DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 2.19.22

Resurrection: Our New Body 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 What a scene will occur at the sounding of the Lord�s trumpet! The �dead in Christ� will emerge from their resting places all over the earth and soar into the sky; these saints� resurrected bodies will reunite with their spirits, which will have beenresiding in heaven with Jesus. Close behind them will follow believers who haven�t yet departed this life�at that moment, they�ll miraculously be changed as they are �caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air� (1Thess. 4:16-17). The description sounds extraordinary, but in fact, the plan is practical. We�re going to need a body with which to enjoy the new heaven and new earth that Jesus is preparing for His followers. However, earthly flesh and bones will not do. They age, break,and succumb to sin. So God promised to transform our humble structures into glorious bodies like the one Christ had after His resurrection. Common temptations and limitations will be gone. In addition, our physical substance will be altered so that we arenot restricted by time and space. Remember, Jesus didn�t bother with doors (John 20:19)! Our new bodies will be suited for the environmentwhere we are to dwell forever�an ageless eternity in which all of our needs are perfectly met. Each believer will still be him- or herself. Friends and family long separated will recognize one another; our personalities will be unchanged, except that we�ll be absolutely sinless. At last, you and I will be the persons that God intends for us to be.And we�ll be housed in a body fashioned like that of Christ�perfect, sinless, and complete. --------------------------------- Him That Cometh to Me �All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.� (John 6:37) In this verse and the verses to follow, we find Christ using a marvelous teaching technique. Several times He makes a general, generic statement but quickly advances from the general and impersonal to the particular and personal. Note that at the first, Christ tells of an abstract gift to Him from the Father of an entire group, (�all�) of which should come to Him for salvation. This is in itself a wonderful truth, for Christ highly values this gift from His Father: �And I give untothem eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father...gave them [to] me� (10:28-29). The entire group �shall come� to Him. But Christ switches in mid-sentence from general to specific: �Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,� a concrete statement of the effect of this work on an individual. We are part of a group, without doubt, but also each one of us individually isHis precious child. The passage continues in the same vein. �And this is the Father�s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day� (6:39). Again, the impersonal passes into the personal, for �thisis the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day� (v. 40). From the mass of created mankind, many have come to Christ for salvation. But each one who has believed and been granted everlasting life has great individual worth in the eyes of the Savior. �The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep....I am the goodshepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine� (10:11, 14). JDM ------------------------------------ Who Cares about Leviticus? by Katherine Britton “You are to be holy to me, because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” – Leviticus20:26 Like most evangelicals, I haven’t devoted much time to parsing Leviticus. After all, we live under the new covenant ushered in by Christ’s death and resurrection, and we’re Gentiles to boot. Leviticus was written for a particular people at a particular time,and vast sections of the book have been demoted to historical curiosities at this point. The fledgling kingdom of Israel – really, a collection of tribes that had more in common with their pagan neighbors than today’s Christian enclave – were on the other side of history’s turning point. For this emerging nation the Lord dictated incredibly detailed ceremonial law that has since passed away, as we have a new and perfect high priest. Still, the apostle Paul insists that “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching” (2 Timothy 3:15). Remember,this is Paul speaking, the same apostle who vilified the Judaizers for insisting the law must be upheld in its minutae to achieve salvation, and who wrote that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law.” The resolution of the paradoxmight be a bit more apparent through the example of Park Street Church in Boston. Pastor Daniel Harrell convinced 19 members of his congregation to join him in an experiment in “living Levitically,” despite the drastic changes they had to make in their daily living. The group grew out their beards, kept kosher, cleaned their homes meticulously,observed the Sabbath, and even stopped wearing clothes made from blended materials. One of the few exceptions to the experiment was animal sacrifice, as the group intended not to break any U.S. laws while observing the ceremonial ones. ----------------------------- The Power of the Holy Spirit Luke 24:44-53 The principle we will explore today is basic but so powerful that it determines whether we experience victory in our lives. You are probably familiar with the book The Little Engine That Could, in which a small engine keeps repeating the words "I think I can." By using sheer willpower, she pulls an entire train over the mountain. That's a nice children's story, but thetruth of the Christian life is very different. In the real world, our efforts and determination often fall short. Only by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit can the godly life be achieved. Throughout the Old Testament, God's Spirit would temporarily come upon saints for a particular work. However, after Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Spirit to dwell permanently within each believer. Consider what this means: If you're a Christian, Godis living inside of you, available to help all through life by providing guidance, comfort, and empowerment. Obedience to Christ is too difficult for anyone relying on his own strength. And discerning what to do in every situation is far too complicated for a fleshly mind. For some reason, though, Christians often try to live life by depending on their own energyand reasoning. Defeat and failure are unavoidable without His power in our lives. Do you recognize your need for the Lord? Begin each day confessing your dependence upon Him. Ask to be filled with His Spirit so that all you think, do, and say will be an overflow from Him. Then trust Him to work in mighty ways through you. Watch what almightyGod can do. ------------------------------ Responding to God's Love John 3:16 God has to be true to Himself. People are foolish to entertain the hope that He will ignore justice and sacrifice holiness in order to allow unbelievers into heaven. Living a mostly moral life will not satisfy a righteous Judge. As much as the Lord loves us and desires to save us from our sins, He cannot deny His holiness by accepting sin in His presence. The Father is pristine perfection--a holy Being who, by His very nature, must condemn all sin. Therefore, it is the height ofegotism to think that God will bend both His law and His nature to welcome one whom still bears the stain of wrongdoing. There is not one person who's good enough to enter heaven on his or her own merit. Every one of us needs Jesus. The stain of sin is washed clean only by the sacrifice of God's holy and blameless Son. Those who believe in Christ are forgiven their wrongsand cloaked in His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Let me make it very clear that trusting Jesus is far more than giving intellectual assent to His existence--that's something even the Devil acknowledges. A true believer enters into a relationship with the One who loves his soul enough to save him from eternalpunishment. Those who remain tightly wrapped in their mantle of sin cannot hope to sneak into heaven. God's holy nature demands perfection, and since we can't provide this for ourselves, the Lord has given it to all who believe in Him. He has exchanged our filthy ragsfor a cloak of righteousness (Zech. 3:4). ------------------------ Our Heavenly Father's Unconditional Love Romans 5:6-11 Scripture tells us that love is the very essence of who God is (1 John 4:7). So if you don't believe that He loves you unconditionally,you'll never really know Him or have genuine peace about your relationship with Him. How do you define "love"? It is Jesus unselfishly reaching out to mankind, giving Himself to us and bringing good into our life regardless of whether or not we accept Him. Romans5:8 tells us that His care and concern are so immeasurable that He laid down His life for us while we were still His enemies. In fact, the Bible says that He first began to express His love toward us before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:3-5). That means your actions had absolutely nothing to do with His love for you! God's commitment to us has absolutely no conditions or restrictions and isn't based on whether we love Him back. Nor does He have more love for "good" people who may strike us as more worthy. He loves us even in our sin, even when we don't repent. Does thatgive us license to disobey? No. It gives us power to live holy lives, walk obediently with Him, and learn to love Him the way He deserves. To follow Him is to receive the love He has been offering all along. Every single moment, whether awake or asleep, we all live under the canopy of the Lord's wondrous, absolute love for us. But to fully experience that love, you must receive it. Say yes to this amazing gift that God wants to pour out on you. Bask in it, andlet it overflow to those around you. -------------------------------- Accepting God's Gift of Love 1 John 4:7-12 Many people simply can't believe that the Lord loves them. Others believe that He loves them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some way. Why is it so hard for us to accept His unconditional love? One reason is that we have a hard time loving others without condition. We might say the words "I love you" to our spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or fellow believers but all too often are calculating in our mind whether or not they've lived up toour standard. We sometimes excuse ourselves from loving certain people because their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact that we place restrictions on extending favor causes us to wrongly assume that the Lord does likewise. Another reason is poor self-image. Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept God's love. You know what? None of us are worthy of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy—so you can let go of that excuse once and for all. We're not coming to Himbased on our worth. Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and our position is secure in Christ. To put yourself down as "beneath His grace" is to trample on His loving, generous gift. God arranged an awesome divine way for us to be reconciled toHim, and His greatest desire is for relationship with each of us. If you feel unloved or struggle to accept yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of our heavenly Father's love for you—and to sink it deep into your heart. Receive the truth that He reveals. It will be a completely different story about your value as an individual. ------------------------ GodIs Able “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the powerthat worketh in us.” (Ephesians3:20) The Bible portrays God as omnipotent—all-powerful, able even to create all things from nothing (Hebrews11:3). The individual is portrayed as totally insufficient to do anything but fail. Yet the Bible also teaches that great things will be done in, and through, and to us. How? It is only through God’s power and wisdom that anything of substance will beaccomplished. He alone is able. Consider the following sampling of tasks He is able to perform for us. God is able to do the work of salvation in a believer’s heart. “Wherefore [God] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews7:25). We can entrust that salvation for eternity “unto him that is able to keep [us] from falling, and to present [us] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude1:24). In this life we will have physical needs, and included in a passage on the obligation we have to give so that others’ needs will be met is Paul’s claim that “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,may abound to every good work” (2Corinthians 9:8). Furthermore, He alone is able to equip us for service. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1Timothy 1:12). His able ministry toward us does not stop in this life, for He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians3:21). As our text teaches, He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” JDM ------------------------ Loveand the Heart “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and withall thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37) According to Jesus, this is “the great commandment of the law” and this is also the first verse in the New Testament to associate “love” and the “heart.” This “love,” of course, is not romantic love (the Greek word for that love is never used in the New Testament at all), but the divine type of love (Greek agape), as in “God so loved the world.” The “heart” (Greek kardia, from which come such English words as cardiology) is mentioned often in the Bible, but almost never means the actual physical organ. It refers to the emotional and spiritual components of man’s nature—“the hidden man of theheart” (1 Peter 3:4). We use “heart” for the same purposes in English. Just how this particular date came to celebrate the heart as a symbol of romanticlove and to be called Valentine’s Day is uncertain. There were various emperors, popes, and religious leaders named Valentine in the early history of Christendom, including two Roman Catholics designated as Saint Valentine. In any case, Christians should rememberthat true Christian agape love should be manifested in our lives every day of the year. To that end, “see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1Peter 1:22). True Christian love can only be expressed out of a heart that has been made pure. As Paul wrote young Timothy, “Now the end of the commandment is charity [that is, agape love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5). And remember that, first of all, we must “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark12:30). HMM -------------------- TheOnly True God “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God fromidols to serve the living and true God.” (1Thessalonians 1:9) There are “gods many, and lords many” (1Corinthians 8:5) in today’s world, just as there were in the ancient pagan world. In fact, the worship of many of these ancient deities is being revived in various dark corners of the so-called “New Age” movement today. Idol worship can also involve adulationof men and women—such as music idols, professional athletes, and movie idols, not to mention the humanistic worship of such political/religious leaders as Lenin, Mao, Hitler, Khomeini, and an increasing assortment of gurus and false prophets. There is, however, only one true God, the God who created all things. “To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (v. 6). The one thing all these false godsand false religions have in common is the denial of the true God and omnipotent Creator. For such idolatry there is no legitimate excuse. “We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one” (v. 4). A dead idol obviously can be of no use. The infallible test as to just who this “true” God may be is that His identityis confirmed as the only living God; therefore, He is the only true God. He died for our sins, yes, but now He lives forever as King of all His creation. We, like the Thessalonians, should turn from all our idols “to serve the living and true God; And to waitfor his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1Thessalonians 1:9-10). HMM ---------------------------- TheGolden Scepter “And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in hissight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the top of the sceptre.” (Esther5:2) Queen Esther knew she was risking her life when she came unbidden into the presence of the mighty king of Persia in his throne room. Even though she was his favorite wife, he did not know she was a Jew or that she was hoping to get Haman’s terrible order forgenocide of the Jews reversed. She knew that it was a capital offense for even a queen to go into the throne room without authorization, and that only the king—by holding out to her his golden scepter—could save her life. But she also knew that she had “cometo the kingdom for such a time as this,” and so she said: “If I perish, I perish” (4:14, 16). The king, however, did extend his golden sceptre to her, and even said: “What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee” (5:6). In a beautiful way, this is also a picture of our own coming to Christ, the King of kings. One does not have to be a queen, however, for “whosoever will” may come (Revelation22:17) if he has the courage to die to the world and the faith to believe that Christ can save. The Lord Jesus Christ graciously says to those who come to Him in faith, believing: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do” (John14:13). The invitation is to “whosoever” and the promise is for “whatsoever”! “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews4:16). None dared enter the court of the Persian king without being called, but we have been called by our heavenly King, for “a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom” (1:8). HMM ----------------------------------- TheFear of the Lord “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job28:28) This key phrase, “the fear of the LORD” (Yahweh), occurs in a distinctive pattern in the Old Testament. There are 14 occurrences in the book of Proverbs and seven in the other books, or a total of three times seven altogether, both of which are importantBible numbers. As we see from the verses in Job preceding our text, when God made man He told him that true wisdom is “the fear of the Lord” (Adonai—the only use of Adonai with this phrase). Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sought wisdom in the tree of knowledge instead (Genesis3:6) and soon were hiding themselves in fear. The psalmist testifies: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm111:10). The final occurrence of the phrase is also in a wisdom context. “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure” (Isaiah33:6). There are numerous other references to fearing God, and a survey of all these would quickly show that the fear of the Lord is far more than mere “reverential trust,” as some would define it. It means profound awe, intense awareness of God’s hatred of sin, aswell as His omniscience and omnipresence, and living in light of the certainty of facing Him at His future judgment seat. It means unquestioning belief in God’s Word and in His unmerited gift of salvation. But then it also means “the beginning of knowledge,” “to hate evil,” “prolongeth days,” “strong confidence,” “a fountain of life,” and “satisfied,” as well as attaining true “riches and honour” (Proverbs1:7; 8:13; 10:27; 14:26; 14:27; 19:23; 22:4). “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever” (Psalm19:9), and those who truly fear the Lord have everlasting life. HMM --------------------------- Heartand Soul - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. �Mark 12:30 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/heart-and-soul/- Listen The Hebrew word for soul is actually closer to our use of the word heart. It speaks of something deep inside a person. Jesus actually used this phrase in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said to the disciples, �My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death� (Mark 14:34 NKJV). He was emotingin that sense. And in the same way, our love for God needs to be emotive and intelligent. One doesn�t cancel out the other. Jesus said, �The most important commandment is this: �Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength�� (Mark 12:29�30 NLT). After Simon Peter denied the Lord three times, the resurrected Jesus posed a question to His wayward child: �Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?� (John 21:15NLT). Jesus asked him this three times. Notice that Jesus didn�t say, �Peter, are you theologically correct?� or �Peter have you been obedient?� Rather, Jesus was asking, �Peter, do you love me?� Do you know that it�s possible to be theologically correct and not love God? Of course, I believe that if you love God, you will be theologically correct to the best ofyour ability. I also believe that if you love God, you will want to do what honors Him. That�s because Jesus said, �If you love me, obey my commandments� (John 14:15 NLT). If we don�t have love as our basis, however, then it all will be out of whack. We start there. We need to love God with our emotions and our intellect, with our strength,and with our time and resources. We need to love God with everything that we have. And if we get this right, then everything will find its proper place. ------------------------------------------------ Weak Start, Strong Finish - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seedby the wayside. �Matthew 13:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/weak-start-strong-finish/- Listen In the first century, the objective of the sower was to take the seed, throw it out, and let the wind pick it up. The process was pretty primitive. He just walked out, hadhis seed in his big bag, reached in, and threw it. Interestingly, the word broadcast actually comes from the root word for sowing seed. And in the same way, our job as Christians is to go into all the world and preach thegospel, or sow the seed. We throw out the seed of the gospel to as many people as we can, and time will tell who the real converts are. That�s because sometimes people come on strong in the beginningand then walk away, never to return. Other times, people have a weak start, but they get stronger with the passing of time. In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about seed that fell along the wayside, and the birds came and ate it. He went on to explain, �When anyone hears the word of thekingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside� (Matthew 13:19 NKJV). So we just have to wait and see who the real believers are because sometimes a person will make a profession of faith, will fall away, and then return. That is a prodigal. How do we know the difference between a prodigal and someone who is not really converted? If someone has professed faith in Christ but walks away and never comes back, thenthey are like the seed that was sown along the wayside. A prodigal, however, will always come home. Sometimes you can have a weak beginning but a strong finish. What matters is how you finish. ------------------------------------ Should I Fight or be Still? by Debbie Holloway You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! (Psalms 119:4) Do you often find yourself confused, unsure of how to best live according to God�s will? This is a struggle for me. Should I speak or stay silent? Will this action offend or edify? Is this a time for action or inaction? Should I fight? Or should I stay still? Though every situation is different and every person unique, the Bible paints both stillness and action as pleasing to the LORD, depending on the variables at hand. One example is when the Israelites were fleeing from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The LORD had fought for them in Egypt by displaying horrors and miracles through Aaron and Moses. Finally their oppressors relented and the Israelites were free � but not forlong. Pharaoh changed his mind, and Exodus tells the account of their suspenseful chase after the newly freed slaves. �What have you done to us?� the people cried to Moses (Exodus14:11). They knew there was nothing they could do to protect themselves from the mighty King of Egypt. But then God made his will known through Moses. No, the Israelites would not be able to defeat Pharaoh. But the LORD did not ask them to. ------------------------- Already Judged John 3:17-18 As a society, Americans are fond of their rights. We're very protective of our liberties, even when they might bring harm rather than good. That can be true of spiritual matters as well. For example, exercising the "right" to reject God's plan of salvation leaves a person in a condemned condition. I have heard the following phrase often in my years of ministry: "I don't believe God is going to condemn me to hell." I agree, but not with the comment's intended meaning--that a person is worthy of heaven on the basis of his own merit. You see, it is true that the Lord doesn't condemn people to hell. He allows them to opt for that eternal destination themselves.They have a right to choose. God says that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ have been judged already (v. 18). In other words, by rejecting--or politely ignoring--their need for a Savior, unbelievers have chosen to remain unsaved and unforgiven. Scripture teaches that there willone day be a judgment, but God has already determined that those who trust in Christ will stand with Him while the rest will be sent away (Matt.25:34-46). An unrepentant man or woman is not condemned by God but, rather, has chosen to remain in the company of all those condemned by their own free will. God desires that everyone come to a saving knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9). To that end, He has granted each person theright to decide whether or not to follow in obedience. However, those who reject the Savior are forewarned that they have settled for condemnation. ----------------------------- Humility �He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself....and began towash the disciples� feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.� (John13:4-5) The Greek word usually translated humility occurs seven times in the New Testament, implying self-abasement and suggesting a meekness of spirit. In Greek literature, it was used to describe a slave�s demeaning of himself before his master�an outward prostration,not an inward character trait. The idea that a master would set aside his status and voluntarily become a slave was probably incomprehensible to the world of Jesus� day. Yet, we are enjoined to �let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who...took upon him the form of a servant,and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross� (Philippians2:5-8). He defined humility by His actions, as in our text, and now we are to voluntarily take up His attitude and �walk worthy of the vocation wherewith [we] are called, With all lowliness [humility] and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one anotherin love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace� (Ephesians4:1-3). Christian humility surpasses all other virtues. Expressing itself as more than acting in a humble fashion, it consists of an inward habit of self-abasement, showing consideration to all others. This characteristic in God�s eyes is seen as one of great value. �Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,that he may exalt you in due time� (1Peter 5:5-6). JDM ------------------------------------ Praiseof the Generations �That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise anddeclare them to their children.� (Psalm 78:6) Each generation of people tends to regard its own times as the most significant of all, toward which all past history has been merely a preparation. The fact is, however, that God has �been our dwelling place in all generations� (90:1), and He is equally concernedabout any generations yet to come. This is why He stresses repeatedly that the great truths concerning God�s creation, His character, His great work of salvation, and His long-range plans for the ages to come be transmitted faithfully from one generation to another. �One generation shall praisethy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts� (145:4). Our modern scientific generation almost idolizes new research, new gadgets, new discoveries. The God of eternity, however, is not so concerned that we develop new ideas as that we not lose what He already has given us. �For ever, O LORD, thy word is settledin heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth� (119:89-90). Christ said: �That which ye have already hold fast till I come.� �Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown� (Revelation 2:25; 3:11). The great principle of true education is given by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2: �The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.� The great account of Christ�s crucifixion andresurrection, especially, is to be taught forever. �They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this� (Psalm22:31). HMM ------------------------------------- WhatAre You Building On? - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. �Matthew 13:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/what-are-you-building-on/- Listen Some people get excited about a lot of different things. They�re into the latest fad or the newest this or that. But then they suddenly abandon it and move on to whateveris next. The same thing can happen in a person�s relationship with God. Sometimes people will say something along the lines of, �I tried the whole Christianity thing, and it didn�twork for me.� No, actually they never built their life on Christ. They had an emotional experience. If it was a real conversion, they still would be walking with the Lord. Jesus described people like this in the parable of the sower when He said, �But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receivesit with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles� (Matthew 13:20�21 NKJV). As Christians, we are all persecuted in some way, shape, or form. In fact, it�s the mark of a true Christian. As 2 Timothy 3:12 reminds us, �Yes, and all who desire to livegodly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution� (NKJV). Christianity isn�t like a product that works for some and not for others. Christianity, simplified, is a relationship with Christ himself. I think one of the reasons peoplefall away is because they�ve built their faith on the wrong foundation. There�s only one foundation to build your faith on, and it is Christ and Christ alone. Don�t build your spiritual life on a church in and of itself. Don�t build your spiritual life on another person or on a pastor or spiritual leader, because people will letyou down. Instead, build your life on Christ. He will sustain you and be there for you. -------------------------- Overcrowding - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. �Matthew 13:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/overcrowding/- Listen In addition to rocks, there are a lot of weeds in Israel, and weeds hinder the growth of seeds. In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about seeds that fell among thorns,and immediately the thorns choked them out. Then Jesus said, �Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and hebecomes unfruitful� (Matthew 13:22 NKJV). This describes someone who seems to be growing spiritually, but they gradually walk away because other things become more important. It isn�t bad things necessarily, butit�s the worries of this life, the concerns of this life, that take priority. There�s nothing wrong with being concerned about putting food on the table or a roof over your head. There�s nothing wrong with thinking about the needs and necessitiesof life. But Jesus was describing someone who allows those things to become more important than God. They believe it�s good to read the Bible, to pray, and go to church. It�s just that they don�t do it. It�s a choice they�re making. As someone has pointed out, �The secondbest can often be the worst enemy of the best.� Jesus also said that �the deceitfulness of riches� choke the word. In 1 Timothy 6, we find an interesting verse about wealth: �For the love of money is a root of all kindsof evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows� (verse 10 NKJV, emphasis added). You decide what money will be in your life. A thorn, or a weed, is anything that crowds Jesus out of our lives. So don�t make your life about those things. Make Christ your primary focus instead. ----------------------- Hearing and Obeying - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God�s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge Harvest. �Luke 8:15 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hearing-and-obeying/- Listen We all know that it�s possible to hear something and yet not hear it at all. For instance, a mother might tell her teenage son, �Remember to make your bed and take out thetrash and do your homework.� Meanwhile, he hears, �Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.� He�s hearing audibly, but he�s not really listening. People can do the same when they listen to a message from God�s Word. We need to pay attention. We need to listen to what God�s Word has to say. In the parable of the sower, we see the phrase �hears the word� repeated for every category of person. The problem is they didn�t receive it. They didn�t hear it in theright way. Success or failure in the Christian life depends on how you hear the Word of God. If you listen to podcasts or great biblical teaching on the radio, if you�re in a smallgroup, then God bless you. But it�s important that once you hear God�s Word, you obey it. It�s actually a dangerous thing to hear the Word of God and not apply it in your life. The golden key of spiritual growth is hearing, receiving, and obeying the Word ofGod. In Luke�s version of the parable of the sower, Jesus said, �And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God�s word, cling toit, and patiently produce a huge harvest� (8:15 NLT). So how do we produce a harvest, or spiritual fruit? Jesus gave the answer in John 15: �He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing� (verse 5 NKJV). Fruit is evidence that you�re a true follower of Jesus. To abide in Christ means to walk with Him and cultivate your relationship with Him every day. Are you abiding in Christ? VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM