DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 2.27.21

TheGod Who Provides “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through thepower of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans15:13) God’s provisions for the believer include far more than physical necessities. These are indicated by seven beautiful titles ascribed to Him in the New Testament. The God of love: First of all, we need love, and “God is love” (1John 4:8). Then “the fruit of the Spirit is love” in our lives (Galatians5:22) because He Himself is “the God of love and peace” (2Corinthians 13:11). The God of all grace: God saves us by His grace, and then we need to “grow in grace” (2Peter 3:18). This we can do because “the God of all grace...hath called us unto his eternal glory” (1Peter 5:10). The God of peace: He satisfies the need for peace of soul in the believer’s life, and He is called “the God of peace” five times in the New Testament (Romans15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). The God of all comfort: Our God is called “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,” because He “comforteth us in all our tribulation,” thus enabling us also to provide comfort to others ”by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2Corinthians 1:3-4). The God of patience: We do “have need of patience” (Hebrews10:36), and this need also is supplied by “the God of patience and consolation” (Romans15:5). The God of glory: It was “the God of glory” who first called Abraham (Acts7:2), and through the Word we also “are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:18). The God of hope: By His Spirit He fills us with joy and peace, with power, and abundant hope—blessing us “with all spiritual blessings...in Christ” (Ephesians1:3). HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Starved for Faith and Vision by John UpChurch "Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: 'The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'? Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.'Say to them, 'The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled.” Ezekiel 12:22-23 For me, Dave was that boss. The guy could make every triumph into misery, every completed project into a diatribe for what didn’t go right. Not chewing you out was his way of complimenting a job well done. And, no, I’m not joking. The guy wouldfire someone I worked with and then come to me the next day to say, “I fired your little friend.” And yet, for some reason I never understood, Dave liked me from the beginning. He would never have said that, of course, never admitted to not hating someone. But he did. Even as a lackey intern, he put me in charge of projects way above my pay grade. Evenas the newbie, he’d let me in on the big stuff we’d be working on in a few months. My position was only supposed to last 30 days, but Dave kept me there for months by making excuses to his bosses about why I should stay. To be honest, I hated the work. Here I was an English major who was supposed to be editing and writing and changing the world through prose. But I was afraid of trying for that world-changing job. Instead, I got pushed into IT project management for hospitals,which is really just a nice way of saying that I moved computers and loaded software. Over and over. But it’s funny what happens between a boss and a peon when you’re wearing scrubs and snatching computers from the ICU. For Dave, those moments brought clarity. In a place where alarms signal dying, he’d tell me about his one-time plans to be an architectand the reasons why it couldn’t happen. His rage would disappear with the code blues and rushing nurses. He dreamed for just a moment. And then we’d be pushing our carts of equipment to a new wing of the hospital, and the sarcasm flooded in to cover the regret. He’d snap back to the snappiness as if the ICU never happened. Maybe that’s why Dave liked me. He knew I didn’t want to be in those sterile halls either. He knew this detour felt more like a dead end. I was his earlier self. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wounded Parents Wounded Children Jeremiah 32:17-19 So often when we deal with difficult people, it's easy to form judgments about them based on their behavior or attitudes. But have you ever stopped to wonder what has made that person so disagreeable or foolish? When the Bible says God "repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children" (v. 18), it is speaking about generational cycles of sin. Unless someone in the family line makes a deliberate choice to change, sinful and dysfunctionalbehavior will be passed from parent to child for many generations. This is really just a confirmation of the principle of sowing and reaping. We pass down standards for conduct and character traits that we received from our parents. If we are unwilling to change our sinful habits and attitudes, they will very likely findtheir way into our children's lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ God'sShadow “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” (Psalm17:8) There are 12 references in the Bible to God’s “shadow,” understood as a type of His invisible but very real guiding presence. The reference in our text above is the first, and there are three other references to this beautiful metaphor—the “shadow” of the wingsof God. Psalm 36:7 assures us that men can “put their trust under the shadow of thy wings,” and Psalm 57:1 that we can take refuge there “until these calamities be overpast,” and then we can “rejoice” there (Psalm63:7). The Lord’s presence is like “the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,” according to Isaiah 32:2. The same prophet quoted God as saying that “I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand” even as He formed the heavens and the earth, while hiding us “in the shadow of his hand” (Isaiah51:16; 49:2). Then there is the wonderful promise of Psalm 91:1: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” He can also be “a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall,” bringing down “the heat with the shadow of a cloud” (Isaiah25:4-5). Similarly, He is “a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah4:6). The last reference speaks of “the anointed of the LORD” (that is, of the Messiah, Jesus Christ), assuring God’s people that “under his shadow we shall live among the heathen” (Lamentations4:20). These are all “exceeding great and precious promises” (2Peter 1:4). Hidden under the shadow of God is indeed a good and safe place to be in times like these. HMM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little Children by Ryan Duncan Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matthew 19:14 When I was a little kid, I made an amazing discovery. I realized that if I found something I liked and asked the right person “Can I have this?” there was chance they would give it to me. This may not seem all that extraordinary to you, but trust me, toa child this was a goldmine. You see, I didn’t just ask for candy at the grocery store or stuff on TV commercials, I asked for everything. I asked other kids if I could have their toys, I asked the neighbors if I could have their dog, I think I even askedone family if I could have their house. I’m afraid I embarrassed my parents to no end, and by the time my father sat me down and explained that asking someone for all their belongings was rude, most people had stopped inviting our family over for dinner. Kids can be a real hassle, and when you think about it, you can’t really blame the disciples for their actions in Mark 10. Take a look at the following passage, People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Godbelongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. - Mark 10:13-16 Here’s the thing about children. Children are messy, children are selfish, children are ignorant, and children are incredibly self-destructive. Don’t believe me? A monkey knows better than to stick a butter knife into an exposed wall socket, but let a childhave its way and they will do it twice! Despite all this, however, you really can’t help but admire the oblivious, single-minded nature of a child. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Missionary Question Romans 10:11-15 At every missions conference hosted by my church, I give God the same message I've been repeating since my early 20s: "I'm available, Lord. I'll go to foreign fields if you say so." Until He tells me to pack my bags, I'm going to keep on sending others towork among unbelievers in distant and even remote lands. Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions in Romans 10 that can be summed up like this: How will the world hear about Jesus if you do nothing? God uses Christians to spread the word that His salvation plan is available to all. He put us in families and communities and nations so we will mingle and share what we know. But some believers are called to carry the gospel farther than others. Those who stay behind areto offer prayer and resources for those who travel. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creationand the Constellations “Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion,and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.” (Job9:8-9) The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. It is not surprising, therefore, that it contains a number of references to creation and the Flood, for these great events were still relatively fresh in the thinking of Job and his contemporaries. The firstof these creation references in Job is our text above, and it is remarkable that it centers especially on the stars and their constellations. Still another constellation is mentioned in Job 26:13: “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hathformed the crooked serpent.” Finally: “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thouset the dominion thereof in the earth?” (Job38:31-33). The term “Mazzaroth” actually means the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. Thus, God not only created the stars but arranged them in star groupings that could be used for “signs, and for seasons” (Genesis1:14). Since God does nothing without a holy purpose, we can be sure that these sidereal signs were not to be used as astrological signs. God’s Word, in fact, forbids the practice of astrology (e.g., Isaiah 47:12-14). The constellations must all in some way have testified of the coming Savior. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of JesusChrist” (2Corinthians 4:6). Before the Scriptures were given, the testimony of God’s primeval promises had somehow been written indelibly in the heavens for those in Earth’s earliest ages who had eyes and hearts to see. HMM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Call to Serve Philippians2:7-9 When it comes to serving in the church, people rarely request positions where they will go unnoticed. They usually ask to be involved in a place of leadership. Now, there is nothing wrong with heading a committee. But God calls us to have a servant's heart: He desires that our motive be to glorify Him, not ourselves. Over the years, I've had many conversations with young men studying at seminary. Countless times, they share the desire to lead a sizable church. And those who are called to a small congregation frequently struggle with feelings of insignificance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creationin Praise of God “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forthbefore you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah55:12) Every now and again, the biblical writers were so lifted up in spirit as they contemplated the glory of God and His great works of creation and redemption that they could sense the very creation itself singing out in happy praises. “The heavens declare theglory of God” (Psalm19:1) is one of the most familiar of these divinely inspired figures of speech, but there are many others. “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth:...Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof....Let the floods clap their hands: let the hillsbe joyful together before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth” (Psalm98:4, 7-9). Often these praises are in contemplation of God’s final return to complete and fulfill all His primeval purposes in creation, as in the above passage. This better time is also in view in our text, which looks forward to a time when “instead of the thorn shallcome up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah55:13). God has triumphed over evil! And this all points ahead to the eventual removal of the great curse that now dominates creation because of man’s sin (Genesis3:14-19). For the present, “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans8:22). One day, however, the groaning creation “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption” (Romans8:21). Therefore, “let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;... Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice” (Psalm96:11-12). HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Scars Are All Part of a Beautiful Story By Debbie McDaniel “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 If you've ever been wounded, or have felt like you needed to hide the scars away from painful times in life, know that you're not alone. Even Jesus faced great insults, wounds, and pain more than we could ever imagine. And He carried His scars right backinto that little room where He met his disciples after the Resurrection. Sometimes I've wondered why He didn't choose to let the scars fade away. He'd gained victory over death. He'd made all things new. Yet He still had scars in his hands, His side. (Readthe whole story here in John 20:19-29) Maybe He knew we'd need to be reminded of this truth throughout our own lives: His scars, and ours too, are all part of His beautiful story at work. He redeems. He heals. He sets free. He restores. He gives great purpose even through seasons of brokenness and grief. And the scars are left there to prove it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God's Will: So Simple it's Hard by Shawn McEvoy Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 "God's will for my life"... how often have you pondered that notion? Studied it? Read untold books about it? Know people who torture themselves trying to locate it? Well, here we have an obvious chunk of it, even compact and useful just as we like things to be, tucked away at the close of Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica. "This is God's will for you...," it says. Well, yes, it says that, and it sure is pretty - almost poetic - but is it deep enough? Shouldn't there be more? Is it practical? Okay. Then let's go Old Testament. Prophetic. Action-oriented. Micah 6:8 says, "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" It's still simple, still bunched in a group of three, still indicating that there's no big mystery way far out there which must be solved before we know how to act or decide, or how God wants us to act or decide. So why do we seek for more? I think it's because the ridiculously simple, paradoxically enough, is ridiculously hard, and we know it. G.K. Chesterton famously said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried." We could spend a lot of time discussing the ins-and-outs of how easy or hard God's will is, and where else in His Word we can find snippets of it. One woman from my Bible fellowship class is fond of asking during our lessons, "What does that look like?" Let's ponder on that for a minute here. The situation is this: you've been sent on a missionary journey via a clear calling from God. The resources were there, the people willing. You are leading your group through a city when you encounter a psychic who keeps taunting you. After a while, throughcalling on the name of Jesus you cast out the evil spirit within her. Hooray! Score one for the Lord, and your group! But alas, there is no praise here, because those who had been making some cash off the now-set-free woman's powers aren't happy with you.They drag your group before local law enforcement, have you beaten, and thrown into prison. Hey now! At this point, I am saying, "God, this is NOT your will. YOU made it very clear we were to come on this trip, and we even did a miracle for you! Now we're injured, in jail... I don't even know how I'm going to get home much less continue to be effectivefor you from here! I want a telephone, I want a lawyer, and I want you to reveal your ACTUAL will, right now, and suffer no more discomfort while doing what you sent us to do!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NotThis Man “Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.” (John18:40) Unfortunately, this is the attitude of every generation toward its Creator and Redeemer. Jesus Christ “was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John1:10-11). “Not this man!” they cried, and still cry today. “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke19:14). Even in a nation founded as a Christian nation, the name of Jesus Christ is banished from the schools, ignored in the halls of government, and blasphemed on the streets. And whom did they choose instead of “this man”? They preferred Barabbas, who was not only a robber, but also a revolutionary and murderer (Luke23:19). Today, they idolize the atheist Darwin, or the robber Lenin, or the revolutionary Mao, or the murderer Hitler, or any one of a thousand antichrists; but they will not have Christ. What, then, will they do with Christ? “Away with him, away with him, crucify him” (John19:15) was the cry even of the religious leaders during His life here on Earth, and it is little different today. “Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you,” proclaimed Peter (Acts3:14). “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ” (Acts4:26). The rejection of Christ today is often more subtle, but it is just as real. Rulers, industrialists, scientists, educators, and commentators all say in deed, if not in word, that “[they] will not have this man to reign over [them]” (Luke19:14). “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John1:12). HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Existentialism… The Good Kind by Alex Crain "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple…" - Luke 14:27 NASB As chapter two of Francis Schaeffer's book, True Spirituality, comes to a close, the author highlights a crucial dimension of the gospel's first fruit (that of dying to self). It is that dying to self must be a continual reality. Schaeffer likens the proper mindset here to that of a philosophical existentialist… "The existentialist is right when he puts his emphasis on the reality of the moment-by-moment situation. He is wrong in many things, but he is right here. Christ called His followers to continuously carry their own cross. He puts the command not in anabstract but in an intensely practical setting, in verse 26 (of Luke14) relating it to His followers' fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, sisters, and their own lives." "He sets it among the realities of daily life. This is where we must die." Christ is talking about putting to death what our hearts prefer; what we desire most. And we naturally prefer our own way. ol' blue eyes, Frank Sinatra, set our