DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 8.27.22

Finding Joy in Troubled Times - Bill Wilson � www.dailyjot.com I have been receiving a lot of comments lately from Daily Jot readers. Many have been very encouraging. Others are appalled at the state of affairs in our nation and aroundthe world. Still some are angry and do not want to admit the obvious that is before them. Sometimes it is a good idea to take a step back, take a deep breath, and look at the world from a different angle. When I started the Daily Jot back in January of 2002,I sensed the Lord wanted a brief testimony of daily events that could equip and encourage people to share the Good News. Most of the Daily Jot readers, especially those who have been reading a while, �get it.� But I want to encourage all readers to keep thingsin perspective. The Bible is about Jesus Christ and what he did to bring salvation to a fallen world. There are many examples of how we are to live our lives and how we are to treat others.A good friend of mine says �You reap what you sow, more than what you sow, later than you sow.� He�s got a great point. It really is a law of God. So if you read the Jot and use it to share a Biblical perspective by discussing a current event, then you haveplanted a seed. Unlike seeds that you plant in a garden, you may never see the growth of that seed, but God�s word does not return void. I want to encourage you to share what is in the Daily Jot with others�either verbally, or via email, or any other way thatyou see fit. The Daily Jot is NOT intended to bring you distress or sorrow or fear. As Christians, we are often mocked for saying that we are living in the end times. They say that everygeneration thinks that. But the fact of the matter is that every day brings us closer to the Biblical end times. Certainly, there are many prophetic indicators that tell us we are getting closer and closer to the return of Christ the Messiah. How wonderfulis that? We know from scripture that things are going to get worse the closer we get. But we are encouraged in Ephesians 6:13, �Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.� Part of what the Daily Jot is intended to do is to rally folks to do the right thing. Romans 12:21 says �Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.� Our countrylong has been a beacon of Christian hope to the rest of the world. I know. I have traveled quite a bit and hear what people say. We have a legal say in how things are done in our country. But because we have diverted our attention away from God and from Hisprecepts of good citizenship, our beacon is dimming. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3 that he has seen travail of the labors of men. �I know there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat anddrink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.� Don�t let these troubled times get you down. Find joy in Christ�s labors. ------------------------- TheWhole Counsel of God “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts20:27) Evangelical churches have preached the gospel message and have given attention to the return of Christ and our hope of heaven. Sometimes, it is good to step back and look at the “big picture”—the foundational perspective upon which the whole of Scripture isbased. Four foundational passages in the New Testament provide pillars for the whole counsel of God. John 1:1-14—The Word (our Lord Jesus) was and is God; the Word made everything that was made; the Word was made flesh and dwelt among men. Romans 11:36—All things are of Him, through Him, and to Him. Colossians 1:16-20—By Him all heavenly and earthly powers were made; by Him all things are saved from destruction; by Him all things will be reconciled. 2 Peter 3:1-13—He destroyed the first world because of evil; He will destroy this present universe by fire; He will create a new heavens and new earth. We can lose the reality of the forest because we are looking too closely at each tree. Sometimes it is helpful to back away from the technical aspects of theology or denominational policy and review the “whole counsel”—the overall sovereign purpose of our Creator,Lord, and King. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all mypleasure” (Isaiah46:9-10). HMM III ----------------------------- Another Divine Helper John 14:16-18 Have you ever wished you had a 911 number that rang in heaven whenever you had a need? Well, I have good news for believers. We all have divine assistance that’s even closer than a phone call: our Helper dwells within us. But if we are unaware of Him, we’llmiss many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life—the Holy Spirit’s presence. Christ knew that when He left the earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate for the task He was giving them—to evangelize the world. Though they’d spent three years with Jesus, all they had seen and learned would still not sufficiently equip themfor what lay ahead. They needed supernatural help, and so do we—someone who will come to our aid, empower our service, and transform us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can achieve all this. Consider His qualifications: 1. He is a personal Helper, not some inanimate force. God’s Spirit is a member of the Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus Christ. 2. He is a practical Helper who involves Himself in every aspect of our lives. 3. He is an adequate Helper because He’s omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. 4. He is an available Helper who permanently lives within us. Do you have any need that requires more power than omnipotence? Are you facing a decision that requires more knowledge than omniscience? Nothing we encounter is bigger than the omnipresent One who lives within us. Be calm and confident. No matter what challengesyou face, He can help. -------------------- TheFinished Work “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath donethis.” (Psalm22:31) This is the last verse of Psalm 22, the marvelous prophecy that describes so graphically the sufferings of Christ on the cross, a thousand years before the fulfillment. The preceding verse promises that this great event will, literally, “be told about the Lordin every generation.” Fathers would tell it to their children, teachers to their students, generation after generation declaring His righteousness. “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm145:4). This prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled for almost 2,000 years as each generation of Christians tells the next generation the old, old story of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1Peter 1:11), both of which are graphically foretold here in the 22nd Psalm. But this final verse especially stresses the fact that the work has been completed. Its last word, “this,” is not in the original Hebrew, so the final statement actually should read “He hath finished!” The most glorious aspect of the gospel message is thatHe has accomplished all that was needed to assure eternal salvation to every one who would “remember and turn unto the LORD” (Psalm22:27). This last great prophecy was fulfilled when He cried out as He was dying on the cross, “It is finished!” (John19:30). Just as He had, long ago, pronounced that “the heavens and the earth were finished” (Genesis2:1), completing His great work of creation, so on the cross He had finished the still greater work of redemption. What is left for us to do? Nothing, for He has finished it all! There is nothing we can do, either to create the world or to save our souls.We can only receive, in thanksgiving, what He has done. HMM ------------------------ He Makes Beautiful Things By Amanda Idleman Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so thathe cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." God is doing the work of creating beauty not perfection. A part of the Christian faith looks like growth, change, and obedience. We are always looking to our Savior asking him to make us more like Him. If we are not careful this holy process of sanctificationcan quickly transform into us striving for perfection. We stop relying on God as the one that creates new things out of our lives and start believing that by our own strength we can become “good enough” to earn our own salvation. Shame and guilt can distract us from the work of grace that God is doing in our lives. When all we see is how we are less than perfect, we can get distracted from the hope that is alive in our world. Our hope is that He makes beauty from our ashes. As a parent I fall short yet amazingly I can behold so much beauty in the lives of my children everyday. As a wife I make mistakes, oftentimes over and over again, yet the perseverance and love that is enduring in our home is stunning. In my friendshipsand with my family, I don’t always have the right words but I am grateful for the way the stories of our lives are being written together. As a Christ-Follower, I often fall short and lack wisdom but God is still doing a good work in my life. Our hearts can be encouraged by the knowledge that even though the headlines in our world and sometimes the headlining thoughts in our minds are filled with negativity, ugliness, and darkness; God is still alive and active in our world. His light is illuminatingthe dark places, showing his ability to redeem his fallen creation. He has not given up on us. Genesis tells us the story of how God formed our world. When he finished and finally breathed life into his creation, he paused to say “It is good” (Genesis1:31). This world began as something good but soon sin and death entered the scene and began to cast a shadow on God’s work. Since then the story of the world has been God coming down to Earth doing all he can to rescue, redeem, and illuminate his fallencreation. Beauty is being made of us despite our fallen nature. The book of Revelation tells us that one day God’s beauty will be forever in our sights. We won’t have to struggle under the shadow that evil casts on this world. The new Heaven and new Earth will be our eternal home, with our God set securely on his throneof grace (Revelation 21). Our souls long for such a peace filled day! For now, we are a part of his work to bring His Kingdom down.His Kingdom is a place of creativity, beauty, light, and vibrance. Let’s be those that look for that beauty everyday, fighting against the urge to fixate on the problems. May the Holy Spirit illuminate the beauty of God’s creation for you. He is making everything beautiful in his perfect timing. He offers hope, peace, joy, healing, redemption, reconciliation, and comfort to his children even in our profound brokenness. His grace is enough for us (2 Corinthians12:9). Intersecting Faith and Life: Pause and journal about the ways you have seen God’s beauty around you. Write down ways God has brought healing even when you have failed. Recount how he has protected you when you faced a dangerous situation. Think of how God has taught you and grown yourcharacter during a difficult season. Note how God’s creativity and beauty is on display in creation and the people in your life. Perfection is not required for beauty to exist. -------------------------- GreatSwelling Words “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swellingwords, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” (Jude1:16) This picturesque phrase, “great swelling words,” is the King James Version translation of huperonkos, which literally means “super-massive,” with the implied noun “words” added because of the context. The word is used only one other time in the New Testament, in the parallel passage in 2 Peter 2:18: “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.” Both apostles, in context, are warning against false teachers who, after somehow obtaining positions of influence among the spiritually immature believers in the body, would then seek to lead them back into worldly ways of thinking and acting. Peter comparesthose who heed such words to washed sows going back to wallow in the mire (2Peter 2:22). Such teachers may appear very intellectual and charismatic, with their “feigned words” (2Peter 2:3), promises of “liberty” (1Peter 2:16), and flatteries (see text above), but it is a deadly mistake to follow them. Both Peter and Jude give various ways by which to recognize them. They may actually deny the redemptive work of Christ (2Peter 2:1) or seek to undermine those whom God has placed in authority (2:10). Perhaps most commonly, they are interested in worldly gain or prestige for themselves (2Peter 2:14; Jude 1:11). They also may practice and encourage carnal lifestyles (Jude1:4). Other characteristics of these deceptive teachers are given in these two key chapters and, by all means, young believers need to be alert to this danger, staying close to God’s Word and obedient to His will. HMM -------------------- TheOffended Brother “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or isoffended, or is made weak.” (Romans14:21) Here is a sound biblical principle (not the only one, of course) given to Christians to help them evaluate whether or not to engage in certain practices that are neither explicitly endorsed nor prohibited in Scripture. The question is not whether the practicewill hurt the strong Christian who engages in it but whether his example might offend, or mislead, or discourage a weaker brother. This matter of giving offense is quite serious in God’s sight. “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1Corinthians 10:32). The problem of eating meat purchased from temple markets, after it had been offered in sacrifice to idols, is not an issue for many Christians today, but it was a very real problem to new believers in the first century. The principle given by Paul for deciding that issue is still valid for other issues of today (type of clothing, recreational games, smoking, etc.). As Paul expressed it, “Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.... when ye sin so againstthe brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1Corinthians 8:9, 12-13). On the other side of the coin, the strong Christian should be careful not to take personal offense himself at something done by a fellow believer. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm119:165). The rule for a mature, sincere, concerned Christian is to seek diligently neither to give offense nor take offense on any personal issue, by God’s grace. HMM --------------------- Wordsof Eternal Life “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John6:68) The Lord Jesus had just given a hard message to the Jews in the synagogue, where He introduced Himself as “the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, whichI will give for the life of the world” (John6:51). The Jews responded, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (v. 52). Indeed, the difficult message was also rejected by a number of Christ’s followers, as we are told that “from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (v. 66). Jesus then posed the question to the 12 disciples “Will ye also goaway?” Peter responded with the timeless truth “Lord…thou hast the words of eternal life.” Although much of Christ’s discourse might have been difficult for Peter to understand, it appears he definitely picked up on the main point of His words. Jesus noted in verse 63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words thatI speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Interestingly, the Greek noun for “word” in both verses 63 and 66 is rhema, which is typically used to denote the active and applied form of the Word of God (logos). Indeed, Christ Himself is the Logos (John1:1). Let us prayerfully feed on that Word, the daily manna that becomes the quick and powerful agent giving all-sustaining life to our hungry spirits. JPT ------------------ God'sWord, Our Sustenance and Power “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedethout of the mouth of God.” (Matthew4:4) In Matthew 4:1-4 we are told Jesus was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.” Satan then tempted Jesus, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, commandthat these stones be made bread.” Jesus’ response began with an affirmation of the abiding authority and power of the Holy Scriptures with “It is written.” It’s appropriate that the Greek verb for “It is written” (grapho) is used in the perfect tense, which indicates a past event with ongoing effect. The verb also occurs in the middle voice, indicating that the implied subject (the Scriptures) is itsown cause and focus (experiencer and agent). Truly, God’s Word is “quick [living] and powerful” (Hebrews4:12). Jesus wields this powerful “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians6:17), quoting the second half of Deuteronomy 8:3 in His answer to Satan. God’s purpose in testing the children of Israel was similar to the purpose of Jesus’ wilderness test. Both accounts incorporate the number 40 (symbolic of a period of testing) and hunger. The first half of Deuteronomy 8:3 says, “He humbled thee, and sufferedthee to hunger.” Israel’s wilderness hunger was intended to teach them that hearing and obeying God’s Word is paramount in life (Deuteronomy8:2-3). While many of the Israelites failed their test, the sinless Son of God succeeded and provided an important lesson for us. Jesus overcame temptation with the same power-packed Scriptures available to His followers today. JPT ---------------------- The Side Effects of Fear Matthew 6:25-34 Fear obviously produces anxiety, but it also creates chaos in our lives and even affects those around us. Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins. Fear hinders us from becoming the people God wants us to be. When we are dominated by negative emotions, we cannot achieve the goals He has in mind for us. A lack of self-confidence stymies our belief in what the Lord can do with our lives. Fear can drive people to destructive habits. To numb the pain of overbearing distress and foreboding, some turn to things like drugs and alcohol for artificial relief. Fear steals peace and contentment. When we're always afraid, our life becomes centered on pessimism and gloom. Fear creates doubt. God promises us an abundant life, but if we surrender instead to the chains of fear, our prayers won’t be worth very much. What are you afraid of--loss, rejection, poverty, or death? Everybody will face such realities at some point. All you need to know is, God will never reject you. Whether you accept Him is your decision. The Bible tells us that God will meet all our needs. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass with the splendor of lilies. How much more, then, will He care for us, who are made in His image? Our only concern is to obey the heavenly Father andleave the consequences to Him. ------------------- TheTrue Riches “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches butin the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” (1Timothy 6:17) Christians have so many true riches to enjoy that it is sad when many try hard to accumulate the uncertain riches of this world. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,” said Jesus (Matthew6:19). For example, Paul speaks of “the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering” (Romans2:4) that have led Him to provide our eternal salvation. For those who have been saved, he writes of “the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory” (9:23). Then, in contemplating the great plan of God for bothJews and Gentiles, he exclaimed, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (11:33). In Him, in fact, are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians2:3). When he wrote to the Ephesian Christians, Paul reminded them that Christ had redeemed them through His blood and forgiven their sins “according to the riches of his grace,” in hope that they would understand “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in thesaints.” He told them that “God, who is rich in mercy,” had saved them in order “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians1:7, 18; 2:4, 7). Finally, summarizing all these true riches—mercy, glory, grace, goodness, wisdom, knowledge—Paul spoke of “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians3:8). “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1Corinthians 2:9). HMM ------------------ Proven Faith 1 Peter 1:3-9 Faith is perhaps the most central element in the Christian life because it is the means by which we enter into salvation. But that’s only the beginning. From then onward, our faith—or lack of it—shapes our lives and determines what happens to us when the winds of adversity blow. Some Christians never lose their footing even in hurricane-force winds, but others aretoppled by the slightest gust. To understand why this is true, we need to examine the source of our faith. Inherited faith: If you grew up in a Christian home, you probably adopted some of the beliefs of your parents. This kind of godly foundation is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but eventually, each person must assume responsibility for his own beliefs. Textbook faith: The Bible is the ultimate guide for establishing our beliefs. But that’s not the only source of influence. Books, preachers, teachers, and friends all impact our convictions. Our theology may in fact be sound, but faith is merely mental acceptanceuntil it’s put to the test. Proven Faith: Only when we trust the Lord through the fires of adversity will we have faith that can stand. It is no longer based on what others have told us or what we’ve accepted as true but on our firsthand experience of His faithfulness. To evaluate your faith, consider how you react to adversity. Do you cling to the Lord or get angry at Him? Is your attitude one of rejoicing because He’s making you more like His Son, or are you bitter? No one can escape adversity, but those with provenfaith will benefit from it. -------------- A Watered-Down Gospel - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ �2 Timothy 2:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-watered-down-gospel-4/- Listen Without question the greatest life to live is the Christian life, because God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and, worst of all, headed for a certain judgment and thenturns it around and transforms it. He forgives all our sin, removes our guilt, and literally takes residence inside of us through the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, He changes our eternal address from a place called Hell to a place called Heaven. This all comes about as a result of the power of the gospel proclaimedand believed. Yet some have believed what I would describe as a watered-down version of the gospel, a gospel that promises forgiveness but rarely mentions the need to repent of your sin,a gospel that promises peace but never warns of persecution, a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and never have any problems to speak of, a gospel that says you will so find the favor of God that a parking space always will be availablefor you. But that is not the gospel of the New Testament. The Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. Not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, but there is also a devil who hates you andopposes God�s plan. I am not suggesting that once you become a Christian, you will be sick, poor, and miserable. But the essence of the Christian life is knowing and walking with God. It is aboutsticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it is filled with clouds. It is about pressing on. Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life. But as we seek to know and follow Christ, we will find happiness as a fringe benefit. ------------------ Righteous Judgment - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment �John 7:24 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/righteous-judgment-2/- Listen Years ago, I was out sharing the gospel and had a younger guy with me who was sharing his faith for the first time. We were talking to a big, burly biker with giant arms andtattoos everywhere. The biker told us, �Get out of here and leave me alone.� I said, �Let�s go.� But my friend said, �Okay, fine. We�re not going to cast our pearls before swine.� That is not the verse to quote to someone when you�re sharing the gospel. That is the verse you may think of, but it isn�t the one you quote. We do have to make an evaluation as Christians. We have to determine who the people are who don�t regard the things of God. There�s a place for judging. Judgment is the exerciseof critical thinking, and judgment is needed on occasion. John 7:24 tells us, �Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.� The Bible has told us to judge, but we are to judge by what is right. We arenot to condemn, and we are not to be judgmental. Rather, we should make evaluations. We should be discerning. We should express our opinions on right and wrong, truth and lies, good and evil. In fact, the Bible tells us, �Do you not know that the saints willjudge the world?� (1 Corinthians 6:2). The opposite extreme of being judgmental is the na�ve acceptance of anything. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, �Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearlsbefore swine� (Matthew 7:6). In other words, �Don�t take the holy things of God and offer them to someone who has no interest in them whatsoever.� We need to make those evaluations. It isn�t violating the Scriptures when we do. ---------------------------------- A Warped Concept of God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours� �Matthew 25:25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-warped-concept-of-god-2/- Listen I think somewhere in our minds as believers, we expect serving the Lord or using what God has given us to be drudgery . . . hard . . . difficult . . . unpleasant . . . nofun. In the parable of the talents, that is what the third servant thought. He had a warped concept of his master. He said to him, �I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where youhave not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours� (Matthew 25:24�25). So essentially the master said, �All right. You say that I am a hard man, harvesting crops that don�t belong to me. If that is so, then why didn�t you invest my money?� You see, this man�s concept of his master was wrong. He thought his master was something he was not. In the same way, some people have a warped concept of God. They are afraidto say to Him, �Here is my life, Lord. Here is my future. Here are my resources. Here is my time. It is now dedicated to Your glory.� They would never say that because they think God would make their lives miserable. That was the problem with this third servant. He had a false concept of his master. Many of us are afraid of God, but that fear is not a godly reverence for Him. We are afraid of what He will do to us, afraid that He will ruin our lives. It�s time for usto realize that the greatest joy in life is serving the Lord. It is not drudgery; it�s joy. It is life as it�s meant to be lived. -------------------- SoSend I You �Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.� (John20:21) For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken �all, and followed him� (Luke5:11). They had seen Him ridiculed, opposed, oppressed, suffer deprivation, and be rejected by the religious leaders of the day, as well as by most of the common folk. They had watched while Judas, a trusted friend, had betrayed Him and then had fled whenthe Jewish leaders and a Roman guard arrested Him. This beloved leader, for whom they had had such great hopes and in whom they had placed such great trust, had then been scourged, beaten, spit upon, lied about, and nailed to a cruel cross to die in agonyand abject loneliness, even abandoned by His loving heavenly Father. A few days later, the disciples had �assembled for fear of the Jews� (John20:19), for perhaps the Jewish leaders were trying to stamp out all semblance of His following, and they feared for their own lives now that Jesus was dead. But suddenly, Jesus stood in their midst and showed to them His hands and His side as proof ofHis death. Yet, He was alive. �Then were the disciples glad� (v. 20). We are now prepared to fully appreciate the words of our text. It is as if Jesus said, as my Father has sent me, so I send you, and look what they�ve done to me. But even though suffering and hardship will follow, have no fear. My peace and my Holy Spirit willbe with you to assure your ultimate victory (compare verses 21-22). If we would be His disciples, sent out as He was sent out to accomplish His eternal work here on Earth in His physical absence, we must likewise expect persecution, peace, power, and victory. JDM --------------------- Sanctification: God's Grand Plan Jeremiah 29:11 The heavenly Father has a grand plan for the life of every person, and it can be summed up in the word sanctification. If you have never been certain of the term's meaning, you are not alone--many people are unclear about its definition. However, believersshould understand it because the word defines them. In its verb form--sanctify--the term means "to make holy" or "to separate." So when something is sanctified, it is separated from its former common usage and is dedicated for sacred purposes. The Old Testament mentions a number of things that the Lord sanctified:He made the seventh day holy, set aside the Levite tribe as priests, and even consecrated places like the Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle (Gen.2:3; Num. 3). The heavenly Father still sanctifies people today. Before a person places his faith in the Savior, he is spiritually dead and, in fact, an enemy of God (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom.5:10). But the moment someone chooses to trust in Jesus Christ, his sins are wiped away, and he is adopted into God's family. That individual is set apart as a child of God, with a sacred purpose. This means believers are not here to chase after personal gain but to serve the Lord and bring Him honor andglory. As members of God's family who are called upon to reflect His glory, believers are referred to as "saints." We are given this moniker--which shares its root with sanctification--not because we live sinless lives, but because we live a life consistent withthe One we represent. --------------------- Finding the Strength to Carry On By Aaron D�Anthony Brown �But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.� Isaiah 40:31 What Brings Us Down Exercise enthusiasts across the country know the motto, �If it doesn�t hurt, it doesn�t work!� Whether that pain is minor or a serious ache, the truth is, we have to break down muscle in order to build it back up stronger. The same can be said about faith that�s tested. Through trials and tribulations, cries and confessions, we deepen our faith by learning to trust God just a bit more each time. Faith is like a muscle, we get stronger the more we exercise. And like exercise, sometimes we control the weight limit, and sometimesour coach gives us more than we want. �Not yet,� He says against our incessant pleas to quit. Whether we�re dealing with sickness, loss, sorrow, anger, betrayal, or just a long season of waiting, sometimes we get to the point when we don�t think we can keepgoing. Where do you turn when you can�t find the strength to carry on? If I�m being honest, God is not always my first option. Sometimes I choose other people instead. Sometimes food proves to be pretty tempting. If you�re being honest too, maybe God is not alwaysyour first choice either. Where do you go? Imagine being one of the Israelites, wandering the wilderness for forty years, or Job losing both your possessions and your children. Imagine being shamed and assaulted by all the people around you as you�re marched to the place where you will be put todeath. Maybe your present suffering is not that severe, but the number of things that can bring us down are as innumerable as they are potentially devastating. Here are just a few examples. A Lack of Trust Not trusting God adds difficulty to our lives. Whereas trusting Him would bring peace, we opt not to trust at all. Our own Sin We are oftentimes the culprits of our own misfortunes - lying, selfishness, greed. Our choices have consequences, so lays the rule of reaping and sowing[1]. The Sin of Others Aside from our own sin, sometimes we suffer because of how people sin against us. Consider infidelity, for example. Unfortunate Circumstances Maybe no one is at fault, and our suffering is just a result of unfortunate circumstances. Maybe we were born in an impoverished country or were raised in a family without a mom and a dad. Whatever the case, where there is hurt, there can be healing. Whether the pain isn�t that bad or indescribable, regardless, we have to remind ourselves of God�s promises. We have to remember who and what picks us back up! Intersecting Faith & Life: When God says, �Not yet,� He knows that we can carry on. Not by our own strength, but by surrendering to Him, b y believing in Him, by remembering where there is trust in the Lord, we can find peace (Isaiah26:3). Here are a few ways to lift ourselves up in a tough season. Seek Forgiveness One way to find strength, especially when we�re holding ourselves back, is to confess our sins. The less skeletons we have in the closet, the less we feel like we have to hide. We can be the best versions of ourselves. Pray Always Pray always, a command given in Scripture, and wise advice from one believer to another. Even when the circumstance doesn�t change, God hears our prayers. The more we give to Him, the less pressure we feel to control everything. Accountability Whenever we feel down, there�s no doubt the comfort of another can pick us back up again. A kind word, a nice gesture, or someone praying on our behalf. There may be many reasons why we want to give up, but there are just as many, if not more as to why we shouldnot. God gives us the strength to carry on. Ask yourself, do you believe this to be true? Further Reading (and Listening): •Philippians 4:6-7, 13 •Hebrews 4:15 •Galatians 6:9 •Isaiah 26:3 •�They That Wait� by Fred Hammond -------------------- Angelic Protection - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them �Psalm 34:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/angelic-protection-2/Listen John G. Patton was a missionary based in the New Hebrides Islands with his wife and children. One night, hostile natives surrounded the mission station, determined to murderhim and his family. First they planned to burn them out, and then they intended to kill them. Throughout that terror-filled night, Patton and his wife prayed that God would deliver them. And when daylight came, they were surprised to find their attackers hadleft. A year later, the chief of the tribe that had intended to kill the Pattons became a Christian. So Patton asked the chief what happened on the night they had planned on killingthem and why they turned back. The chief said, �Who were all those men you had with you there?� Patton knew of no men who were with him. The chief went on to explain how they saw hundreds of big men in shining garments around the mission station, so they were afraidto attack. Could this be a modern-day example of angelic protection in the life of a Christian? Quite possibly. Certainly the Bible teaches that angels were involved in the lives ofGod�s people and continue to be involved to this present day. Psalm 34:7 gives us this great promise: �The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.� And Hebrews 1:14, describing angels, says, �Are theynot all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?� In other words, God is saying that He has sent His angels to minister to us as believers. He has sent them to protect us and, when we are in a difficult situation, to evendeliver us. And when that day comes for us to go and meet the Lord, they will usher us into the presence of God. --------------------- Justification �And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous beforeme in this generation.� (Genesis 7:1) This is the first mention of the great doctrine of justification in the Bible�that is, being seen as �righteous� by God. The same Hebrew word is translated �just� in Genesis 6:9: �Noah was a just man.� The reason Noah was seen as righteous and therefore as just, or justified before God, was that �Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD� (Genesis6:8). This is the first mention of �grace� in the Bible. The first mention of �faith� or �belief� is also associated with justification: �[Abraham] believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness� (Genesis15:6). Thus, in the Old Testament and certainly in the New, justification is by grace through faith. �Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus� and also �being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord JesusChrist� (Romans 3:24; 5:1). Justification�that is, being seen and proclaimed as perfectly righteous, even in spite of past sins�must of course be authorized by God the Creator. �It is God that justifieth� (Romans8:33). That God can indeed be both �just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus� (Romans 3:26) is based entirely on the substitutionarydeath and bodily resurrection of Christ, who conquered death. �Being now justified by his blood,� the Lord Jesus Christ �was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification� (Romans5:9; 4:25). Now, although we are freely justified by grace through faith, such justification inevitably generates good works also, for �by works a man is justified, and not by faith only� (James2:24). HMM ------------------------------ A God Who Is Willing By Lynette Kittle �Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. �I am willing,� He said. �Be clean!� And immediately the leprosy left him�� - Luke 5:13 Like me, you�ve probably known or know someone praying for God to heal them who is still sick, or worse yet, someone who many prayed to be healed but instead passed away. Scripture is very clear God is willing to heal. So how do we explain when people continueto suffer or even die? We don�t. Instead, we keep our eyes on the truth that God�s will is to heal, and just because we sometimes don�t see it happen doesn�t mean it isn�t true. Although a heartbreaking experience when someone isn�t healed or passes away, God reminds us, �As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than Your thoughts� (Isaiah55:9). It becomes an opportunity where even though we don�t understand or can�t explain why, we choose to say, �But I trust in you, Lord; I say, �You are my God.��(Psalm31:14). How We Know God Is Willing God tells us over and over in Scripture of His willingness and desire to heal us. •Psalm 147:3 affirms, �He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.� •As well, Psalm 103:3 explains He is a God, �Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.� •Likewise, Psalm 107:20 describes how, �He sent out His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.� The Willingness of Jesus Not one time in the Bible do we read where Jesus was unwilling to heal those who came to Him, and we know God the Father is willing to heal, too, because Hebrews 1:3 explains, that Jesus is the exact representation of God. As well, Jesus often healed whole crowds of people. �Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease andsickness among the people� (Matthew 4:23). Because He healed entire crowds of people, we can be pretty safe in believing He healed people who didn�t have great faith to be healed, and individuals who hadn�t confessed all their sin, even some who were probably living in sin, and even those who had brought on their own sickness through their actions or lifestyles. All the reasons Christians often offer people asreasons why some people aren�t healed or die. But healing isn�t dependent on our efforts or condition, �For God does not show favoritism� (Romans2:11). Rather, it is dependent on the One who freely heals and delivers. Again. Matthew 4:24 describes how �News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and He healed them.� God Is Willing to Save and Heal Still, often some of the same individuals who believe Jesus saves don�t believe He heals. Yet how many millions of people pass away without knowing God? Does that mean God doesn�t save? Of course not! Although many men and women are passing away not knowingGod, it�s not God�s will. His will for a dying world is summed up in 1 Timothy 2:4; He is a God, �Who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.� Like it is written in His word, �For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life� (John3:16). So why do people doubt God�s desire to heal? Because they are focusing on not seeing it happen around them rather than on the truth that just like God saves, He also heals. As Jeremiah 17:14 explains, �Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the One I praise.� Intersecting Faith and Life: If you�re having difficulty believing God is willing to heal, maybe because of personal experiences and losses, ask God to renew your faith in His heart to heal, even when you don�t see it happen. -------------------- Removing the Sting - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? �1 Corinthians 15:55 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/removing-the-sting-2/- Listen Have you ever been stung by a bee? It�s not a fun experience. But although it�s painful for the person being stung, it�s fatal for the bee. When a honeybee stings a person, it can�t pull its little barbed stinger back out. This is a one-time experience for them. They had better think carefully about who they aregoing to sting, because once they do it, they are not going to survive. When a bee stings you, not only is the bee�s stinger left in you but also part of its abdomen and digestive tract, as well as nerves and muscles. This massive abdominal rupturekills the bee shortly after it stings. That is what happened when Jesus died on the cross. In his enduring hatred for God�s Son, Satan thought it would be a great idea to have Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten withinan inch of His life, and then crucified and put to death on a Roman cross. The devil said, �This is my moment. I am going to sting Him. I will have a role in His death. When He dies, that is the end of Him.� Everything went according to Satan�s plan, and likea bee, he flew off thinking he had succeeded. But everything went according to God�s plan as well, and the sting of death was its own defeat. As 1 Corinthians 15:54�55 says, �Death is swallowed up in victory. O death,where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?� Where is the sting of death for the believer? It is ripped out, because at the cross, Jesus took the stinger out of death. This is a great truth. As Christians, we no longerneed to fear death because our souls will live on forever with Christ.