of our despair and HE alone can reach to the very depth of whatever pit we may be dwelling, rescue us, clean us from the inside out, and make us into a new creation…Free, whole, complete, and pleasing to Him! HE does this through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) and that Christ came that we might “have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

His desire to give me abundant spiritual life is the reason that God has been so diligent to deal with my heart regarding the past. Through Scripture, I am now able to see that blocking memories was an attempt to free myself from sin. I was a sinner in need of a Savior but I spent most of my life trying to be my own savior. I have allowed fear, anxiety, shame, and guilt to control me but Christ came to remove that burden! “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I love the testimony of King David because it is a picture of an imperfect man being transformed into a “Man after God’s own heart” (see 1 Samuel 13:14). David sinned against the Lord many times in his life and he often allowed fear to guide his decisions; however, David’s life bears the imprint of the Lord God. God loved David and drew him to Himself. God molded and shaped David through the circumstances in his life and David emerged a mighty man of God. My Friend, do you realize that God can mold and shape you into the man/woman HE created you to be? No matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, no matter what has been done to you, Christ blood cleanses you from all unrighteousness. Christ’s blood has the power to make a new life out of lives that have been destroyed, marred, and ravaged by sin. I know this is true because this is exactly what Christ did for me! God looked upon my helpless state and HE poured out His grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness and HE alone made me new.

The Lord works in our lives according to our individual needs. For me, I needed to face my past by walking through all those memories that I had suppressed for years. The way that God chose to do this was by giving me the opportunity to share my “life story” with our small group. In the process of preparing to share, the Lord allowed me to view my past through the backdrop of Scripture. HE gave me eyes to see Him in the midst of all that pain and shame. I am utterly amazed by God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love! God allowed me to experience Him in a brand new way.

I have no idea what you may be facing today, but I want to encourage you to seek God. Be open to the work HE wants to do in your life, even if that work seems painful at the time. HE loves you and HE desires to set you free. HE is trustworthy and HE will never forsake you. Scripture tells us that Satan “walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). My Friend, Satan will continue to whisper lies into your ear hoping that you will believe those lies and turn from God’s truth. Satan desires to destroy us but God desires to transform us into the image of Christ and to give us abundant life through Him. Like King David, our lives can bear the imprint of the invisible God. We can be a reflection of His absolute power and authority. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Monday Morning Devotion #304

2011-10-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

“She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.”
Proverbs 31:17

There are many life applications that are found within this one chapter of Scripture but one specific area that the Lord has really been convicting my heart is in regard to “seeking Him to satisfy my every desire instead of seeking to stuff myself with other things.” Matthew 6:33 says “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Thus begs the question, “What does it mean to “seek the kingdom of God?” Romans 14:17 tells us “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The Nelson Study Bible explains this verse, “The kingdom of God does not consist of external things like food, but in spiritual realities like righteousness in action and thought, peace that seeks harmony, and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Those who understand the spiritual realities of the kingdom will not choose the brief joy of satisfying selfish desires over the spiritual joy of putting aside those desires for the sake of others” (p. 1906).

In our focal passage, we learn that the Proverbs 31 Woman is “girding herself with strength.” What does that mean for us today? Let’s begin by examining two types of strengths: physical and spiritual. How do we obtain physical strength? We gain strength by eating properly, exercising, and getting proper rest. Those are each important aspects of keeping us strong and healthy; however, these are merely temporary fixes. Even if we eat properly, exercise, and rest every day, we will still get tired, hungry, and need to exercise again. Right? The Proverbs 31 Woman understood that she needed more than just physical strength to serve the Lord and glorify Him through her daily life. She recognized her need for spiritual strength. Spiritual strength is a gift from the Lord. When the Lord strengthens us to do all that HE has called us to do, then we are completely filled and every need is met by the One True Living God.

Life Application Question:
What do you do when you are tired, overwhelmed, sad, depressed, lonely, unappreciated, and/or unsatisfied?

If the answer to that question is anything other than “running to the Lord and feasting on Him,” then you are seeking strength outside of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How can we learn to feast on the Lord in order to find complete fulfillment, satisfaction, and strength?

The answer is to seek the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, and all your strength. “Seeking God…can be defined as studying God’s Word, making earnest prayer to Him, and confessing sin” (The Lord’s Table, p. 12).

The Proverbs 31 Woman feasted on the Lord and she sought Him above all else. What does it mean to “feast on the Lord”? Here is an accumulation of the responses gathered through a couple of Bible studies I am involved in:

• Feasting on the Lord means to approach His table with celebration
• Feasting on the Lord means to put aside all distractions and come to His table with an appetite for Him alone
• Feasting on the Lord means to “prepare” ourselves through prayer, praise, confession of sin, and repentance
• Feasting on the Lord means to “soak Him in”
• Feasting on the Lord involves obedience to Him
• Feasting on the Lord means we do not come to His table “already full” of other things
• Feasting on the Lord produces joyfulness within our hearts and soul – even in the midst of trials
• “Your words were found, and I ate them, An Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).

Feasting on the Lord means that we are seeking Him to fill every part of ourselves. We are studying His Word, making earnest prayer to Him, and confessing our sins. We are learning to discern His Word and apply it to our lives. We are making daily decisions to die to self and to live for Christ. We are exchanging our self-seeking ways for His perfect desire for our lives. We are willing to crucify our flesh in order to reflect Him more accurately to those around us. We understand that our lives have been bought with a price and we are not to live for self but our lives are now living sacrifices to the Risen Lord.

What are some things we can “feast” on rather than the Lord Jesus Christ? Here are some of the answers from both of the ladies’ classes: Food, children/grandchildren, relationships, friends, popularity, jobs, material possessions, fame, wealth, ministry, hobbies, television, computer, Facebook/Facebook games, travel, exercise, youth and processes to keep us young, religion, education, satisfying the flesh in any manner (gluttony, sex, overspending, etc.). This is certainly not a complete list but it does give us a starting point to begin evaluating the things in our lives that could be taking the place of an intimate relationship with the Lord. God’s Word says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:1-5a).

My Friend, do you realize that when we desire anything more than we desire to know the Lord God and find complete satisfaction in Him, we are bowing down to idols?! Whatever our heart desires more than seeking the Lord is an idol that we have “carved for ourselves.” God commands that we do not make anything an idol in our lives because that idol will become our god. We will be bound to it and our flesh will crave it. We will seek it with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and that will lead us away from the Lord into death and destruction. Man cannot serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24). We may think we can “keep a balance” in our lives but the truth is that we are weak, powerless creatures and whatever we seek will have dominion over us. We will bow down to the desires of our hearts. The only “balance” that we will find is at the feet of Christ…Crying out to Him to satisfy us completely and to teach us to be content in all things because HE Himself has said, “Never will I leave you nor forsake you” (see Hebrews 13:5). “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).

Monday Morning Devotion #303

2011-10-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

“To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

In the past, I was not a big fan of change. In fact, I much prefered a “boring” life. My flesh is most comfortable when I know what I am doing, how I am to do it, and when I am to do it. I love lists and being able to mark off each accomplishment. When I wake up in the morning, I enjoy knowing what my day holds, what tasks need my attention, and to have everything running like a well oiled machine (as my grandmother used to say). Any deviation from my plan is disturbing to me and I find myself feeling anxious and unsettled. I resist change and I diligently work to return my life to “normal.”

Several months ago, God began to open the door to many adjustments in my life. Now, I must say that nothing earth-shattering is happening. The changes are really quite simple but they are changes none-the-less. God has and is continuing to allow every area of my life to experience some sort of shift. Needless to say, this is difficult for me. I have felt myself begin to panic and I have tried to grab hold of those things in hopes of preventing further modification. I must say that once again, I am learning that I am not in control! God is! God is continually at work and HE is graciously teaching me that change is one way that HE is molding and shaping me. To resist the work of His hand is rebellion so my heart's desire is to see the change that God allows in my life as a blessing tailor-made for me.

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God!” (Isaiah 44:6).

Before I write another word, I must confess that this devotion is not derived through my wisdom but rather it is an accumulation of truths that I have received over the past several months from some godly women who have surrounded me, prayed with and for me, encouraged me, held me accountable, and spoken truth to me. I would gladly offer their names; however, I know they would not be pleased. They would tell you that they only spoke what God laid upon their hearts. God has also used our pastor’s sermons to speak directly to my troubled heart. Pastor JD spoke on this very topic in his sermon on March 20th. The Lord really used Pastor JD’s emphasis on “You can respond with joy when (by faith) you see the purpose of the trials…Trials help meet a desperate need.”

In our ladies’ Sunday school class we have been learning that God meets all our needs…Even those needs we do not realize we have. As soon as Pastor JD began to expand upon his point, it was as if the Lord exposed yet another layer of sin in my heart and allowed me to see the work of His hand! WOW! I am able to understand that God is using this season of change in my life to sift me, transform me, mold me, release me from past bondage, and to free me. My heart can hardly contain the joy that rushes over me when I think that the God of all the universe is actively pruning me so that I can bear much fruit.

My Friend, do you realize that God is doing the same thing in your life? Now certainly, our circumstances may be different but God is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Allow me to encourage you with some of the same wisdom I have received recently.
• Do not resist the work of God in your life. God loves you with an everlasting love and HE has a divine purpose for each situation in your life. “Cast your burden on the LORD, And HE shall sustain you; HE shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
• Do not allow yourself to believe that God does not care about you or that HE has forgotten you. God cannot and will not forget His own! “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:16). “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For HE Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
• Trust God’s promises. “For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3). God promises us that HE alone is our firm foundation. No matter what is happening in our lives, HE is the rock that will never be moved! HE will never crumble, tremble, shake, or collapse. And when we are rooted and established in Him, we are secure.
• Seek the Lord in the midst of your trial. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). God is using this trial to teach you more about Himself as well as to shave away those things that are hindering you from being more like Him.
• Change and/or trials are wonderful opportunities for us to draw close to the Lord and to experience Him in a whole new way. Do not fear the work that God is doing in your life. His work will produce a more intimate relationship with Him. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).

God uses change in our lives to grow us spiritually and to equip us for the calling that HE has placed upon our lives. We can rest in the knowledge that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom HE foreknew, HE also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that HE might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29).

Monday Morning Devotion #302

2011-09-17T04:33:00.001-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.”

Our focus this past year has been “learning to love others as Christ loves us.” As I have shared before, my definition of love has differed from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we bring our study of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 to a close. We will be looking intently into verse 8. What does it mean that “love never fails”? Take a moment to reflect back on what we have been learning as we have mined our way through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. We have learned that God commands us to love others as HE loves us. These powerful verses hold a detailed outline of what true, Christ-like love is and how we are to demonstrate that love but it also reveals the very character of God! 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love…” God’s love was demonstrate in its upmost glory on the cross where Christ Jesus died as a payment for our sin!! “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

My Friend, BEFORE we were even conceived, God loved us enough to provide a way for us to have an intimate relationship with Him. HE sacrificed His own Son to be a ransom for us. Christ Jesus became a substitute for us so that we would not have to face the wrath of God. God is love and HE is holy!! His holiness demands payment for sin and His love provided that payment! When we look deep into our focal passage - “(Love) never fails” – we cannot help but see the glory of God and His grace and mercy flowing from the cross!! God's love is absolute, unchanging, complete, perfect and NEVER failing! Because of who can is, we can trust every word HE says! God's word tells us that His love, demonstrated on the cross, saves sinners and transforms them into children of God - blameless, new, and complete in Him! (see 2 Cor. 5:17; John 1:29; Rom. 5:8).

The entire first portion of 1 Corinthians 13 is describing agape love. A love that is a deliberate choice on the part of the one who loves…It is NOT based on the worthiness of the one who is loved. In other words, for us a Christ-like love is a deliberate choice and an attitude of the heart. God commands us to love and HE alone equips us to love according to His command. When we truly understand who God is and what HE sacrificed to redeem us, then we will desire to obey His every command. We know full well that we are fully equipped by the Holy Spirit to glorify the Lord God completely (see Ephesians 1). We are without excuse! If God calls us to love as Christ loves, then HE has already provided all that we need to accomplish that calling!

Christ Jesus is the Supreme Example of how we are to love one another. And because of that truth, we are able to be and do all that God has called us to do! “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We are able to forgive, to love, to serve, to minister, to sacrifice, and to proclaim truth. Let us remember that we were not created for ourselves but rather we were created to glorify the Lord God and to point others to Christ. This world is a very UNloving place but God’s children CAN be a light that shines in a dark and dying world and we CAN love others in a way that points them to the cross where they too can find forgiveness of sin, an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, restoration, and healing!!

What a joy is to study the Word of God with you! I am looking forward to next week as God continues to guide and direct our time together. Until then, may the Lord ignite in each of us a passion to love as HE loves, to serve as HE serves, and to minister as HE ministers. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Monday Morning Devotion #301

2011-06-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Weekly Passage:

1 Corinthians 13:7
“(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”

In our previous devotion, we dove deep into 1 Corinthians 13:6, “(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;” Our focus this past year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will be looking intently into verse 7. What does it mean that “love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things”? At first glance, it may be tempting to think that if you love someone then you are to overlook his/her faults and pretend that they do not exist. This is not an accurate understanding of this passage of Scripture. Remember, we must ALWAYS study Scripture in context – seeking to understand exactly what the writer is explaining to us so that we will accurately study the Word of God.

Now, I know it has been several weeks since I last posted a devotion (and I apologize for my inconsistency this year), but try to reflect back on what we have been learning as we have mined our way through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. We have learned that God commands us to love others as HE loves us. These powerful verses hold a detailed outline of what true, Christ-like love is and how we are to demonstrate that love but it also reveals the very character of God! 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love…” God’s love was demonstrate in its upmost glory on the cross where Christ Jesus died as a payment for our sin!! “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

My Friend, BEFORE we were even conceived, God loved us enough to provide a way for us to have an intimate relationship with Him. HE sacrificed His own Son to be a ransom for us. Christ Jesus became a substitute for us so that we would not have to face the full wrath of God. God is love and HE is holy!! His holiness demands payment for sin and His love provided that payment! When we look deep into our focal passage - “(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” – we cannot help but see the glory of God and His grace and mercy flowing from the cross!! The entire first portion of 1 Corinthians 13 is describing agape love. A love that is a deliberate choice on the part of the one who loves…It is NOT based on the worthiness of the one who is loved.

In other words, true, Christ-like love is a deliberate choice and a Christ-like attitude of the heart. God commands us to love and HE alone equips us to love according to His command. When we truly understand who God is and what HE sacrificed to redeem us then we will desire to obey His every command. We know full well that we are fully equipped by the Holy Spirit to glorify the Lord God completely (see Ephesians 1). Christ-like love does not overlook sin but rather it confronts sin with the truth of God’s Word for the sole purpose of pointing that person to Christ. We are called to love as Christ and in order to do that, we must deliberately choose to love others as Christ loves us…Understanding that no matter what offense someone may do to us, WE have done FAR WORSE to the Lord God YET HE loved us and gave Himself up for us in order that we might be saved.

Christ Jesus is the Supreme Example of how we are to love one another. We are able to fully forgive and to love as HE loves us when we are surrendered to Him, fully dependent upon Him, willing to obey Him with our whole hearts. We must remember we were not created for ourselves but rather we were created to glorify the Lord God and to point others to Christ. This world is a very Unloving place but God’s children can be a light that shines in a dark and dying world and we can love others in a way that points them to the cross where they too can find forgiveness of sin, an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, restoration, and healing!!

Life Application Question:
How do you love? What are you demonstrating by the way you respond to those around you?

May we each call upon the name of the Lord and ask Him to forgive us for the times we have not loved as HE loves us and ask Him to teach us to love others in a way that honors Him.

Monday Morning Devotion #300

2011-04-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2011:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Weekly Passage:

“(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;”
1 Corinthians 13:6

In our previous devotion, we dove deep into the final portion of 1 Corinthians 13:5, “(love) thinks no evil.” Our focus this past year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

“More songs have been written about love than about any other topic. It has inspired some of the world’s best, and worst, poetry. It has set on fire, and broken, countless hearts throughout human history. Many things are said about love. Yet for the final word on the topic, we must turn to the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provides the world’s most beautiful ode to love.

One common word for love in the Greek language was eros, which suggested physical sexual desire and not much else. Another word (philos) suggested the esteem and affection found in a casual friendship. Because neither of these words came close to describing the kind of love he wanted to communicate, Paul chose a relatively rare Greek word for his definitive passage on love. This word, agape, describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. This kind of love goes against natural human inclination. It is a giving, selfless, expect-nothing-in-return kind of love” (The Nelson Study Bible, p. 1933).

As I sit here at my desk this morning, I cannot help but think ahead to this Sunday, Resurrection Sunday. My time with the Lord this morning has been and continues to be a precious time of remembrance. This past week has been filled with opportunities for me to reflect upon the cross where Jesus died for me. God is drawing us to the cross as we prepare to celebrate the very reason we have salvation – complete freedom from sin, death, and destruction. Because, in our humanness, we are limited in our ability to comprehend the things of God, I struggle with understanding how the God of all creation, the King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of peace, the Great I AM, would ever choose to die for me! WOW! To think that before the foundation of the world was laid, God chose to offer Himself as the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world.

My Friend, God did not decide this on a whim. HE did not create creation and then have to hurry up and try to fix something that man had destroyed! NO! God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to create a world knowing that the people would hate Him, reject Him, mock Him, refuse Him, yet HE willingly came to earth to live, die, and rise again in order that we might live! That truly takes my breath away! Why would the Lord God do such a thing? Scripture tells us “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). God’s love is the reason that Jesus went to the cross and suffered and bled so that sinners could become children of God! We must understand that God’s love is very different than our love. We have the ability to love yet we do not always exercise that ability. Scripture tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This means that everything God does flows from WHO HE IS!

In fact, let’s read that entire portion of Scripture. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:7-10). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Scripture also says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). This directs us back to the truths that God has been revealing to us and teaching us for over a year now. We are called by God to love one another and to glorify Him through that step of obedience.

God does not love us because we are worthy of His love! We are vile, wicked sinners saved through grace. HE chose to love us, to send His Son to die for us, to shower us with grace and mercy so that we could enter His gates with thanksgiving. We are able to praise Him because HE gives us that ability to do so! Read our focal passage once more. “(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” 1 Corinthians 13:6. God Himself is the Supreme example of perfect, selfless, unspotted love. We, as children of God, are called to be that exact representation to all those people who God allows to enter our lives. Do we love as Christ loves us? Do we reach out and minister to those who are difficult to love? Do we seek to glorify God in every interaction that we have with others? Do we think more highly of others than ourselves? Does the world look at us and see Christ or do they look at us and see a person who loves only those who we “feel” deserves our love? Do we rejoice in truth and strive to live a life that points others to Christ?

May each of us fall before the Lord and allow Him to reveal any area in our hearts that do not honor Him. May we seek to love others as the Lord Jesus loves us. May God prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to worship Him this weekend as we reflect upon the Cross and His absolute display of selfless, perfect, and life-changing love! Praise You, Jesus, for first loving us and providing a way that captives can be set free!! May we live in freedom so that others will see You reflected in our lives and come to You for salvation. We love You and praise You for You truly are the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #299

2011-04-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

Monday Morning Devotion #298

2011-02-25T13:47:00.001-08:00

Focal Passage for 2011:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Weekly Passage:

“(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.”
1 Corinthians 13:5

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on the fourth portion of verse 5. Our focus this past year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will focus our attention on the fourth portion of our focal passage “(Love) thinks no evil.” The more I study God’s Word the more I realize how little I know! The more I study Scripture the more I am convicted of my sin! This journey continues to be a very difficult road for me but I am so thankful for God’s sustaining grace and His never failing love. The past couple of weeks, the Lord has used our focal passage to spur a deeper evaluation of my thought life. Our pastor has written a thought life study that he uses to encourage people in developing a Biblical-based thought life. I have asked his permission to share some of his material because I have personally benefited from his study. Pastor Mike’s work is under his copyright but he is generously allowing us to use it for this particular portion of our devotion.

You may be wondering how a study of our thought life fits into our journey in learning to love as Christ loves. That is a wonderful question, My Friend! I am learning that one huge factor in our actions, reactions, responses, and communication stems from our thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 states “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” “In other words, a person’s thinking determines his living. The way this progression works out practically is that our thoughts stir our feelings, which in turn trigger our actions. That is why we must learn to gain control over our heart and mind” (Pastor Mike Summers, Personal Thought-Life Study, p.1). Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it springs the issues of life.”

How do we keep our hearts with all diligence? In our Ladies Sunday School class, we are studying Proverbs 31. Our goal is to become a “Woman after God’s Own Heart.” Through our pursuit, we are learning that what we watch, what and who we listen to, where we seek counsel, and what we allow our minds to meditate upon must be chosen through godly wisdom. The book of Proverbs begins with the pursuit of godly wisdom and concludes with the application of that wisdom. Regardless of our gender, God calls us to live a life surrendered to Him. That means that our thought life must be surrendered to Him.

Turn to 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” “Our thought life is to be taken captive. This shows us that we can be in control of our thinking. If you don’t take your thoughts captive-they will take you captive! You are to bring your thinking in line to obedience to Christ. In other words, what we think about is to be brought into submission to Him” (Summers, p. 1).

“How can you gain control of wrong thoughts that are corrosive to your joy and stability in Christ? Wrong thinking doesn’t just change because we may want it to change. The battleground is your mind and you are equipped to be victorious because through His Son, God has provided you the resources for the battle you face” (Summers, p. 1).

Let’s turn together to 2 Peter 1:2-8. What truths can we glean from this passage of Scripture?
My Friend, do you see the great promise rooted deep within this portion of Scripture?! We are already victorious through Christ Jesus! We do not have to be controlled by wrong thinking. We can be wise and discerning men and women of God! We are equipped through the power of the Holy Spirit to say the right things, to do the right things, and to encourage others to apply this very truth to their lives as well. This past week, the Lord has used a situation in a friend’s life to really convict me personally. I began to realize how much influence I really have over my husband and even my children. I also began to realize how often I misuse that influence. As I prayed over this and asked the Lord to help me to fully confess my sin, HE allowed me to see that what I am thinking about truly does impact what I say and do.

When our hearts and minds are stayed on the Lord and focusing on His truths, our words and deeds will encourage others. When we take our minds captive and understand that “everything we do and every word we say is seen, heard, and evaluated by a holy God” then we will be more mindful of the way we behave (whether in word, deed, or thought). The way we love others is influenced by our thoughts. As children of God we are commanded through Scripture to love others as Christ loves us. In doing so, our obedience to the Lord serves as a reflection of Christ to others and ministered to the very deepest need we all have – to love the Lord God with all our hearts and to know Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Thus brings us to the life application.

How do we develop a pleasing and obedient thought life?

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). In his Personal Thought-Life Study. Mike Summers suggests 4 steps of daily application of this truth:

1. Pray that God would help you make your thoughts acceptable to Him (Psalm 19:14).
2. Renew your mind by filling it with the right things (Romans 12:1-2; Psalm 119:11-16).
3. Commit each thing you do to the Lord and right thoughts will be established (Proverbs 16:3).
4. Occupy your mind with what is acceptable (Philippians 4:8-9).

Monday Morning Devotion #297

2011-01-29T05:20:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2011:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Weekly Passage:

“(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.”
1 Corinthians 13:5

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on the third portion of verse 5. Our focus this past year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will focus our attention on the third portion of our focal passage “(Love) is not provoked…” The way God works never ceases to amaze me! I have shared before but I must say once again that when the Lord began to impress upon my heart to really seek Scripture regarding the love of Christ and to begin praying for that for my own heart, I was a little surprised. I truly believed that in most cases I did love others as Christ loves me. Boy, even writing that makes me cringe! Pride and arrogance surely creeps up and takes over very quickly, doesn’t it?! Through the study of His Word, God is faithfully revealing to me areas in my heart that do not reflect the love of Christ.

Our focal portion of Scripture has been very convicting for me personally. The Lord has revealed to me that my love is easily provoked. I am also learning that my love is more conditional than unconditional. My Friend, that is so sad! As a child of God, we are called to mirror the love of Christ but unfortunately my love has not always done that. As I meditate upon the truths the Lord has been teaching us throughout our study the past thirteen months, I am beginning to realize that I offer my love freely and completely to those who love me back, appreciate me, serve me, and please me but when I am challenged with opposition or feel unappreciated or unloved I quickly begin to retreat. I withhold my love and I become upset. At times, I have blamed the other person for me upset and “justified” my reaction telling myself that withdrawing from that person is for my protection.

My Friend, God’s Word tells us that HE is our protection! “For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” (Psalm 61:3-4). Christ trusted the Father even unto death. Christ did not die for people who loved Him, honored Him, cared for Him, spoke kindly of Him, sought to please Him, worshiped Him, or followed Him. Scripture tells us that “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Christ loves us unconditionally and HE showers us with His grace, mercy, and faithfulness daily. God’s Word commands that we are to love as Christ loves us. My Friend, there are no conditions on that command. God does not say “love those who love you, or be kind to those who are kind to you.” God commands that His children love as HE loves completely, whole-heartedly, and without conditions.

How do we apply this truth to our daily lives? The very foundation of this life application is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the love of Christ dwelling inside of us, we are powerless to love as HE loves. If we have a personal relationship with Christ, then we must hold onto the truth found in Ephesians 1 and Philippians 4…We do have the power that raised Jesus from the dead living inside of us enabling us to do all things that God commands…Through Christ all things are possible! No matter what situation we may encounter, we are equipped to fully obey the Lord God. Certainly there will be times when we must address sin and lovingly speak truth to someone. That person may or may not receive the truth we share with them and they may even turn on us but we are still commanded to speak truth in love and to love them as Christ loves us. God may put distance between you and that person but we are still commanded to love them and pray for them.

There will be times in each of our lives when God will lead others to confront sin in our lives. We really need to receive that counsel with humility and appreciation. Now, this is not an easy task. When we are confronted, we may feel embarrassed, ashamed, or falsely accused. We may even be tempted to defend ourselves or to withdraw from that person. May the Lord give us the desire to listen to that person, take their counsel before the Lord and ask Him to reveal to us what is true and accurate, and then allow God to change our hearts into the image of Christ.

My Friend, when we love as Christ, we will not fear correction and wise counsel. We will seek to put others first and to love them selfLESSly. We will guard our hearts against the temptation to be “easily provoked to anger.” We will seek to glorify God in our actions, attitudes, responses, and reactions. The more we seek God and get to know who HE truly is, the more we will desire “to decrease so HE will increase!” Our focus will not be about us and how others affect us but rather our focus will be on how our actions affect others and whether or not we are we pointing others to Christ. How do you love? What do others see when they look at your example of love? Which direction are you pointing the people in your life - toward the Cross or away from it?

Monday Morning Devotion #296

2011-01-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Monday Morning Devotion #295

2011-01-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2011:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Weekly Passage:

“(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:5

January 2010, we began a journey together learning to love as Christ loves. When we first began, I thought that our study would be finished in a few months and that we would move on to another topic fairly quickly. Well, it was not long before I realized how wrong I was. I must confess that I was very arrogant in my thinking. When the Lord began to impress upon my heart that HE wanted me to focus on learning to love as Christ, I was surprised. Why? I was surprised because I really believed that I did love as Christ most of the time. Boy, pride sure is rooted deep within my heart!!

The more God teaches me about the pure, unconditional, selfless love of Christ the more I realized the vile, wicked, conditional love that is alive and active in my heart. My Friend, when we examine our lives against the backdrop of Scripture we cannot help but see the sin that has taken root in our lives. Now, this should not be a discouragement to us. As children of God, we have the promise of God to cling too. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:6). “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

How does this truth affect you today?! This truth is the very core of our hope we have in Christ Jesus. HE alone is our Redeemer who reconciles sinners to a holy God. HE loves us with a love that in our humanness we cannot fully understand. HE is our example…We are called to be ambassadors of Christ in order to point others to the cross where they too can find forgiveness, salvation, reconciliation, and restoration. As we move forward this year in our pursuit to love as Christ loves, we will be challenged with truth. God will establish in our hearts a pure desire to reflect Him in our daily lives and HE will teach us and guide us as we love with a pure, unconditional, and selfless love. Are you excited?!?! I am so thankful that you have chosen to study God’s Word with me each week. I will do my very best to honor the Lord through this ministry and to faithfully record what God is teaching me so that we can learn and grow together. Grab your Bibles, My Friend…Here we go!!

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on the first portion of verse 5. Our focus this past year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will focus our attention on the first portion of our focal passage “(Love) does not behave rudely…” What does it mean to “behave rudely?” God’s Word is clear and His commands are explained throughout Scripture. With that in mind, let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 10:24 in order to gain more insight. “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” When we act rudely, we are basically saying in our hearts that our desires, wants, needs, opinions, etc. are more important than someone else’s desires, wants, needs, opinions, etc. An example that we are all familiar with is when one child wants something that the other child has and he/she begins to act rudely. Rude behavior may manifest itself differently in each child depending upon the circumstance but the heart issue is always the same.

As a mother of four, I deal with this heart issue on a daily basis. I recognize it in my children and I am usually very quick to address it with Scripture. My heart’s desire is for my children to grow into the men and women that God has created them to be. I want them to grow spiritually and to have a heart after God’s own heart. I understand that any sin that is allowed to grow will continue to take root and that sin will disrupt a pure and intimate relationship with the Lord God. Now, I have a question for you. Why is it easier to see sin in our children’s hearts than it is to recognize sin in our own hearts?!

God uses my children to teach me more about Himself and to convict my heart on many levels as I deal with their heart issues. Allow me to share a personal example. One day last month it seemed that all I did was deal with rude behaviors and unkind hearts in my children. I was exhausted and ready for bed that evening and I remember praying for my children. I asked the Lord to convict them of their sins and to change their hearts and then I drifted off to sleep. The next morning, our alarm went off at 5:00am and I said, “Good Morning” to my husband, Glen. It was not two minutes after that greeting that I began to act rudely toward my husband. I asked him a question and I did not like the answer he gave me. Before I knew what was happening, I was following him to the bathroom insisting that he change his mind and do things my way. He stopped what he was doing and explained that he was called by God to be accountable for our family and the direction I wanted him to go was not where he felt the Lord leading. Now, I knew he was right but my flesh was furious that he was not “listening to me.”

I wish I could say that I immediately stopped arguing and repented of my sin and asked his and the Lord’s forgiveness but that would not be true. I remained upset with my husband most of the morning until a dear friend called. As I shared with her my frustration, she said to me, “Michelle, you know that you responded sinfully to Glen and that you need to apologize to him.” In that moment, the Lord reminded me of our focal passage and the very lessons that I had worked on with my children the day before. “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 heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

My Friend, when we do not guard our hearts with the truth of God’s Word and use His Word to guide our hearts, we will quickly find ourselves acting in ways that dishonor the Lord. Our behavior does affect those around us. We are called by God to live lives that point others to the Cross. When we act rudely and selfishly, we are falling short of our calling. Christ gave all of Himself so that we could be reconciled to God. Without His blood, we have no hope for eternal life in heaven. As children of God, we must love others the way Christ loves us! We must die to self and live for Christ daily. Why? Because “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by fiath in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). How do you love, My Friend?

Monday Morning Devotion #294

2010-10-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on a fourth and final portion of 1 Corinthians 13:4. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will focus our attention on the final portion of our focal passage “Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.” In our Ladies’ Sunday school class, we have been walking through the book of 1 Samuel. As I prayerfully considered 1 Corinthians 13:4, I was reminded of the character of David when he was being pursued by Saul. Saul was the anointed king of Israel; however, God has rejected Saul as king because he continually rebelled against Him (see 1 Samuel 15). The Lord directed Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel.

You see, God has chosen David to be the one in which HE would establish the line of Christ. Through David, God would usher in Messiah and HE would be the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice…” (Isaiah 9:6b-7a). Saul understood that God had rejected him but Saul refused to bow to God’s authority. Saul hated David and he sought to kill him continually. Saul’s rebellion against the Lord had a great impact on David. David was forced to flee from his homeland, his wife, and his people. For years, David’s life was in danger but David trusted God and Scripture records a precious picture of David’s spiritual maturity in both 1 & 2 Samuel as well in the Psalms that David wrote. Scripture also records for us two separate times that David had the opportunity to kill Saul. First in the cave in the Wilderness of En Gedi (see 1 Samuel 24) and then again in the hill of Hachilah (see 1 Samuel 26). Even when David was advised by his closest friends/followers to kill Saul, David refused. Why? David refused because he understood that Saul was the anointed of God and that God was the one who judges man. “Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear…But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish” (1 Samuel 26:8-10).

David could have reacted to Saul in a prideful and arrogant way. David could have killed Saul and taken over the kingdom by force but David did not parade his rights nor did he demand justice. Instead, David hid himself in the Lord God and waited for God to bring forth His plan at His appointed time. David’s love for the Lord enabled David to trust God and to love Saul in a way that reflects the love of Christ. Although Christ had not come in human form at the time of David, the power of God enabled David to reflect the very truth we are studying today! WOW! “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).

My Friend, we have all experienced times when we have felt wronged. Perhaps we have even experienced great persecution at the hands of those who claim to love us. No matter what our circumstance may be, God’s Word calls His children to love others as Christ loves us. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). It is not our responsibility to judge others or to repay them for evil. We are responsible to love others in a way that points them to the cross where they can find healing, forgiveness, and salvation.

This is certainly not an easy task but it is God’s command. Reread our focal passage once more. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4. Before we allow our pride to convince us that we do have the right to “defend ourselves” lets read 2 Corinthians 5:21. “For HE made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ Jesus is absolutely perfect! HE is unable to sin yet HE chose to become sin for us! Why? Christ willingly sacrificed Himself so that we can be reconciled to God. If Christ would have held to His rights and refused to leave glory to come to earth to be born of a woman, walk this earth in human flesh among sinful men, die on a cross for sins HE never committed, and then rise again conquering sin and death in order to save us from an eternity of separation from the Lord God, why do we, who are sinful, believe we have the right to withhold the love of Christ from others, no matter what they have done to us?!?!

My Friend, Jeremiah 17:9 warns us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked…I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” God sees every motive and intent of the heart, HE also sees every action and attitude of our hearts. When we trust the Lord God to right all the wrongs in our lives, then we are free to love others the way Christ loves us. Loving others the way Christ loves us requires that we “die to self.” Dying to self is only accomplished through the power of Christ but God’s Word promises us that we “…can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). When we love others as Christ loves us, we are free to enjoy the blessings of God and to see Him work in the lives of those around us. God’s ways are perfect and trustworthy. May we each love Christ enough to willingly reflect that love to others in our daily lives so they may see Christ and be drawn to Him.

Monday Morning Devotion #293

2010-09-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on a third portion of 1 Corinthians 13:4. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

This week, we will focus our attention on the third portion of our focal passage “Love does not envy…” What is envy? Basically, when we are envious or jealous, our flesh desires what someone else has. Over the past couple of months, I have been working on my personal testimony to share with our small group. The Lord has been revealing to me a number of sins that have been hidden in my heart. Envy is one of those sins. God has been revealing to me that I have been jealous of other people’s testimonies. I know this sounds strange, but allow me to explain.

As I have shared before, my past is full of abuse, my own sinful choices, and the painful consequences of both. In an attempt to “free” myself from all of that, I blocked many of those memories and refused to deal with them in the light of God’s Truth. I found comfort, security, and safety (or so I thought) in hiding behind walls that I constructed in my heart and mind. Walls that do not allow people to get close enough to me to hurt me. I thought that these invisible walls shielded me from the pain of rejection, abandonment, fear, abuse, and being vulnerable. I have held tightly to these “defenses” for years and even refused to allow my husband to get past them.

Recently, God has been tearing down these walls. God has been bringing back the past by allowing the memories to return and HE has not permitted me to block them or stop them from resurfacing. I have had no choice but to face the past and deal with it. (“I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies” Psalm 18:1-3). Several times, I have made the comment, “I wish I had someone else’s testimony!” I really never gave that comment much thought and I certainly did not think that my comment revealed any sinful attitude or sinful desire hidden in my heart, but I was wrong!! “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

God has been teaching me that when I try to separate myself from my past, I am actually attempting to separate myself from the work that God has done through that past. By trying to hide my past and by comparing my testimony to other people’s testimony, I was being prideful, arrogant, and hiding the work that God has done, is doing, and continues to do in my life. God’s work is worthy of praise! “You are worthy, O Lord, TO receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11). For many years, I could not understand how God was “glorified through my sin” but now I realized that God IS NOT glorified through my sin but HE is glorified through His power to transform my sinful, wicked life into a life that reflects His faithfulness, mercy, unconditional love, sovereignty and saving grace!! WOW!!

Reread our focal passage once more, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4. My Friend, when we envy any person for any reason, we are not reflecting the love of Christ. Our envy makes us bitter and unable to rejoice in what God is doing in the lives of other people. When we are refusing to rejoice with other people, we are saying, in our hearts, that God’s work is not praiseworthy, honorable, perfect, right, and/or sovereign. Envy can manifest itself in many ways in our lives and at times we may not even realize that is a sin that we are dealing with. God’s Word promises us that God sees all things (see Hebrews 4:12), that He alone bring all sin to light (see Hebrews 4:13), and that HE can and will transform our wicked, sinful hearts into a heart that loves Him, desires Him, and honors Him (see Romans 12:2).

May we each bow before the Lord God Almighty and ask Him to search our hearts and to reveal any sinful thought, attitude, and/or behavior that we have hidden deep within our hearts. May we surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to mold us, shape us, and transform us into the person HE has created us to be. May our lives reflect the glory of God so that His love flows through us. My Friend, this is the only way we can truly love others as Christ loves us. God desires to use every part of our lives to display His amazing grace, love, mercy, and power. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Monday Morning Devotion #292

2010-09-09T16:29:00.001-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on a second portion of 1 Corinthians 13:4. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

In our last devotion, we dove deep into the first portion of our focal passage to learn the meaning of “Love suffers long…” In this portion of Scripture, “…Paul chose a relatively rare Greek word for his definitive passage on love. The word, agape, describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. This kind of love goes against natural human inclination. It is a giving, selfless, expect-nothing-in-return kind of love” (Nelson Study Bible, p. 1933). I LOVE this portion of Scripture because when we look closely we see the very image of Jesus Christ our Lord!! Jesus Christ is our Example!! HE is the perfect Model of Biblical love!! We discussed that “long suffering” is actually patience. We answered the question, “How can we exhibit patience in our relationships with others in a way that honors the Lord, exemplifies Christ and points others to the cross?” The answer is really learning to DIE TO SELF!!! In order for us to love others the way Christ loves us, we must learn to put aside our “rights” and serve others in a way that benefits them. What benefits mankind most?? The greatest blessing we can offer another person is the truth of the Gospel. Sharing the Gospel is vital but we cannot neglect to put the Gospel in action as well through acts of love.

This week, we are going to move a little further into our focal passage, “Love…is kind…” What is “kindness”? Kindness is an expression of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are kind to one another, we are setting aside ourselves and treating another person in a way that says, “I value you/I love you” while exhibiting our submission and obedience to the Lord God. Turn to Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians chapter 4 begins by calling us to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (verses 1-2). Again, we see a picture of Christ unfold before our very eyes!!!

God’s breathed Word centers on Christ!! Every word in Scripture is pointing us to the One who came to save sinners and set the captive souls free!! Nothing that God commands in Scripture is optional!!! Yes, men/women do rebel against the Lord God but their rebellion does not void, diminish, lessen, or eliminate the truth, power, and absoluteness of Scripture!!! We are called to glorify the Lord God in all we do, think, and say. Nothing is hidden from His sight and we will ALL stand accountable for the choices we make. Everything we do, think, and say should be for the purpose of pointing others to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are kind to one another, putting others above ourselves, and dying to self, we are exhibiting something that the world cannot offer!!!

You see, our world system is established on sin and self. Our culture screams the message “LIVE FOR YOURSELF!!! SATISFY YOURSELF!!! DO NOT THINK ABOUT ANY ONE ELSE!!! When a child of God steps up and selflessly loves another person the way Christ loves, the world takes notice. The world may not applaud or even acknowledge the expression of Christ but the power of God is revealed and the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of those who were once blind!! What we do and how we live does matter!!! God in His infinite wisdom created us to be His representatives to a lost and dying world. This world is not our home and we must not live as if it is!! When we release our “rights” to the Lord and live in a way that is worthy of His calling we gain so much more than we ever gave up!!!

Kindness can be expressed in a number of ways:

• Speaking in ways that edify, encourage, and point others to the truth of God’s Word
• Letting go of all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and malice
• Forgiving others as Christ forgave us

Do people see Christ Jesus being lived out in your life?

Monday Morning Devotion #291

2010-08-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4

As we continue our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, we will focus our time this week on a portion of 1 Corinthians 13:4. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

A few weeks ago, we began cleaning out our entire house. We went through every box, every portion of storage, every drawer, every cabinet, and every closet. We left no “stone unturned.” Our goal was to rid our home of things that were cluttering up the area(s) we needed to be clear in order to function appropriately. I don’t know about you, but for me, if my home is out of order, I do not function well. I begin to feel overwhelmed and chaos seems to settle into a once peaceful environment. After a long couple of weeks of cleaning, our home is now clutter-free and it feels so refreshing!! Why did I share this with you this morning!?!? Because this is exactly what the Lord God is doing in my spiritual life as well!!! As I was talking with a dear friend and mentor, I began to laugh and say, “You know, God is so funny!!! HE has given me such a wonderful visual of His work in my life!!!”

My Friend, God desires to clean out every portion of your heart, life, and soul as well. HE knows exactly what you have “stored” away and what sinful attitudes, thoughts, desires, ambitions, and motives you have tucked neatly (and sometimes not so neatly) in the recesses of your heart. “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. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Part of God’s cleansing is the renewing of our minds with the truth of His Word. (“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2) The world system has its own definition of love. The world’s love is selfish, earthbound, and conditional. In order for us to love in a way that honors the Lord God and edifies those around us, we must dive deep into God’s Word to learn exactly how God established for His children to love. So what does Biblical love look like??

Turn to 1 John 4:7-11 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Reread our focal passage…“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” 1 Corinthians 13:4. We have reached the portion of Scripture that really houses the “meat” of what Biblical love is. Over the next few weeks, we will study each portion of this passage in order to gain the most life application.

“Love suffers long and is kind…” “…Paul chose a relatively rare Greek word for his definitive passage on love. The word, agape, describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. This kind of love goes against natural human inclination. It is a giving, selfless, expect-nothing-in-return kind of love” (Nelson Study Bible, p. 1933). I LOVE this portion of Scripture because when we look closely we see the very image of Jesus Christ our Lord!! Jesus Christ is our Example!! HE is our Model!! In Christ, we lack nothing. In and of ourselves, we are unable to love as Christ loves us but in Philippians 4:13, God’s Word promises that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” WOW!!! That is a precious, powerful, and absolutely unchanging promise from the Lord God!!!!!

What does it mean to be “long suffering?” Long suffering is actually patience. How can we exhibit patience in our relationships with others in a way that honors the Lord, exemplifies Christ and points others to the cross? The answer is really learning to DIE TO SELF!!! When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price. We are to live and love in a way that mirrors Christ. How did Christ live and love? Christ came to Earth to accomplish the Father’s will. That will included sacrificing glory for humanness and obedience even to death. Christ loves us with a selfless, unconditional, and purposeful love. This was best illustrated on the cross!!! “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). When Christ hung on the tree, HE exhibited the ultimate selfless love!! HE willingly gave up what was rightfully His in order to pay our sin debt and enable us to come before a Holy God as a holy, blameless, spotless, pure, and whole vessel. We are no longer under God’s wrath but wrapped in His love and forgiveness!!! Praise You, Jesus!!!

In order for us to love others the way Christ loves us, we must learn to put aside our “rights” and serve others in a way that benefits them. What benefits mankind most?? The greatest blessing we can offer another person is the truth of the Gospel. Sharing the Gospel is vital but we cannot neglect to put the Gospel in action as well. What are some practical ways we can put the Gospel into action?

• Loving others unconditionally…Even when they are hard to love
• Not holding onto hurts but forgiving those who hurt us, even if they do not ask, want, or deserve our forgiveness
• Not keeping a record of wrongs
• Speaking truth in love, even if/when that person(s) rejects us
• Holding one another accountable to God’s Word
• Not being easily offended

My Friend, how do you exhibit the patience of Christ in your life?

Monday Morning Devotion #290

2010-07-24T06:41:00.001-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:3

In the previous two devotions, we began our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. This week, we will continue to dive deep into this passage and seek to discern Biblical love. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Reread our focal passage once more. “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” This verse begins with an ultimate sacrifice – sacrificing everything that one has, even his/her very life, for the benefit of others. WOW!! Now, self-sacrifice must equal love!! Right?!!? WRONG!! God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). My Friend, we must understand that God does not operate according to man’s wisdom and/or rationale. Just because we may define love a certain way does not mean we truly “love others as Christ loves us.” Certainly, Christ Jesus gave His very life for us but His sacrifice was a result of His pure, intimate relationship with the Lord God and His complete obedience to God’s will for Him and for all mankind. Christ Jesus did not just “come up with a good idea” and run with it!! NO!! Christ Jesus submitted to the very will of the Father and did only as HE commanded. Christ died on that cross TO GLORIFY HIS FATHER!!! The salvation of sinners came as a result of the Father’s will and Christ Jesus’ obedience (Luke 2:49; John 9:4; John 4:34; Psalm 40:7-8; John 6:38; John 5:19).

As I studied this portion of Scripture, I was struck by how this truth contradicts the belief that our salvation is obtained through our good works. God’s Word is the absolute authority so we must live our lives in accordance to God’s established design. God’s Word is His very breath given to us to teach us, guide us, and save us!! (“All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the a man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). If our “works” do not save us, then what does?? Let’s jump into Scripture to find the answer to that question.

God’s Word tells us that “…we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Our focal passage tells us that when we try to “love” outside of God’s established design “it profits us nothing.” What does this mean for us today? My Friend, God’s Word clearly identifies what Biblical love is. We will continue studying that next week as we journey through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. God is so gracious to teach us exactly what we need to know to glorify Him. When we love others the way HE has designed, then HE is revealed to that person(s) and they begin to see glimpses of Christ through our service. If we step outside of God’s established design, then our works of service glorify us and all our deeds are in vain. Nothing we do will matter in eternity if they were done for any other reason than to glorify the Lord God. Those acts, as self-sacrificing or loving as they may appear, will not be counted as righteousness. When we love others as Christ loves us, then we will mirror the very obedience that Christ modeled for us. Christ gave His life for sinners because that was the will of God and that alone brought glory to God. Who do you glorify when you love others?

Monday Morning Devotion #289

2010-06-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2

In the previous devotion, we began our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Over the next several weeks, we will dive deep into this passage and seek to discern Biblical love. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Reread our focal passage once more. “And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” I love this verse because it really draws our attention to the importance of not elevating ourselves above others. At first glance, I did not see this but as I began to study more in depth, the Lord really convicted me. Sometimes as Christians, we may be tempted to focus more on the spiritual gifts that the Lord has given us rather than on the people HE has called us to serve through those gifts. The Nelson Study Bible explains that “the Scriptures list five speaking gifts: prophesy, teaching, encouragement, the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge. In addition, seven serving gifts are named: helps, mercy, faith, discernment of spirit, leadership, managing, and giving” (p. 1902).

No matter what our gifts may be, we must remember that God has blessed us with those abilities so that we can bless others in a way that will direct them to the Lord. A beautiful example of this is found within the covenant between God and the nation of Israel. Israel is the chosen nation of God. HE called them as His own and created them to be the nation in which HE revealed Himself to all the other nations of the world. The Old Testament records time and time again of God’s overflowing provision, protection, and blessings upon His people. That calling was not because they were better than the other nations. That calling was rooted and established in God’s desire to use them in a mighty way for His glory. The nation of Israel did not earn or deserve those gifts but God gave them freely so that others might come to know Him.

My Friend, so often, I fall short in this area. I get so focused on the act of serving that I forget why I am serving (to honor the Lord God and point others to Christ). I can sometimes focus so much on myself, my abilities, my schedule, my purpose, my responsibilities that I forget that main objective. The spiritual gifts that God has given me are NOT ABOUT ME!!! They are completely and totally about Him and Him alone. No matter what HE allows me to do, His purpose is always for His glory NOT MINE!!! If we truly want to honor the Lord and lead others to Christ, we MUST love them MORE than we love ourselves. We must understand how Christ loves us and then strive to love others in that exact way. We cannot allow the blessings of God (spiritual gifts) to corrupt our heart and become more important to us than our pure, intimate walk with the Lord.

The truth is, no matter what ability we may have, if we are not using it in a way that honors the Lord, it is useless for eternity!! Just as our focal passage says, “if we do not have love, we are nothing.” The main ingredient in reaching others for Christ is to truly love them as Christ loves us. There is no greater gift than that!!! The love of Christ lead Him to the cross so that you and I might be free from sin and death and have eternal life through Him forever!!! That is our calling and that has to be our focus ALL THE TIME!! My Friend, how do you serve?

Monday Morning Devotion #288

2010-06-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1

In the previous devotion, we began our journey into 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Over the next several weeks, we will dive deep into this passage and seek to discern Biblical love. Our focus this year has been, and continues to be, learning to love others as Christ loves us. As I have shared before, my definition of love differs from God’s definition of love. God is teaching me that HE is the authority on all things. In light of that truth, if my definition is different than His, my definition is wrong!! “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Reread our focal passage once more. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Love is the very nature of God (1 John 4:8), love is the foundation of our relationship with the Lord God (Romans 5:8) and love must be our heart’s motive in our relationship with others. Our words as well as the tone in which we speak those words are very important. My Friend, we can say all the right things and give Biblical examples and truths but if the person hearing those words does not see Christ’s love displayed in and through us, those words will be a “sounding brass and clanging symbols.”

So how do we achieve a Christ-like love in our words? We must start with our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not have a Biblical relationship with Him, it is impossible to love others as Christ loves us. Why? “…The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:19b-21). If we do not truly have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, then we do not have the Holy Spirit living within us. Without the Holy Spirit, we are unable to live a life that honors the Lord God. Yes, we may say nice things or do good deeds but our heart’s motive is not to serve, honor, and glorify the Lord God…Our heart’s motive is to serve, honor, and glorify ourselves.

God’s Word tells us, “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). Beloved, Scripture is very clear. We either serve God or we serve ourself!! If we have not given our lives to the Lord Jesus and surrendered ourselves to Him, we are not His and we are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, we may know all the right words, all the Biblical answers, all the Christian phrases, and we may even have every one of our Christian friends fooled into thinking we are saved, but we must understand that God alone sees the very core of our hearts. HE alone knows the truth about our relationship with Him (1 Samuel 16:7b; Hebrews 4:12-13) and we will stand before Him when we come to the end of our lives. HE will either say, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant” or HE will say, “Depart from ME for I never knew you.” “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:28-29).

My Friend, sometimes we will speak truth in love and that truth will be rejected. Sometimes, we will be rejected as well. Those are painful times and our hearts break but we must keep our eyes focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. HE is our goal. HE is our reward. HE is our purpose. HE alone is the reason that we step out and speak truth in love with the hope that those who hear His Word will come to know Him as their personal Lord and Savior. That their lives will be surrendered to Him so that they will live a life that serves, honors, and glorifies the Lord God!! And that they will receive the blessings that only God can give to them. This is not our home, Believers!! This is just a short stay while we are preparing to meet our Lord and Savior face to face!!! But while we are here, God’s command for us is to walk in the light of His word so that others will be directed to the cross.

Jesus is the perfect picture of God and the supreme example for us as we strive to live a life that glorifies the Lord God. As we continue to mine our way through 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, may our heart’s prayer be that God will use His Word to sharpen us, transform us, change us more into His image so that the words that we say and the truth that we share will be pleasing to Him. My Friend, how do you speak? What do others see in the reflection of your words?

Monday Morning Devotion #287

2010-05-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”
1 Corinthians 12:31

I am amazed at the love of God! It is challenging for me to record how God has been working in my heart, mind, soul, and life. In January, I sensed the Lord directing me to focus on learning to love others as Christ loves me. Through this process, I am learning the difference between having a world view of God (trying to define God based on my rationale, understanding, wisdom, and fleshly desires) and a Biblical view of God (understanding who God is through the truth of His Word). This journey has taken me down many unexpected paths. The paths have not been easy, in fact some of them are quite painful, but the depth of His love continues to sustain me. God has, and is continuing, to pour His grace out upon me. “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Through His grace, God demonstrates His love for me by not allowing me to remain blind to my sin. You see, my entire life I have acted, reacted, responded, and made decisions based on a wrong view of God. What I believed was “Biblical love” was in fact a selfish and sinful love. God is lovingly allowing me to understand how this sin has affected my marriage, my children, my friendships, my relationships with family, and my relationship with Him.

You may be asking the same question I asked the Lord, “What is Biblical love?” Please understand that I am journeying through this with you. I do not pretend to know the answers and I encourage each of you to dive deep into God’s Word and allow Him to reveal truth to you. What a blessing it is for us to study God’s Word together and to learn from one another through the power of the Holy Spirit!! 1 John 4:8 says “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” The Greek word for love in this verse is agape. “Agape describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved” (Nelson Study Bible, p. 1933). Agape love is the basis of our relationship with the Lord God. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In our Ladies’ Sunday school class as well as in the Deaf Ladies Bible study, we are learning to seek God through the pages of Scripture and to see God’s love revealed throughout His Word. We have been amazed time and again at how the focal point of every Word in Scripture is Christ Jesus Himself. Jesus is the perfect picture of God and the supreme example for us as we strive to live a life that honors and glorifies the Lord God. Paul uses our focal passage to introduce 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Within this portion of Scripture, God describes for us Biblical love. Look closely as we read the definition of Biblical love and see if you can see a picture a Christ unfold. Biblical love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-serving, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices in truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, love never fails.

The very nature of God is love. God’s love is what spoke creation in to existence. God’s love breathed life into Adam’s nostrils and initiated a relationship with him. God’s love prepared a way for sinful men to be reconciled to a holy God. God’s love is what confronted Satan in the Garden of Eden and promised a Savior. God’s love chose an imperfect man to father the nation of Israel for the purpose of revealing Himself through them to all the nations of the world. God’s love sent Christ Jesus into this world to live among sinful men, proclaim truth, and then die to pay the penalty of sin. God’s love manifests itself in the person of Jesus Christ and transcends throughout all of history through His Word. God’s love covers sin and enables you and I to approach a holy God as His children – forgiven, blameless, adopted, joint-heirs with Christ!!!!

My Friend, how do you love? What do others see in the reflection of your love for them? When we begin to seek to know who God is, was, and always will be through the truth of His Word, we will develop a Biblical view of God and that proper understanding of who God is will transform us more into His image. As we are transformed into His image, our lives will mirror Christ Jesus. As we become more like Christ, we will love as Christ loves. We will be able to minster to the deepest needs of those around us because all of our deepest needs are the same – WE NEED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!! “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).

Monday Morning Devotion #286

2010-04-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“…the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 18:1

For the past several months, our Ladies’ Sunday school class has been studying through the book of 1 Samuel. What an amazing piece of God’s Word!!! Every aspect of God’s Word holds such powerful truths and life changing applications and 1 Samuel has certainly changed the way that I view the Lord God. God reveals more and more of who HE is, was, and always will be over and over in Scripture and we blessed to be able to seek Him through the pages of truth and learn from Him.

This year, in the Monday Morning Devotions, we have been focusing on learning to love as Christ loves. This morning, we are going to be focusing on developing Biblical Friendships. I love the picture God gives us of the friendship between Jonathan and David. Many years ago, I did a study on David and in one section the author focused on Jonathan and I remember thinking, “Boy, I want to be a “Jonathan.” Jonathan loved with a deep, passionate, and selfless love. Scripture tells us that “Jonathan’s soul was knit to the soul of David.” Who knitted their souls together?!!? The LORD God Himself planned, prepared, and formed their friendship.

Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne. He was the son of King Saul and he was a mighty warrior. All his life, Jonathan had been trained and groomed to take over his father’s throne. The problem was that God had rejected Saul as king because Saul continued to rebel against the Lord God. All throughout the book of 1 Samuel, God reveals the heart of Saul. God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely yet Saul chose to “do things his way.” When Samuel confronted Saul, he refused to heed wise counsel and he insisted that he had obeyed the Lord. In chapter 15, God speaks through Samuel and declared that HE had chosen another man to take Saul’s place. David was the one God had chosen to replace Saul.

When I first began studying this relationship between Jonathan and David, I was impressed at the depth of Jonathan’s love for David, but the closer I examined Jonathan’s character through Scripture, I began to realize that Jonathan loved the Lord God and his love for Him is what allowed Jonathan to selflessly love David and minister to him in many ways. Even when it cost him the throne!!! My Friend, would we be willing to give up our “throne” to our friend if the Lord God asked us too?

Jonathan’s love for David mirrors Christ’s love for us.

Jonathan:
• Jonathan loved David with a selfless love
• Jonathan protected David
• Jonathan defended David
• Jonathan encouraged David
• Jonathan spent time with David

Christ Jesus:
• Christ loves us with a selfless love: Romans 5:6-8
• The LORD God is our Protection: Romans 5:9-11
• God is our Defense: Psalm 5:11-12 (A Psalm written by David)
• Christ came to Encourage us through the Truth: Isaiah 61:1-4
• Christ is the foundation that allows us to have a Relationship with the Lord God: Galatians 4:3-6

My Friend, what is the basis of our friendships? Do our relationships and the way we love others mirror Christ? Do we love others as Christ loves us? God’s Word says, “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Christ Jesus is our Best Friend. HE alone is the example of pure, selfless love. When we strive to love as Christ loves, we are tools in the Master’s hand to minister to the deepest needs of man. God created us to bring glory to Himself and HE alone will use us to magnify His name and to bless those around us. What a privilege we have to join the God of all the universe in His work!!! May the Lord God created in each of us a heart that truly loves Him above all else so that we can love others as Christ loves us!!! Earlier, I stated that I “want to be a Jonathan” but after further study, my prayer has changed…”Boy, I want to be the image of Christ” to all those I God brings into my life!!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #285

2010-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him…Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will HE brought forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creation” (James 1:1-5, 16-17).

Over the past several months, God has revealed to me that I have not had a Biblical view of who HE is. HE has been so gracious to me and has taught me and continues to teach me to search His Word thoroughly and to trust in His sovereignty. In the past, I have tried to define God based on my rationale, understanding, wisdom, and fleshly desires (world view); however, God is faithfully changing my world view into a Biblical view (understanding who God is through the truth of His Word).

Satan is the Master Manipulator. Scripture tells us that Satan is cunning (Gen. 3:1), a murderer (John 8:44), the father of lies (John 8:44), a roaring lion walking around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), a thief (John 10:10), our adversary (1 Peter 5:8), and our accuser (Revelation 12:10). Satan’s tactics are designed to distract us from pure worship of the One True Living God. Satan will manifest his lies to fit our personality, circumstance, and vulnerabilities. That is why God’s Word warns us to “be sober, be viligant” (1 Peter 5:8) and to arm ourselves daily (moment by moment) with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We must guard ourselves with truth and stand firm on that truth no matter what our circumstances are, what our flesh desires, and/or what the world offers us.

Satan uses lies to distract us from God’s Truth:

THE LIE: “God is NOT who HE claims to be.”
THE TRUTH: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer; the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)

THE LIE: “You are NOT who God says you are.”
THE TRUTH: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father”…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:15 & 16b)

THE LIE: “You are not sinning, you are just doing things a little differently than other people. You are an independent person.”
THE TRUTH: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” (1 Samuel 15:22-23a)

God reveals who HE is through His Word and HE faithfully uses every circumstance in our lives to draw us to Him. Our focal passage tells us that even the trials in our lives are “good and perfect gifts” from God. How can this be true? Trials can be hard, frightening, disappointing, painful, and sometimes fatal. Our flesh cannot comprehend how something that we find so difficult can be a good and perfect gift from the Lord God. My Friend, the answer lies within our view of God. If we view God through the truth of His Word, we will begin to understand how a perfect and loving God can and does use trials in our lives to produce spiritual fruit in us and a more intimate relationship with Him. When we view trials through the eyes of Scripture, we will see God’s hand at work, know that HE is working all things for our good and His glory, and we HE will cultivate in us a solid faith in Him!!!

A beautiful example of this is found in the book of Job. In Job 1:6-12 & 2:1-10, God’s Word records the conversations between the LORD God and Satan. Each time, Satan asks permission to afflict Job and the LORD God allows this. If we fast-forward to chapters 38 and 39, we learn that Job has asked God for a reason that HE allowed him to suffer, and these two chapters record God’s response to Job. How does God answer Job? God’s Word says that:

• God laid the foundations of the earth
• God determined the earth’s measurements
• God alone fastened the earth to its foundations and laid its cornerstone
• God set the boundaries to the sea and determined where they would flow
• God made the clouds and gave them their purpose
• God gives the dawn its time and darkness its place
• God alone has power over life and death and has appointed each person’s days
• God created light
• God created the seasons and each element with a specific and unique purpose
• God has given a thunderbolt its path
• And causes the rain to fall
• God has power over all the elements of the universe and each obeys His voice
• God gives wisdom and allows man to have intellectual thought and reasoning
• God provides for each and every animal and knows when a new creature is born
• God guides the birds of the air and the beast of the fields

In Job 40:3-5, we see Job’s response to the LORD God. “Then Job answered the LORD and said: “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth, Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” God’s grace allowed Job to understand who God is, was, and always will be. God did not answer Job’s question about “why” HE allowed him to suffer but instead God answered the real question that Job needed answered. You see, it was better that Job understood “who” allowed his suffering. Why is this important for us today?

My Friend, God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). God desires to draw us to Himself, reveal to us who HE is through the truth of His Word, and establish in us a pure relationship with Him. EVERYTHING God does, EVERTHING God allows, and EVERYTHING God withholds from us is for our good and His glory!!! Some of us today may be facing a trial and we may be questioning why God is allowing such a thing in our lives. May each of us be encouraged through the power and truth of God’s Word! God loves us and His purposes are perfect. I love what one of our pastors said in a message a few weeks ago, “Trials are God’s blessings in disguise.”

My Friend, do you have a Biblical view of the Lord God? Can you trust that whatever God is allowing in your life is for a divine purpose? Are you willing to allow God to use that trail to shape you more into His image? Trials are truly tools in the Master’s hands that HE uses to shave away the parts of us that are not glorifying to Him and prunes us so that we will produce the fruit of the spirit so that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Christ through us!!!! We love as Christ loves when we surrender ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to use us however HE chooses to minster to a dark and dying world. We may not even realize how our trials may touch the lives of other people as they watch us praise the Lord in the midst of difficult times.

Mnoday Morning Devotion #284

2010-03-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

This year, we are on a journey to learn to love as Christ loves. This week’s focal passage is Ephesians 4:32. We have spent several weeks taking this verse apart and studying each portion of God’s command. Last week, we explored Scripture to learn what it means to “forgive one another.” We realized that God desires for us to forgive others REGARDLESS if they apologize to us!!! WOW!!! When we begin loving as Christ loves, then forgiveness is something that we will freely offer anyone who hurts us, harms us, betrays us, abuses us, rejects us, judges us, and/or refuses to forgive us. Forgiving others does not mean that we condone their sin. Forgiving others demonstrates God’s glory by freeing us from the bondage of sin and reveals Christ to that person. When we love others in a way that allows us to freely forgive them, then we are also ministering to their deepest spiritual need.

This week, we will conclude our study of Ephesians 4:32 by focusing on “forgiving even as Christ forgave you.” In order to forgive as Christ forgives, we must search Scripture to learn how Christ forgives. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:5-7). “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:4-5). So, how does God’s Word promise us that Christ forgives? COMPLETLEY!!!

How can God forgive us completely? We are vile and sinful creatures and HE is a Holy God!!! Because “God is love” (1 John 4:8b), HE prepared a way for us to stand before Him holy, pure, righteous, sinless, and blameless. In the garden of Eden, we see the first sin (Genesis 3:6) and in Genesis 3:15, we witness the grace and mercy of the One True Living God being revealed as HE promises the coming Messiah!!! “So the LORD God said to the Serpent…I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; HE shall crush your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” God forgave us completely through the blood of Christ Jesus!!!

As Christ Jesus hung on the cross, HE cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Praise the Lord, “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. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). “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). God’s love for us set us free. When Christ hung on the cross, His blood bought our freedom from sin and death!!! We can “boldly approach the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) and confess our sins to the Lord God and repent of those sins!! When we do that, we are totally and completely free. God’s Word promises us that “As far as the east is from the west, So far has HE removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

My Friend, we can stand before the Lord God completely forgiven through the blood of Christ and we CAN FORGIVE OTHERS COMPLETELY through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is hard to forgive those who hurt us but as a believer, we do have the same power living within us that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20)!!!! If we desire to love others as Christ loves us then we MUST learn to forgive others as Christ forgives us!!! In doing so, we are again ministering to the deepest need of those people without Christ Jesus. When we love the way Christ loves, the Lord God is reflected in us and through us and others will be drawn to Him!!! We were created to bring honor and glory to the Lord God. When we forgive others as Christ forgave us, we are a testimony to the One True Living God!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #283

2010-03-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

This year, we are on a journey to learn to love as Christ loves. This week’s focal passage is Ephesians 4:32. We have spent several weeks taking this verse apart and studying each portion of God’s command. Last week, we explored Scripture to learn what it means to be “tender-hearted.” “Tender-hearted” in this verse means compassionate. If we are to be tender-hearted to those around us, we need to understand how God is tender-hearted to us!!! God ministers to our very core issue –our need for Him!! Then what are we to do??? We are to minister to the very core issue of those people God brings into our lives. We must love the Lord God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our strength, and all our souls so that HE is glorified through us. When others see Christ in us, they are drawn to the cross!!! We must be willing to love others enough to boldly share the Gospel of Christ, serve them as Christ serves us, and encourage them through truth so that they may come to know the Lord God as their personal Lord and Savior!!! There is no more perfect gift than the gift of Christ!! God reveals Himself to us through His Word and when we dive deep into His Word, HE will equip us with a Biblical view of Himself. HE will give us wisdom, discernment, understanding, and boldness to proclaim Him to a lost and dying world!!! Are you willing to be a vessel of the Most High???

This week, we will focus our study on “forgiving one another.” Forgiving in this verse means to “freely give.” This definition really got my attention. I began to think about how I forgive. I am ashamed to admit this but I do not forgive freely. Now, certainly, if someone apologizes to me, I accept their apology and forgive them but what the Lord has been revealing to me is that HE desires for me to forgive them REGARDLESS if they apologize to me!!! WOW!!! Don’t you love how God continues to reveal our sinful hearts?!?!?! At times, we may be tempted to become overwhelmed by the areas in our lives that God desires to change but God’s Word addresses this very issue and gives us hope!! “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have domination over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 133-135). “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). “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. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

God is so good to us!!! His desire in revealing our sin is to free us from the bondage of that sin!! When God commands us to forgive others it is because unforgiveness is a sin and refusing to forgive actually produces bitterness in our hearts. “Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up causing trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:14-15). Forgiving others frees us from the bondage of bitterness and it reveals Christ to those who have wronged us. Learning to forgive others requires that we first learn how Christ forgave us. Next week, we will be diving deep into Scripture to learn exactly how Christ forgives us!!

Reread this year’s focal passage once more. “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). When we forgive others, we are loving them as Christ loves them. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, HE humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:3-11).

When we begin loving as Christ loves, then forgiveness is something that we will freely offer anyone who hurts us, harms us, betrays us, abuses us, rejects us, judges us, and/or refuses to forgive us. Forgiving others does not mean that we condone their sin. Forgiving others demonstrates God’s glory by freeing us from the bondage of sin and reveals Christ to that person. Last week, we learned that God is compassionate and HE demonstrates that compassion through ministering to our deepest need – our need for Christ Jesus. When we love others in a way that allows us to freely forgive them, then we are also ministering to their deepest spiritual need. God is so faithful to continually work all things for His glory and our good. Are you willing to let go of bitterness and to forgive freely? May the Lord continue to reveal our true heart condition to each of us so that we can confess and repent those things to the One who ALWAYS FORGIVES and ALWAYS LOVES!!!! Make us more like you, Lord Jesus!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #282

2010-03-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

This year, we are on a journey to learn to love as Christ loves. This week’s focal passage is Ephesians 4:32. We will be spending the next couple of weeks taking this verse apart and studying each portion of God’s command. Last week, we explored Scripture to learn what it means to be “kind”. This week, we will focus on “being tender-hearted.” “Tender-hearted” in this verse means compassionate. What does Scripture tells us about being compassionate? Turn to James 5:11 “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

Now, this may seem like a strange verse to use to demonstrate compassion. This verse talks about perseverance and recounts the suffering of Job as an example of God’s compassion and mercy. Yet, the deeper we look into the truth of God’s Word, the more we begin to understand that the world’s definition of compassion and God’s definition of compassion are completely different! The world’s system teaches us to be independent thinkers. The world system supports the philosophy that man can be his/her own god and determine his/her destiny. But God’s Word is very clear that God alone established the foundations of this universe and HE alone is sovereign. No matter what we think, believe, hope, or expect, God is on the throne and EVERYTHING works according to His perfect will. In order for us to appropriately demonstrate compassion in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord, we must seek the Lord God and allow Him to teach us through His Word what HE expects from a compassionate heart!!

The Scholastic Pocket Dictionary defines compassion as “a desire to help someone who is suffering” (p.98). Yet, in James 5:11, God’s Word implies that the Lord’s allowance of Job’s suffering was a sign of God’s compassion. How can this be? Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” How was God compassionate and merciful in His allowance of Job’s suffering?

In Job 1, we see the conversation between Satan and the Lord God. Before Satan can do anything to Job, he must first get permission from the Lord. In His allowance of suffering in Job’s life, the Lord God reveals more of Himself to us!! God is compassionate because HE alone sees our deepest need and HE alone fills that need. If we fast-forward to chapters 37-40 in the book of Job, we will see this compassion revealed. In chapter 37, Job questions the Lord as to why HE had allowed him to suffer. In chapter 38-39, the Lord gives Job an answer. Now, it is not the answer Job was looking for BUT it was the answer that Job NEEDED!!!

What did God reveal to Job?

•God laid the foundations of the earth
•God determined the earth’s measurements
•God alone fastened the earth to its foundations and laid its cornerstone
•God set the boundaries to the sea and determined where they would flow
•God made the clouds and gave them their purpose
•God gives the dawn its time and darkness its place
•God alone has power over life and death and has appointed each person’s days
•God created light
•God created the seasons and made each element with a specific and unique purpose
•God has given a thunderbolt its path
•And causes the rain to fall
•God has power over all the elements of the universe and each one obeys His voice
•God gives wisdom and allows man to have intellectual thought and reasoning
•God provides for each and every animal and knows when a new creature is born
•God guides the birds of the air and the beast of the fields

How did Job respond to God’s revelation?

•“Then Job answered the LORD and said, “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:4-5

Job thought he needed to know WHY God had allowed his suffering but what Job really need to know was WHO God is, was, and always will be. God’s compassion is revealed in His utmost concern for our spiritual well-being. Giving an outline of “why” Job suffered would not bring Job into a more intimate relationship with the Lord God but allowing Job to experience the Lord God in His glory would bring Job to repentance and to a point of pure worship of the Lord God!!! My Friend, that is what ALL of us need!!!

If we are to be tender-hearted to those around us, we need to understand how God is tender-hearted to us!!! God ministers to our very core issue – our need for Him!! Then what are we to do??? We are to minister to the very core issue of those people God brings into our lives. We must love the Lord God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our strength, and all our souls so that HE is glorified through us. When others see Christ in us, they are drawn to the cross!!! We must be willing to love others enough to boldly share the Gospel of Christ, serve them as Christ serves us, and encourage them through truth so that they may come to know the Lord God as their personal Lord and Savior!!! There is no more perfect gift than the gift of Christ!! God reveals Himself to us through His Word and when we dive deep into His Word, HE will equip us with a Biblical view of Himself. HE will give us wisdom, discernment, understanding, and boldness to proclaim Him to a lost and dying world!!! Are you willing to be a vessel of the Most High???

When we become a vessel for the Most High, it is for His glory ALONE!!! No fame, fortune, recognition, or glory should be our goal. All that God does is for His glory and we are to offer that to Him as an act of worship. God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Almighty God, the Great I AM!!!! Who are we to try to take any of His glory, honor, or praise for ourselves?!?! May our hearts be as John the Baptist’s!! “Then the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is HE of whom I have said, “After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for HE was before me”…”It is HE who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to loose…HE must increase, but I must decrease” (John 1:27; 29-30; 3:30).

Monday Morning Devotion #281

2010-02-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

This year, we are on a journey to learn to love as Christ loves. Last week, we focused on how our view of God shapes our approach to His commands. When we have a wrong view of God, we will try to define God according to our thoughts, expectations, and experiences. However, having a Biblical view of God will allow us to see God as HE defines Himself through the pages of Scripture and free us to worship Him, obey Him, and serve Him the way that HE desires. When we are living according to God’s sovereign design, God is glorified and we are blessed from the overflow of His glory.

This week’s focal passage is Ephesians 4:32. We will be spending the next couple of weeks taking this verse apart and studying each portion of God’s command. This week, we will focus on “being kind to one another” according to God’s definition of “kind.” The word “kind” in this verse means “gracious.” What does it mean to be gracious? As I studied this word, I found that the first time the word gracious is used in Scripture is in Genesis 43:29. This verse appears in the story of Joseph and his reunion with his brothers. Most of us are aware of this story, but for those who are not, allow me a moment to give some background information.

Joseph was the son of Jacob (also named Israel). Jacob had two wives who bore him several sons. Scripture tells us that “…Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him” (Genesis 37:3-4). Joseph had dreams of greatness and he shared dreams with them. They were furious. In one dream, Joseph said that their “sheaves bowed down to his sheaves” (verse 7) and then in another dream “the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him” (verse 9). His brothers decided to kill him but when they saw some Ishmaelite coming, they decided to sell Joseph to them. This is how Joseph was sold into slavery and ended up in Egypt.

Let’s picture this situation for a moment. Joseph was seventeen years old when this happened. He was betrayed by his brothers, stripped of his family, never got to say good-bye to his father, placed in prison in a foreign country, treated as a criminal, and never allowed to return to his homeland. That is a tragic event for anyone but especially for a young boy. Scripture does not record Joseph’s thoughts or all the events that happened to him but we can assume it was a very scary and painful time in his life. Yet, Scripture records in Genesis 43:29 that Joseph sees his younger brother, Benjamin, and says, “…God be gracious to you, my son.”

Joseph’s heart was not filled with anger, bitterness, and malice when his brothers approached him. Joseph’s love was demonstrated through his forgiveness. Joseph was not saying that what his brothers had done was right or that it was “no big deal.” Their sin was great and he suffered much because of it but Joseph chose to keep his focus on the Lord and not on the sin of his brothers. This allowed Joseph to be free to serve his family in a way that blessed them and brought glory to the Lord God. God’s Word even allows us to witness the very conversation that Joseph has with this brothers when he reveals to them he is the one they are facing. “Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life…So now it was not you who sent me here, but God…But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 45:4b-5, 8a, 50:20).

How was Joseph able to be gracious/kind to his brothers? First, Joseph chose to love the way God loves, sacrificially and selflessly. Second, Joseph allowed himself to be used as a vessel to display the very image of God’s kindness and graciousness. Thirdly, Joseph kept his eyes, heart, and mind focused on God. God was protecting His people and HE had chosen Joseph to be the one in whom HE worked these things. God was creating a great nation out of this “troubled family.” In the midst of this, God’s grace was displayed through His allowance of restoration among these brothers and their father. God was proving Himself faithful to His promise to Abraham. God’s ways are not always clear to us. Sometimes, HE allows us to see what HE is doing and other times HE does not. But we can know through the truth of His Word that even in the midst of difficult and painful situations, God is at work. His glory will be revealed and we have the privilege of being used by Him to do just that.

So, how does this apply to our lives today? Let’s read our focal passage once more. “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). How do you love? Does your love mirror the love of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you approach ALL people with a kind and gracious heart? Do you eagerly love them in sacrificial ways and put their needs above your own? Do you love those who are “unlovable”. Remember, even the wicked love those who love them. But Christ came and gave Himself for those who DID NOT love Him. I was one of those who did not love the Lord yet HE died for me!! “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Will you live a life that displays the Biblical description of the Lord God? Will you commit your life to Him and allow Him to use you in great and mighty ways for the advancement of His kingdom? Will you follow Him even if His glory and other’s benefit cost you much??

Monday Morning Devotion #280

2010-01-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

Focal Passage for 2010:

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Weekly Passage:

“Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9

Our focus this year is learning to love the way that Christ loves. Each week, our time together will be spent on learning practical applications of living a life that accurately portrays Christ. Now, at first glance, it may not be clear how Genesis 3:9 applies to loving the way that Christ loves but as we move deeper into our study of this passage the connection will become more clear.

Over that past few months, the Lord has been using this verse to really challenge me in my walk with Him. This verse follows the sin of Adam and Eve (The Fall). Adam and Eve had been commanded by the Lord God not to eat the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17). The Serpent (Satan) tempted Eve to eat of the tree saying, “Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1b) “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Satan posed a question that tempted Eve to believe a lie about God, herself and sin. Eve’s view of God was changed from a Biblical view (understanding who God is through the truth of His Word) to a world view (defining God based on our human rationale, understanding, wisdom, and fleshly desires).

In our focal passage, God was not asking Adam where he was physically in the garden. God knew exactly where Adam was and God knew that Adam had sinned against Him. The question God asked Adam was intended to bring Adam to the realization of where he now stood before the Lord spiritually.

Satan is the Master Manipulator. Scripture tells us that Satan is cunning (Gen. 3:1), a murderer (John 8:44), the father of lies (John 8:44), a roaring lion walking around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), a thief (John 10:10), our adversary (1 Peter 5:8), and our accuser (Revelation 12:10). Satan’s tactics are designed to distract us from pure worship of the One True Living God. Satan will manifest his lies to fit our personality, circumstance, and vulnerabilities. That is why God’s Word warns us to “be sober, be viligant” (1 Peter 5:8) and to arm ourselves daily (moment by moment) with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We must guard ourselves with truth and stand firm on that truth no matter what our circumstances are, what our flesh desires, and/or what the world offers us.

Eve believed a lie about God, herself and sin. God’s desire for Adam and Eve was to live a pure life before Him. God’s plan was that man would display His image throughout all time. When Adam and Eve rebelled against the Lord God, sin entered the world. And because of that we live in the presence of sin each and every day; however, God’s Word promises us “yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Ladies, we are tempted to believe those same lies today. Satan’s desire for us is the same desire he had when he tempted Eve to rebel against God. God’s Word promises us that God is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and that means that His desire for us is to live a pure life before Him today.

How do we live a pure life before the Lord God? The answer lies within the pages of Scripture. God’s Word is truth and HE alone equips us with the ability to stand firm when we are tempted to believe the lies of the Enemy. In order to stand firm in truth we must understand and believe truth “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

THE LIE ABOUT GOD: “God is NOT who HE claims to be.”

THE TRUTH: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer; the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6)

Satan will tempt us to believe that God is NOT who HE says HE is. Why? Satan’s objective is to keep us from worshiping the Lord God. Satan desires our worship but he will settle for keeping us from worshipping the One True Living God. Satan knows that we were made in God’s image and our purpose is to glorify Him. If Satan can convince us that God is not who HE claims to be, then we are more likely to live a life that is independent of the Lord God thus bringing shame, guilt, and death upon us.

Life Application Question:

Who do you believe that God is? Does your belief of God match God’s description of Himself in His Word? If not, are you willing to really get to know the Lord God?

THE LIE ABOUT SELF: “You are NOT who God says you are.”

THE TRUTH: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father”…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:15 & 16b)

Satan will tempt us to believe that we are bound to our sin and that there is no hope for us to live a pure life. When this lie infiltrates our thoughts, then our actions soon follow. We may begin to step outside of God’s protective boundaries thus leaving us vulnerable. Often times, self-destructive sins begin to develop.

Life Application Question:

Who do you believe that you are? If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you are more than a conqueror and you have been freed from the bondage of sin!! You do not have to live a life that is impure!! You can live victoriously through Christ Jesus!!

THE LIE ABOUT SIN: “You are not sinning, you are just doing things a little differently than other people. You are an independent person.”

THE TRUTH: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” (1 Samuel 15:22-23a)

Satan will tempt us to believe that sin is not really sin. Why? If Satan can convince us to define sin on our own terms or to reject the truth of God’s Word, we become desensitized to the true affects of sin. We no longer view sin the way God views sin and it makes it easier and easier to follow our flesh and the enticements of the world system. We begin to rename sin so that our actions, behaviors, and attitudes do not seem so bad. In fact, they become “socially acceptable”.

Life Application Question:

How do you view/define sin? Does your view/definition match God’s truth about sin in His Word? Are their sins in your life that you have not dealt with because you are “renaming” in order to excuse them? We are wise to remember that “the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b) and “no creature is hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). What does this mean to us today? It means that we see things the way we want to see them but God sees EVERYTHING EXACTLY AS IT TRULY IS!!!!

My Friend, if we do not have a Biblical view of God we will not be able to love others they way Christ loves us. Before we can share Christ with others, we must understand who HE is through His Word. Scripture is filled with the love of Christ but if we do not understand this love through the light of God’s Word we will not be equipped to live out this love in our daily lives. Having a Biblical view of God is the foundation of our walk of faith. “Where are you, My Friend?” Father God, may you reveal to each of us the condition of our hearts. May You allow us to see clearly any and all lies that we are believing. May You, Lord, create in us a Biblical view of who You truly are so we can live purely before you and be an instrument that displays Your image accurately so that others may see Truth!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #279

2010-01-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

As we usher in a new year, we are ushering in another challenge in our walk of faith. Each year, we have a focal passage that we study and each week our devotion helps to apply that focal passage to our lives. This year, our focus will be on loving others the way Christ loves us. This may sound like a very simple task but as we dive deep into God’s Word, God will reveal areas in our hearts that do not reflect His love. Are you willing to allow the Lord to do whatever is necessary to mold and shape your heart into a heart that “loves the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5)? Jesus Himself tells us that “…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me” (John 14:23-23).

Strongs:
Fervent # 1618 ektenes = without ceasing
Love (KJV the word for love in this verse is “charity”) #26 agape = affection, dear love

What does it mean to love someone with a fervent love? Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” The perfect example of loving with a fervent love comes from Christ Jesus Himself. Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah from Genesis 3. The moment sin entered the world, Christ was the solution. Christ came to reverse the curse and allow us to live in freedom through His shed blood. Christ did not base His decision on our behavior but on His perfect love alone.

What is love? Love is a decision to put others before ourselves. Love is an attitude of the heart that accepts people as they are. Love is a shelter for others to turn when they are hurting or in need of encouragement. Love is the voice of truth holds us accountable to God’s Word. Love manifests itself in forgiveness, in truly rejoicing with others when they rejoice, mourning with those who mourn, praying for those in our lives, and giving thanks for the people in our lives. Love is genuine, gentle, does not boast or seek to serve self. Love is the very nature of our Lord and Savior. Love characterizes a true follower of Jesus Christ. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

What does it mean when Scripture says, “…for love will cover a multitude of sins”? Is this passage talking about love having the power to forgive/pardon sin? Absolutely not! Our focal passage is referencing Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” This verse is describing interpersonal relationships, not salvation. Basically, this means that when we respond in love to those who have hurt us or offended us, we are able to forgive those sins that might otherwise come between us. This is not an easy task but it is possible through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I have shared several times last year, my heart’s desire is to be a godly wife and mother. This is a huge challenge for me because my sinful nature does not naturally respond with love and forgiveness. I have to guard my tongue and practice thinking before speaking every day!! God is revealing to me that my tongue responds out of the overflow of my heart. Needless to say, I have many heart issues that the Lord is graciously and faithfully confronting with the truth of His Word.

My Friend, what is the condition of your heart today? Do others know that you are a Christian by your love for others? Is God revealing to you today heart issues that need to be corrected through His Word? My prayer for each of us this year is to love the Lord God with all our hearts, minds, and strength and that we will live a life that reflects Christ to a lost and dying world. In order to accomplish this, we MUST put aside ourselves and love the way Christ loves. God’s Word tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). “…Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Monday Morning Devotion #278

2009-11-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

“No one is holy like the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”
1 Samuel 2:2 (NKJV)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This verse is part of Hannah’s prayer when she brought Samuel to the tabernacle to dedicate him to the Lord God. We first meet Hannah at the door post of the tabernacle pouring her heart out to the Lord. Her heart is broken because she is unable to bear children. Why the door post of the tabernacle? The door post was the entrance to worship. Hannah brought her sorrow and her heart’s desire to the Lord and offered them up to Him trusting Him with the outcome of her plea. God did grant Hannah her heart’s desire and Hannah brings Samuel back to that doorpost and offers him to the Lord.

This past month, the Lord has really been challenging me with His Word. It seems that every time I open the Word of God, listen to a sermon, or prepare notes to teach, God continues to bring me back to this one question: Do you value ME above all else? Most Christians would immediately answer that question with a hearty AMEN or YES!! But, before we answer that question, let’s take a moment to really ask God to search our hearts and allow Him to reveal to us our heart’s true desire. Are you ready?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). It is very difficult not to get distracted by the fame and fortune of this world. There are so many things bidding for our time, attention, affection, and loyalties. Everywhere we look there are beautiful new cars, homes, clothes, and jewelry. There are positions of prestige that we can work our way up to in our careers. There are sporting events that we can excel in if we pour ourselves into the training and the time to sharpen our skills. There are ministry opportunities that allow us to present our gifts and talents. There are many ways that we can present ourselves to the world and receive the praise and acceptance of man but is that what truly satisfies to the very depth of our souls?

Think about that question a moment. Even if those achievements or possessions bring momentary attention and man’s praise, do they ever really reach the very depth of our soul with satisfaction? If they did, then once we had achieved our primary goal, there would be no reason to seek or strive for more of the world’s fame and/or fortune. Everyone would set a goal, work toward that goal, obtain that goal and be fully and completely satisfied to stop right there and enjoy life to the fullest without ever looking around and wanting more!! My Friend, I am learning that there is nothing that this world has to offer that even remotely satisfies my soul.

Over the past several months, the Lord has been drawing me deeper into His Word and revealing to me the sinfulness of my heart. I struggle with the desire for earthly things and I have to constantly guard myself from these things. I am also enticed to follow the world’s system regarding my marriage and my relationship with my husband. You see, I am a very strong-willed person and I like to be in control. It is very difficult for me to submit to my husband’s authority and to be content in submitting. God has been, and continues to be, very gracious to me by not allowing my husband to give into my demands and allow me to “lead” our home. God continues to teach me about honoring Him in my relationship with Glen and in my calling as a mother. This is not an easy task for me but I can assure you that I have never been more content or more satisfied than I am when I am living in a way that honors the Lord and follows His design marriage.

The same is true for any one of us not matter what our position in life may be. Whether we are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well, married or single, with children or without, working outside or inside our homes, God calls us to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “And God spoke these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before ME” (Exodus 20:1-3). What was happening to the Hebrew people in the land of Egypt? They were slaves in that land and the Lord God brought them out of their captivity. I love this passage of Scripture because it is exactly what God has done for us. HE has brought us out of the bondage of sin!!! “…That our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).

If this does not excite your soul and bring you to your knees praising the Lord God for His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, His compassion, His love, His holiness, His faithfulness, then bow before Him and allow Him to search your heart!!! There is NOTHING more valuable or praiseworthy than the Lord God Himself. Sin separates man/woman from God for all eternity. If we are not freed from our sin, then we will die in our sin. If we die in our sin, then we will face the full wrath of God and be sentenced to an eternity of separation from Him. We will never see His face, worship at His feet, walk with Him under His wing, or see the fullness of His glory. Yes, hell is full of suffering, pain, and torment but the worst thing about hell is that Jesus is not there!!! Do you truly desire to be where Christ Jesus is? Do you truly desire Him above all things? Is HE the most valuable thing in your life? As you answer, be careful not to answer so that man will hear and give you praise. “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b). “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge 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). Nothing is hidden from the Lord God. HE sees the true condition of the heart and we cannot fool Him by doing or saying the right things. When we stand before Him, HE will judge us according to our true spiritual conditions.

Reread our focal passage. “No one is holy like the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation” (1 Samuel 2:2). Hannah understood who God is and who she was. Hannah loved and valued the Lord God above anything that this world could offer. Hannah even loved the Lord God more than she loved herself. Hannah loved the Lord God more than she loved the very son she had begged God to give her. We first meet Hannah at the door post pouring her heart out to God and asking for a child. We next see Hannah with her son at the door post and she is offering Samuel to the Lord God and praising the Lord for the privilege of bearing a son and bringing him to the Lord. My Friend, is that our heart today? Do we truly value and desire the Lord God above all things?

This week, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. The heart of a man/woman is revealed in the things that he/she is thankful for. We, like Hannah, will stand at the doorpost one day. What will Christ see when HE looks deep within our hearts? “Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:7-10).

Monday Morning Devotion #277

2009-10-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28

I love our focal passage because it expresses a heart totally surrendered to the Lord God. As our Ladies’ Sunday school class is studying through the book of 1 Samuel, I find myself challenged every week. Hannah desired a child and she took that desire to the doorpost of the tabernacle (the entrance of worship) and cried out to the Lord. God heard her pleas and HE granted her a child according to His perfect will. Hannah loved Samuel and she was so thankful to bear a child of her own, yet she loved the Lord God more than she loved anything, including her own child. She committed Samuel to the Lord and brought him back to the doorpost of the tabernacle when he was weaned and lent (completely gave him), to the Lord. How could Hannah do such a difficult thing? Her surrender was a form of worship from the heart of a very grateful mother. Surrendering Samuel was an act of worship and Hannah rejoiced in worshiping the Lord God (1 Samuel 2:1-11).

In the previous devotion, I shared how God has been teaching me about Biblical submission and transforming me into the wife, mother, and woman HE created me to be. Over the past two months, the Lord has faithfully continued His work and I can honestly say that I am enjoying the process!! And believe me, I am a work in progress!! God has provided a wonderful, godly mentor to walk alongside me during this season of my walk and she is sharing valuable truths from God’s Word. I am learning that God’s transformation includes transforming EVERY area of my life, not just those areas I think need to be changed. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

The core question my mentor asked me was: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST? If so, then I would have to live according to His commands in all areas of my life. Even those areas that are not fun or easy to surrender. God designs the roles for each gender as well as the functions within those roles. We cannot honor, glorify, or worship the Lord outside of the ways in which HE Himself has established. This is true regardless if we are male or female, married or single, work inside/outside the home, young or old, rich or poor. God Himself has designed that we all glorify Him and HE has ordained the way in which each of us are to do that.

Galatians 2:20 says “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Crucified #4957 (sustauroo) means “the death of Christ on the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption, by the death of Christ upon the cross I have become utterly estranged (dead to) my former habit of feeling and action.” Romans 6:6 says “Knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died, has been freed from sin.”

How does this apply to our daily lives? This means that we do not have to give into our sinful desires. We do not have to live according to the world’s culture. We are free in Christ to live in such a way that our every thought, every word, every action, and every heart’s motive is an act of worship!!! Isn’t that exciting?!!?! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ has empowered us with the Holy Spirit and we can live a life that produces the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can fulfill whatever role the Lord calls us to in a way that brings honor and glory to Him and allows us to stand before Him and hear, “Well done, My good and faithful Servant.” Don’t you want that??!!

My Friend, I encourage you ask yourself the same question: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST? Only you can answer that question, but before you do, remember that Christ said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."( Mark 10:45) Christ did not serve in the areas that made Him feel good, brought Him praise, or made Him look good. Christ served by washing the feet of the disciples, proclaiming truth to people who hated and rejected Him, and HE gave His entire body for our benefit. If you want to be fully content, satisfied and useful to the Lord God, then you MUST put aside self and begin loving and serving in a way that elevates others above yourself. May our lives be an act of worship to our King!

Monday Morning Devotion #276

2009-09-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Strong's
Crucified #4957 - sustauroo = "the death of Christ on the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption, by the death of Christ upon the cross I have become utterly estranged (dead to) my former habit of feeling and action."

In the last devotion, I talked about embarking upon a new journey, a new season in my spiritual walk with the Lord. I mentioned that I felt the Lord impressing upon my heart that I needed to focus on becoming a more godly wife, loving my husband in ways that encourages him and honors the Lord. Now, I understand that the men reading this may be tempted to think that this devotion may not contain any life application for them. I urge you to consider that although your goal is not to be a godly wife your goal in Christ should be to become a godly man fulfilling the role(s) the Lord has called you to fill. Remember that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful in teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness so that the man of God will be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16)".

In John MacArthur's book Twelve Extraordinary Women, he writes "Eve must have been a creature of unsurpassed beauty. She was the crown and the pinnacle of God's amazing creative work. The first female of Adam's race was the last living thing to be called into existence-actually fashioned directly by the Creator's own hand in a way that showed particular care and attention to detail. Remember, Eve wasn't made out of dust like Adam, but carefully designed from living flesh and bone. Adam was refined dirt; Eve was a glorious refinement of humanity itself. She was a special gift to Adam. She was the necessary partner who finally made his existence complete-and whose own existence finally signaled the completion of all creation" (p.1). "The circumstances of Eve's creation illustrate how deep and meaningful the marriage of husband and wife is designed to be. It is not merely a physical union, but a union of heart and soul as well. Eve was Adam's complement in every sense, designed by God to be the ideal soul-companion for him. And the intimacy of her relationship with her husband derives from her being literally taken from his side. In his classic commentary on the Bible, Puritan author Matthew Henry wrote these familiar words, which have been adapted and quoted in many marriage ceremonies: "The woman was made out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved"" (p.6).

Beloved, the Lord God's ways are perfect. His design for all of mankind comes from His unconditional love and His perfect plan for us. We can trust in Him and know that when we follow the Lord's direction in all aspects of our lives HE will bless us in ways that we can never even imagine!! God's blessings flow from His heart into our lives and nothing this world or our flesh offers us will ever come close to equaling what God has for us. When we manipulate, control, and work things out according to our thoughts, our ways, our plans, and/or our desires, we will ALWAYS end up disappointed. The very depth of our souls crave the Lord Jesus Christ and when we try to fill that void with anything else, we are left wanting, hurting, and completely dissatisfied!!

Reread our focal passage. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). What is God's Word telling us? According to this passage of Scripture, when we were crucified with Christ (accepted Him as our personal Lord and Savior and surrendered our life to Him), at that moment, we become new!! (2 Corinthians 5:17) We were, at that moment, freed from all sin!! "Knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died, has been freed from sin" (Romans 6:6-7). Then why do we continue to sin?

Allow me to share a personal testimony for a moment. I am learning that I have been holding onto sinful habits, patterns, thoughts, and behaviors and defining those as "my personality." I have excused or justified my sin by saying, "Well, I cannot help it…I was made that way" or "That is just me!" That is a lie straight from the pit of hell! God's Word tells me that when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, the same power that raised Him from the dead now dwells within me (Ephesians 1:17-23). If the power who raised Jesus from the dead now lives within me, then I am not subject to sin any longer!! I now have a choice as to whether I will obey the Lord Jesus or rebel against Him and His authority over my life. Sin is defined as rebellion against the Lord God. Sin stems from a prideful heart, a heart that wants to be its own god.

Beloved, if we are children of the Risen Lord, then we are no longer slaves to sin!! We do not have to act according to our old habits, behaviors, thoughts, and desires. God designed us with unique characteristics and personalities but what we do with those things can either glorify the Lord or dishonor Him. Those portions of our "personality" that dishonor the Lord can be removed through the power of the cross. As a child of God, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. In order to be transformed, the old has to be shed and the new has to be applied. Thus begs the question: Do you REALLY want to be like Christ?

Becoming like Christ means giving up the old self, dying to those old habits, thoughts, feelings, reactions, behaviors, and fleshly desires. It is not an easy task but it is the ONLY way that we can truly become the men and women God created us to be. "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Is this your heart's prayer today? If so, praise the Lord for opening your eyes to see His truth and your heart to receive His Word. If this is not your prayer, I encourage you to come before the Lord God and allow Him to search your heart. Do not be afraid to allow Him to reveal to you the heart issues that are separating you from Him. HE loves you and HE gave Himself up for you. HE is trustworthy and HE is the only completion and satisfaction for your soul.

Monday Morning Devotion #275

2009-08-17T08:31:00.001-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." (Proverbs 31:10-12)

Strong's:
Virtuous #02428 - chayil = speaks of excellence, moral worth, ability, and nobility, not just marital fidelity…the ideal of wisdom in action (Nelson Study Bible, p. 1076)
Worth #04377 - meker = value
Heart #03820 - leb = inner man, mind, will
Trust #0982 - batach = to have confidence, be confident
Does (do in KJV) #01580 = to deal bountifully with
Good #02896 - towb = (n.) a good thing, benefit, welfare
Life # 02416 - chay = sustenance

"To be a believer in God early in life--is to be saved from a thousand regrets! Such a man will never have to say that he carries in his bones--the sins of his youth" (Charles Spurgeon). My testimony is not one of early piety or obedience to the Lord and I know all too well the pain of a thousand regrets. Although I am not proud of my past, I can rejoice in portions of my testimony because they reflect God's incredible grace, mercy, unconditional love, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; HE has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound…That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that HE may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1&3b).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah and what HE would offer to a world drowning in sin. My Friend, the Messiah did come and when HE did HE brought healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2)!!! His grace changes lives and it truly sets the captives free. There is nothing in this world that even begins to compare to His greatness. There is no possession that we can ever obtain that will satisfy to the very depths of our soul. In Him, there is nothing missing!! HE is completion! Praise You, Jesus.

I have shared portions of my testimony many times and I have shared how God began to change my heart toward my husband, Glen, about two years after we relocated to Kansas. Over the past eight years, our marriage has grown and developed into a wonderful, loving, joyful friendship. I can assure you it is not perfect, but it is a wonderful example of how God's power transforms lives, hearts, and attitudes.

My journey began with submission. In my rebellion, I had rejected God's design that commands a wife to be submissive toward her husband. I am truly ashamed to say that in our wedding vows, I asked the pastor to remove the "obedience" portion and he agreed. When our children watch our wedding video each year on our anniversary, my heart aches. Over the years, the Lord has blessed me with a church home where the women love and honor their husband in ways that glorify the Lord. I have learned that real joy is rooted and established within the pages of Scripture and through obedience that joy is released and experienced in every aspect of my life.

Although my journey began with submission, I am happy to say that it has not ended there. The Lord has begun impressing upon me that my next step is to focus on loving my husband in a way that honors him and the Lord. I will admit that I am in the first steps of this journey so I have nothing to offer except an invitation to join me along the way. I have entitled this portion of my spiritual walk as "Love Lesson with My Lord."

Proverbs 31:10-12 says, "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." What does this mean for us today? The Nelson Study Bible defines this as "wisdom in action." Let's pause here a moment. I realize that not all who may be reading this are wives. In fact, there may be some men reading this today. May we each keep in mind what God's Word promises us…"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Within our two focal verses, God is speaking to the heart, the character, the person of this woman. God's Word is directing the heart in the way in which it should go. When we are completely obedient to the roles, responsibilities and callings that the Lord ordained for each of us before the foundations of the world, we bring honor and glory to Him and in that obedience, we are blessed beyond measure.

For me, I pray that I will learn to love Glen in a way that truly honors him, encourages him, uplifts him, and helps him to become all that God has ordained for him to be. I do not want to be a weight around his neck that constantly drags him down or causes him to doubt or question himself. I am learning that my words, my actions, and my body language send very loud messages to him and he absorbs those very deeply. The Lord has allowed for us to have two boys and two girls in which to train and teach. My Friend, I can assure you children learn more from what they see us do than what they hear us say. As I stated earlier, I know too well the pains of a thousand regrets, I do not have a desire to add a thousand more to those!!

God has given each of us a specific role in this life and HE has ordained how we are to minister/serve within those roles. Spending time with Him daily in His Word will give us valuable insight into how HE desires for us to fill those roles. May each of us come before Him with a willing heart that desires to serve Him fully and without reservation. May we each be willing to learn love lessons from our Lord and to exemplify those lessons in our daily lives as we interact with those around us. May we each be examples of wisdom in action so that the Lord God will be glorified among the nations.

Monday Morning Devotion #274

2009-07-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!…" Ruth 2:20

Have you ever felt alone? Abandoned? Forgotten? Forsaken? I certainly have. Life is full of mountaintop and valley experiences. We all prefer the mountaintop moments, but valleys often follow them. Sometimes, those valleys are so far down, you feel as though you will never see the light of day again. All throughout Scripture, God gives us examples of these moments in the life of His children. One example is Job. We all know the story…Job had everything - a wife, many children, property, livestock and his health. But in a moment, all that changed.

Why does the story of Job stand out to us? All of us have these moments. We may not loose everything in one day, but we experience loss such as loved ones, jobs, homes, relationships, and/or health at times during our lives. The story of Job is such an encouragement to us because Job never lost faith in the Lord God. In fact, Job praised the Lord God and continued to love Him and testify of Him during the trials that the Lord Himself had allowed to be upon Job. "Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speak. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we no accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips" (Job 2:9-10). Often times, when things go in a direction we did not want or expect, we tend to blame God for not protecting us. We want a God who will work on our timetable and according to our desires.
The problem with that is that God will not be, as my pastor says, "anybody's puppet."

The Lord God is the Maker of the universe, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the GREAT I AM!! How dare any of us to demand anything from the Lord God. True faith and a sincere trust in God is exemplified when the adversities come and we are joyful through the trial. James 1:2 says "My Brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varies trials." Joy in this verse is #5479 chara which means "glad, joyous." Does this mean that we are not to weep or pour our hearts out to the Lord God? Absolutely not!! God desires that we come boldly before His throne and pour our hearts out to Him. HE welcomes us with open arms (Hebrews 4:14-16). What God's Word is telling us is that we can be full of joy in the midst of the pain because God promises that when HE brings about difficulties, HE is accomplishing something wonderful in our hearts, minds, and souls. HE has an eternal purpose in mind!! "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing: (James 1:3-4).

Unfortunately, our flesh screams to be satisfied. We do not like pain, change, or a lack of control. From the beginning of time, pride and the desire to exalt oneself about the Lord God has penetrated our world. Lucifer, also known as Satan, was created to glorify the One True God, yet he chose to try to exalt himself above God. "For you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne about the starts of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:13). This very thing is what Satan used to tempt Eve. "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…" (Genesis 3:4). And this is exactly what Satan uses to tempt us to rebel against the Lord God today.

Reread our focal passage once more. "Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!…" (Ruth 2:20). Forsaken in this verse is #5800 'azab which means "to depart from, leave behind, abandon." Kindness in this verse is hesed which refers to the covenant love that God made with His people. The story of Ruth is such a precious reminder of our God and His loving kindness even in the midst of great loss and pain. Naomi left Bethlehem "full" in her eyes. She had a husband and two sons. When the Lord drew her back to Bethlehem, Naomi did have her daughter-in-law, Ruth, but she had lost her husband and both sons to death in Moab. The Lord God continually reminded Naomi of His faithfulness and His covenant love. In verse 20, we see Naomi's heart begin to soften and her focus begin to change. She no longer viewed her loss as the Lord's abandonment but she began to recognize the Lord God's faithfulness in His remembrance of her and His lovingly provisions for her every need.

My Friend, how do you view God when your circumstances are different than what you want or expect? Do you blame Him for not acting the way you desire or do you praise Him because you know, truly know, that His ways are perfect and that HE is working to accomplish His eternal purposes in you and through you? May we each bow before the throne of grace and ask the Lord God to dig deep into our hearts and reveal to us any thing in us that is dishonoring to Him. May we seek to know Him more and to have a right view of Him!! "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear…" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Monday Morning Devotion #273

2009-06-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
Revelation 5:13 (NKJV)

Saturday, Glen and I had a few errands to run in the city. We were in a hurry, but one stop we needed to make was at the mall. As we rushed the children in, my mind was focused on getting the one item we had come for and then dashing off to the next errand. We got to the store of choice and headed inside. I busied myself finding what we needed and was ready to head to the register when I notice Corbyn becoming more and more uncomfortable. About that time, I heard Eden say, "Mommy, these pictures are gross!"

Glen and I both stopped and began to look around. We had never been inside this particular store before but we had heard in the past about some of their advertising. As we scanned the walls and tables, we were shocked. Glen told the children to look at the floor and took them out into the mall. By the time we got to the van, Corbyn was in tears. He said, "Mommy, I did not like that store and I never want to go in there again!"

Well, I don't need to tell you how horrible we felt!! Glen and I are their parents and we are to guard them against such images; however, we were the very ones who took them into a store that used sexual images to draw teenagers and young adults inside. (No, we were not at a lingerie store.) Glen apologized to the children and explained that those images are not what we need to put in our minds. They are desirable to the flesh; however, our spirit should be highly offended by such things. At that moment, the Lord God convicted my heart. There are so many lessons within that one trip to the mall for me, but the one I would like to share with you is this…As children of God, our spirits should be utterly offended by sin! Corbyn's heart was broken that he had seen such things and his spirit spoke LOUD and CLEAR to his conscience.

The question for me is "Why did I not stand in tears over the sin that hung on those walls?" The answer lies in the sin that I have allowed to creep into my life slowly but steadily. I am ashamed to say it, but I have not always guarded my heart, mind, and body. I have made choices in the past that allowed sin to inch its way into my life through TV, movies, unwise talk, and sinful choices in relationships, just to name a few. When I saw those images, I was shocked, but my heart was not broken nor was I moved to tears!! If Corbyn had not been so upset, I do not think I would have realized just how vile those pictures were. This is what happens to us, My Friend, when we allow just one ounce of sinful information/images to penetrate our hearts, minds and bodies. We begin to dumb down our awareness of the sin. We begin to accept that sin in our lives as just a "little thing" and we lose the ability to see sin for what it truly is…A total rebellious act against the One True Living God!!! Forgive us, Father!!

Our focal passage is Revelation 5:13 "And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" What a powerful picture!! Christ alone sits on the throne and HE is the Judge who will rightly judge our sins. Sin separates man from God and sin is what placed Christ Jesus on the cross. We live in a "Me-Centered" culture. By this, I mean, that our world today encourages us to be our own god, to live life in a way that centers around us and presses us to fulfill our fleshly desires on a consistent basis. Nothing is off limits…Live life to the fullest…If it feels good, do it…I may not be right for me, but if it is "right" for you, go ahead!!

My Friend, this is a dangerous way to live!! Our eternity is at stake!! God's Word says, "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me." (Isaiah 46:9) The nation Israel lived in rebellion against the Lord God and HE allowed them to be taken captive for many years. In that captivity, HE was with them and HE continually brought their hearts, minds, and souls back to a pure worship of Him, but in the midst of that captivity, there was much anguish. God loves us enough to do the very same thing!! HE will allow us to be taken captive by our own flesh and suffer greatly in order to draw us back to Himself. I love what Beth Moore says in her study of Daniel, "We are princesses (princes) but not in the kingdoms of this world." (p. 77)

Praise the Lord God who sits on the throne and DOES NOT ALLOW me to sit on the
throne!!! Our flesh is evil, wicked, and deadly. Left to ourselves, we would follow our flesh right into the very depths of Hell!! The Lord God calls His children back from the flames. HE creates in us an awareness of Him and HE allows us to turn from death and destruction and enter into His presence. There is none like Him and HE alone is worthy of all honor, worship, and praise. Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If not, you are headed for an eternity of separation from the Lord God. Pause a moment, consider God's truths.

Our lives are truly not worth living if we do not live for Christ alone!! This may sound ridiculous to some ears, but consider this a moment. The world can offer many things. Those "things" are not always bad. For example, wealth, fame, popularity, material possessions, a beautiful house, the best car, successful careers, family, and friends. All those things are enjoyable and make life exciting. But remember, the average person lives about 70 years or so. Is 70 years of satisfying your flesh worth living all of eternity separated from the One True Living God? Is there anything on this earth that will matter once you stand before the Lord Jesus and give account of your life? When your knee bows and your mouth confesses, "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne And to the Lamb, forever and ever," where will you be?

Our earthly life is but a vapor and our purpose is to live a life that honors and glorifies the Lord God. A life that points other to the cross where they too can find forgiveness, cleansing, healing, hope, peace, contentment, salvation, and lasting joy. At the foot of the cross, is where we meet the Lord God and HE gives us life eternal and that life will surpass anything we have ever hoped or imagined. Nothing of this earth will matter at all except those things done for the kingdom of heaven. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8) You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power, For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11) Amen!!

Monday Morning Devotion #272

2009-05-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" Ruth 2:10

I have had the privilege and the blessing of writing a study of the book of Ruth and leading the Ladies' Sunday school class through it over the past two months. Now, I do not say this to bring any attention to myself, I simply mention this because this devotion is a continuation of what I began writing about in a previous devotion. A few months ago, the Lord began convicting my heart that I was focusing more on preparing lessons for other people instead of studying His Word for my own personal life application and spiritual growth.

The Lord began to use Psalm 42:1 ("As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.") to draw me closer to Him. I began praying for the Lord to change my focus and to teach me through His Word. God graciously allowed me to prepare lessons to share with the ladies but this time my focus was not on "preparing to teach" but "preparing to LEARN." The insight that our ladies at church have, the depth of their own personal relationship with the Lord, and their willingness to be a vessel for the Lord to display His work has been such an enormous blessing to me and I have learned so much.

I love our focal passage. "So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" (Ruth 2:10) Ruth had found favor in the eyes of Boaz and he allowed her to glean in his fields and invited her to join his women each day. He offered her provision and protection. Ruth was overwhelmed by Boaz's compassion, grace and mercy, and fell down before him in pure thanksgiving. Remember, Ruth was a foreigner and there were laws mandating that she be given any more than a few leftovers along the corners of the fields.

The book of Ruth is a precious story of faithfulness, love, and loyalty. Until our class began studying this book in-depth, I always thought the story was about Ruth. But as all the books of Scripture, the more we dig deep into the pages and the context, we see that the entire Word of God is about the Lord God. God's handprints are all over the life of Ruth and the faithfulness, love, and loyalty were not only displays of Ruth's character but the display of God's character! I love that about our God…HE is alive and active and we cannot help but see Him in all things when we look for Him. God graciously uses Ruth to teach each of us more about Him.

God's faithfulness is poured out upon His children. "…The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). God's desire for us is to walk in a right relationship with Him and to love Him, honor Him, glorify Him in all that we do, in all that we say, in all that we think, and in all that we love. As God's children, we are foreigners in this world. We have been placed here for "such a time as this." Nothing about you is by chance. God purposefully and specifically designed every fiber of your being, ordained every breath that you take, orchestrated every detail of your life, and calls you to glorify Him in unique ways.

How are you walking with the Lord? Are you walking by faith and trusting in Him to guide and direct each step? Or do you focus on the circumstances that surround you and out of fear try to determine the best path to take? God's will for you is to live by faith in Him alone and to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6).

Ruth is a precious example of a life surrendered to the Lord God. Her surroundings, her circumstances, her mood, and/or her success did not determine her faith in the Lord God. Her faith was rooted and established in who God was, is and always will be. Her trust in Him rested solely upon His promises and her belief that HE was faithful. Ruth was able to display faithfulness, love, and loyalty because she had learned them from her Father and HE used her to display Himself to those around her.

You see, Ruth prepared to LEARN not to teach yet the Lord God used her to teach all of us more about Himself. My Friend, we do not have to have a teaching title to be a teacher. Anytime we follow the Lord God and surrender our entire lives to Him, He uses us as examples to point others to Him and HE draws us closer to Himself as well. May each of us bow before the Lord God and allow Him to teach us how to dig deep into His Word. May we be well equipped to live in such a way that leads others to the cross where complete healing, complete forgiveness, and absolute love and acceptance await. All glory and honor and praise to our Lord in heaven!! Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you today. You are a gift to me and I appreciate you studying God's Word with me so very much!!

Monday Morning Devotion #271

2009-05-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"For thus says the LORD; Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe…'For I will restore health to you, And heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD…" Jeremiah 30:12 & 17a

Let me begin by confessing something to you. I am an unclean woman who has been cleansed solely through and by the grace of God. When I speak/write to you, it is not as one who is above you or ahead of you or better than you in ANY way. It is because I have been forgiven much that I come to you and share with you so that God alone in glorified. If you ever read/hear something that touches your heart or turns you towards Christ Jesus, I assure you it is the Lord God working in you and has NOTHING to do with me. I am but a vessel of the Lord God and I am learning right along side of you.

Last week, we studied together about the woman at the well. We joined her there and allowed the Lord Jesus to speak to our hearts and reveal to us His unconditional love and His complete forgiveness that HE alone offers. Today, we meet once again at our well. This time, let's look deep within Scripture to study what God is teaching us about His healing that transforms severe, deep, and often fatal wounds that we have suffered due to our own sin of rebellion against Him. Turn to 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

My Friend, we MUST understand that Satan roams around us, seeking to devour us. Most often, he will not approach us with the promise of death and destruction. He approaches us and offers us something that our flesh desires - health, wealth, success, power, knowledge, love, attention, affection, status, etc. This is what Beth Moore has termed as "friendly captivity." Satan entices us with the promise of something that benefits us but keep in mind, friendly captivity NEVER remains FRIENDLY but it ALWAYS remains CAPTIVITY!!!

I have been in captivity and I can testify that I never saw it as captivity when I willingly entered into it. My flesh desired something and I followed the path that I thought would obtain that satisfaction. And I can tell you, My Friend, I never saw the bars surround me, the ceiling closing in over me, or the door locking behind me until I felt the pain of my consequences and realized I was trapped. There were years that I just sat in that cell because I felt that I had sinned against the Lord God and this was "what I deserved." I listened to the lies of the Enemy and believed that God would not rescue me because I did not deserve to be rescued. After all, I knew what God's Word said, but I rebelled anyway.

I fell deep into a pit of despair, destructive behaviors, and self-loathing. I hated myself so much, I could not look into the mirror without the desire to hurt myself. It was some of the darkest days in all my life. I began to "punish" myself with even more self-destructive behaviors because I believed that if I punished myself this would appease the Lord. HE would see I was sorry and somehow have pity on me. But all that did was deepen my despair and draw me deeper into captivity.

You see, God's Word tells us "If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). "He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). "When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin" (Psalm 32:3-5).

When we sin against the Lord God the only way out is through Him. His Word clearly outlines the steps to freedom and we must follow them exactly. I love what our pastor says, "The only way to God is on His terms!!" There is no other way. "For thus says the LORD; Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe…'For I will restore health to you, And heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD…" (Jeremiah 30:12 & 17a) When we rebel against the Lord, we must confess that sin and REPENT of that sin. We must surrender our entire being to the Lord God and allow Him to reign in our lives as Lord. When we do that, God is faithful to forgive, heal, restore, renew, rebuild, and deliver us from any and ALL unrighteousness. Do not allow Satan to convince you that your sin is too vile, too wicked, too evil, or too often for the Lord Jesus' blood to cover, cleanse and remove.

Where are you today? Are you in captivity? Did you willingly walk into a trap that the Enemy set for you? Have you been in that prison longer than you can remember? Perhaps you are in so deep that you feel as though the Lord could not find you even if HE wanted too. God's Word promises us that "God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). "For HE made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Has the Word of God spoken to your heart today? If so, how will you respond to the Lord God - the Most High? Will you run to Him and allow Him to heal you, cleanse you, and set you free from sin and self or will you remain right where you are and continue to allow the Enemy devour you? I pray that you will run to the Lord Jesus Christ…Let's meet at the foot of the cross and praise His name forever and ever!!

Monday Morning Devotion #270

2009-05-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you,'Give ME a drink,' you would have asked Him, and HE would have given you living water." John 4:10

Have you ever had your heart shattered? Has someone you loved ever rejected you? Perhaps you have experienced the pain of being abandoned by a person or people you never thought would leave you. Maybe you have made decisions that lead to disappointment or despair. If so, you are not alone. Join me in looking deep into the pages of Scripture to see one young woman who experienced the same thing and how she overcame her circumstances and ended up with a brand new heart and a brand new life!!!

Some important background information: Samaritans were the remnants of the northern Jews who had been taken into captivity. They had intermarried thus the Jews believed they had corrupted their bloodline and were unclean people. The Jews hated the Samaritans and refused to interact with the Samaritans. As a result, the Samaritans hated the Jews. The Samaritans built an alternate temple on Mount Gerizim and rejected the Old Testament teaching except for a revised version of the first five books. Because of this, the Samaritans had a limited understanding of the God of Scripture.

Imagine standing at the well in the middle of the day. You are alone, hot, and probably feeling like an outcast. The women of the city had already come for their water and visited together during their morning chore. You, however, were not permitted to join them because you were considered "unclean" because of your sorted past. This is where the woman at the well stood when Jesus approached her. Imagine her surprise when Jesus spoke to her. Her surprise was multifaceted. First, Jesus was a Jew and Jews NEVER spoke to Samaritans. Second, Jesus was a Jewish man and Jewish men never spoke to women in public not even their wives. Thirdly, Jesus asked her for a drink of water. This may not seem odd to us, but in that day, the Jews believed that the saliva of a Samaritan would infect the Jew and make him/her unclean. Yet, Jesus reached out to this young woman and initiated a conversation.

Because Jesus loved her and began speaking with her, HE was able to minister to the very heart of her issue - sin. This young woman needed a Savior and she needed internal cleansing. She needed a new heart - a heart that was surrendered to God. Her entire life she had sought love, acceptance, value, worth, and a purpose in men. Yet Scripture tells us that she was married five times and was now living with another man that she was not married too. God's Word always gives critical information and we must learn to dig deep so we do not miss anything God wants us to learn. Part of diving deep into Scripture is understanding the culture and customs of that time. In that day, women were not allowed to divorce her husband but the husband could at anytime divorce his wife. With that bit of information, we see another side to this young woman. She had loved five men and they had all rejected her. Now, she was with another man who would not marry her. Can you imagine the pain and brokenness this young woman must have experienced?!?! I certainly can! There are many different heartaches we can/will experience in our lifetime. Each one is painful and at times can be life altering.

One of my favorite chapters in Scripture is John 4. I have always been able to identify with the woman at the well and each time I study this passage I find a new way in which I relate to her. Allow me to share a personal story with you. My heart has been shattered twice in my life. Absolutely, I have felt pain and loss many times over my lifetime, but what I am referring to right now are two specific instances where my heart was so broken I truly never thought I would recover. Both times involved rejection, abandonment, humiliation, alienation, wrong choices and the loss of relationships that involved people I loved very deeply. The first time, my flesh screamed for relief and I sought that relief in and of this world. I did not turn to the Lord God but turned from Him because a part of me tried to blame God for allowing me to suffer. What I did not understand at that time was that God was allowing me to suffer the consequences of sin in order to restore me to Himself.

God's heart for me was never to suffer, but because I had rebelled against Him and His Word, HE allowed the pain into my life to draw me to Himself. Now, to our flesh, that sounds ridiculous. Some may even say, "Well, I have children and I would do anything to protect them from pain!" But, My Friend, we have to understand that God is holy and HE cannot accept sin in His children's lives. What I have learned is that because of His holiness, His love, His grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness, HE lovingly sifts those consequences through His hand and only allows what is absolutely necessary to draw our hearts back to Him.

Years later, my heart was shattered once again. This time, however, I chose to turn to the Lord God and seek Him in the midst of my pain. God used a number of our church family to minister to me in ways that truly pointed me to the cross. Through the pain, I was able to learn more about God's grace, mercy, unconditional love, and forgiveness. I have also experienced God in entirely new ways. HE is my friend who is ALWAYS faithful. HE is my refuge in the midst of any storm. HE is my foundation that stands firm even when the winds of the storm seek to destroy me. HE is my healer who gave me a brand new heart. God is truly my contentment. There is no one or nothing that satisfies my soul, my heart, my life like Jesus Christ. Just like the woman at the well, I stand amazed that Jesus Christ approached a sinner like me. I am in awe that HE initiated a conversation within my soul that lead to my salvation. I needed the water that HE offered to this young Samaritan woman and Jesus Himself has quenched the desire in me to seek the things of this world.

Where are you standing today, My Friend? Are you standing, or trying to stand, in the midst of sin and self? Is your heart shattered? Have you made one bad choice after another? Are you at the "end of your rope"? Do you feel that your past is so vile, so sinful, so rebellious that Christ Jesus would not love you, accept you, heal you, restore you, cleanse you, or forgive you? If so, you are believing a LIE!! God's Word promises us that Christ came to heal the broken hearted, to set people free from sin and self, to comfort those who mourn, to give hope to the hopeless, to trade our sorrows for His joy, to remove the spirit of despair and depression, and to restore us in Him (see Isaiah 61:1-4). Christ Jesus can and will rebuild what our sin and rebellion destroyed. HE is able to fully cleanse us and give us a new heart, a new mind, and make us new creations (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). My Friend, God is faithful and HE loves you with an eternal love. HE offers you healing, forgiveness, restoration, mercy, grace and unconditional love, but you must fall before Him and confess your sin. Pour your heart out to Him and do not hold anything back.

Confessing sin is the first step. The second step is repenting from those sins. Repentance means that you agree to turn away from your past and not participating in those sins again. God's grace will sustain you and enable you to be faithful to the Lord God. You cannot have the world and God. You must choose who/what you will serve. Christ is standing at your "well" offering you eternal life in Him. Will you receive it? "Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you,'Give ME a drink,' you would have asked Him, and HE would have given you living water." (John 4:10)

Monday Morning Devotion #269

2009-04-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

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 Morning Devotion #267

2009-04-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

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)

Monday Morning Devotion #266

2009-03-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

This Week's Passage

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10

Have you ever felt afraid to stand before the Lord God and confess your sin? Perhaps you felt that HE would reject you or that HE would not forgive your sin because it was just too great, too vile, too often, or too obscene. I used to feel this way, My Friend. I once believed that I could not come before the Lord God and pour my heart out before Him because I was so wicked and HE would reject me. I thought that Jesus' blood was a silkscreen and it prevented the Lord God from seeing the "real" me. This lie, and I know it sounds odd, was so ingrained in my belief system that it prevented me from understanding truth and understanding the depth of God's love for me.

I know this may sound strange given that I thought I understand that Christ loved me and gave Himself for me, but I still struggled with the measure of God's love towards me. Through His Word, the Lord began to reveal my heart issue. The problem was that I have tried to define God's love by how much He blesses me or keeps me from suffering. I have also tried to define God's love according to my rationale, my understanding, my beliefs, my standards and my terms. I allowed my ignorance, rebellion, and disbelief to distort God's Word in my heart, mind, soul and life. I have not understood, until now, that God's love is rooted and established in Him.

You see, in our flesh, we are all unable to see truth. It is only by God's allowance that our eyes are opened and we are able to understand and comprehend Scripture and the truth that lies within the Word. God's Word says, "Cursed is the man who trust in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD…The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:5&9) "O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You" (Psalm 69:5). "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). "For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100:5). "…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4). "Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me, with their whole heart" (Jeremiah 24:7).

The truth is I am wicked and vile. I have sinned against the Lord God. And so have you. On our own and in our sin, we have no hope, no salvation, no eternal future with the Lord God. But because God is glorified in saving sinners, HE provided a substitute for sin. HE sent His One and Only Son to become sin for me and for you and to die in our place. Christ's death for our sin was ordained before the foundation of the world and our salvation, our hope, our peace, our holiness, our relationship with the Lord God is all about what Christ did for us before we ever knew Him, loved Him, desired Him, longed for Him, or worshipped Him. My Friend, God gave Himself as a ransom for sin. HE willingly died on the cross and rose again to bridge the gap between our humanness and God's holiness. HE is offering complete forgiveness, complete healing, and an eternal relationship with the Lord God to those who believe. Please do not allow your flesh to convince you that Christ does not love you or that HE did not die to save you. There is nothing too great, too vile, too wicked or too much for His blood to cover, cleanse, remove and restore (Isaiah 61:1-4).

Our focal passage is one of the main passages the Lord has been using to deal with my heart in recent weeks. Look once more at 1 John 4:10"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Propitiation in this verse means "appeasement." I love the way John Piper defines propitiation in his book The Passion of Jesus Christ (aka Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die). John explains that "the meaning of the word "propitiation"…refers to the removal of God's wrath by providing a substitute. The substitute is provided by God himself. The substitute, Jesus Christ, does not just cancel the wrath; he absorbs it and diverts it from us to himself. God's wrath is just, and it was spent, not withdrawn" (p. 21). Take a moment to allow the Truth of 1 John 4:10 wash over you. Do you see what God is promising you and me?

God's Word explains the measure of God's love like this:

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Romans 5:8-11)

"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)

God is a holy God and He must judge sin. He knew that man would fall and that without Christ Jesus no one would ever have an intimate relationship with the One True Living God. We would all perish. John Piper explains that "If God were not just, there would be no demand for his Son to suffer and die. And if God were not loving, there would be no willingness for his Son to suffer and die. But God is both just and loving. Therefore his love is willing to meet the demands of his justice…We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice of His wrath against us. But when, by grace, we waken to our unworthiness, then we may look at the suffering and death of Christ and say, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sin" (The Passion of Jesus Christ, pp. 20 & 21). To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Monday Morning Devotion #265

2009-02-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

This Week's Passage

"For HE satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:9 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Satisfies #7646 - saba = to be satisfied, sated, fulfilled, surfeited
Longing #8264 - shaqaq = thirsty
Hungry #7457 - ra'eb - 1c. figurative use = of failing strength

The past five weeks have been difficult for me both spiritually and emotionally. At first, I could not understand why my heart was so heavy and the tears flowed so easily. I am not depressed or unhappy with my life, husband, role, or responsibilities. I am able to function and accomplish what needs to be done. I enjoy my day, but I just felt this heaviness about me that I do not usually experience.

I began to question the Lord about this heaviness. I asked Him to reveal to me the issue and then to deal with it according to His Word. Now, I want to pause here a moment to give honor and glory to the Lord. You see, this is not my normal response to suffering of any kind - large or small. My flesh is very prideful and selfish so my normal response is to be angry that I am dealing with an issue and then I move from anger into my "fix it" mode where I begin to look for the quickest way to remove all the discomfort and return to "life uninterrupted!!" God is gracious and HE has allowed me to study the book of James during this time so my awareness of how HE expects His children to respond to all the trials and affliction in their life is heightened. His truth working in me has enabled me to respond in a way that glorifies Him.

Over the past several weeks, Glen and I have talked and prayed, I have sought counsel from a couple of godly women, and I have stayed in the Word of God seeking Him in the midst of this storm. God is good and HE has walked me through several areas of my heart that needed to be dealt with according to His Word. In fact, two weeks into this particular "storm" one of the ladies I was speaking with said, "Michelle, God has been teaching me that His Word is to be food for my soul!" At once, my heart leaped and I knew that statement somehow fit my situation. I did not know how it fit or what the Lord was trying to teach me, but my spirit agreed with that statement and I quickly wrote that down and began praying and asking the Lord to show me what HE wanted to teach me.

Over the next couple of weeks it became more clear to me. You see, I am an "extremist" (basically, I move from one extreme to the other with very little middle ground). In the past, when I have been given the opportunity to minister I did so with a sinful heart. Because the Lord is a gracious God, HE did not allow me to continue in ministry. HE removed me from that situation and began a long, often painful, yet very wonderful work in those areas of sin and pride. HE has also been dealing with the extremeness in my life. Three months ago, the Lord again opened the door for me to serve. HE gave me the privilege of preparing a Bible study for the ladies' Sunday school class at church. I became very focused on serving in a way that glorifies the Lord and not falling prey to my sinful flesh again in this area.

Over the past three months, my focus has been on preparing, teaching, and serving but I have neglected to allow God's Word to feed my soul. Praise the Lord HE allowed my soul to become heavy and allowed me wisdom to seek godly counsel during this time. Now please hear me say that I have certainly learned a great deal during my individual study and through the wonderful insight each lady brings to the discussion in class. My head knowledge about the Word of God has increased and I really do see things that I did not see before. My understanding of who God is and who I am is heightened; however, what I have been missing is taking time to really allow God's Word to become food for my soul!!

During the discussion last Sunday, we were discussing the commands for teachers in James 3. One lady pointed out that teachers need to be very careful when they teach because they cannot lead beyond the point they are spiritually. That is where I was headed. James continually challenges us to evaluate our faith against the plum line of Scripture. Christians cannot grow in their relationship with Christ if our focus is not on Christ. My Friend, where are you today? Take the Word of God and examine your own faith based on the truths of God's Word. Make sure your faith is in line with Scripture and measure what you say you believe against what you actually do and how you respond to trials in your life.

Read our focal passage once more: "For HE satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:9) God's Word is exactly what each of His children need every moment of every day. There is nothing that God's Word cannot satisfy. Our souls were created for an intimate relationship with Him and anything else dissatisfies the soul. Man is continually seeking to fill that emptiness within Him and God Himself fills us to the very core with all that HE is and all that HE has. An example of this is found in John 4:1-42. God's love, mercy, grace, and complete fulfillment is displayed in Christ Jesus' interaction with the precious Samaritan woman at the well.

Jesus sat beside the well where the Samaritan woman drew water each day. When she approached the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. This sparked a conversation between the two because it was very uncommon for a Jew to interact with a Samaritan. During their conversation, Jesus said to the woman, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and HE would have given you living water."(John 4:10). Jesus talked with the woman about her life and the sin that filled it. She listened and HE opened her eyes to see who HE was. She left Jesus and ran to proclaim Him to her city. Scripture says that many in her city believed. Why? "Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (John 4:42).

Christ Jesus knew exactly what the Samaritan woman needed and what she was doing to try to satisfy the longing in her soul. Christ confronted her sin with Truth and HE allowed her to come to Him in complete surrender and acceptance. That is exactly what God is calling each of us to do. HE has opened up heaven to those who will believe and those who will call upon the name of Jesus in repentance, surrender and acceptance. There is nothing that you are doing, seeking, obtaining, or accomplishing that will satisfy to the very depth of your soul. Nothing will last forever except the Word of God. "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass, The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever…" (1 Peter 1:24-25a)

Where are you today, My Friend? This very moment, what is your focus? With what are you trying to satisfy yourself? In what are you basing your hope, your trust, your confidence, your purpose? If it is in anything besides Jesus Christ, you are wasting your time. Bow before the Lord God and allow Him to reveal to you any area that is not completely surrendered to Him. Allow Him to expose anything in your life that is hindering your walk with Him. If you are not a believer, call upon the name of Jesus and ask Him for mercy, grace, wisdom, insight and salvation. HE is faithful. HE is the God of heaven and earth. And HE alone is the source of complete satisfaction. Glory and honor to the only One who saves sinners from the wrath of God!!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #264

2009-02-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

This Week's Passage

"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." James 2:1 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Faith #3982 - pistis- In the NT, conviction or belief respecting man's relationship with God and generally with the included idea of trust and holy favor born of faith and joined with it.
Partiality #4382 -prosopolepsia- 2a) the fault of one who when called on to give judgment has respect of the outward circumstances of man and not to their
intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high born, or powerful, to another who does not have these qualities
_
I must begin this devotion by stating that several of the insights found within this text has been gathered from the Bible study the Lord has called me to write as well as from the ladies' class in which the study is being taught. One of the wonderful blessings of writing this study is that I am able to share it with a group of sisters in Christ and they, in turn, bring so much to the discussion. I am learning so much from the wisdom God has given them as well as what HE is teaching me through the preparation of the lessons.

A few weeks ago, we came to our focal passage and we began the discussion with the obvious question: Do we love and live in such a way that shows partiality? Christ Jesus calls us to love the way HE loves - unconditionally and without partiality. But then another question was raised: Do we dress and act in such a way that places us in a position of receiving favoritism or partiality? God began a huge work in my own heart through the study of His Word in this area and I would like to share with you some of these truths from God's Word.

First, let's all begin by asking the Lord God to open our eyes so we can see His Word clearly. May HE give us each a heart that longs for His Truth and may we each allow that Truth to penetrate to the very core of our being. Lord God, please expose all our hidden sin and bring those areas of our lives to the surface. My Friend, we cannot truly be free if we are bound in any area. Fear can keep us bound in sin. Fear of embarrassment, fear of shame and humiliation, fear of rejection, fear of being exposed for who we really are can keep us from confessing and repenting. Even if we are not participating in a particular sin at this very moment, if we have committed any sin and not confessed and repented of that sin to the Lord God, we are still bound. God requires a pure heart before Him. HE never ignores or forgets unconfessed sin but His Word says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:8-10).

God's heart is for His children to be free from this sin, this world, and self. HE offered Himself so that we could live an abundant life in the midst of this fallen world (John 10:10). His desire is for us to stand on His Word and to proclaim Him to all the world. I love how our pastor put it last Sunday, "God could have chosen any method to display His glory, but HE chose to use mere men and women to be the voice for Him." Are you a voice, My Friend, or are you a stumbling block to those looking to you to point them to the cross? Father, may each of Your children be humbled before You and may we come to the place of complete surrender and true humility before Your throne. May You be glorified in us and through us and may others come to You because we have been faithful to lead them to the only place where freedom overflows - the foot of the cross.

Read our focal passage once more. "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1).

"Christians are to be an exact representation of Christ Jesus our Lord. We are to love the way HE loves, walk the way HE walked, talk the way HE talked, and serve the way HE served. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, HE humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8) I love this passage. It is such a challenge to me personally. I struggle with pride and my fleshly desires, but through the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross, I have the power in Him to overcome those selfish urges and be like Christ. My flesh wants to be satisfied and I have to die to self daily, sometimes moment by moment. Christ loves us with a love that is incomprehensible. HE who was God, became man, yet remaining fully God, lived on this earth in full surrender and obedience to the Father. That obedience required that HE put aside all HE had in glory and to die on the cross for vile and wicked men and women. I was one of those sinners and I am in awe that the Lord of lords, King of kings, the Great I AM would do such a thing for me!

Our focal passage tells us that we are to put aside partiality and love everyone equally. How do we do this? We must begin by seeing people the way God sees them. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that man looks at the outward appearance of a man, but God looks at the heart. Now, we cannot see the heart of man, but we can learn to see people through the eyes of Christ. Loving them and serving them no matter what their appearance or social economic status is. Let's pause here a moment. It is easy to say we do not judge others based on outward appearance or status, but is this really true? Take a moment and ask the Lord to reveal any sin of partiality in your own heart…" (A Journey Through James by Michelle Jones pages 63-64).

Another way to show partiality is to demand special treatment for ourselves. When we prepare ourselves in the morning, what is our motive? Do we dress in a certain way that brings attention to ourselves? Keep in mind, we do not have to dress immodestly to draw attention to ourselves. Heart issues drive our actions. When our hearts are pure, our actions are focused on glorifying the Lord Jesus and pointing others to Him. When our hearts are full of pride and self, our actions are directed toward pointing others to ourselves and our achievements and successes. God's Word gives several instructions on how we are to adorn ourselves. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

Before I expand on this passage, let's make sure we keep this in context. Peter is addressing women and he is addressing them in the context of how they should behave toward their husbands. Peter is urging wives to dress and act in such a way that points their husbands to the Lord and if that husband is not a believer, her actions will lead him to the cross of Jesus Christ. I do think we can all gain valuable insight from this passage regardless of our marital status. The point Peter is making to these ladies is that people need to see more than us! Our looks, our thoughts, our status is not what glorifies the Lord. Yes, God made each of us differently and in the uniqueness His creativity is displayed. There is nothing wrong with God's children expressing themselves uniquely (within the context of Biblical commands), but nothing about us saves the lost from an eternity of separation from the Lord God.

We must understand that God has chosen to use us to display His glory and we are mere vessels for Him to speak to a lost and dying world. When we begin to look at ourselves and feel superior in any form, we have robbed the Lord of what is rightfully His - glory, praise, and attention. We must all be very careful not to become focused on self or on those who appear to have something that will enhance us - wealth, prestige, position, or connections. Let us never forget that Christ Jesus gave to us selflessly. HE became sin for us and died on the cross to save us from eternal destruction. May we never strive to place ourselves above the Most High or anyone HE has created. May our hearts be pure before Him and seek to give all glory, honor, praise, attention, and adoration to Him and Him alone.

How does God expect us to treat one another? Turn in your Bible to Leviticus 19:9-16. God's Word gives us several ways that we are to honor others above ourselves. Each one is geared toward helping others with a selfless heart and a Christ-like love. In Romans 15:1-6, we are instructed to love others through carrying one another's burdens, praying for and with one another and worshipping together in a way that edifies the body and honors the Lord. Let's conclude by reading together 1 John 4:12-13 & 16b "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and HE in us, because He has given us of His Spirit…God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."

Monday Morning Devotion #263

2009-01-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Strong's:
True #227 - alethes = loving the truth, speaking the truth, truthful
Honest #4586 - semnos = venerable, reverend
Just #1342 - dikaios = righteous, observing divine laws
Pure #53 - hagnos = pure from carnality, chaste, modest
Lovely #4375 - prosphiles = acceptable, pleasing
Good #2163 - euphemos = speaking well
Virtue #703 - arcte = virtuous course of thought, feeling and action
Praise #1868 - epaines = approbation
Think #3049 - logizomai - to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over

This past week, I struggled with these truths. In my thought life, I gave in to the temptation to begin doubting what God was doing in my life and I allowed my flesh and Satan to paint a very disturbing picture in my mind. I dwelt upon those lies and I began to believe them. I have to say that I am amazed at how quickly my thoughts turned to doubt and doubt to fear and fear to anger and anger to depression. Before I knew it, I was heavy-hearted and wanting to run away from something that I know the Lord has ordained in my life.

I allowed fear to take root and I allowed myself to believe the only way that I could honor the Lord was through putting aside a ministry and walling myself off from serving. Needless to say, that was ridiculous because God is not honored when His children do not live for Him and glorify Him through ministering to one another. But the first couple of days this week, I felt a war within my soul and I am so thankful that God continued to speak to me through His Word. Through tears, I cried out to the Lord to be glorified through my life and to teach me whatever HE has for me to learn through this trial. God is faithful and HE did just that.

My Friend, are you in the middle of a trial today? Are you hurting and needing comfort and peace? Are you confused, angry, bitter, fearful, anxious and/or depressed? God's Word has the answer to any and all your needs. God promises us in His Word that "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Jesus Himself said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5b). God loves you with an everlasting love and HE cares about every detail of your life. There is nothing too small or too big for Him to handle. God holds the entire universe in the palm of His hand and by His Word all things are sustained. HE placed each and every star in its place and nothing escapes His notice (Hebrews 4:13). When His children hurt, HE hurts. When His children cry, HE cries. When we call out to Him, HE hears and HE answers when our hearts are pure before Him (Psalm 34:15 & Jeremiah 29:13). HE uses each and every event in our lives to shape, mold, and transform us into His image (Romans 8:28). And HE alone is our salvation, peace, comfort, hope, and reward. HE is our ALL!!

Look once more at our focal passage. "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8 ) What does this mean? How are we to meditate upon such things when our hearts are hurting and our flesh does not want to study God's Word? My Friend, we each must make a choice. We either choose to listen to the sounds of the storm or to listen to the voice of Truth found in the pages of Scripture. When you are hurting, fearful, angry, depressed, cry out to the Lord and ask Him to create in you a clean heart. A heart that longs for Him and Him alone. A heart that will obey Him even when our flesh screams otherwise. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Let's look at Philippians 4:8 in greater detail. God's Word is instructing us to think upon certain things. First, we should note that think in this verse means "to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over." Basically, think "signifies making these things the subjects of your thoughtful consideration or to carefully reflect on them" (Vines, on-line). Second, when we find ourselves tempted to dwell upon something, may we first ask ourselves these questions: Do my thoughts honor the Lord? Are the thoughts surrounding things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy? If so, Paul says we should think upon them, if not, we are to reject them.

Why is this important for us to understand? Because our thought life is a powerful thing. Let's look at the preceding verse, Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." The study Bible I am using explains that "will guard" implies that the mind is in a battle zone and needs to be "protected by a military guard." Since the purpose of such a guard in a wartime situation is either to prevent a hostile invasion or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from escaping, the peace of God operates in the same way: to protect the mind from external corrupting influences and to keep it focused on God's truth" (p. 2005). In order to guard our hearts and minds from a destructive thought life, we must stay on our faces before the Lord and meditate upon His Word. We cannot allow ourselves to be lead around by our emotions. Our emotions will mislead us, but Scripture will never lead us into death but it delivers us from bondage and sets us free in Christ Jesus our Lord (John 8:32).

May this week be a new beginning for each of us. May we commit our lives to the Lord and to meditating upon His Word. May His grace be evident in our lives and His glory be fulfilled in each of us. God is good and worthy of our praise. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, "Rejoice"!" (Philippians 4:4)

Monday Morning Devotion #262

2009-01-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:29-30 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Fulfilled #4137 - pleroo - to make full, to complete
Increase #837 - auxano - to increase, to become greater
Decrease #1640 - elattoo - to decrease in authority or popularity

As another year emerges, it brings with it a fresh new beginning and a hope for a better year than before. People eagerly put together their New Year's Resolutions and set off on January 1st to make those all come true. But unfortunately, as the year moves forward and our lives seem to stay the same, those hopes and dreams of a "new beginning" seem to fade until they are a distant memory. Unfortunately, that is how some Christians begin their New Year as well. We make our lists of things we are going to "do" for God this year and then eventually we become overwhelmed with the responsibilities or situations of life and we "forget" what we had first been determined to do.

This begs the question, "Does God want His children to "do" for Him? "The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. HE has sent redemption to His people; HE has commanded His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is HE." (Psalm 111:7-9) "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands." (Psalm 102:25) "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." (1 Peter 1:25) According to Scripture, whose work endures forever? Who created the universe and everything/everyone in it? Who stands the test of time and NEVER fails? Who is glorified through all things? The answer to that question, is of course, the Lord God. God alone created all things and HE and His word remains forever. Nothing man does will last and we are hopeless without Him.

Now, does this mean that Christians are not useful to the Lord God or that we are excused from "working" for Him? Of course not! God created each of us with a unique purpose and a specific plan for our lives. But we must remember, that no matter what our individual calling may be, all of us have one purpose - To glorify the Lord God in all we do, say, think and believe. Henry Blackaby states in his book Experiencing God, "God is always at work around us" and HE invites us to join Him. God's desire for His children is not that we work for Him, but that we walk with Him. When we walk with the Lord in a humble submission and we love Him with a heart that longs for His glory, then the work of our hands become an expression of our faith in Him and our devotion to Him. That work then becomes a testimony that points others to the cross. The cross is where sinners find forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. When Christians decide in and of themselves to "work" for God, we miss the vital component that makes that work useful to the Lord - a heart and life that is totally and completely surrendered to the One who deserves all our honor, praise and worship. Man's work can be distracting from the Lord when that work in done without the direction and leadership of God.

That is exactly what the Lord has been teaching me over the past few months. Years ago, when we first moved here, the Lord revealed to me that one of my spiritual gifts was teaching. That teaching is in the form of writing, speaking and teaching ladies about the Word of God. God opened up the Monday Morning Devotion ministry eight years ago and HE has allowed this ministry to continue. But one ministry that the Lord did not allow to continue was writing Bible studies and speaking to ladies in group settings. You see, I realized that the Lord had gifted me in these areas and I thought that that meant that I was to jump right into that ministry and "work" for God. What I did not understand was that I was not ready to do those things. God was in the process of preparing me to serve Him with a pure heart, a heart that longed for His glory and not my recognition.

God graciously removed those opportunities so that I would be humbled before Him. HE gave me a teachable heart and HE began the painful, yet vital process of shaving away the strongholds in my life so that I would be able to serve Him with the sole purpose of pointing others to Him. Five years later, God has again presented the opportunity for me to write a Bible study and to teach ladies. This time, the timing is His and I had nothing to do with the calling, timing or the setting. I now understand that I am but a vessel for the Lord to display His glory, love and forgiveness. As I sit down to prepare each lesson, I surrender all of me to Him and I ask Him to write through me and teach me before I ever open my mouth to share His truth with others. My heart really is to honor Him and I praise Him daily for a second chance.

You see, through the Bible study that HE is writing through me, I am learning that what I do on earth matters. "Blessed is the man who endures temptations (trials, afflictions); for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12) The crown of life is not referring to our salvation but rather to the abundance of life.

"Christ Jesus promises us that HE will give us "the crown of life" if we endure the trials in our lives and remain faithful to Him. What is the "crown of life"? Turn to Revelation 2:10. The crown of life mentioned in this verse is the same as the crown of life mentioned in James 1:12. Crown #4735 - stephanos means "mark of royal or exalted rank". Jesus is promising us that we will be exalted for our endurance and our faithfulness here on earth. When we welcome God's work in our lives, even when that work includes affliction, we are blessed with eternal rewards. Rewards that our minds cannot even imagine. Think about the absolute best gift you could be given. Not even that gift compares to what blessings God has tailor-made for you! That is because Jesus Christ offers His children "life". Life in this verse means "absolute fullness."

What better blessing can a child of God receive than to know that we have lived our life in absolute fullness and we have completed the task the Lord God called us to complete when HE first thought of us. Before HE even formed us in our mother's womb and brought us forth in the exact time of His perfect plan. A plan that gave us an invitation to walk with Him, talk with Him, serve Him through absolute obedience and to shine as a testimony to His greatness. Are you dancing with joy yet?!?! I am about to come out of my chair!!! God is more amazing every time we spend time with Him. The more we seek Him, the more we know Him and the more we know Him the more we desire Him and the more we desire Him the more we long to be in His presence, no matter the cost!! Praise You, Jesus!! Thank you, Lord!!" (A Journey Through James, by Michelle Jones, p.26)

Read our focal passage once more. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:29-30) John the Baptist is a wonderful example of a child of God who understood his purpose in life. John the Baptist was called to "prepare the way" for Christ Jesus. He spent his life urging people to repent of their sin and turn their lives over to Christ. When the appointed time arrived for Christ Jesus to be identified, John had the privilege of doing so (John 1:6-2:34). Until Jesus Christ was identified, the crowds came to John to hear the Truth proclaimed and to be baptized. Once the Lord Jesus began preaching, teaching and baptizing, the crowds turned and followed Him.

"Scripture points out that John's disciples noticed and brought this to John's attention. "John's response mattered!! Now, human nature desires attention and we all want to be appreciated and recognized for our "work". In John's flesh, there may have been some heart issues, we don't know because Scripture does not tell us, but regardless of the potential temptations, John did not act upon them. John took this opportunity to point his disciple to Christ Jesus and remind them that their work was now to lead others to Christ and away from John. John understood that God gives and God takes away as it glorifies Him. John's ministry was not to glorify himself, but to prepare a way for the Lord. John acknowledged "…Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)" (A Journey Through James, p. 35)

My Friend, may that be our heart's cry today and for as long as we breathe. God created us to glorify Him and when HE is glorified in our lives, we are blessed with eternal rewards that this world can never match. May each of our focus this year be to live a life that is totally surrendered to the Lord God and allow Him to do whatever necessary in our lives to fulfill our calling. HE is trustworthy, faithful and eternal. There is nothing we have to fear for God is Sovereign and HE loves us with a protective love. HE is molding, shaping and transforming His children into His image and our eternal salvation rests upon Him and His finished work on the cross. May we each see our lives as Christ sees our lives…We are but a vapor in this life. The "things" that we cling to are not going to last. May each of us fall before the Lord God and allow Him to give us a heart that longs for the eternal things of Him. May this year be a new beginning in our relationship with the One True Eternal God. "I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. HE has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. HE has given food to those who fear Him; HE will ever be mindful of His covenant. HE has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations." (Psalm 111:1-6)

Monday Morning Devotion #261

2008-12-23T05:58:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture…I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:9, 11 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Door #2374 thura - used of any opening like a door, an entrance, way or passage
Pasture #3542 nome - food
Good #2570 kalos - good, excellence in its nature and characteristics, genuine, approved

The Christmas season is upon us once again and the world is in a frenzy of last minute shopping, parties, social events, wrapping, traveling, and trying to make sure everything is in order and ready for the big event. Unfortunately, the "big event" to some people is based on family, gifts, and time off of work and school. Certainly, those things are not bad things. In fact, each one is actually a reason to celebrate; however, the problem with that is that some people focus their celebrating on those things alone. They miss the true meaning we have Christmas.

I am sure we are all familiar with the Christmas story, but let's take a moment to read through it.

"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"…And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger…Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told to them." (Luke 2:1, 3-14, 16, 20)

Christmas is the time for the world to reflect upon the birth of Christ Jesus. Why? "There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are their ways; And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18) "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) My Friend, without Christ Jesus coming to earth to live, die and rise again, no one would have hope. No one would have peace. No one would escape eternal damnation (hell). And worst of all, no one would have salvation that provides access to the Most High God. By coming to earth in the form of a man, yet being fully God, Christ Jesus became the door by which we have access to the Lord God. "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come, that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:9- 11)

The Christmas story began way before the birth of Christ. The Christmas story was put into motion before the foundations of the world were formed through Christ Jesus (John 1:1-4). God knew that man would chose to sin against Him, yet His love for man provided a perfect sacrifice that would pay that sin debt. A debt that man himself could never pay. Nothing man does, says, achieves, provides or makes restitution for would erase the sin and provide access to a holy God. Because God is love (1 John 4:8), HE put His prophecies in the mouths of the prophets informing the generations that the Messiah was coming and HE would bear the sins of the world and set His people free from sin and self thus glorifying Himself. Isaiah foretold the coming of the King of kings in verses 6-7. "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgement and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

God's heart toward us is peace (Jeremiah 29:11) and His purpose is to provide for us a way to glorify Him through the salvation that Christ Jesus alone offers. Let's pause here a moment. Did you hear that with your heart? God's heart toward us is peace? How can that be?!?! We are sinners whose sins crucified Christ Jesus His Son, yet God's thinks thoughts of peace, hope, eternal future towards us. That alone is a reason to celebrate, and not just one day a year, but ALL day EVERY day until we draw our final breath!! God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8); however, God took the time to record in His Word who HE is, how much HE loves us, and the way in which sinners can be set free and enter into His presence (2 Timothy 3:16-17). My Friend, that Truth should make our hearts sing with overflowing joy, our feet dance in pure delight, and our mouths praise Him forever and ever without ceasing!!

May we each sit at the feet of the One who gave Himself for us and praise Him with a heart of purity, righteousness, and in holy reverence because HE gave us that privilege and that new heart. HE alone made us new creations in Him when we surrendered our life to Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you are reading this today, and your heart has been prompted by the Lord God and HE has opened your eyes to your need for His salvation, please do not hesitate. Bow your head and confess that need to the Lord God, ask Him to heal you through the forgiveness of His blood and to make you a new creation in Him and for Him. May God pour Himself upon you and in you and fill you with His Truth.

As we gather with our families and friends during this Christmas season, may the Lord not allow us to open a gift without first recognizing that HE alone is the only gift with eternal worth the only gift worth having or receiving. And that HE alone is the One who came, died and rose again so that we would have a reason to celebrate. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

Monday Morning Devotion #260

2008-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"One thing I have desired of the LORD 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 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Desired #7592 shael = beg, pray
Dwell #3427 yashab = to remain, to settle, to sit quietly, to marry, habitation
House #1004 bavith = family, inside, home
Behold #2372 ehazah = mentally to perceive
Inquire #1239 baqar = to inspect, admire, care for, consider, to seek out, search

Nineteen years ago, when Glen and I first met, we spent many hours getting to know one another. We listened and talked to one another (well, for those of you who know me, you know I did most of the talking! Heehee). We enjoyed getting to know one another's likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, and discovering what we had in common. When we were apart, we eagerly awaited the time that we would be together again and we cherished those moments. When we had to choose between spending time together or spending time apart, we would always choose the former.

As I studied our focal passage this week, the Lord asked me this question, "Michelle, do you desire getting to know me as much as you desire getting to know others in your life?" My heart sank because I knew the Lord already knew that answer. I had to answer honestly, "Not always, Lord." When the Lord first revealed to me my sin and my desperate need of a Savior, I was only six years old. Unfortunately, I did not follow my salvation with earnest study of God's Word or application of His truth in my life. I lived my life for self and spent very little time getting to know the Lord. When I was a teenager, I fell prey to my flesh and rebelled against the Lord God. At 19 years of age, I was a real mess and desperately wanted to end my life. I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to remove this rebellion and replace it with Himself.

For years, the Lord has been faithfully revealing layer upon layer of pride and rebellion. At times, I have eagerly followed Him and allowed Him to do the work necessary for my healing, restoration, reconciliation, and renewal, while other times, I simply refused. "If we are faithless, HE remains faithful, HE cannot deny Himself." (2 Timothy 2:13) God is true to His Word, My Friend. Not once has the Lord walked away from me, ignored me, withheld His love from me, or given up on me. HE loves me with an everlasting love and HE will never allow me to be comfortable in my sin and rebellion. "…For HE Himself has said, "Never will I leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:28) "Who can separate us from the love of Christ?…For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which in is Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35a & 38-39)

The same is true for you today. God loves you with an everlasting love and HE is more than willing and able to transform you into His image. HE is not limited because of your past or even your present. HE is the Lord God and there is none like Him!! "…I AM the First and I AM the Last; Besides ME there is no God!" (Isaiah 44:6) "…For I AM God, and there is no other; I AM God, and there is none like ME." (Isaiah 46:9) If you are drowning today in your sin and shame, come to the Lord. Call upon Him and HE will answer you. Confess your sin and REPENT from it. We must understand; however, that confessing and repenting are two different actions. To confess means that you admit to God that you are a sinner and that you have sinned against Him. To repent means that you not only admit that you have sinned against Him, but that you STOP sinning against Him.

Absolutely, we are not perfect and we will sin from time to time, but when we repent, we commit to leave the former way of life behind and walk faithfully with the Lord. HE knows our weaknesses and HE is more than able to overcome them. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Habitual sin has no place in the life of a Christian. When we are bound by sin, we are not living in the abundance that Christ Jesus came to give (John 10:10). When we are living a life fulfilling our flesh, we miss the opportunity to be used by God for His glory and our eternal purpose. We are a poor testimony to the mighty power, grace, mercy and holiness of the Lord God. And My Friend, HE deserves ALL our honor, praise, worship and attention!! When we are living outside the boundaries that God has established for His children, we place ourselves in danger, spiritually, emotionally, socially, relationally, and physically. God will allow consequences in our lives to bring us back to Him. Not because HE does not care about us, but because HE DOES!!

My Friend, our world is fading. All the "things" that we once held so dear are perishing before our very eyes. Christ is preparing to return and gather His children together and we have to start preparing for His return. "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!" (Matthew 25:6) "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright…" (Revelation 19:6-8) No matter what this world offers, no matter what false doctrine is preached, no matter how many people refuse to believe in the Lord God, HE is God and HE will judge sin! God's existence is not dependant, nor determined, by man's belief in Him. HE is and was and always will be!! "For it is written: "As I live, say the LORD, Every knee shall bow to ME, And every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way." (Romans 14:11-13) And when God's children do not live according to God's Word, we ARE stumbling blocks to those around us!! Forgive us, Father!!

Read our focal passage once more. "One thing I have desired of the LORD 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) At the end of our lives or when Christ returns, whichever is first, we will stand before the Lord God and give account of the way we lived - either for the Lord God or for self. If we do not return to our first love - Christ Jesus - we will have nothing to offer Him in eternity. We will stand before Him bare and ashamed. Christ Jesus gave Himself for us because HE desires an intimate relationship with us. In and of ourselves, it is impossible to come to Him, walk with Him, grow close to Him…That is why HE came, lived, died, and rose again!! "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinner, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

If we want an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, we must come to Him according to His Word. The psalmist in our focal passage had a heart for God. His one desire was to spend time in God's Word, listening to Him and meditating on His Truths. Through that discipline in his life, the psalmist got to know the Lord God and he fell in love with Him. He desired to know Him more and to follow His commands, statutes, and precepts. In following the Lord God, the psalmist lived to glorify God and not self. He was able to withstand the temptations of this world and focus on what really mattered - eternity. His life was an example for others to follow and his love for the Lord pointed others to the Lord. At the end of his life, he stood before the Lord God and heard, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."

Is that the desire of your heart today? If not, bow your knees before your Creator and confess that sin to Him. Ask Him to anoint your with His Holy Spirit and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Ask Him to create in you a heart that desires Him above all else and to equip you with the wisdom, discernment, and commitment necessary to fulfill the purpose for which you were created - to glorify the King of kings, Lord of lords, the Great I AM, the Holy One of Israel, your personal Lord and Savior!! "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon ME and go and pray to ME, and I will listen to you. And you shall seek ME and find ME, when you search for ME with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Monday Morning Devotion #259

2008-11-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"I say then: 'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so you do not do the things you wish." Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Walk #4043 peripateo = to live, to be occupied with
Lust #1939 epithumis = longing for something forbidden, desire
Flesh #4561 sarx = human nature, carnally-minded
Contrary #480 antikeimal = adversary, to be opposed

This past week has been one of victory in my life. Years ago, there was an event in my family's life that truly broke Glen and my heart. We did not react to it properly and I allowed myself to dive deep into the bondage of unforgiveness and fear. About four years ago, the Lord lead us to a body of believers who surrounded our family with love and prayer. When we first entered the doors of that church, we were emotionally and spiritually wounded and we refused to get involved or to serve in the church.

The Lord God used our pastors, the teachers, and the entire congregation to minister truth to us, encourage us and to hold us accountable. We began to move forward in our spiritual walk and Glen quickly began to serve alongside of other godly men. It has taken me a lot longer because I was holding onto to sinful pride, fear, and unforgiveness. Last year, the Lord revealed to me the unforgiveness I was clinging too and HE began peeling away those layers of hurt, shame, guilt, pride and bitterness. Over time, I began to see the Lord's hand as each layer was removed and one by one, I forgave all those who had hurt me. I also confessed and repented of my sin in that situation and asked the Lord to forgive me. The process was difficult and VERY painful at times; however, by God's grace, I was able to continue healing.

A few months ago, our Sunday school class began a Bible study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom entitled Seeking Him…Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival. Through that study, the Lord really brought a Biblical awareness of my sin and revealed deep-seeded hurt, shame, and fear. I was allowing Satan to convince me that because I failed in the past to minister appropriately, that I was no longer usable to the Lord. I was withholding my gifts and talents from the Body for fear that the past would repeat itself.

Two weeks ago, I was faced with the "past", I again began to panic and feel very defeated. This time; however, I chose to run to the Lord and seek His discernment. I cried out to Him and begged Him to show me any unconfessed sin and to help me put the past completely behind me ("But Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven." Luke 9:62). Over the next four days, the Lord graciously opened my eyes to an area of unforgiveness. I was shocked because I truly thought I had dealt with all that. "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) For the first time in my life, I understand what Paul meant when he said, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

Read our focal passage once more. "I say then: 'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so you do not do the things you wish." (Galatians 5:16-17) In January, we began studying together what it means to live a life surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen in Scripture the destruction and worthlessness that accompanies a life lived for "self". There is no victory in a life lived for the flesh. Each child of God is equipped with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation. It is our choice whether or not we live by the Spirit or by our flesh. Certainly, the flesh screams to be satisfied and it is often times painful not to "give in." But God's Word is clear that when we live according to the flesh there is death.

Now, for a child of God, our salvation is eternal. Nothing can "snatch" us from the hand of Christ. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:27-30) God's Word promises us that our salvation is secure; however, a Christian can miss out on the blessing of fulfilling their God-given purpose by living their life by the flesh. God created each of us to glorify Him in specific and unique ways. When we allow our flesh to be our guide and ignore the Truth of Scripture, we fail in our ministry. Do not allow Satan to tell you that you do not have a ministry. Each one of us has been called to minister to those around us by loving and living as Christ Jesus did. Keep in mind that "living according to the flesh" does not only mean living a materialistic lifestyle. We also live by the flesh when we refuse to live our lives rooted/based on the Truths of God's Word, thus we live according to our human understanding and rationale.

For about five years I missed many opportunities to minister to others because I was too busy focusing on my past. I was selfish and allowed my fear of being hurt or making mistakes prevent me from using the spiritual gifts God gave me to glorify Him and edify the Body. By the grace of God, I was able to continue this ministry because I am able to write and send out the devotion without being seen. That fear of rejection was decreased because I never know who reads the devotions and who discards it. My rebellion against the Lord was in the area of public ministry, i.e., teaching and speaking. The Lord has been so merciful to allow me a "do over" in ministry. My heart's cry is that I do it right this time!!! To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen!!

My Friend, no matter what your past or your present, the Lord God loves you and has given Himself for you. "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) The blood of Christ offers complete forgiveness, redemption, healing, restoration, renewal, and eternal life. There is nothing that HE withholds from His children (Psalm 84:11) and HE has a specific plan for your life and for the ministry HE has created for you. Please do not allow Satan to convince you that Scripture is not true or that it does not apply to you. Satan is the Deceiver and he does not want you to glorify the Lord (John 10:10). Allow the Lord God to search your heart and reveal any and all sin that you may be harboring in your heart. Be willing to allow Him to show you things you may not be aware of. HE loves you and His heart is for your best interest. And it is in your best interest to deal with your sins openly and honestly before the Lord God.

Time is short, My Friend, and Christ is preparing to return. There is so much work left to be done and so many souls that are lost and in spiritual danger. Christians MUST rise up and repent so that the Lord can renew us and use us to bring light to the darkness. Are you willing to minister in ways that you never imagined possible? God is the God of second chances. HE will restore, renew, and rebuild. Take His hand and allow Him to be that guiding force in your life. Say "NO" to your flesh, no matter the cost. We are warriors in the army of the Almighty!! The victory is ALREADY His, but we have the awesome privilege to walk with Him through this life and bring others to the foot of the cross. No other accomplishment will stand the test of time!!!

Monday Morning Devotion #258

2008-11-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because HE first loved us." 1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Fear #5401 phobos = to be afraid, exceedingly, fear, terror
Love #26 agape = affection, benevolence, dear, love
Perfect #5046 teleios = complete, completeness
Perfect #5048 teleioo = accomplish, fulfill, make perfect
Casts #906 ballo = throw down, to thrust
First #4413 protos = foremost in time, place, order or importance; before, beginning, best

About a year ago, my pastor lovingly confronted me on my sin of fear. He had noticed that my life seemed to be driven by fear. Everything I did was rooted in trying to control my surroundings so I would not experience pain. This "fear" was evident in every aspect of my life…My relationship with other people, the well-being of my children, my need to "control" events in our marriage and basically in life in general. I know I have shared this with you previously, but allow me to simply state that I was truly not aware of this sin. I was actually shocked when he mentioned it me.

Throughout the following weeks, the Lord began to open my eyes to this truth and show me in His Word why fear was a sin and how it affects the very nature of my relationship with Him. You see, there is no room for fear in the life of a believer. Fear stems from not trusting/believing God. I said I trusted God and I could quote Scripture supporting that truth, but deep within the secret places of my heart, I did not trust God. "The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And HE knows those who trusts in Him." (Nahum 1:7) "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father". (Romans 8:15) "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

This past week, our nation elected a new president. For those whose heart is to preserve the standards which God's Word established, our prayer seemed to go unheard. As I laid down Tuesday night, I found myself having a very difficult time resting. I cried out to the Lord and asked, "Why, Lord? Your children have prayed, confessed and repented of our sins, and asked You to establish our next president as a man who stands for those things that You command." In the stillness of the night, the Lord God comforted me with His Truth. HE spoke to my heart and reassured me that His children are called to obedience and HE is the Author of the days, the outcome of all things are by His perfect design. HE promises to bless our obedience ("Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you." Jeremiah 7:23) and that HE hears and answers the prayer of the righteous ("Then you will call upon Me and go to pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13) His Word also promises us that HE is the One who sets the kings of this world in position and that HE is sovereign and nothing happens without His permission. "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgement and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7) "And HE changes the times and the seasons; HE removes kings and raises up kings; HE gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding." (Daniel 2:21) "…That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever HE will And sets over it the lowest of men." (Daniel 4:17) "…until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever HE chooses." (Daniel 4:25, 32 & 5:21)

My Friend, the children of God have no reason to fear, even when things appear to be spiraling out of control. God is love (1 John 4:8) and HE loves us with an everlasting love. As we studied last week, everything God does is rooted, established and executed through that love. God did not ignore our prayers. HE did not forget about us. HE was not surprised by the outcome of the election, nor is HE surprised by any trial/circumstance/event that occurs in our lives. HE designs our days and HE orchestrates the events in our lives to bring glory to Himself and to establish our good.
God will use this time in history to teach us more about Himself. We simply need to trust in the Lord God to be who HE promises HE is.

Certainly, we cannot ignore that Scripture is unfolding and all heaven and earth is anticipating Christ Jesus' return. Scripture is true and the end is getting closer with every passing day. What a joy that will be when we hear Christ shout and turn to see Him coming into our presence in all His glory. Everyone, no matter what they claim to believe or not believe, WILL bow their knees in complete surrender and worship of Him who is and was and always will be!!! (Romans 14:11) Christ Jesus will establish His kingdom and call His children to Himself. Our focus at this time must be to come before the Lord God in complete repentance and submission. Allowing His blood to wash over us, cleansing us from all unrighteousness. When we come humbly before the Lord God, we are changed, a new creation in Christ Jesus. Our primary focus will be to live a life worthy of our Lord and to lead others to the cross so they will have the opportunity to surrender their lives to Him who is able to forgive all sin, heal all wounds, and restore us completely to Himself.

Read our focal passage once more. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because HE first loved us." (1 John 4:18-19) In this verse, God promises that His perfect/complete love completes us. His love accomplishes its purpose and upholds us in times of trouble and in times of peace. When a child of God is residing in His perfect love, no fear can reside with us. His love casts out fear and establishes us in Himself. HE is our fulfillment, our comfort, our peace, our hope, our sustainer, our refuge, our life and our very breath.

My Friend, no matter what you are facing today, trust in the Lord. Seek Him above all else. Ask Him to search your heart and know your anxious thoughts. Allow Him to reveal to you what you need to confess and repent and then do that immediately. Trust the Lord to be exactly who His Word promises HE is. Allow Him to wash over you and heal you from the past and/or the present. As children of God, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. We are no longer prisoners of sin. We can walk freely and intimately with our Lord. May that be the prayer of our hearts this week. May we love Him and trust Him alone.

Your Sister in Christ,
Michelle Jones
November 10, 2008
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Monday Morning Devotion #257

2008-11-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God may bless you in land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land…" Deuteronomy 30:15-18 (NJKV)

Strong's:
Life #2416 chay = alive, merry, running, springing
Good #2896 towb =favor, graciously, joyful, loving, most pleasant, prosperity, wealth
Death #4194 maveth - pestilence, ruin, violent
Evil #7451 ra = calamity, distress, exceedingly, great grief, harm, misery, sorrow, trouble, worst wretchedness
Commandments #4687 mitsvah = percept
Statutes #2708 chuqqah = appointed custom
Judgments #4941 mishpat = divine law
Live #2421 chayah = revive, give life, repair, restore, save, be whole
Multiply #7235 rabah = to increase in whatever respect,

Tuesday, November 4th, Americans will raise their voices and bring a new president into the White House. The true heart of America will be revealed and the desires of her people will be shown. Before we head to the voting booths, may each of us bow before the Lord God and allow Him to examine our hearts and reveal to us any sins that we may be harboring in our hearts. May we repent of those sins and ask for His unconditional forgiveness to fall fresh upon us. May we allow Him to do whatever work necessary to change our hearts and make them new. May we seek Him above all else and experience Him in the way that HE has always intended for us to experience Him…As our Life, our Joy, our Hope, our Protection, our King, our Shelter, our Reward, our Comforter, our Sustainer, our Purpose, our Direction, our Freedom, our Best Friend.

May the Lord God look upon His people and see one heart, one mind and one desire. Please Lord, bring about a spiritual revival across this nation in a way that has never been seen before. May Your glory be so evident and so magnificent that it draws the lost to You and Your children into a deeper relationship with You. May our cries be heard and our prayers be answered. My Friend, we deserve nothing, but death and destruction. Nothing in us or about us is good, worthy, or valuable. We are sinners saved by grace and nothing more. The Lord has chosen to extend His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and life to each of His children. It is because of His greatness that we exist. His power sustains this universe and everything in it was made by Him and through Him and for Him (John 1:3). Every decision we make as individuals and as a nation must be made with the Lord God and His glory as our first priority. When we live a life that brings honor and glory to God, God pours out His blessings upon us. His heart is to shower His children with blessings beyond our wildest dreams. Not because we deserve it or have earned it, but because HE is love (1 John 4:8) and all His actions are birthed and executed in and through that love.

Over and over in Scripture, we find the Lord God calling His people back to Him. His heart is for each person to repent and to allow the blood of Christ to cleanse them, heal them, renew them, restore them and recreate them into His own image (2 Peter 3:9). Look at our focal passage. "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God may bless you in land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land…" (Deuteronomy 30:15-18)

As a nation and as individuals we have failed to honor and glorify the Lord. We have allowed our world to be filled with vile and sinful concepts, ideas, entertainment, values, morals, and teachings. We call it "freedom of expression" but what the Lord God calls it is SIN. We live in ways that bring shame to the Lord God and to the name of Christ, but we ask Him to protect us, sustain us, prolong our freedoms and comforts. Why do we think that we deserve such things?! God's Word clearly states that God wants to bless us, but we have to make a choice. We have to either choose to live according to His Word or we choose to live in rebellion against Him. There is no middle ground, My Friend. His Word is also clear about the outcome of our choices. If we choose to live according to His Word, HE will bless us with His presence and provisions, but if we choose to live in rebellion against Him, HE will allow us to perish through the destruction we bring upon ourselves.

This election is not about protecting our comforts so we can continue to live unchanged and uninterrupted for the next four years. This election is about electing a man that will uphold the values and morals of Scripture and continue to protect our great nation against those who desire to destroy it, so that God's children will be able to use the next four years to proclaim Christ Jesus to a lost and dying world. Christ Jesus is going to return and call His children home. We know this for certain because God's Word tells us HE is coming again. Jesus promises in Matthew 14:2-3 "In My Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Three times in Revelations, Jesus promises, "Behold, I AM coming quickly…" (Revelations 3:11; 22:7; 22:20) For God's children, Christ return is the best possible gift; however, to the lost, Christ return seals their death and destruction, their complete separation from the Lord God for all eternity.

Oh, My Friend, we are not ready for Christ to return!!! We have so much work that needs to be done. So much that we have allowed to be put on the "back burner" so that we could pursue other things…Wealth, personal success, accomplishments, dreams, hopes, ideas, employment, life in general, and comforts this world offers. My heart is heavy as I think of the time I have wasted and the opportunities that I had to share Christ Jesus and chose not too for whatever reason. May God forgive me and allow me the opportunity to share Christ once more with the lost in my family and in my sphere of influence. Satan is the father of lies and no truth is within him (1 John 2:4). His goal is to deceive us into thinking that Christ is either not returning at all or that His return is so far off that our delay in sharing the Gospel will not have a negative effect on those around us. That could not be farther from the truth. Christ is returning! HE is coming quickly! And every second counts! Our sole purpose for being on this earth at this particular time is to glorify the Lord by living for Him so that others may come to know Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

God is Sovereign and HE alone is worthy of all honor, glory and praise. HE is our life and the length of our days (Deuteronomy 30:20). HE is worth whatever cost. HE is more valuable than gold, more priceless than the most precious jewel. Nothing in heaven or earth satisfies to the very marrow of our souls like Christ Jesus. Nothing is worth living for if HE is not the Center. We have no idea how much we miss and how much those around us miss when we do not live for Him and Him alone. When we allow our eyes to be removed from Him and our hearts begin to stray toward the things of this world. Father God, PLEASE open our eyes and our ears so that we can hear Your Truth and understand it. May we have a heart so broken before You that we pour out our repentance and allow You to restore us and create in us a heart that truly longs for You every moment of the day. May You give us such a passion for the lost that our first priority in every decision that we make will be to live in such a way that draws others to the cross of Jesus. Forgive our sins and the sins of this nation. Bring revival to our nation and throughout the world. Sustain us, protect us, root us and establish us in Your unchanging, unshakable, uncompromising Word. May our lives be exact representations of You, Lord Jesus.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that HE would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19) To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Your Sister in Christ,
Michelle Jones
November 3, 2008
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Monday Morning Devotion #256

2008-10-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

This week's focal passage:

"The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of the fools."
Proverbs 3:35 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Wise #2450 - chakam = intelligent, skillful, artful, wise-hearted
Inherit #5157 - nachal = occupy, have, leave for
Shame #7036 - qulown = disgrace, confusion, dishonor
Legacy (promotion in the KJV) #7311 - ruwm = breed worms

As parents, Glen and I often think about what we will leave our children as an inheritance. We do not have many earthly possessions, but we do have something that is FAR more valuable and ETERNAL…We have an intimate, personal, real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are no longer bound to the things of this world, but we belong to the kingdom of God. We are children of the Risen Lord, the Great I AM, the King of kings, the Most High, and all that belongs to Him HE has graciously given to us as an inheritance!! "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light." (Colossians 1:12)

God's Word tells us exactly what Christ Jesus has done for us and offers to us through His sacrifice on the cross. "HE has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin." (Colossians 1:13-14) God's Word goes on to explain exactly who Christ is and the power that is His. "HE is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And HE is before all things and in Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:15-17)

Scripture continues this promise in Ephesians 1:17-23 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which HE worked in Christ when HE raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And HE put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him all in all."

My Friend, many of us are walking a very thin line. We say, with our mouths, that we love the Lord God with all our hearts, minds, and souls; however, very little in our daily life reflects that. We allow ourselves to get distracted by the things of this world, i.e., responsibilities, daily chores, employment, successful ventures, children, spouses, our hopes, dreams, expectations, circumstances, etc. Not all of which are "bad" but when they become our focus, our love, our driving motivation, then the "good" things quickly become our idols…They replace our focus and our love for Christ Jesus. When this happens, we begin to live a life that is worthless and void of all meaning and purpose. We were created to bring glory and honor to the Lord God. We must not forget this!!

Forgetting our purpose is detrimental to our walk/relationship with Christ Jesus. Christ will NOT take 2nd place and HE will not be our "genie in a bottle". HE demands complete surrender, absolute abandon to self and sin, and true humility that only comes through His revitalizing work in our hearts. Living a life that has eternal purpose can only be obtained through a daily study of God's Word, allowing ourselves to approach the throne of God with honesty and openness, and a heart that is willing and obedient to the Lord God no matter what the cost.

Time is running out, My Friend. Christ is preparing to return and gather His bride…Are you preparing to meet your Groom? Reread our focal passage once more. "The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of the fools." (Proverbs 3:35) If Christ Jesus called you home today, what would your legacy be? What would those left behind learn from your life? Would they look at your life as an example of a godly man/woman or would they be "confused" because you said you loved the Lord, but you lived your life for self? Shame in this verse means confusion and legacy here means "to breed worms." Scripture talks about the destruction of worms…"Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And the worms cover you." (Isaiah 14:11) "Then the Angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died." (Acts 12:23)

When we live a life of hypocrisy, people know it. They may not confront us, but they know that we are not truthful and the Lord is not in us. We destroy ourselves and the testimony that the Lord has for us before men. What are we doing? We only have a short time to prepare for the coming of the King and we allow ourselves to get sidetracked by meaningless things, meaningless accomplishments, meaningless pursuits. When you exit this earth, what do you want to leave behind? May the cry of our hearts be repentance before the Lord God and may HE grant us another day to live for Him and Him alone. May we understand the inheritance that is ours as a child of God and may our sole desire be to bring others to the foot of the cross so they may inherit the glory of God themselves. "…That HE might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy…" (Romans 9:23)

Your Sister in Christ,
Michelle Jones
October 20, 2008
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Monday Morning Devotion #255

2008-10-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart." Psalm 119:111 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Testimonies #5715 'eduwth - witness
Heritage #5157 nachal - inheritance, to take for, divide, to inherit
Rejoicing #8342 sasown - welcome, joy, gladness

To whom do you look when you need a little lift or a shoulder to cry upon? What makes you happy? Where do you find joy? When are you the most content? Most of us have many answers for each of these questions. We have several friends, family, or loved ones to whom we could turn to in our time of need. We have activities, programs, ministries, hobbies and/or careers that bring us enjoyment and/or satisfaction. We find success in the world's eyes when we obtain a certain economic status. Our world is filled with "things" that enhance our life and bring us pleasure.

All of us have been distracted by the "glitter" of the world's promises at one time or another. We have all sought approval, acceptance, and attention from the world and rejoiced when we received those things. We have each traded holiness for immorality, sinful pleasures and wickedness. "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God…" (Romans 3:10-11) "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

My Friend, pause here a moment. We have all read/heard Romans 5:8 before but let's just take a moment to really ponder on what God is saying to us. God, the Great I AM, the Most High, Holy of holies, Lord of lords, King of kings, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, lowered Himself from the glories of heaven to the filthiness of earth and WILLING gave Himself for sinners. That includes you and me!!!! BEFORE we even knew of Him, cared about Him, turned to Him, repented of our sins, Christ died for us. Does that Truth take hold of your heart today? Does that revelation make you drop to your knees in absolute worship and repentance? God's grace is sufficient for us and through that grace we are able to understand God's Word, our eyes and ears are opened to Him, our hearts are drawn to Him and our wills are surrendered to Him.

God loves us with an everlasting love and His glory spills over upon us. HE created us to glorify Him and to live a life that points others to Him. We absolutely waste our lives when we live for any other purpose. When we allow ourselves to be distracted by the world's promises, we sacrifice and destroy ourselves. Our lives become worthless and hopeless, even when everyone around us screams and shouts that we are successful. My Friend, time is short. The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing to return from the riches of heaven, gather His children together, and destroy the earth and everything in and of it. Nothing will last, nothing will stand, nothing will matter when Christ returns and reigns holy judgement out upon everything and everyone who has stood against Him, lived a life without Him, sought to glorify himself/herself, lived a "good" life yet never accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior.

God's Word tells us "I Am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not share with another. Nor My praise to carved images." (Isaiah 42:8) "Indeed you (idols) are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination." (Isaiah 41:24) "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) "O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You." (Psalm 69:5) "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts…" (1 Corinthians 4:5) "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before ME. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, HE is coming," Says the LORD of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when HE appears? For HE is like a refiner's fire And like launderers' soap. HE will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver…" (Malachi 3:1-3a)

Jesus is coming, My Friend, and we are not prepared. We live in a nation where God's blessings have been poured out upon us for over 200 years, yet we are seeking to destroy the things of God and eliminate Him from our daily lives. We quietly sit by and allowed wicked men and women to dictate to us what we will teach our children and how we will live our lives. We, the children of God, are not residents of this earth! We are foreigners in a pagan land and we are passing through on our way to eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ; however, we were placed here by God to be a light. To be a witness for Him who loves us and gave Himself for us. To be an example of how to live a pure life in the midst of depravity and death. What are we doing?!?! Have we become so blind and/or so cold-hearted that we do not care about the destruction of those around us and to our own families? We have sat quietly on the sidelines while evil men and women pass laws that eliminate our right to worship and speak freely about our Lord. We vote so that other men/women can "fix" the problems.

Absolutely, we must vote and exercise our God-given right and responsibility, but we have to do more than just cast a vote and then sit back while others try to fix this nation. The children of God must arise "and come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) We must cry out to the Lord God and allow Him to search our hearts and reveal the hidden sins in our lives. We must do more than just agree that we have sinned, we MUST repent from those sins. Allow the Lord God to cut away those areas of our lives, not matter the cost, and allow Him to purify us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We must live a life that is different than before. God's glory and His grace must be evident in our lives. God's heart is that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), is that our heart today? Do we care about the eternity of those outside our family and/or friend circle? If so, our life should reflect that in every area. We cannot live for ourselves and the satisfaction of self if we truly desire to share Christ with others. People see through hypocrites all the time. If we "talk the talk", we MUST "walk the walk." Even when no one is looking!!!

Reread our focal passage once more. "Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart." (Psalm 119:111) The psalmist loves the Lord God and he has taken the Word of God and the promises of God as his very life force. Because the testimonies of the Lord bring his heart the most pleasure, he seeks it day and night. May we ask ourselves this question…Do the testimonies of the Lord, do His promises and His presence in our lives matter more to us than anything else. If the Lord decided to remove everything from us, our health, our wealth, our spouse, our children, our career, our clothes, our car, our home, our looks, our abilities, our talents, our hopes, our dreams, our desires, would we TRULY be content in Him? Would our hearts cry out praises to Him and to Him alone? Would we sit before His feet and worship with a pure heart and joy in Him alone? "And God is able to make all grace abound to you , so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Your Sister in Christ,
Michelle Jones
October 6, 2008
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Monday Morning Devotion #254

2008-09-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)

Strong's:
Create #1254 - bara - to cut down; choose, select; create
Renew #2318 - chadash - to be new, rebuild, repair

Last week, we discussed pride and the devastating effects it has in our lives, our relationships and our walk with the Lord God. Turning from pride is a true challenge for all of us because we were born with a sin nature and that nature wars against the Truth of God continually. Our flesh demands to be satisfied and our will is easily persuaded when we are not rooted and established in God's Word.

This past week, the Lord has been revealing areas of deep-seeded pride and rebellion in my life. I have to admit, I do not respond to the Lord the way I wish I did when HE corrects me. My first response seems to be a defensive approach and "justifying" of my sins. My heart does not openly confess my sin nor repent. In fact, until this past week, I truly did not understand what Biblical repentance looks like. I have always thought that repentance meant realizing my sin and confessing that sin to God. And my entire life has been spent "confessing" "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." (Romans 7:15)

Our Sunday school class is going through Seeking Him, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. This past week, we studied Biblical repentance…My Friend, it was EYE OPENING!! Biblical repentance is essential to a right relationship with the Lord. Because God is holy, HE cannot excuse sin. Because God is faithful HE initiates revival in our hearts by revealing sin in our lives and giving us the desire to repent and seek Him for complete forgiveness and restoration. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

So then, what does Biblical repentance look like? True repentance begins in the mind as conviction of sin ("I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2). Conviction of sin then leads to "repentance which is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior…Repentance cannot be considered genuine unless there is outward change of behavior…The outward manifestation of repentance may be instantaneous or it may be seen over time. The length of time for real change may depend on the nature of the sin and how long one has been involved in that sin..." (Seeking Him, p. 68-69)

Allow me to share a personal experience with you. For 23 years, I was bound in the sin of anorexia. I knew what I was doing was wrong and I truly wanted to stop. When I began practicing anorexia, I felt a sence of control and empowerment. Finally, I could "control" something in my life. Very quickly, however, that "control" became a prison and I lost more of myself than before I began this sin. More times than I can count, I committed that I would stop starving myself. When I committed to that goal, I meant it. But before long, I found myself right back where I started. Why? I mean, I was aware of my sin, I agreed with God that I was sinning, and I wanted to stop. 23 years past and I was still running through that same cycle. It was not until I finally REPENTED that the Lord freed me completely from anorexia!!

You see, the difference was that I finally allowed the Lord to take control of my life and create in me a new heart. A heart that desired to live according to His will and to turn completely from anorexia in all its forms (starving myself, bingeing and purging, and/or overeating). It was not an easy task and I tried to "go back" several times; however, because the power of God lives within me and HE conquered sin and death, I was no longer bound to that sin. I was free and that freedom in Christ, no matter the cost, was now my heart's desire. "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39) "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14)

My husband describes sin in this way…He says that we all "want our cake and to eat it too" but the problem with that pursuit is that we allow the world to define what that "cake" is and how we should go about getting that "cake". When and only when, we finally realize that the "cake" that truly satisfies is Christ alone, then we are able to dive into a pursuit that leads to victory and complete contentment. "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8) Worldly gain is a self-defeating goal and nothing everlasting comes from it.

Read our focal passage once more. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."(Psalm 51:10) Create in this passage means to "cut down" and renew means "to rebuild". My Friend, nothing can be rebuilt unless it is first torn/cut down. That is the work that God desires to do in each of our hearts…To tear down the old sinful ways of our lives and rebuild in us a heart that desires Him above all else. A heart that is pliable and teachable. A heart that seeks the Lord and lives by His Word. A heart that is surrendered to Him and allows His correction/discipline to bring forth new life and a more intimate relationship with Him. A heart that sees the need for Christ in those around them and diligently loves those people with a Christ-like love. A heart that prays for revival and renewal in the life of every Christian and salvation for those who are lost.

Our lives cannot be rebuilt if we are refusing to repent/turn from the old ways of life with its sinful desires and lusts. Rebuild is NOT remodeling…God will not "rebuild" around the remains of sinful strongholds. HE will, however, destroy those strongholds with the power of His blood and rebuild in us a priceless foundation that will stand the test of time and all throughout eternity. "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22) Praise be to the Lord God forever and ever. Amen.

Where are you today, My Friend? If the Lord God is revealing sin in your life, do not hesitate to confess that sin and repent. Turn completely from that sin and rely on the Lord God as your strength. HE is faithful and HE will not forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Victory is in His hand and no other person/thing can satisfy you to the very depth of your soul. There is nothing that compares to the gift we have in Christ Jesus. Do not continue to believe a lie that leads you further and further from the Truth. Call upon the name of the Lord and HE is mighty to save!! HE loves you and HE is reaching out His hand to you. Will you allow Him to do a wonderful work within you? May that be the desire of our hearts!! To God be the glory.

Your Sister in Christ,
Michelle Jones
September 29, 2008
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Monday Morning Devotion #253

2008-09-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

This Week's Focal Passage:

"…God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 (KNJV)

Strong's:
Resists #498 antitassomai = to range oneself against
Proud #5244 huperephanos = appearing above others; haughty
Humble #5011 tapeinos = base, cast down, of low degree, lowly

"Humility is a virtue more often praised than sought." (Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom, Seeking Him, p. 21) As I read these words, I had to pause and reread them again. Why did these words ring true? Why do we praise a virtue/character trait yet think it is all right not to seek that character trait for ourselves? After searching God's Word for the answer to this question, I came to the conclusion that it is because we simply do not understand what pride is and how much God hates it. As children of the Risen Lord, the Most High, the Great I AM, we could not entertain pride for a moment, much less a lifetime, if we could truly comprehend the depth of its grip, the devastation that it delivers, and the separation it causes between us and our Lord.

What is pride? C.S. Lewis states in his book, Mere Christianity, "The essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchasity, greed, drunkenneses, and all that, are mere flea-bites in comparison. It was through pride that the devil became the devil. Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind." Lewis goes on to explain that "everyone's pride is in competition with everyone else's pride…Pride has no pleasure of having something, but pride's pleasure is in having more than all the rest…Pride's very nature is competitive…God is absolute supremacy; however, prideful people cannot see anything above them for they are continually looking down…Prideful people have an "imaginary god"…They say, "I am nothing" but believe that their god thinks high of them…Pride comes straight from hell, other vices come from animal instincts…Pride is a spiritual cancer that eats up the possibility of love, contentment and common sense."

God's Word tells us that God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13), that pride brings shame (Proverbs 11:2), that pride comes before a devastating fall (Proverbs 16:18), that God will bring down the prideful (Proverbs 29:23), that pride is deceptive (Obadiah 1:3), that God will destroy the proud (Matthew 23:12), and that God resists the proud (James 4:6). Because of God's unconditional love, his unspeakable grace, his unfathomable mercy, God promises us "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15) Contrite means to be completely broken before the Lord. Understanding that HE alone is God and that we are created to bring glory and honor to Him in every area of our lives and in everything thing we do. Our absolute motivation is to point others to the Savior and to claim nothing for ourselves. A contrite heart understands the destruction of its sin and confesses that sin whole-heartedly to the Lord praising Him for His forgiveness and restoration.

Before I began studying pride in light of Scripture, I truly did not understand what pride was. I guess I thought that pride was thinking too much of oneself and I did not see why that was so terrible. Certainly, I understood that it was sin, but I did not understand why that particular sin was so destructive. The revelation came as I was studying our focal passage. Reread that once more. "…God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) Resists in this verse means "to set/range oneself against." When we set ourselves against something/someone, we are on completely different sides. We are no longer walking together, but warring against one another. There is no fellowship.

I am a visual person, so the picture that formed in my mind was of God on one side and me on the other, facing Him and opposing Him. How can that be? A child of God living a life that is in direct opposition to her King? Why would a child of God want to be warring against her Maker? Why would I think for one moment that I know more than God? What makes me think I can run my life better than the Maker of the universe, the Eternal God, the all-knowing, all-powerful Redeemer? What makes me think that I could love myself more or more perfectly than the One who came to die for me and to pay the ransom for my sin? I have been bought with a precious price and restored through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I am nothing, yet the Lord God loved me enough to sacrifice Himself so that I could have the privilege and the blessing and the honor of having intimate fellowship with Him! Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned against You!!!

"I Am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images." (Isaiah 42:8) God will not share His glory with another, not even His own children. God is the only One worthy of praise, honor and glory. We were created to serve Him in such a way that our lives point others to Jesus Christ, for HE is the only One who can save them from their sins and renew, rebuild, heal, and restore them. So then, how do prideful people turn from their sin? "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said; "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said; "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:1-5)

An awareness of God's holiness brought Isaiah to his knees. Isaiah had an encounter with the Lord God and HE immediately understood who God is and who he/Isaiah was. "An awareness of God's holiness drives us to acknowledge our sin and receive God's forgiveness." (Seeking Him, p.31) My Friend, if the Lord God is revealing to you the sin of pride in your life, do not hesitate to confess that sin and turn from it immediately. Pride is destructive above all else and it intertwines itself throughout all areas of our lives. God is gracious and HE alone opens our eyes to our need for Him. It is for our good that God convicts us of sin and that HE allows us the desire to confess that sin and turn to Him. A life lived for the satisfaction of selfish desires is a wasted life, but a life lived in pursuit of holiness is a life that reaps eternal rewards! "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and HE will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and HE will lift you up." (James 4:7-10)

Your Sister in Christ,

Michelle Jones
September 15, 2008
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