deeply ingrained theme song to music when he sang, "I did it my way." How can we possibly overcome our instinct to want our own desires fulfilled? It seems to be an impossible command. Even if we know Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death," such knowledge by itself is not enough to subdue a sinful, stubborn will. When the heart wants something, it cancharge ahead in a mad quest to get its way without a single thought about consequences. Paul Tripp and Tim Lane, in their book how people change, cite no less than seven counterfeit gospels that prevent people from dying to self. They feed pride and give others the false impression that we're being true disciples. Because we are so prone to preserve ourselves, we can easily gravitate toward these false gospels. Their appeal is so insidiously strong because they allow us to deceive ourselves and others, AND dodge Christ's benevolent command todie to self. These counterfeit gospels are: formalism, legalism, mysticism, activism, biblicism, therapism, and social-ism. Formalism says, "I'm always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do." Legalism says, "I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don't meet the standards I set for them. There is no joyin my life because there is no grace to be celebrated." Mysticism says, "I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don't feel that way. I may change churches often, too, lookingfor one that will give me what I'm looking for." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A True Servant John13:1-15 Do you equate success with wealth, acclaim, and power? If we measured by these standards, then Jesus, who was rejected by His community and didn't even have a house of His own, was a failure. But, of course, we know that's not the case. So God must use somethingother than these worldly goals to define success. In fact, Scripture is clear that Jesus Christ is our example--we should strive to be like Him. So, what exactly was our Savior's mission? In today's passage, we see the answer through His actions: He came to serve. The disciples, wanting recognition and reward, were arguing about who'd be the greatest in heaven. In contrast, Jesus took off His outergarment and performed the task of the lowliest servant: He washed the dirty feet of His followers. The next day, Almighty God was crucified by His own creation. In allowing this, He offered salvation to all--even those who nailed Him to a cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stinking to High Heaven - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. �Genesis 6:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/stinking-to-high-heaven/- Listen I�m amazed at the things I read in the news today. The horrible acts people commit are endless. It�s heartbreaking, it�s disturbing, and it seems as though people alwaysfind new ways to do evil things. That is what was happening in Noah�s day too. Genesis 6 gives us this description: �The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everythingthey thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart� (Genesis 6:5�6 NLT). The original language indicates that their wickedness was full to the brim, sort of like an overflowing trash can or septic tank. It was bad. And it was stinking to highheaven. Interestingly, the book of Genesis can be divided into three sections: generation, degeneration, and regeneration. First it was generation when God created all things and said it was good. Degeneration followed as sin entered into the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the forbiddenfruit. Then came regeneration. We see phase two, degeneration, underway in Genesis 6. As a result, God said, �I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroyevery living thing�all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them� (Genesis 6:7 NLT). God was grieved, and you only grieve for those you love. This hurt the heart of God because He loves humanity. It also shows us that God is aware of the wickedness of humanity.He�s paying attention. However, God takes no pleasure in judging people. He loves us and wants a relationship with us. Yet God sends judgment because He�s loving and just. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Gift of Today - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. �Psalm 90:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-gift-of-today/- Listen I have a smartwatch that periodically tells me to breathe. It even reminds me when I�m working out. But I think there�s actually a very good message there. That breath you�re drawing right now is a gift from God. There might be someone in a hospital today struggling, hoping for his or her next breath, so we should never takeit for granted. Every day of our lives is a gift from God. Every single heartbeat is a blessing. So don�t take your health for granted. And don�t take your family for granted. The Bible reminds us in Psalm 90, �Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom� (verse 12 NLT). When our son Christopher was killed in an automobile accident at age 33, it was crushing. It was devastating and life-altering. I wondered if I would even survive it. Itfelt like time stood still for all of us. I felt as though I could die, literally. But in my time of weakness, I called out to the Lord, and He was there for me. He sustained me on that day, and He sustains us all to this day because the Bible says thatHe�s the �God of all comfort� (2 Corinthians 1:3 NKJV). Sometimes things happen in life that are unfair and tragic, and we want answers. But if God told us, we wouldn�t be happy. If God said, �All right, I�m tired of your askingwhy, so I�m going to tell you. Are you ready? Here�s why. . . .� We wouldn�t like it. It wouldn�t make sense to us this side of Heaven. So instead of asking why, turn to the Lord and cry out to Him. Bring your pain to God. Bring yoursorrow to God. We live on promises, not on explanations. So we shouldn�t spend too much time wondering why. ------------------------------------------------------------------- TheWicked Man �The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.� (Psalm10:4) It is significant that the word �wicked� does not necessarily mean morally depraved or violently dangerous. It is essentially synonymous with �ungodly,� and the Hebrew word used here (rasha) is often so translated. This tenth psalm provides a graphicsummary of their real character. They are: 1.Proud. �The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God� (v. 4). 2.Fawning. �For the wicked...blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth� (v. 3). 3.Atheistic, at least in behavior. �He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten:...he will never see it� (v. 11). 4.Stubborn. �He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity� (v. 6). 5.Profane. �His mouth is full of cursing....under his tongue is mischief and vanity� (v. 7). 6.Hurtful. �In the secret places doth he murder the innocent� (v. 8). This surely applies to character assassination, when not to actual killing. 7.Deceptive. �His mouth is full of...deceit and fraud:...He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den� (vv. 7, 9). It is significant that the apostle Paul cited verse 7 (�full of cursing�) as descriptive of most of theancient pagans in his day, and it can sadly be applied to many modern pagans as well. But David said: �I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not� (Psalm37:35-36). �For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish� (Psalm1:6). HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tenacious Faith - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! �Isaiah52:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/tenacious-faith/- Listen Missionary George Smith died on his knees praying for Africa. He had been there only a short time when he was driven from the country, leaving behind only one convert. Years later, a group of men found a copy of the Bible that he left behind in Africa and met the one convert of George Smith�s ministry. They discovered his one convert hadreached others, who had then reached others. And 100 years later, a missions agency discovered 13,000 people whose conversion was traced to the ministry of George Smith. Then there was Noah. The Bible calls him �a preacher of righteousness� (2 Peter 2:5 NKJV), yet he lived 120 years and never had a single convert. He stands as an exampleto those who faithfully sow the seeds of the gospel but can�t always measure their success outwardly. Maybe that describes you. You�ve told your whole family about Jesus, but no one has believed. You�ve told all your friends about Jesus, and not one of them has become aChristian. And you�ve invited all your neighbors to church, and no one has responded to your invitation. Remember, Noah didn�t have a lot of people who believed, yet we�re still talking about him today. The Bible tells us that �by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which hecondemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith� (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV). So take heart. It isn�t over yet. Our job is to share the gospel, and it�s the Holy Spirit�s job to bring about conviction in the heart of a nonbeliever. Don�t underestimatethe power of those little seeds of the gospel that you�ve sown in the lives of others. Just pray about it, and leave it in God�s hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TheFirstborn of Every Creature �Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.� (Colossians1:15) A widespread cult heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal but merely the first being created�perhaps an angel�before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the �first created of every creature� but the �first born of every creature,� and there is a big difference. In fact, the very next verse says that �by him were all things created� (v. 16). He was never created, for He Himself is the Creator. �All things were made by him; and without him was not any thingmade that was made� (John1:3). He is �born� of God, not �made,� the �only begotten Son� of God (John3:16). �No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him� (John1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent, and therefore invisible, inaudible, inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the �image� of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, embodies His essence. Although He is always �in the bosom of the Father,� yet He is eternally also �the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person� (Hebrews1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was �in the beginning with God� (John1:2), and which �was God� (John1:1). Thus, the phrase �firstborn of every creature� in our text can be translated literally as �begotten before all creation.� The eternal inter-relationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms �Son� and �begotten� are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God. HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Someone Like You - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ�s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. �Romans12:4�5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/someone-like-you/- Listen When I first became a Christian, it was overwhelming to think that God would allow someone like me to come into a relationship with Him. But then I heard that God had given me certain spiritual gifts and wanted to use me to serve Him. I thought, �There�s no way that God could use someone like me.� After all,I was the guy who was always getting in trouble at school. How could I ever amount to anything? Someone told me that I should go out and share my faith, and I thought that I�d surely fail if I tried to do such a thing. But God was gracious to me. The first person Iengaged in an evangelistic conversation was a middle-aged woman, and she accepted Christ. If she had asked me one slightly difficult question that day, I would have collapsed like a house of cards. Thankfully, she didn�t do that, and I got a taste of how theLord could use me. But I was afraid that God was going to call me to preach. The thought actually terrified me. The simple fact, however, is that God wants us to leave our comfort zones. He wants to use us to accomplish His purposes. The Bible is clear in pointing out that we�re allcalled to glorify Him with our lives and get the gospel out. Romans 12:4�5 tells us, �Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ�s body. We are many parts of one body, and we allbelong to each other� (NLT). Have you ever wondered whether God could use someone like you? Have you ever prayed, �Use me, Lord�? If you pray a prayer like that in sincerity, then God will hear you, answer that prayer, and open up opportunities for you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM