DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 8.21.21

The First Step Down - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. �Proverbs 16:18 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-first-step-down/- Listen How does someone who once claimed to follow Christ get to the point where they say, �I�m no longer a Christian�? It�s a series of steps and compromises that always lead to a statement like that. You just don�t wake up one morning and say, �I�m going to deny my faith and turn from Godtoday.� No one falls away all at once. For instance, the Devil might say to you in effect, �I never wanted you to become a Christian, but come on now. Be practical. You can still have a little fun.� He knowsthat�s the way he can gain a foothold in your life. Sometimes I hear Christians asking, �Can I do this thing and still technically be a Christian?� But is that really the best question they could be asking? I think a better one is this: �Because I�m a Christian, what can I do to get closer to God? What can I do to growmore spiritually?� We all know about Simon Peter�s open denial of Christ. But where did it start? It started in the Upper Room, when Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betrayHim, He would be crucified, and they all would desert Him. But Peter said, �Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will� (Mark 14:29 NLT). He thought, �No way!� So Jesus essentially told him, �Well, since you brought it up, Peter, you�re going to deny me three times.� The Bible tells us, �Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall� (Proverbs 16:18 NLT). Peter�s first step down started with a prideful attitude. Don�t ever think that you can�t fall. Every Christian is capable of falling to the worst sins imaginable. We want to keep as much distance from evil as possible becauseit�s the small steps that lead to spiritual ruin. -------------------------------------------------- TheSpiritual Senses “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm34:8) Frequently, Scripture uses our five physical senses in a figurative way to help us comprehend our interaction with the heavenly realm of God’s presence and power. We can “see,” for example, with spiritual eyes. Paul prayed thus for the believer: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians1:18). Similarly, we are privileged to hear the voice of the Lord with spiritual ears. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John10:27). “A stranger will they not follow,...for they know not the voice of strangers” (John10:5). The sense of touch is the sense of feeling, and God can both touch and be touched. We read, for example, of “a band of men, whose hearts God had touched” (1Samuel 10:26). Of Jesus Christ, it is said that He is not a remote deity “which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews4:15). Even people who never knew Him can perhaps “feel after him, and find him” (Acts17:27) if they truly desire His great salvation. We can even become “unto God a sweet savour of Christ” (2Corinthians 2:15). To the world, the faithful Christian life and testimony can either be “the savour of death unto death” to those who refuse it, or “the savour of life unto life” (2Corinthians 2:16). Finally, we are exhorted actually to taste the Lord and see that He is good! His Word will be, according to our needs, either “sincere milk” (1Peter 2:2), “strong meat” (Hebrews5:14), or “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm19:10). HMM -------------------------------- Stuck with Paul by John UpChurch “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans10:14 You can’t escape Paul forever. At some point, every Christian must set aside self-righteousness and drink Paul’s writing, which can be akin to slurping down pickle juice. The sharp bitterness sends shivers through the whole body—and yet hydrates from theinside out (which is really what pickle juice does). The bitterness, however, isn’t from what Paul says exactly; it’s from our reaction. Each word hurts because it’s true. Sometimes he hits our recklessness, and sometimes he hits our legalism, helping us to clean the glass so that we can see clearly. Far worse, in my mind, is Paul’s refusal to let us gloat or raise ourselves up. There’s no place for that, no room for a trophy case. Being isolated by my own sense of holiness would be easier; I’d love to slip away into my happy world of playing Christian. Paul doesn’t even let me close the door. “Look ‘out there,’” he says. “You see those people? That’s you—each one is just like you. They need the gospel. They need grace. You know all about it. You’ve met the same Jesus I did. They’re not coming in here, bub. So, get out there and do something.” It’s an uncomfortable feeling, trying to understand how to be like Christ, how to shine through pitch. I want to pursue Him with all I am, but He keeps goingout where the tax collectors and sinners are—people like me. The only difference is that I realized how much I needed Him; they haven’t yet. And perhaps the very reason they haven’t is because I’m not out there telling them. ---------------------------------- LongEnough “And the LORD spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.” (Deuteronomy2:2-3) This was the second time God rebuked Israel for staying too long in one place. Here they were camped adjacent to the region controlled by the descendants of Esau and thus kinsmen of the Israelites, but God told them to go on north toward Canaan. Long before, they had wanted to stay too long at Mount Sinai (same as Horeb) where God had given the law to Moses. Finally, “the LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:...Behold, I have set the land before you:go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers” (Deuteronomy1:6, 8). It is possible for a Christian to become too satisfied with his level of attainment, when the Lord may well have something more for him to do. Possibly, like Israel at Sinai, we may be content to stay in a situation where we have seen God work in the past.Or, like Israel at Edom’s Mount Seir, we want to stay in what we think may be friendly surroundings, rather than venture into overtly enemy territory. Perhaps we have stayed long enough at a certain stage in our Christian growth or service, and God wants usto go further. Paul wanted to continue preaching near his home in Asia, but God said for him to go on into Europe (Acts16:6-10). Peter asked Jesus what John was going to do, but Jesus said, “What is that to thee? follow thou me” (John21:22). God may, indeed, want us to continue all of our lives right where He has placed us now, as far as location and position are concerned, but He does want us to go on further with Him. The last words written by Peter are profoundly important. “But grow in grace,and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Peter 3:18). HMM ------------------------------------ Patient Words (and Actions) by Debbie Holloway “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” – Psalms 86:15 I have a small wooden square (modeled after a scrabble tile) inscribed with the mantra “Patient Words.” But before I tell you about that, let me tell you a story about someone who probably doesn’t have one. One morning a few weeks back I was driving to work on the ever-bustling 95 South. At one particular point I found myself in the middle lane behind a big truck about the size of a fed-ex truck. The driver was going a little slow, as large trucks tend to.However, enter the sedan in the left lane, which was driving around the same speed . About five over the limit, but decidedly too slow for the bustling left lane during morning rush hour. Enter second sedan in the left lane, who found himself stuck behind the slower car. I watched with disappointment (but interest, nonetheless) as this driver made the conscious decision to tailgate the slower car, and it was almost a little surreal. He zoomedup behind the slower car, getting so close that he had to apply his brakes two separate times. I often forget to pay attention to things. “Noticing” is not a strong point of mine. I know tailgating is something that happens, especially in big cities full of impatient drivers. But this was the first time I’d ever noticed it happen. It was kind of appalling. Meanwhile, back to the story. The big truck in the middle lane was watching too, and he eventually got the drift: people were unable to pass. So he decided to move over to another lane, allowing the tailgating car to pass into the middle lane and race ahead.Through his patience, observance, and understanding, this truck driver made allowances for both the aggression of the tailgater and the carelessness of the slow-moving car. It was an odd exchange to watch. It made me think about a few things. Mostly about how impatient we are all of the time. “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” – Psalms 86:15 It can be hard to assume the compassion and grace of God. They are intrinsic aspects of his nature. But sin has made our patience a much more difficult thing to master! ----------------------------------------------------- The Priority of Obedience John 14:23-26 The Creator gave two commands to Adam and Eve—first, to fill the earth and rule over it, and second, not to eat from a certain tree in the Garden (Gen.1:28; 2:17). Because they chose to disobey, their relationship with God was broken, and they had to leave Eden. The first couple’s rebellion not only impacted their own lives but also had far broader implications: all future generations have suffered. In Romans5:12-19, the apostle Paul explained the reason. Through the trespass of one man, Adam, sin made its entrance into the world, and death resulted for all mankind. Because Adam was head of the human race, his actions affected everyone born after him. Hisdisobedience resulted in each of us having a bent away from the Lord and a desire for self-rule. By contrast, Jesus made conformity to the Lord’s will the priority of His life. He obeyed God in both word and deed (John8:28-29). Having lived a perfect life—one entirely without sin—He qualified to be our Savior (2 Cor. 5:21). Through thedeath of one man, Christ Jesus, payment was made for the transgressions of all mankind. God’s acceptance of the Son’s sacrifice brought us forgiveness and freedom from sin’s power. Adam’s disobedience brought judgment and death upon us, whereas Jesus’ obedience resulted in new life for all who believe in Him (Rom. 6:4).Our Savior calls us to deny selfish desires, live sacrificially, and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). A godly life will bring Jesus honor andinfluence others for Him. ------------------------------------------- FearingGod for Nothing? “Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?” (Job1:9) Satan’s challenge brings up an important question: Why should a person serve God? His question suggests that Job had no real love for God; his righteous behavior was motivated purely by a desire to receive material blessings. Job’s friend Eliphaz apparently had precisely the outlook on life that Satan wrongly accused Job of. Eliphaz believed God took no pleasure in human righteousness. He believed a person should serve God purely out of self-interest, a desire that God would rewardhim with material prosperity (Job22:2-3, 23-30). God has created the world such that wrongful behavior normally leads to unpleasant consequences while upright behavior normally brings good results (Proverbs12:21). However, Eliphaz was fundamentally wrong; God did take pleasure in Job’s righteousness (Job1:8; 42:7). Death and suffering are results of sin (Romans5:12). The first people God created rebelled against Him and brought death and suffering into the world (Genesis3). However, suffering is not necessarily occasioned by a specific sin in the life of the sufferer, as Eliphaz and his two friends seemed to believe. A person who truly loves God will serve Him in good times and bad times. In this sin-cursed world, sometimes wicked people prosper and righteous people suffer, but Job recognized that perfect justice awaits the day when the Creator returns to Earth (Job19:25-27). This is probably the reason Job maintained his faith even when God allowed Satan to take everything—including his children and his health. Job often spoke rashly from his pain (Job6:1-5; 7:11). Yet his declaration of faith in God is a wonderful example for all believers: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job13:15). WP ---------------------------------------------- It Looked Better in My Head by John UpChurch “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians2:3-4 Your calling looks better in your head than in real life. Inside, safely tucked away in your synapses, the visions of what God wants to do through you come with puppies, double rainbows, and guilt-free cheesecake. It’s amazing how perfectly our brains cansand down the obstacles ahead, plaster over the voices of dissent, and generally build a future much like the highlights from someone else’s life. With such a build-up, it’s easy to see why we get disappointed. After all, stories like these are all over: And maybe something like that has hijacked your calling, too. You started out strong, pushing forward even when turbulence hit. You just knew God would work all things together for your good, and you had that verse, Romans8:28, firmly planted in your noggin (and maybe scribbled on a Post-It Note on your mirror—just to be sure). But along the way, the future you had imagined became more and more distant from the slog-it-out reality. You doubt that God was ever really in the thing to begin with, and, so, you try to forget that something ever happened, that something got you excitedand charged up in the first place. Don’t write off your calling just yet. ------------------------------------ Bewitched “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes JesusChrist hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians3:1) The Greek word for “bewitched” is used only this once in the New Testament and does not necessarily refer to witchcraft as such. The connotation is “fascinated” or “deceived.” Unlike most of his other epistles, the book of Galatians includes no commendationsfrom Paul, nor even any prayer requests. Paul evidently was very disappointed in this church and its ministry. He had clearly preached the gospel to them, setting forth “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2) among them, and they had apparently believed and started out well. They seemed to understand the great doctrines of salvation by grace and of liberty in Christ, and it was hard for Paul to understand how they had been so quickly led astray. If anything, this is even a greater problem today than in Paul’s day. Professing Christians are being “tossed to and fro... with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians4:14)—not only with legalism (as in Galatia) but also with evolutionism, hedonism, emotionalism, materialism, and many other unscriptural heresies. Many who profess to be Christians have, like the Galatians, been “bewitched” by clever persuasion and peerpressure into such deceptions. They may consider themselves especially enlightened in some way, or intellectual, or just up-to-date, but Paul would call them “foolish” just as he did the Galatians. In Christ alone—our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord—are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians2:3). As Paul concluded his letter to the Galatians: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians6:14). HMM ----------------------------------------- Strangely Dim by John UpChurch Four crumbling stairs leading up the hill from the rock-encrusted sidewalk—that’s all that’s left. If you drove by today, you wouldn’t know that I once smashed honey bees on the driveway with a shovel, or that I did so barefooted until one got a squishyrevenge. You also wouldn’t know about the loft in the garage where my brothers would hide away or the window in my room that thieves peeked through before they stole our bikes. You’d never see the stairs leading out the back door where my mom would sit whilewe brought her giant grasshoppers to examine or plums from the fruit trees. You see, I had this idea that one day, when I got the chance, I’d take my wife and girls to Marion, Alabama. I’d show them the house where I spent the first five years of my life, regaling them with stories about the giant heating grate in the middle ofthe hall that my brother used as a bathroom while sleepwalking, and the stove fire that sent my dad to the hospital, and the small square pond with goldfish that our landlady’s cat loved to eat. But I can’t—at least, not the way I intended. My oldest brother dashed this plan by posting a Google Street View image. The two neighboring houses still stand. Ours is gone. Completely. Considering the size of the trees that now play the stand-in role, I’mguessing the house disappeared years ago (given our experience with electrical issues there, probably in a blaze of glory). I’ve been told by movies and books that I can’t go home again, and this sad image of an empty lot does make a pretty good case for that. But that house—no matter the memories of watching PBS in the living room or musicblaring from my brothers’ stereo—that house was never my home, not really. Nor is the house where I spent most of my youth, nor is the place I live now. Seeing an empty lot reminded me how easily the things here on earth disappear. One moment you’re settling into a comfortable Alabama life; the next you’re suddenly uprooted for Tennessee. And when you look back, all that’s left is in your head. Intersecting Faith & Life: When I saw the empty lot in Marion, it reminded me of an old song that I’ve never really liked. I know I’m supposed to because it’s a classic and all. But I don’t. I do admitthat it makes a ton of sense: ---------------------------------------- The Rewards of Patience Psalms40 The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord's promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lordhas eternal rewards. Today let's look at Israel's most memorable monarch. David was the chosen heir to Israel's throne, but he spent years dodging King Saul's wrathful pursuit. Despite having two different opportunities for vengeance, David resisted the temptation and spared Saul's life. He chose to adhere to God's timetable for his coronation instead of dishonoring the Lord by killing the divinelyanointed king. David's psalms reveal his intimate awareness of Yahweh's work in his life. The shepherd king not only achieved his objective through patience; he also observed that God's way was always best. --------------------------------------------- QuestioningGod “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it,Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans9:20) Whenever one begins a question with “why,” he should realize that the answer must necessarily be theological, not scientific. Science can deal with the questions of “what” and “how,” sometimes even with “where” and “when,” but never with “why”! The “why” questionshave to do with motives and purposes, even when dealing with natural phenomena. (“Why does the earth rotate on its axis?” “Why do we have mosquitoes?”) Even though we can partially explain such things by secondary causes, we finally encounter a “first cause,” and then the “why?” can be answered only by God. The wise thing to do is simply to believe that He has good reasons for everything, whether we can discern them now or not. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis18:25). God the Creator “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians1:11), and it is our high privilege simply to trust Him, not to question Him. On the other hand, He often asks us: “Why?” “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Jesus asked His disciples when they thought they were in great peril (Matthew8:26). “If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” (John8:46), He would say to those who question His Word. Then, to those who doubt His deity, the apostle Paul, speaking in His name, asks: “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” (Acts26:8). As the popular chorus goes: “God specializes in things thought impossible!” Our God is omniscient and knows what’s best; He is omnipotent, so He can do it. He is all-loving and will surely do what’s best for those who trust Him. HMM -------------------------------------------------- The Righteous Judge “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm145:17) When Abraham was interceding with God to spare Sodom if even 10 “righteous” people were there, he asked: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis18:25). The Hebrew word (mishpat) refers to a formal judgment about right and wrong and is more commonly translated “judgment.” Indeed, the divine Judge will do right and give right judgments in all things, for He “is righteous in all his ways” and “canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk1:13). Ever since Adam disobeyed the Word of God, however, all his descendants have been unrighteous in their ways. God’s righteous judgment has been that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans3:10). Thus, a truly righteous Judge would not only have to consign Sodom to destructive “brimstone and fire from the LORD” (Genesis 19:24) but every one of usas well “into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15) forever. But God, being not only the righteous Judge but also “a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19), had a plan whereby He could “declare his righteousness for theremission of sins that are past” and both “be just, and the justifier” of those who had been lost sinners (Romans 3:25-26). “God sending his own Son inthe likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (8:3). Those who believe on the Son of God as their substitute and Savior are now “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (3:24). So, Christ has been “made unto us...righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Furthermore, our loving Savior has now Himself become our righteous Judge, for “theFather...hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). HMM ------------------------------------------ Words, Words, Words! by Katherine Britton In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." - John 3:3 American English uses hundreds of idioms, both helpful and just plain ridiculous. It’s entirely possible to slink through a whole day without expressing a single original phrase, if we try hard enough. It’s not rocket science, I mean. You can blow your top,or go overboard, or feel like you’re an emotional rollercoaster, or wind up between a rock and a hard place, or hit the wall. Maybe it’s a cloud nine day, and you’re walking on air. And no, I’m not pulling your leg. There’s a method to my madness. You can probably think of a dozen more idioms that I omitted. Nowadays, we use overuse all those phrases and stick them into our conversation as a substitute for original thought. But once upon a time, all those things we call clichés resonated with meaning.Consider just a few: That’s a load of hogwash – This wholesome little phrase comes straight from the farm, where “hogwash” designates a concrete mess of garbage and refuse that’s only fit for the pigs. The good-for-nothing stuff certainly isn’t a compliment; in fact,it’s downright nasty. Catch-22 – We use it now for any situation with a lose-lose outcome, but the original phrase actually comes from a 1961 novel by the same name. The plot highlights the result of bureaucratic regulations that take their validity from each other butcan’t stand alone. The bewildering, circular logic keeps characters from any good outcomes, thanks to the nonsense to which they’re subject. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” – Shakespeare would probably roll over in his grave if he could hear us butcher this one so royally. The phrase actually comes from the lips of Queen Gertrude, who rather hastily marries her husband’sbrother after her husband dies. Gertrude was actually sneering at the faithful promises – the protestations – of the queen in a play, who promised eternal love and faith to only one man. And so, her inconstant character announces itself to Hamlet and the audience. Your John Hancock – As president of the Continental Congress, Hancock’s name appeared before all others on the first copy of the Declaration of Independence. By that action, Hancock marked himself among the primary traitors if the War for Independencefailed. He risked his life, his fortune, and indeed, his sacred honor. Is that what you think of every time you sign a credit receipt? ------------------------------------------------- Baptism: Identifying with Christ Matthew 3 Christ began His public ministry with baptism. At the time, John the Baptist was calling people to confess their sins and demonstrate repentance through immersion in the river. So why did Jesus, the sinless One, ask to be baptized? At first, John actually refused, knowing Christ was the "Lamb of God who takes awaythe sin of the world" (John 1:29). But Jesus wasn't demonstrating repentance; He was sacrificially identifying with sinful humankind. As Christians, we're called to follow His example in all things, becoming more like Him as we grow in our faith. That's why baptism is the first step in following Jesus. As He was willing to identify Himself with us, we publicly identify with Him when we are baptized, which is a symbolic way of declaring, "I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and believethat the debt of my sin is fully paid through His sacrifice. I believe that as He rose from the dead, I will also be resurrected through Him. I look forward to walking in God's will while I'm on the earth and living with Him throughout eternity. Since He lovedme enough to identify Himself with me in my sin, I will show my love for Him by following His example right now, and for the rest of my days." Baptism demonstrates our connection not only with Christ but also with our spiritual brothers and sisters--past, present, and future. We're joining everyone who has walked before us in faith, saying that we are members of one body, redeemed and brought tolife by the same Lord. ------------------------------------------ God Our Savior “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.” (Titus3:4) Six times in the pastoral epistles Paul refers to God (evidently meaning the Father) as our Savior (1 Timothy 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). Usually, however, he and the other New Testament writers identify Jesus Christ as our Savior. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Peter 3:18, for example). In the same fashion, Paul relates that his commission to preach the gospel came from “God our Saviour” (Titus 1:3), whileelsewhere he says his commission came “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12). Is this a contradiction? No! In fact, references to God as our Savior should not surprise us, for it is found in numerous places in the Old Testament. (See, for example, Psalm 106:21.) Furthermore, our understanding of the Trinity insists that all three persons of the Godhead are One in God. Of course, Christ made many references to the fact that He was not acting on His own but came to do “the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Paul himself seemed to be comfortable with this seeming overlap, for in one sentence he wrote, “God our Saviour;...Grace, mercy, and peace,from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:3-4). Such usages further confirm also that Jesus is God. While Christ was the primary instrument of salvation as the perfect sacrifice for sin, God the Father is the source of all human salvation, and the application of the title Savior to Him is proper. Indeed, we derive great comfort as we see the role of all threePersons of the Godhead involved in our salvation. “Herein 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). JDM ----------------------------------------- Members without a Club by Shawn McEvoy I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. - John 14:6 "I don't respect [believers] who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and a hell, and that people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward... how much do you have to hatesomebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, but that truckwas bearing down? There's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that." Wow, great words. Completely sums up what's at stake with Christian evangelism, and why it's so important, not to mention commanded. Who said that? Famous pastor? Leading revivalist? World-traveled evangelist? An atheist. One who later in the same speech will say, "I know there's no God," and "religion does a lot of bad stuff," but who was nonetheless touched by a genuine gesture that a simple, normal, respectable gentleman made in giving the gift of a GideonBible. The atheist in question is Penn Gillette, of the famous magic act Penn & Teller. You can check out his story of being offered a Bible following one of his shows on YouTube (or you used to be able to - the link has since been blocked by Sony). I am sure Mr. Gillette and I - and you - disagree on a lot of things. But he's so right about this. Our pastor was recently addressing some of the tough questions about Christianity, including the one about "how can Christians claim to know the true way;aren't all ways equally valid?" And he settled on our verse today - John 14:6 - which is always our beloved starting prooftext for how Jesus himself stated that no other way would work. While that is blessedly true, our pastor suggested we have tended to invert (if not pervert) the subtlety of Jesus' message here. That is, we've behaved like we're privileged members of an exclusive club, one that has all sorts of rules to keep others out.One that gets to tell them how wrong they are. One that should be full of joy and open arms, but is instead full of stern sobriety and pointing fingers. One that nobody would really want to join anyway, even if it were a club, which it isn't. -------------------------------------------- The New Birth and Baptism Romans 6:3-10 Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). As the early church spread the gospel message, baptism would follow a new believer's response of faith. It publicly signified that the individual was now a follower of Jesus Metaphors often communicate on a level that words cannot. Baptism is a powerful picture of our salvation experience. Through this act, we proclaim the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again--and testify that we've welcomed Histransforming power into our life. The Greek word for "baptize" in Scripture is the same term used to describe a cloth dipped in dye--it refers to total change. So by being plunged into the water, we declare that we're choosing to die to our old way of life and are uniting with Christ. Oursin is buried with Him, and its power is conquered through His atoning death on the cross (Rom. 6:14). When we're raised up out of the water,we affirm His resurrection. Baptism is a symbolic way of expressing that just as the Lord conquered death and rose again, we are spiritually resurrected from death into new life. We are "born again" and irrevocably transformed through the power of His HolySpirit. In the Bible, the word "believe" isn't a conceptual word describing intellectual agreement alone. It is a word of action. Our belief should never be hidden like a light placed under a bowl (Luke11:33)--when unbelieving family and friends look at our lives, they need to see the gospel in action. --------------------------------------- God Loves the Wicked “And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in mycountry? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” (Jonah4:2) Jonah understood that God loves wicked people. Indeed, our text verse tells us that this was the very reason he ran away from God! Jonah wanted God to destroy the sinful people of Nineveh and feared that God might forgive them if they repented. Ironically,Jonah acted wickedly by disobeying God’s command to preach to the inhabitants because of his lack of compassion for wicked people (Jonah 1:1-3). Even after Jonah was swallowed by the “great fish” (1:17) and agreed to preach in Nineveh, he still had no love for the city’s cruel inhabitants. As a prophet, Jonah undoubtedly wished to see God’s sinful people of Israel repent and be spared from God’s judgment,but he did not want God’s mercy extended to their enemies. He was furious when God forgave these repentant sinners (4:1). Jonah apparently failed to realize that he needed God’s mercy as much as the people of Nineveh. Praise God that He “is longsuffering tous-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The world is full of wicked people who hate God and His people. God created these sinners in His image (Genesis 1:27). Even though they reject Him and Hiscommands, Jesus loves them and wants them to come to Him for salvation. May every Christian be loving enough to tell people the truth: that they have sinned against their holy Creator and incurred His righteous wrath, “but God commendeth his love toward us,in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). WP ---------------------------------------------- The Unique Call of Discipleship - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. �Matthew 16:25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-unique-call-of-discipleship/Listen C. S. Lewis said, �The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is betterto forget about yourself altogether.� If we�re going to follow Jesus, we need to deny ourselves. And that simply means wanting His will more than our own. Jesus gave the unique call of discipleship in Matthew 16: �If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desiresto save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it� (verses 24�25 NKJV). He tells us that if we want to be His disciples, then we must deny ourselves. This is a foundational issue. But we�re living in a time when there is a great obsession withself, especially in the United States. The Bible warns that in the last days, �People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents,and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred� (2 Timothy 3:2 NLT). However, this obsession with self isn�t unique to our generation. This emphasis has its roots in the Garden of Eden, where Satan came to Eve and essentially appealed toher selfish nature, telling her to disobey God (see Genesis 3:1�5). Really, we all have a choice in life. Either we can live for ourselves or deny ourselves. We can seek to save our lives and ultimately lose them, or we can invest our livesand ultimately find them. The great barrier to being a disciple of Jesus Christ comes down to one word: self. If you want to be His disciple, then you must deny yourself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If You Want to Follow Christ . . . - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then Jesus said to His disciples, �If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.� � Matthew 16:24 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/if-you-want-to-follow-christ/- Listen The cross has become a symbol of many things today. We see it depicted as a religious icon and in ornate jewelry. Yet the real cross of history was the symbol of a verycruel death. For people of the first century, the cross was a hated, despised symbol. The Romans crucified many people on the roads leading into their cities as a warning to anyone who would dare to defy the powers of Rome. So, when Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24, �If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me� (NKJV), the meaningwas not lost on them. Jesus made this statement at Caesarea Philippi, after He predicted His betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. At this point, Simon Peter took an authoritarian positionand began to rebuke Jesus, saying, �Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!� (verse 22 NKJV). Essentially Peter was saying, �Avoid the unpleasant! Avoid the difficulty! Don�t give up anything! Let�s just continue as we have been up to this point.� But Jesus was saying to Peter and the others, �Look, if you want to be my disciples, then you, too, will have to deny yourself and take up your cross. Yet as you do that,you will find life as it was meant to be lived.� Sometimes we identify whatever is bothering us or plaguing us as our cross to bear. But that isn�t correct. The cross symbolizes the same thing to every person: it speaksof dying to self, of putting God�s will before our own. The meaning of life, the purpose of life, is to know God. The best life to live is the Christian life. And to live it the most effectively, we must take up our cross andfollow Jesus Christ. ------------------------------------------------------------- No Deals with the Devil - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. � James 4:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/no-deals-with-the-devil/- Listen A bear hunter was walking through the forest one day when he finally found what he was looking for. He got his gun ready, lowered his sights, exhaled, and began to squeezethe trigger when the bear suddenly turned around and said, �Excuse me, but isn�t it better to talk than to shoot?� The hunter, trying to recover from the shock of an animal talking to him, didn�t know what to say. �Can�t we negotiate the matter?� the bear continued. �What is it that you�re looking for?� �I�m looking for a fur coat,� the hunter replied. �Ah!� said the bear. �Well, I�m looking for a full stomach. Let�s have a discussion about it, and perhaps we can reach a compromise.� �All right then,� said the hunter, and the two disappeared into the forest. A while later, the bear came out of the forest alone. Apparently, the negotiations were successful, and everyone got what they wanted. The bear got a full stomach, and thehunter got a fur coat. It�s the same way when you try to strike a deal with the Devil. You�ll always be the loser. That�s why the Bible tells us, �Nor give place to the devil� (Ephesians 4:27NKJV). The New International Version puts it this way: �Do not give the devil a foothold.� The Devil is evil, the Devil is wicked, and the Devil is cunning. He�s been honing his craft for a long time now. He knows that he cannot bring a believer down in one fellswoop, so he tries to dismantle him or her a little at a time. He does this through his strategic and very effective tool of compromise. Show me a Christian who�s starting to compromise, and I�ll show you a Christian who�s headed toward ruin. So be forewarned: don�t get into deals with the Devil, because you�ll lose every time. ------------------------------- The Attractiveness of a Surrendered Life By Sarah Phillips When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22 NIV "I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone." St. Francis of Assisi Have you ever wished you could share your faith with friends or loved ones who do not know Christ? Or have you ever worried that our culture is slipping farther and farther away from God's truth, but don't know how to turnit around? In past devotionals, several of us have quoted St. Francis of Assisi's approach to evangelism: "Preach the Gospel all times and when necessary, use words." St. Francis' entire life was one of radical conversion that led to many giving their lives to Christ. Let's see what we can apply from his medieval story to modern times. Francis' story takes place in the early 1200's - an era when Christianity enjoyed prominence in Europe. But sadly, even with widespread power and acceptance of the Church, many Christians did not lead lives in keeping with their faith. Francis was no exception.He came from a wealthy Italian family; his father earned a comfortable life as a successful cloth merchant, and his mother was of noble birth. The handsome, witty Francis was spoiled rotten by his parents, showing more interest in playing than in his academicsor his father's career. Francis' life of ease and play received a rude but life-changing interruption in 1201. After being captured in a small battle between rival cities, Francis spent a year sick and alone. His time of weakness and contemplation made him realize how useless hislife had been up to that point. But transformation for Francis was slow. After he regained his health, Francis desired personal glory. He signed up for the military, even fancying one day he'd be a great prince. But illness and a sense that God was calling him back to Assisi brought himhome again. It was around this time friends began to notice a lasting change in this attractive, party guy. Friends asked if he had a woman on his mind. He responded, "I am about to take a wife of surpassing fairness." But this wife was not a mortal woman. Instead,Francis renounced his inheritance, gave what he had to the poor, and wedded himself to "Lady Poverty" (much to his father's fury). Not long after taking his vow of poverty, Francis heard Christ speak to him while he was praying in a small, shabby chapel. The voice said, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." At first, Francis thought he needed to repairthe actual building he was praying in. But soon it became clear Francis' mission was really to restore genuine faith among the church - God's people. So Francis began spending most of his time praying, serving the sick and preaching repentance throughout the region. He had no intentions of starting a community of religious, but single men of diverse backgrounds became intrigued by Francis' humility andwholehearted devotion to the Gospel. And not long after men began joining his mission, a privileged young woman named Clare left her riches behind, bringing women alongside Francis to restore genuine faith among the people. With so many joining in, Francis realized he was becoming the leader of a monastic movement. So, he sought to keep their focus on Christ by establishing a rule of life on Scripture. In short, the mission of the Franciscan monks and Poor Clare nuns wouldbe to "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff" (Luke 9:1-3). They imitated the early disciples by traveling in twos, owning few personal possessions,and serving those in need while sharing the Gospel to all. Their spiritual legacy continues with Franciscan and Poor Clare communities in regions all over the world today. -------------------------------------------- Choosing Faith over Fear Isaiah 41:8-13 These days, there are plenty of reasons to fear. Our world seems to be in a continuous state of war and crisis. The jobs market is dismal, natural disasters wreak havoc, and stories of crime dominate the headlines. As Christians, we know that fear shouldhave no place in our lives, but how can we ignore what's going on around us? Basically, there are two paths you can walk: faith or fear. It's impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God. Another way of saying this is that you cannot both obey and disobey Him--partial obedience is disobedience. So, which road are youtraveling? Some people who read the Bible and believe in God nevertheless choose to live with fear. Seeing others experience hardship, they start wondering if it could happen to them: Someone at my office lost his job; will I be next? Someone died in an accident--I could die too. But thiskind of "logic" places your circumstances above your relationship to God. If Satan can get you to think like this, he has won the battle for your mind. But when you focus on God rather than your circumstances, whatever the situation is, you win. The Bible tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and loveand discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7). Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I foundthat my worrying stopped. -------------------------------------------- Jeremiahand Inspiration �Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heartas a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.� (Jeremiah20:9) Contained within the books of the Old Testament are nearly three thousand claims to its precise trustworthiness. Over and over again, the various authors claim to be communicating the very words of God. A number of such claims were recorded by Jeremiah in his book. As we see in our text, Jeremiah was somewhat discouraged with the lack of response to his ministry. But, just as he decided to refrain from passing on God�s Word to the people, he felt an innerburning, recognizing that these words were much too important to ignore. These words had come from God Himself! On other occasions, he heard the words of God directly and was commanded to pass them on with precision. �Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD�s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD�s house, all thewords that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not [literally �to shave,� or �to lessen in effect�] a word� (Jeremiah26:2). This straightforward teaching of verbal inspiration is applied to the written accounts, as well: �The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken untothee in a book� (Jeremiah30:1-2). This book, which throughout contains such strong condemnation of falsehood, and which was written over a period of more than two thousand years by numerous authors, yet without any contradiction between these writers, surely is the Word of the eternal, holyGod. It is the information our Creator knows we need. JDM -------------------------------------------- A Hedge of Clich�s by Katherine Britton And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. - Matthew 6:7 A Bible study friend recently encouraged me to rewrite the famous passage on Proverbs 31 woman in my own words, with application to my own life. I took her up on the challenge, thinking the task wouldn't be too hard for someone who writes for a career. Crafting a modern application took an hour�much longer than I figured. Getting away from verbatim repetition to explore specific application required much more of my time and energy than I would typically spend journaling on a passage. Stepping back fromthe verse-by-verse analysis, though, I thought I saw the Proverbs 31 woman's characteristics a bit more clearly. Rewriting the passage didn't destroy the original language for me�on the contrary. The "words, words, words" seemed fresh and clear from my new vantage point. Unfortunately, reading and "hiding Scripture in our hearts" quickly slips into rote recitation for me. It's like Tim Hawkin's hedge of protection comedy sketch; the words have power, but we start spouting them off without much thought. Pretty soon, I'm sitting in church and halfway through a hymn before I realize that I'm singing. My heart gets leftbehind too when my mind is disengaged. Pretty soon, I'm praying a "hedge of protection" for somebody, partially because the phrase sounds good without making me think too carefully about their specific needs. The Pharisee Jesus described in Luke 18:9-13 had mastered the art of hiding insincerity behind the right phrases. He knew the turn of phrase that would convey holy devotion, regardless of the filth in his heart. "Words,words, words" became meaningless, as Hamlet saw them in the dead books - they became a socially acceptable key to avoid the real attitudes. ---------------------------------------------------- Abusing God's Patience Romans 2:4-5 Have you ever ignored the press of conviction upon your heart? Maybe you rationalized your wrongdoing with the thought that if God were really upset, He'd put a stop to things by disciplining you. Psalm50:21 reminds us that the silence of heaven does not mean approval. Remaining in sin is an abuse of the Lord's patience. When God seems slow to react, we might hope He's overlooking our transgressions--we'd like to continue in sin because the momentary pleasure is more appealing than obedience. But thankfully, the Father knows our weaknesses, our innate carnality, and thestate of our spiritual growth, and He therefore measures His response. Motivated by love and a desire to gently restore His children to righteousness, God refrains from doling out immediate punishment. Instead, He waits for the Holy Spirit's proddings to impact the believer's heart. The weight of conviction is actually an invitation to turn from wrongdoing and return to godliness. However, we're a stubborn people. There are times when we persist in sin because the sentence against an evil deed isn't executed quickly (Eccl. 8:11). In this dangerous situa-tion, it's possible to immerse ourselves in sin and harden our hearts againstthe Lord. Then the Holy Spirit's call to repentance falls on spiritual ears rapidly going deaf. As we learn and understand more about God and His ways, we are increasingly responsible to live righteously. The Lord is not slow; He's patient. Do not abuse His patience with callous disregard for His statutes. Repent and be holy in the sight of the Lord. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sealedby the Holy Spirit �In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom alsoafter that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.� (Ephesians1:13-14) From very ancient times it has been the custom to confirm and guarantee an agreed-on purchase by sealing the contract with a seal that could only be broken by the buyer when he was ready to take possession of his purchase. The marvelous transaction seen by John at God�s throne in heaven was in reference to this practice. There, only the Lamb is found worthy to open the seven-sealed scroll on which is recorded the title to the whole creation. �And they sung a new song, saying,Thou art worthy to take the [scroll], and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood� (Revelation5:9). The purchase price had been paid on Calvary, and the resurrected Lamb had come to claim His possession. And we are part of that possession! The price has been paid for our redemption from sin�s bondage, but we have not yet entered on the inheritance which our great Redeemer has promised us. In the meantime, our individual title deed, as it were, has been sealedby none other than the Holy Spirit. He is not only the seal, but also the �earnest��that is, the down payment, the earnest money�who guarantees the total �redemption of the purchased possession.� His personal presence in our lives is our assurance that the full promise will be fulfilled, and we are urged to �grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption� (Ephesians4:30). He �hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts� (2Corinthians 1:22). HMM ----------------------------------------- VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM