DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 10.15.22

Paul�s Heavenly Experience - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. �Acts 14:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/pauls-heavenly-experience/- Listen When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, an interesting series of events unfolded. They encountered a man who was unable to walk, and God revealed to them that He wanted toheal him. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul told the man to stand up, and the man immediately got up and started walking around. This demonstration of faith and power deeply moved thepeople in Lystra, who were largely pagan. In fact, they thought Paul and Silas were the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to them. Paul, however, stopped the people and said, �Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings�just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you shouldturn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them� (Acts 14:15 NLT). The religious leaders, who were outraged over Paul�s effectiveness, wanted to kill him and managed to turn the multitude against him. Before long, the people who had wantedto offer sacrifices to Paul stoned him and left him for dead. It was at this point that Paul probably had his Third Heaven experience that we read about in 2 Corinthians 12. Meanwhile, the Bible tells us that �as the believers gathered around [Paul], he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe� (Acts 14:20NLT). What happened to Paul serves as a reminder for us when we�re grieving a loved one who has died in the Lord. Of course, we feel sorrow that they were taken from us. But nowthat they are in God�s presence, don�t feel sorry for them because where they are is far better than where we are. ---------------------------- Recognizingthe Son of God �For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellentglory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.� (2Peter 1:17) Most people today consider Jesus Christ to have been a great man but will not believe He is the unique Son of God. Nevertheless, He is indeed God�s only begotten Son. Before His birth, the angel Gabriel predicted it. �That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God� (Luke1:35). John the Baptist identified Him. �And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God� (John1:34). His disciples recognized Him. �Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God� (John1:49). �Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God� (Matthew16:16). John said that the very purpose of his gospel was to demonstrate �that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God� (John20:31). After Christ�s resurrection, even Thomas exclaimed, �My Lord and my God� (John20:28). The powers of darkness grudgingly acknowledged who He was. �And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God� (Mark3:11). Even the centurion who supervised His crucifixion had to confess, �Truly this was the Son of God� (Matthew27:54). Most important of all was the testimony of God the Father from heaven to Christ�s Sonship, both at His baptism (e.g., Mark 1:11) and on the Mount of Transfiguration, as Peter records in our text. Therefore, it is necessary for our salvation that we also believe this. �He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God� (John3:18). HMM --------------------- OnEschewing Evil “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips thatthey speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.” (1Peter 3:10-11) The venerable English word “eschew” is not used much these days, perhaps because there is not much evil that people eschew any more. Nevertheless, a wonderful formula is couched in this terminology in our text. If anyone desires to “see good days,” then heshould “eschew evil,” even in his speech, and instead “do good.” The Greek word translated “eschew” here is ekklineo, meaning “incline away from.” That is, instead of having an attitude that “inclines toward” evil, as the world does, the Christian’s inclination must be its polar opposite. The word is used only two other times in the New Testament. “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans16:17). We are not only to eschew evil words and deeds but also evil men who teach things contrary to God’s Word. The other occurrence refers to what ungodly men eschew. “They are all gone out of the way...there is none that doeth good” (Romans3:12). Here ekklineo is translated “gone out of the way.” The ungodly eschew doing good; those who would love real life and see good days must do good and eschew evil. That such an attitude honors and pleases God is especially evident from His thrice-repeated testimony concerning the patriarch Job, “a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” (Job1:1, 8; 2:3). Job saw some bad days, of course, but there were far more good days of great blessing until he finally died “full of days” (Job42:17). Like Job, let us eschew—shun, avoid, run away from—evil in any form. HMM ------------------ RightNow! “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, butnow have obtained mercy.” (1Peter 2:10) There are many wonderful things awaiting us in heaven if we have trusted Christ for our salvation. “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). But there are also many wonderful gifts and privileges we have right now. In the first place, we already have eternal salvation. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Corinthians 6:2). That means also that we are free from any condemnation at the judgment. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans8:1). We have already been justified—that is, declared righteous with the righteousness of Christ Himself. “Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans5:9). “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested...Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ” (Romans3:21-22). As our text says: we right “now have obtained mercy” and right now are “the people of God” (1Peter 2:10). The apostle John confirms this glorious truth in a beautiful passage. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him” (1John 3:2). Finally, we have the wonderful assurance that our Lord Jesus right now is praying for us. For Christ is entered into heaven itself, “now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews9:24), and there He “ever liveth to make intercession” (Hebrews7:25) for all those who have placed their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord. HMM ------------------- TheTrue Gospel “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” (Galatians1:6) There is only one true gospel (meaning “good news”) in Christianity, but there are many false gospels. Various cults have proposed such concepts as the social gospel, the prosperity gospel, the full gospel, and others, but it is dangerous to attach adjectivesor other modifiers to the gospel unless these are specifically attached to it in the Scriptures. There are enough of these, however, to emphasize that the true gospel does have many facets. God’s “good news” is always about Christ—His person and work—but Hiswork is from eternity to eternity, and He is both the mighty God and perfect man. Therefore, with Paul we can say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans1:16). The gospel is the “everlasting gospel,” focusing on Him as the one “that made heaven, and earth” (Revelation14:6-7). It is also the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew4:23), focusing on Him as the coming “King of kings” (Revelation17:14). It is the wonderful “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts20:24) and “the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians1:13). Thus, it also is the true “gospel of peace” (Ephesians6:15), reconciling man to God. Because Christ is God, this “gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mark1:1) is surely the one true “gospel of God” (Romans1:1). This is the gospel that we have been commissioned by Christ to preach “to every creature” (Mark16:15), so we need no other. And since it is, indeed, “the glorious gospel of the blessed God” (1Timothy 1:11), we should never desire another. It meets every spiritual need for time and eternity. HMM ------------------- WhyGive Thanks to Yahweh? “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD,O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2) As one popular Christian song proclaims, those who are “in Christ” have 10,000 reasons to be thankful! In the first two verses of Psalm 103, David calls himself to personal praise, reminding himself that he is to praise Yahweh always. The pronouns are singular,underscoring his personal role in praise and thanksgiving as he reminds himself of all his inherited spiritual blessings. “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy [spiritual] diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth theewith lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (vv. 3-5). Wow! Forgiveness, redemption, and satisfaction—all such undeserved blessings for David and all true believers who trustsolely in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turning from a personal thrust, David then focuses on all true believers in verses 6 to 18 as the pronouns change to “we,” “us,” and “our,” giving priceless reasons for praise. One of the capstone verses in this treasure chest of blessings is verse 8: “TheLORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” The word gracious, coupled with the word compassion, occurs 11 times in the Old Testament. Why? Because grace is the foundation on which God bestows His endless compassion. So, why praise and give thanks to Yahweh? Because His goodness is displayed to all when we deserve nothing but eternal damnation. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us togetherwith Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). CM --------------------- TragicIgnorance “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou,at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” (Luke19:41-42) The Lord had finally acknowledged to the Jewish leaders that He was their promised Messiah, riding into the city on a donkey’s colt in fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah9:9; Matthew 21:1-7), but they refused to accept and prepared to crucify Him. Therefore, Jesus wept over the city, for He knew it would soon be destroyed “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke19:44). There are many other cases of such tragic ignorance in the Bible. For example, “Samson...wist not that the LORD was departed from him” (Judges16:20), and it cost him his great strength and finally his life. The ungodly sinners in the days of Noah “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away” (Matthew24:39). Of the northern kingdom of Israel, it was said: “Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not” (Hosea7:9). These “strangers” were the pagan Canaanites who had turned the people away from the true God. This is a real danger facing many church and parachurch organizations of the end times, typified by the church at Laodicea. The Lord says to such churches, “I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and haveneed of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation3:16-17). May God deliver each of us from tragic ignorance of our need before Him. We should pray with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm139:23-24). HMM ----------------- ACredible Lifestyle “And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locustsand wild honey.” (Mark 1:6) At times we tend to think of John the Baptist as a wild man, one who would have been either an offense or a laughingstock to those he was trying to reach, but in reality quite the opposite was true. He was greatly respected and believed; some even wonderedif he should have been worshiped as “that prophet” (i.e., the Messiah) or revered as Elijah (John 1:21). His “preaching the baptism of repentance for theremission of sins” (Luke 3:3) was so effective that not only the common people (v. 10) but also the publicans (v. 12), soldiers (v. 14), priests, and Levites(John 1:19), as well as the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matthew3:7), came to hear his teaching. Many repented and were baptized. Far from lacking credibility, John’s style was what was expected of a prophet. Indeed, his ministry and message were in fulfillment of those of Elijah (Malachi4:5), who himself “was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins” (2 Kings 1:8). Even false prophets mimicked this style to gaincredibility (Zechariah 13:4). The point is, we should strive to package our timeless message of the gospel of Christ in such a way as to gain the greatest hearing and the most true converts. This is not to say that we should dress as John or Elijah did, for that would be bizarre in today’sworld. Nor should we flaunt riches, for both styles detract from the message and induce ridicule and blasphemy. Perhaps the principle is to dress and act as the hearers would expect a credible, sober conveyer of truth to behave. Let us be careful to “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus2:10). JDM -------------------- Never Ending Kingdom By Emma Danzey Luke 1:33 says, “And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And He Will Reign There has been so much talk over the passing of Queen Elizabeth II around the world. She reigned for 70 years and will go down in history as one of the top 4 longest ruling monarchs. She was known for her service and selflessness. She was a woman of faith inJesus. Although her reign was great on this earth, the queen herself is now bowing before the King of Kings. Any human reign given by God is ultimately for His purposes. What is amazing about Luke 1:33 is that Jesus’ reign is unlike any other. Where earthly rulers make mistakes and sin, Jesus has a flawless rule. Where people in the world have selfish motives, Jesus is perfectly selfless and humble. Luke 1:33 is a verse within a passage when Mary is told by the angel Gabriel about her miracle pregnancy of the Savior of the world. Marywas not anywhere near royalty herself. I kind of makes you think about David the shepherd boy who God chose. God’s kingdom is not like what we imagine in our worldly minds. The Lord was calling a teen virgin to carry the eternal Hero Jesus and in this versein Luke 1:33 the angel tells Mary that her son will reign. In her mind, she may have thought the Messiah meant a reign on earth. However, God has a much larger plan. Over the House of Jacob Forever This verse is confirming to Mary that she indeed would give birth to the Messiah who the Jews, the people of God had been waiting on for many years. The time had come for the redemption plan of the Lord to unfold. Jesus was coming, He was getting ready to rule. But where the Jews were looking for a powerful earthly king, they missed that Jesus served a greater kingdom. He taught things like, “The first will be last and the lastwill be first” (Matthew 20:16) and “Let the little children come to me because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew19:14) Jesus was the fulfillment of all of the promises found within the Old Testament. He was the One who lived the perfect life and became a sacrifice for all sins. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy, He was the One who was awaited, and many Jewish people missedit because of their own human thoughts about “who” the Messiah should be. However, He still came to die for the Jews and the Gentiles. He came first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. He is King over all. And of His Kingdom There Will Be No End We see so many endings of kings and queens ruling on this earth, some are a relief and some are cause to mourn. However, Jesus’ kingdom has no end date. He was and is and is to come. He is the King of kings. Revelation tells us about the future events to takeplace. God describes in Revelation 19:16, “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” We can rest in the fact today and every day that our perfect King who is faithful, humble, kind, the fair Judge, and the King who came to us, loves us and is never going to fail us. When he hung on the cross and people mocked Him and put a crown of thornsinto his head, He did not back down from being a perfect sacrifice. When His own disciples turned their backs on him in fear, He still had great forgiveness and restoration for them, and when we ignore Him and forget His sacrifice for our sins each day, Hisgrace meets us where we are and calls us back to Himself and into His kingdom purposes. If we really understood the magnitude of the glory of our King, we would be responding in bowing, in awe, in wonder of His greatness and His intimacy with us. He is worthyto receive all the power honor and glory forever. Intersecting Faith and Life: How can you remember Jesus as the King of kings today? How can you rest in His reign and join Him in His kingdom work? Further Reading: •Matthew 19:14 •Matthew 20:16 •Romans 1:16 -------------- When the Hunter Became the Hunted - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. �Philippians 3:7�8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/when-the-hunter-became-the-hunted/- Listen There�s a town in North Carolina called Mocksville, and I should have been born there. That�s because before I became a Christian, I loved to mock other people. But afterI gave my life to Christ, I was shocked when people started mocking me. They were laughing at me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Before he was a follower of Christ, the apostle Paul was probably the most prideful man around, filled with himself and his accomplishments, knowledge, and skills. But intime, he came to be filled with humility. Immediately after Paul�s conversion, he began preaching the gospel in Damascus. He was so powerful and persuasive that the religious leaders wanted to kill him. When the Christiansheard about this, they hatched a plan to smuggle him out of the city. They put him in a basket and lowered it over the city walls at night. Think of the irony of the situation. Just a short time earlier, he was Saul of Tarsus, with an entourage and special orders from the high priest to arrest and execute Christians.But, as the newly converted Paul, he found himself being lowered over the city wall in a basket. Paul�s name before he became a Christian gives us insight into what his life was like then. Saul was the name of Israel�s first king. It was a respected and powerful name.But, as a Christian, he took the name Paul, which means �little.� This was like changing your name from Spike to Squirt. It showed that Paul had become a man of humility. The hunter had become the hunted. The man who persecuted others was being persecutedhimself. Yet God had transformed Paul. God would use him powerfully, but first, He had to prepare him. The Lord thus humbled Paul and made him ready for the task ahead. -------------------------- Summingup Submission �Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, andgiveth grace to the humble.� (1 Peter 5:5) Although this book was written to Christians during a time of horrible persecution, much of it is concerned with submission. Believers are to submit to the government (2:13-17); slaves to their masters (2:18-20); wives to their husbands (3:1-6); husbands totheir wives (3:7); and each one to the other, as in our text, in just the same way Christ submitted to God�s plan for His suffering and death (2:21-25). A summary of this teaching is found in 1 Peter 3:8-12. �Be ye all of one mind� (v. 8), Peter tells us, and live in harmony. Paul taught, �If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men� (Romans12:18). There are exceptions to the rule (e.g., the primary doctrines of Scripture), but the Christian normally should not be the one to break the peace. He should do everything short of compromise to live in harmony. Continuing (see 1 Peter 3:8), we should have �compassion� for others (such as the rulers, employers, and spouses mentioned). We should �love as brethren� and choose to serve rather than be served. �Pitiful� is usually translated �tenderhearted,� and �courteous� implies �humble in spirit.� We should return a blessing for a curse instead of replying in kind (1 Peter 3:9). We should choose our words, use our speech carefully (v. 10), and �eschew� (i.e., avoid) evil (v. 11), actively replacing evil behavior with good. Peace must be consciously pursued. There is great reward in such a lifestyle and attitude. In doing so, we will �inherit a blessing� (v. 9) and �see good days� (v. 10). �For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is againstthem that do evil� (v. 12). JDM ------------------------