DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 2.13.21

The Solo Rapture - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. �Genesis 5:23�24 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-solo-rapture/- Listen The Bible tells us about a man who experienced what we might describe as a solo rapture. He was caught up to meet the Lord in Heaven all by himself. His name was Enoch,and he�s a fascinating character. We can read about him in the book of Genesis as well as in Hebrews 11, which says, �It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying��he disappeared, becauseGod took him.� For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God� (verse 5 NLT). So God �took him,� meaning that one day Enoch was taking a walk with the Lord, and he was caught up to glory. Maybe as the two were walking along, the Lord said, �Hey buddy,we�re closer to My house than yours. Why don�t you come home with Me?� And he did. Enoch lived in what we might describe as the last days. His last days, however, were the days before the flood. So Enoch was a last-days believer in the sense that it wasthe time before God sent His judgment on the earth. In fact, Genesis tells us that people were so wicked that �the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart� (6:6 NLT). Yet Enoch liveda godly life in an ungodly time. I believe that we, too, are living in the last days. And we have the same spiritual resources that Enoch had. I would even say that we have more than he did because Christhad not yet come and died for the sins of the world. Believers today have Jesus living inside of them and the Holy Spirit empowering them. Enoch walked with God, and that�s what I want to encourage you to do today. Just simply walk with God- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice? by Sarah Phillips "And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52 "Always be happy. I see you out there with your solemn faces and hands folded like this, and perhaps you think this is holiness. This sad, solemn-ness is not really holiness. Always be happy wherever you go; God is good." These are words spoken by a priest from India at a recent retreat. No doubt, this priest is well-versed in the theology of redemptive suffering, so his words gave me pause. What does he mean by this? Is it even possible to be happy like this? Later, in a discussion with my father, he mentioned that family counselors like my stepmother often encounter challenging clients who are married to their unhappiness. In other words, these individuals are so comfortable with their misery and dysfunction(born out of very real hurts, no doubt) they don't even want to be happy anymore. Pondering all this has rearranged some of my thinking on faith and happiness. Perhaps you've heard this common saying in Christian circles: "God doesn't promise us happiness here on earth." From what I've encountered in my studies of the Bible and theology, the statement is factual. I used to interpret this fact as an indication that God just doesn't have happiness in his plans for some (and I was likely one of those people, right?). But as I am reflecting on Fr. Andrew's words and my stepmother's clients, it hits me. Perhaps God doesn'tpromise happiness because it's not his place to give it. In other words, perhaps happiness is part of God's plan, but it's something we also must choose on our end. Think about it. Have you ever met that person who "has everything" but isn't happy? I knew a person like that. He possessed uncommon intelligence. He had a loving family, wealth, and opportunity. But he seemed gifted at finding the dark side to everything.And I mean everything. He suffered from incredible cynicism and depression. Let's put the possibility of a chemical imbalance aside for a second and ponder this truth: God has the power to bless us, but it's up to us to be happy about it. I don't say these things to cause pain or make anyone feel guilty for not feeling happy. Trust me, I've had plenty of dark periods where happiness seemed like a joke. I firmly believe it's okay to feel unhappy sometimes. Jesus didn't always feel good either,and it's safe to say there was nothing wrong with him. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fruitful Giver 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 If you've ever visited Israel, you have no doubt experienced the contrast between the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. The banks of the Jordan are surrounded by trees and greenery, but nothing lives around the Dead Sea. The reason is that there is no outlet.When the water flows into that sea, it stays there. Eventually the salts accumulate and poison the water. This is a vivid picture of two different financial plans. The Dead Sea compares to the world's system, which is based on accumulation and preservation of wealth. The goal is to get enough so you can have enough, but this approach results in self-centeredstagnation. Christians who follow this plan mistakenly believe it's the path to security. But what they fail to understand is that hoarding makes their lives spiritually unfruitful and hinders the good works God wants them to do. --------------------------------------------------------------------- AModel Church “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord JesusChrist, in the sight of God and our Father.” (1Thessalonians 1:3) Paul had begun the work at Thessalonica, and when forced to leave, he maintained an active interest in and contact with the Thessalonian believers. The book of 1 Thessalonians contains both encouragement and commendation for these believers. In the contextof our text verse, he mentions some of their strengths, and it would behoove us to take note and apply these strengths to our churches. Paul mentions the triad of faith, love, and hope so common in New Testament writings. The “work of faith,” that past work of salvation in the believer’s life, is amplified in verses 4-6, where we see that God has chosen to work His work of grace in them throughthe Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit (v. 5). Their reception of the Word had been with both affliction and joy (v. 6). Next, Paul commends their “labour of love.” They were committed to both outreach and missions, as we see in verses 7 and 8. Their testimony had not only affected the local area but was “spread abroad.” Moreover, they had entered into proper worship of God,maintaining purity of doctrine (v. 9). The “labour of love” to others will inevitably follow as a means of serving God. Lastly, Paul commends their “patience of hope”—their expectant joyful outlook on the future, waiting for Christ’s return (v. 10). May our own churches have this same perspective on the past, present, and future work of Christ. May our own lives give attention to the same details and have the same goals and outlook as those of the Thessalonian church. Purity in doctrine and a life of serviceconstitute the best way to wait for our Lord’s return. JDM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Worry-phobia by Meghan Kleppinger For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” - Romans 8:15 The word “phobia” comes from the Greek word for fear, phobos. One of my college psychology professors explained a phobia as an irrational fear of something that can potentially be harmful. Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, for example, is an abnormalfear of spiders. Spider bites can be deadly, but most spiders are harmless and if a person gets bit by one, the chances of it being a lethal bite are minimal Still, a person who suffers from this phobia, like me, can’t be told to “not worry” when they see one of those eight-legged monsters. When I see a spider, the blood drains from my face, I can’t move… actually, all I can do is scream until someone comes torescue me. I’m not kidding. I, a grown adult, have been known to stand on top of a table and scream until my mother, yes, my mother, comes and gets rid of the disgusting arachnid. I am very, very, very afraid of spiders… but truthfully, my phobia issues don’t end there. Everyone has their “issue.” My issue, my vice, my weakness, and my greatest struggle, can all be summed up in one word: “fear.” Out of curiosity, I recently decided to see if there was a phobia for a generalized fear of everything. There is. It’s called panphobia (or pantaphobia), and is simply defined as a fear of everything. As I researched panphobia, I learned that this is more than the every day worrywart sort of fear. It’s a medical condition that is persistent, debilitating, and very difficult to treat. It’s related to the paranoia typically found in Schizophrenics. Afterdiscovering this, I quickly decided that I don’t have panphobia I realized that I’m not necessarily afraid of everything, I just worry about everything – and in case you’re wondering, the definition for the Greek word for worry (merimnao) has more to do with an anxious concern than a debilitating fear. I’m one of those people who worry even more if there isn’t anything to worry about. I guess that would be called something like “Worry-phobia” – a fear of having nothing to worry about. Yes, I worry about those people I love, but I also worry about the starvingparentless children on other side of the globe that I will never meet. I get worried when it rains one day too many or if too many days pass without a drop Okay, I’m exaggerating… a bit, but you get my point. The thing is God doesn’t call worry panphobia or worry-phobia, He calls it sin. For me it is about control, and when I don’t feel like I have control, I worry. It is certainly something God is continually and persistently working on in my life. He has been teaching me to trust Him through some painful and scary circumstances lately. I know I’m not alone in the journey toward freedom from worry, so I’m going to share some helpful scripture with you. The following verses declare that His truth is greater than any worse-case-scenario or real-life-circumstance we can encounter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Labor—The Gift of God “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13) Some people may have the feeling that having to work for a living is an imposition of a corrupt society. Since they were brought into this world through no choice of their own, therefore the world owes them a living, they think. Is working a punishment becauseof our sins? Well, God did “curse” the ground because of sin, but in an important sense it was for man’s own good. “Cursed is the ground,” He told Adam, “for thy sake” (Genesis3:17). It would require “the sweat of thy face” (v. 19) before man could eat his bread, and even then it would be “in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life” (v. 17). But the work itself would not be a punishment, for even before Adam sinned, God had given him the responsibility in the Edenic garden “to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis2:15). Furthermore, we shall have work to do in the new earth in the ages to come, for we are told that “his servants shall serve him” there (Revelation22:3), even though there will be no remnant of sinfulness there at all. Even in this life, work is a blessing when we see it as “the gift of God.” If we see it only as drudgery and hardship, then it can indeed be “in sorrow.” But the Lord Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). If having to work for a living will encourage us to come to Christ for salvation and peace of soul, then it is truly “for thy sake” that God’s curse was pronounced on the ground. The key to joy in labor, instead of sorrow, is noted by the apostle Paul. “Andwhatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men....for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). HMM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overcoming Disappointment by Ryan Duncan Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. – 2 Corinthians 1:7 We’ve all been there. It’s that letter from the college you wanted to attend, saying they are not able to admit you at this time. It’s that person on the stage surrounded by people, announcing that first prize goes to the other contestant. It’s watchingall the time and effort you put into something crumble away in a matter of seconds. Sometimes disappointment can be more devastating than tragedy, because it requires you to have invested in the outcome first. The Bible tells us that we should rejoice in our sufferings, but I’d be lying if I said that what I did every time I was disappointed. Most of the time I just want to crawl off and be alone, or I end up angry and resentful.Sometimes I even find myself arguing with God over what just happened. So, what are Christians supposed to respond when faced with disappointment? Personally, I think there’s only one thing we can do: hope. The early disciples faced their own share of letdowns. Paul, in particular, had his share of troubles in life, but look what he writes in Romans chapter 5, Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. – Romans 5:2-6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God's Master Plan of Finance Malachi 3:7-12 Though the world is full of disorder, confusion, and uncertainty, believers in Christ have the wonderful assurance that God is in absolute control of every situation. When He created the heavens and the earth, He had a purpose and a plan, which He carriedout with precision and order. Nothing was haphazard, late, or uncertain. The Lord also has a plan for each one of us, and every aspect of our lives is not only under His scrutiny, but also under His care. One of those areas is our finances. If we'll follow God's plan, He promises to manage our money. Now, that's quite a blessing. After all, who do you think would be better at knowing how to handle money—you or our omniscient, all-powerful God? He promises that if we will give Him the first part of all we receive, He'll provide for our needs. He has an amazing way of making the remainder stretch farther than the original amount. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speak Well of Others by Debbie Holloway "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (Proverbs 15:28). In this age of Internet and social media, gone are the days of the off-switch for dialogue. Time was, conversations ended. Then, with the birth of online discussion forums, they could continue indefinitely (with every word preserved for all to see). Nowthat we are chained to mobile devices, the debates and exchanges never even have to pause. We may start them at our computers, but we continue them in the elevator…in the car…during dinner. Even during real-life banter with friends and family, fingers flyover smartphones to contribute thoughts to the discourse of the Internet world. It's hard to step back once you get used to it. I find it to be a very love-hate thing; bittersweet for several reasons. On the one hand, I am completely amazed and delighted by the ability to connect, share, grow, and learn that modern technology provides.On the other hand, the ability to tear apart an opponent with the stroke of a key makes certain biblical mandates that much harder to follow. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:9). “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”(Colossians 4:6). I believe that graciousness of speech, speaking well of others (even my enemy or opponent) is something God requires of me. As someone who rarely shies away from conversation or confrontation, every day is a battle for me in this regard. I findmyself asking, Is this a hill to die on? Is this going to change anyone’s mind, anyway? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grounded in Truth Psalms 25:4-10 If we'll let the truths of Scripture fill our minds, guard our emotions, and influence our conduct, God will richly reward us. I'm talking about spiritual blessings here (though He at times chooses to bless materially as well). By reading and meditatingon His Word, you'll learn to understand His ways. This isn't something we can figure out on our own, because His ways are unlike ours—they are higher, bigger, and eternal. Also, your relationship with the Lord will grow increasingly more intimate because He chooses to reveal Himself to those who seek Him and obey His instructions. When you see that God always keeps His promises, your confidence in His faithfulness will soar.No matter what the situation, you'll know you can trust Him. Then He'll transform your worries into joyful anticipation about what He's going to do next in your life. Even if hard times await, you'll be convinced that the Lord will work them out for good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Developing a Tender Heart Ezekiel 36:25-28 The Lord wants to give each of us a "heart of flesh" so that we will be pliable and responsive to Him. When touched by the finger of God, a tender heart yields to the pressure and assumes the form He desires, much like a lump of clay that allows the potterto determine the shape of the vessel. To aid in this process, God has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer and awaken responsiveness in him or her. By yielding to the Spirit's promptings with ready obedience, the heart becomes increasingly tender and sensitive to His leading. The Lordis able to impart greater understanding of His Word to a soft heart because it has faithfully accepted and obeyed previous teachings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prophecy “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in hismouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18) Two types of prophecy must be distinguished. When a prophet foretells or predicts, he represents the future in light of the present. But frequently the prophetic message consisted of rebuking, reproving, counseling, or admonishing, i.e., forth-telling ratherthan foretelling. As such, he portrays the present in light of the future. It is the predictive type of prophecy that provides such a strong argument for rational faith. Neither human intuition about the future nor limited Satanic control of the future can account for the hundreds of specific biblical prophecies that have been literallyand specifically fulfilled. These could only come by divine revelation from the One who both knows and controls the future. Actually, predictive prophecy provides a double defense: Not only does it prove the divine origin, inspiration, and authority of Scripture, but since over half of the prophecies converge on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, it advocates His deityand Messiahship. One could hardly read Isaiah 52:13–53:12 or Psalm 22 without recognizing that these are prophetic portraits of Christ on the cross. Others, equally specific, deal with other aspects of His life and ministry. Still others predict the coming Kingdom to be set up by Christ, in which we as believers will have a part. Having seen so many prophecies literally fulfilled, we can have complete confidence that these others will come to pass as well. “We shall be like him;for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). JDM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selah �Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.� (Psalm3:2) The word Selah occurs 74 times in the Bible (three of which are in the prophetic psalm of Habakkuk, with the other 71 in the book of Psalms). The first of these occurrences is here in Psalm 3:2, and it also occurs at the end of verses 4 and 8, thusin effect dividing Psalm 3 into three �stanzas.� However, its exact meaning is uncertain. Most authorities think it is some kind of musical notation, to be applied when the psalm was being sung with accompanying musical instrumentation. It suggests a pause of some kind, perhaps to allow the instruments toplay a few notes while the singers were silent before proceeding with the next portion, possibly changing to a different key. When the psalm is merely being read, however, as must often be the case, this explanation would be pointless. Thus, some think it indicates a brief pause for reflection on the truth just revealed before proceeding to the next point. Selah might, therefore, mean something like �Think of that!� In Psalm 3, as the first instance, verse 2 notes that many (perhaps originally those involved in Absalom�s rebellion against King David) are saying: �Not even God can help him now!� But then the psalmist remembers God�s promises and he prays, and God answers,so now he can say: �Well, what do you think about that?� Both exclamations are implied by his Selah. Then in the third stanza, he stresses his security in his Lord. He can sleep and �not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about...Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people� (Psalm3:6, 8). �So, what can you say about that, you enemies of God and His Word?� (Selah.) HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ He�s Praying for Us - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. �Hebrews 7:25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hes-praying-for-us/- Listen When people ask me to pray for them, I always try to do it immediately. That way, I don�t forget. It�s also a good thing to ask other Christians to remember us in prayerwhen we�re facing a crisis. Without question, there�s power in unified prayer. Jesus said, �If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers,I am there among them� (Matthew 18:19�20 NLT). He�s also in Heaven interceding for us right now. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ �is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives foreverto intercede with God on their behalf� (Hebrews 7:25 NLT). And the apostle Paul wrote, �Who then will condemn us? No one�for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God�sright hand, pleading for us� (Romans 8:34 NLT). Robert Murray M�Cheyne, a 19th-century Scottish pastor, said, �If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distancemakes no difference; he is praying for me.� By the way, Jesus Christ prayed a lot when He walked among us. He was always praying to the Father. We see Him praying all night on a mountain, praying before He chose the12 apostles, and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane as He contemplated the horrors of the cross. We also see Him praying from the cross. So if Jesus, being God, felt the necessity to pray, then how much more should we? With all of our shortcomings and weaknesses, how much more should we follow the examplethat Jesus set for us? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. Polycarp: Christian Hero by Sarah Phillips Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12 Christian. When you hear the word, what images come to mind? It's too easy for me to approach the faith only in a modern context. But there is so much more to professing faith in Christ than what we see today. Whenever I need a little dose of context, I read about heroic Christians from other eras. This week, I came across a Christian in a unique position: he was among the first generation of Church leaders after the apostlespassed away. St. Polycarp, a 2nd-century bishop of what is now part of Turkey, was a disciple of John the Apostle. St. John, often known as the "beloved disciple," was privileged to stand at the foot of the Cross. He knew and cared for Mary, Jesus' mother. He was inthe upper room after the Resurrection and was a member of the original twelve. St. Polycarp was one of the first Church leaders who did not get to do any of these things. Perhaps this seems like an easy position to be in. After all, Polycarp knew those who witnessed Christ's life with their own eyes. But being a second-generation Churchleader wasn't a comfortable position. It meant you were entering unknown territory - territory filled with disputes and heresies that threatened to destroy Christianity in its infancy. These leaders had to place incredible faith in the Holy Spirit to guide them. Not only did Polycarp and his peers face disagreements within the Church, but they also faced pagan persecution from the outside. During this time, Christians were called "atheists" because they rejected the predominant polytheistic beliefs of their culture.In these early days, pagans would burn Christian "atheists" or feed them to wild animals. Polycarp stayed grounded by keeping his focus on Christ. He was known for being very tough on heresy but gentle on fellow believers who disagreed with him on non-essential details of the faith. When the eastern and western churches could not agree on howand when to celebrate Passover and Easter, Polycarp did not force the issue with other leaders when it became apparent that both approaches were true to the gospel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No Greater Love John15:12-14 Perhaps the most intense love and protective instinct in the experience of mankind is that of parents toward their children. There is little that most mothers or fathers wouldn't do for a baby. If a truck posed a threat to the little one, it wouldn't surpriseus if they jumped in front of the moving vehicle without a second thought. Wouldn't you like to be cared for with this kind of intensity? You are. In fact, the Lord's love toward you is far deeper and more secure than that of even the most caring, tuned-in human parent. And what God did for us is proof. Romans5:8 says that while we were living in disobedience, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us. Think about a father giving up his child for people who choose to rebel against him. What a tremendous sacrifice and cost! Jesus' death took the place of the punishment that we deserved. If we accept this gift and decide to follow God, He no longer seesus as guilty. Rather, He justifies us, makes us righteous, and changes our ultimate destiny: instead of facing everlasting separation from Him, we will enjoy His presence eternally. What's more, almighty God adopts us as His children forever. Our heavenly Father guides, protects, and counsels us as wewalk through life�and promises us that we are secure in Him throughout eternity. How incredible that the Creator of the universe would love you and me in this way! Do you know and experience the security and sweetness of His care? Gratitude and praise should flow from your heart. In turn, love others deeply out of thankfulness for thelove that you have received. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Living and the Written Word �In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.� (John1:1) The holy Scriptures and the person of our Lord Jesus Christ are so inseparably bound together that whatever calls into question the integrity and authority of one correspondingly casts aspersions on the other. Let us not be guilty of saying that the writtenWord and the incarnate Word are in all aspects the same, but the Bible does clearly reveal Christ as �the Word... made flesh, [who] dwelt among us� (John 1:14). �And his name is called The Word of God� (Revelation 19:13). In carefully worded arguments, Christ time and again called attention to the fact that the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures were actually teaching about Him. �Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they whichtestify of me....For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?� (John5:39, 46-47). �If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead� (Luke 16:31). Therefore, those who diligently search the Scriptures find in them sufficient testimony to Christ, and where there is faith in the witness of Scripture, there will be faith in Christ and His words. But if men reject the testimony of Scripture, they will noteven be convinced by His miraculous resurrection from the dead. Christ claimed that all of Scripture pointed to Him. On the road to Emmaus, He taught that all three popular divisions of the Old Testament traced one progressive Messianic revelation. To understand the New Testament, we must know the Old, for both tell thesame story, each amplifying the other. They are forever inseparable. JDM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Love Your Neighbor as Yourself by Kelly Givens �And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, �Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?� And He said to him, �'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This isthe great and first commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " - Matthew22:35-39 I live in an apartment complex, and new tenants have recently moved into the rental directly below me. I haven�t met them yet, but I do know one thing about them: they have an incredibly close relationship with their bass speakers. If you�ve ever had neighborswith a big sound system, you�ll know why I�m frustrated. While other sound waves bounce off or are absorbed by the objects around them, bass sound travels right through. So while I can�t hear the words of the song my neighbors are blasting, I can feel thefloor vibrating to the irregular heart-beat like bumps of the bass. It�s the kind of sound that even earplugs can�t always drown out--which is especially annoying at 1 o�clock in the morning. Situations like these tempt me to toss aside every sermon I�ve heard on patience, gentleness and self-control and start banging on the floor with a broom handle. But this is completely antithetical to what Christ demands. Jesus� message to �love your neighboras yourself� is a verse that often gets thrown out there without a lot of thought. However, I�m starting to realize there are major implications of truly loving someone the way I love myself. How do I love myself? Well, for starters, I�m always thinking about myself. I think about what I�m going to eat for breakfast, what I need to do at work, what I need to pick up from the store on the way home. I also love myself by making my needs top-priority.How I schedule my day revolves around the things I want or need to accomplish. Basically, my thoughts and my day are centered on me. So when Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, that�s a tall order. He�s saying we need to think about others as much as we think about ourselves. He means we should remember the needs of others like we remember our own. He means seekingthe happiness, goodness, peace, security of others as much as we seek those things in our own lives. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord, I Love You, but... Hebrews6:10-12 Most of us are quick to declare our love for God, but at times our reluctance to serve Him tells a different story. Honestly consider whether you have ever found yourself saying or thinking, I love you, Lord, but don't call me to do that! Or perhapsyou served Him, but with a flawed attitude: If no one else will do it, then I guess I will. What causes us to be reluctant servants? Busyness: Sometimes our schedules are so full that there's no space to follow the Lord when we hear Him calling us to minister in a certain area. We all need "margins" in our lives if we want to abide in God's will. Inadequacy: Perhaps you feel unqualified to serve, and you're thinking, Surely there's someone more gifted who could do that job. But that's just an excuse; the Lord promises to equip those He calls (2Cor. 3:4-6). -------------------------------------------------------------------- His Joy - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father�s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. �Luke 12:32 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/his-joy/- Listen If you never had a problem again, if you never had an unpaid bill, if you or a family member never had a single sickness, a single conflict, or a single problem, and ifyou always knew the right decision to make, would you still pray? God will allow certain circumstances in our lives to keep us dependent on Him. We call out to Him because we need His help. That�s why God doesn�t give us all of His gloriousgifts in one lump sum. And know this: God wants to answer our prayers. Jesus said, �Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father�s good pleasure to give you the kingdom� (Luke 12:32 NKJV). Your Father in Heaven loves to lavish blessings on you. It�s His joy. So He effectively says, �I�ll give this to you, but you must come to Me.� Now, He won�t spoil you orgive you things needlessly. And He certainly won�t give you things that would hurt you. But He loves to lavish His provision on you. I heard a story about a very wise father whose son was leaving for college. He said, �Son, I�m going to pay all your bills. I�ll take care of everything, and I�ll give youa monthly check.� Then he added, �But I�m not sending it to any address. If you want the check, you need to come home. When I see you, I�ll give you the check.� His son came home every month. In the same way, God says, �Yes, I�ll bless you. I�ll provide for you. But I want you to come to Me. I want fellowship with you.� He�s our Father, and He wants to hear fromus. We need answers to our prayers, and God wants to answer them. That sounds like a match made in Heaven, and indeed it is. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Learning to be Content by Anna Kuta �Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to sufferneed. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me� (Philippians4:11-13). I am not a patient person. I admit it. Whether I�m stuck behind a slow driver on a one-lane road, counting down the hours to a particular event, or realizing that something I�ve been looking forward to has been postponed, waiting has never been somethingeasy for me. Wishing for the future is also something I�ve often struggled with. Whether counting down to high school graduation, the start of college, college graduation or my first job, it seemed at the time like each of those things could not come fast enough. Itisn�t until looking back that I realize in each of those seasons of life God was teaching me things and using me for a particular purpose right where I was. That�s not to say I don�t still struggle with the �grass is greener� syndrome, though. I�ve been outof college for nine months now and gotten settled into my job, but these days, especially as Valentine�s Day rolls around, I�d be lying if I said I didn�t get discouraged by being a single girl sometimes. But look at what Paul says in Philippians 4:11. He says he has learned to be content in any situation � �everywhere and in all things.� The Greek word for �content� here literally means �independent of others, having sufficiency in one�s self� � but Paul is referring to one�s new selfin Christ, because only God can teach the ability to be content. Paul says he has learned to be content in the good and the bad, in the times of abundance and the times of want, because he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. I think the keywordhere is that Paul learned, and it�s possible for us to learn as well. Being content does not necessarily mean being resigned to the fact that you might not get what you want; it means being willing to let God teach you and work through you whereveryou are at the moment. When I start to get impatient or start wishing some area of my life would just hurry up, I remind myself what the Lord says in Jeremiah 29:11, that he has a plan and purpose for those who follow Him. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, �To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.� God�s timetables are not necessarily ours, but there are lessons He wants to teach us in each season of life. For me, it means growing closer to the Lord duringthe single years of my 20s and using this time to serve Him to the fullest wherever He needs me. With His help, I�m learning to be content, and you can learn too. Don�t be so busy wishing for a different situation that you miss what Jesus has in store foryou right here and now � lean on the strength of God and let Him teach you what it means to be content in all things. ------------------------------------------------------------------- According to the Word �Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.� (Psalm119:169) The closing 22nd stanza of Psalm 119 repeats many of the themes of the previous 21 and summarizes this epic to the majesty of the Word of God. Seven passages contain prayer for �understanding,� which depends on the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds (John 14:26). Our finiteminds cannot understand God�s eternal truths apart from revelation and the �mind of Christ� granted at salvation (1 Corinthians 2:16). Thirteen passages use �according to thy word.� Nothing that we can do pleases God more than our efforts to �magnify� His Word in our lives and ministries (Psalm138:2). Every sentient creature will be judged by what is �written in the books, according to their works� (Revelation 20:12). Eight stanzas include the prayer to have God �teach.� Again, apart from the Holy Spirit in our �new creature� (2 Corinthians 5:17), we would be empty ofboth understanding and wisdom. Through reading and meditating on God�s Word after salvation, we grow effective and gain maturity. The writer also promised in eight stanzas to �not forget.� Our minds need to become stabilized with memorized Scripture and our hearts ready and sanctified with the stored Word of God so that we can �give an answer� both to those who ask us (1Peter 3:15) and when we need guidance for our own life decisions (Colossians 1:10). The psalm ends with a prayer for all: �Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. I have gone astraylike a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments� (Psalm 119:173-176). HMM III ------------------------------------------------------------ If No One Plays Second - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? �Amos 3:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/if-no-one-plays-second/- Listen Someone once asked the conductor Leonard Bernstein, �What is the hardest instrument to play?� �Second fiddle,� he said. �I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute,now that�s a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony.� The same principle applies to walking with God. If we want to walk with God, then we need to get in sync with Him, walking together as a single unit. The Bible says, �Cantwo walk together, unless they are agreed?� (Amos 3:3 NKJV). For instance, if you were sitting in a canoe paddling one direction while someone else in the canoe was paddling another, that would impair your performance, wouldn�t it? Likewise, to walk with God means to be in rhythm with God, to keep pace with God, to be in harmony with God. It means communicating with Him, speaking to Him, and hearingfrom Him. We find references to walking with God many times in the New Testament. For example, Colossians 2:6 tells us, �As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walkin Him� (NKJV). And 1 John 1:7 says, �But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin� (NKJV). Also, Galatians 5 reminds us, �Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh� (verse 16 NKJV). To walk with God is to stay in harmony with Him. It isn�t saying, �God, here�s where I�m going. Come with me.� Rather, we should say, �Lord, where are You going? I wantto go with You.� That is the picture of walking with God. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM