DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 10.22.22

A Sure Sign of Spiritual Decline - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. - Scripture: Genesis 13:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-sure-sign-of-spiritual-decline/Listen When Lot separated himself from Abraham, it was a good thing for Abraham but a bad thing for Lot. A sure sign of spiritual decline is when we find ourselves wanting to getaway from godly people. If you are really walking with the Lord, you will want to be around godly people. And if you don�t want to be around godly people, it indicates that something is wrong inyour life. Genesis 13 tells us, �So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain� (verse 12 NLT). Let�s just say that we stopped Lot at the time and said, �What are you doing? Why are you getting closer to Sodom?� He might have answered, �First, let me say that I�m a believer in God. I�d never do the things that people in Sodom do. I�m researching this culture. Maybe I can influencethem. I�m not going to preach to them, but maybe by my lifestyle, I will affect them and help them become better people.� Lot was getting closer to Sodom while Abraham was getting closer to God. And then the Lord intervened. In an interesting chain of events, hostile forces attacked Sodom, andLot was captured. He was in a war that had nothing to do with him. That was a wake-up call. The Lord allowed this to happen to get his attention. God brings wake-up calls into our lives or puts obstacles in our paths when we�re going the wrong direction. It starts with our conscience, that little warning buzzer thatgoes off when we�re doing things we shouldn�t do. If we�re persistent, our free will ultimately will prevail, and God will allow us to do what we want to do. He will not force His will in our lives, but He will remind usof what His will is. ------------------------------ TheSinner's Prayer “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote uponhis breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke18:13) Evangelists have often urged lost men and women to pray this “sinner’s prayer” if they desired to be saved. The account does say that this publican, after praying thus, “went down to his house justified” (v. 14). But there is more here than appears on the surface. It is not merely God’s mercy that is needed, for He has already been merciful to let us continue to live at all. The word translated “merciful” is used only one other time in the New Testament and is theretranslated “make reconciliation for.” Speaking of the saving work of Christ, it says that He came “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews2:17). It is also closely related to the words for “propitiation” and “mercy seat.” This parable of the Pharisee and the publican is set in the context of the Jewish temple worship, where sinners would bring their sacrificial offerings to cover their sins, knowing that “it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus17:11). Such sacrifices were completely worthless, however, if offered in a spirit of religious pride and/or self-righteousness, like those of the Pharisee. There must be repentance and faith in God’s promise of forgiveness through the death of an innocentsubstitute, pre-figuring the true Lamb of God whose coming death would truly make eternal reconciliation for the sins of the people. The publican prayed in this vein, and he was saved. In our day, on the other side of the cross, a sinner’s saving prayer must say, in effect, “God, be propitiated to me on the basis of the death of Christ for my sins.” Such a prayer, offered in sincere repentance and faith in God’s promise, brings justificationbefore God. HMM ------------------ Who'sHolding Your Hand? “But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the handof mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” (Psalm31:14-15) Psalm 31 describes David at a time of great need. There was “fear…on every side” (v. 13). He was despised, defamed, and persecuted. Jeremiah used the same phrase, “fear is on every side” (Jeremiah6:25; 49:29), to describe his turbulent circumstances. Where do we turn when we encounter “divers temptations” (James1:2)? We follow the ultimate example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who expressed confidence in God despite the hateful wickedness that encircled Him while He hung on the cross, finally crying out, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke23:46). Likewise, in today’s text David, as a man after God’s own heart (Acts13:22), emphatically shifted his attention away from his momentary entanglements and looked solely to his sovereign God. The phrase “my times” includes all the turmoil and change he was feeling. But also notice that “my times” expresses the reality ofa firm grasp in the tight grip of “Yahweh’s hand.” As Thomas Reade wrote, “When [a believer] beholds, by faith, the unerring hand of infinite wisdom, wielding the stupendous machine of human events, causing everything to promote the spiritual good of His people, then he quiets himself as a little child, andcan say with cheerful resignation, ‘Father, not my will, but yours be done.’” “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude1:24-25). CM ---------------------- TheInvitations of Christ “He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for itwas about the tenth hour.” (John1:39) This is the first of the gracious invitations of the Lord Jesus to “come” to Him. On this occasion, right after His baptism by John, He invited two potential disciples to come with Him to His dwelling place. Very likely, this was an outdoor mat somewhere, forHe soon afterward acknowledged that “the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew8:20). Nevertheless, one night of abiding with Jesus changed their lives. Soon afterward, He issued another invitation to them. “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” (Mark1:17), and they never went home again. First He invites us to come see and know Him, then to come with Him to win others. There is also the wonderful invitation to come to Him for relief from our burdens and cares. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew11:28). And note His promise to those who do accept His invitation: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John6:37). There were also personal invitations. To Zacchaeus, the seeking sinner glimpsing Jesus from a sycamore tree, He said, “Come down; for to day I must abide at thy house” (Luke19:5). To His friend Lazarus, dead and bound in a tomb, He cried, “Lazarus, come forth” (John11:43), and not even the grave could prevent his accepting such a call. There are other invitations from the Lord with gracious promises to those who come, but note especially the final invitation of the Bible. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoeverwill, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation22:17). HMM --------------------- TheCreator's WD-40 “Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath [created] us.” (Psalm100:3) A fix-it substance used today in most homes resides in a little blue can labeled WD-40. This liquid gold lubricates, preserves, and safeguards all kinds of stuff. But there’s a much more priceless spiritual liquid that all believers “in Christ” need to applyto protect their lives from this world’s evil influences. Psalm 100 teaches that the prerequisite to proper Christian worship is knowing the God we worship. “It is he that hath [created] us, and not we ourselves” (v. 3). What are the implications of knowing Yahweh as our all-knowing Creator? Because He formed us inthe womb (Psalm139:15), He knows our inner workings and what’s required for us to live glorifying lives. Peter unpacks this specifically. For you have been “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God” (1Peter 1:23). First, we need to be transformed as new creatures in Christ (2Corinthians 5:21). Even after the new birth, believers are still prone to the rusting, degenerative effects of the Fall. “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away” (1Peter 1:24). What is the spiritual antidote to these decaying elements? “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever” (1Peter 1:25). God’s Word is the believer’s priceless spiritual lubricant, coupled with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire thesincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1Peter 2:1-2). Believer, are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans12:1-2) and by God’s clearly written and communicated Word? This liquid gold is able to safeguard your fragile being. CM ------------------------ TheRipple Effect of Our Choices - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. �Proverbs 1:29 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-ripple-effect-of-our-choices/- Listen Every day we make choices ranging from what to wear to what to eat. But what we wear or what we eat are not the most important choices in life, though some of our choiceswill have implications on our waistlines. On the other hand, some choices we make are very important, even life-changing, such as what career to pursue or what person to marry. But the most important choice of allis whether you will follow Jesus Christ. That will impact not only your life on earth but your life in eternity as well. In the Bible we find the stories of people who made good choices and bad ones. Moses chose to help his fellow Hebrews rather than enjoy the riches and power of Egypt. Josephchose to resist the advances of Potiphar�s wife. Daniel chose not to eat the food from the king�s table. All of these choices were good ones that resulted in wonderful results. But we also read the stories of some who made bad choices in life. Adam�s wrong choice cost him the Garden of Eden, Esau�s choice cost him his birthright, and King Saul�schoice cost him his kingdom. God will show us what we ought to do and what path to follow, but He ultimately leaves the choice up to us. He has given us free will. And even when we don�t make a choice,that, in and of itself, is a choice. The choices we make today not only will affect us, but they can affect our children, grandchildren, and so on. If you make the right choices and leave a godly legacy, thatwill impact those around you. If you make the wrong choices and leave an ungodly legacy, that, too, will have an impact. The effects go on and on, for better or for worse. -------------------- Drifting in the Wrong Direction - by GregLaurie � www.harvest.org You adulterers! Don�t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemyof God. �James 4:4 Abram, or Abraham, lived in a pagan culture. He wasn�t raised with faith in the one true God, Jehovah, who created the heavens and the earth. But one day the Lord told Abrahamto leave his pagan culture and unbelieving family and go to a land that He would show him. Abraham partially obeyed. He left his father�s house, but he brought along his nephew Lot. When a famine came, Abraham decided they needed to go down to Egypt for a while.And while they were there, both Abraham and Lot became a wealthy. The problem was that possessions became Lot�s primary focus in life. Lot�s heart was into wealth and worldly achievements, while Abraham wanted only to please the Lord. Friction developed between Abraham and Lot, as it always will when people have different priorities in life. This is why the Bible warns us, �Don�t team up with those whoare unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?� (2 Corinthians 6:14 NLT). Abraham wanted to walk closely with God and enjoy fellowship with Him. In contrast, Lot wanted friendship with God, but he also wanted friendship with this world. Sometimespeople who want to know God have a weakness in their faith and character. Therefore, they need other Christians to prop them up. When Lot was around Abraham, I�m sure that he was doing fine spiritually. But when he was away from Abraham, he drifted in the wrong direction. The problem was that Lot wasdragging Abraham down. There are certain people we can spend time with who will cause our spiritual appetite to diminish. Then there are other people who will cause us to want to become more likeJesus. What about you? What kind of influence are you having on others? --------------- TheScarlet Hope �Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thoudidst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father�s household, home unto thee.� (Joshua2:18) These words were spoken to Rahab by Joshua�s spies after she had protected them from discovery by the officials of Jericho. She had testified to the spies that �the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath� (Joshua2:11). Therefore, �by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace� (Hebrews11:31). Rahab�s spiritual salvation came because of her faith in the true God; she soon entered into the covenant family of Israel and eventually even became a member of the family line leading to Jesus Christ (Matthew1:5). Her physical deliverance, on the other hand, and that of her family depended on a �line of scarlet thread� suspended from her window, identifying her home as �under the blood,� so to speak, when Jericho fell and all its other inhabitants perished. This thin, blood-red line constituted a very slender hope for Rahab in the midst of such a scene of judgment and total destruction, but it sufficed. It is fascinating to note that the Hebrew word for �line� (occurring here for the first time in the Bible) iseverywhere else translated by the key word �hope.� Perhaps �line� soon came to mean �hope� because of this very experience, when a �scarlet hope� extended all the way from a repentant sinner to the very God of heaven! Note the same thought with the same word: �For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD� (Psalm71:5). �And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure� (1John 3:3). HMM ------------------------ TheTest of Expedience �All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I willnot be brought under the power of any.� (1Corinthians 6:12) Christians are saved by the grace of God, not by works of righteousness. Therefore, in a sense, they are free to do whatever they please. �All things are lawful unto me.� The Christian, however, is under a higher law, the law of love and of seeking to pleaseand honor his Savior and Lord. Therefore, when a question arises as to whether a certain act is right or wrong, the decision should be based on how the act impacts the cause of Christ. Does it help or hinder in the winning of the lost or in edifying the believer? Does it honor the Lord andHis Word or bring reproach against His truth? For example, Paul concluded he could not afford to �be brought under the power of any� practice (e.g., drinking, smoking, gambling) that might limit the power of God over his actions and decisions. In a similar passage, Paul says, �All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not� (1Corinthians 10:23). Thus, nothing is expedient for the Christian that does not edify (that is, �build up�) spiritually either himself or someone else. In a similar vein, he said elsewhere that �there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean....Let not then your good be evil spoken of....Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,and things wherewith one may edify another� (Romans14:14, 16, 19). This test of expediency, therefore, if applied sincerely by the believer in terms of advancing or hindering the purposes of God in Christ, can be of great help in decision making regarding doubtful issues. HMM -------------------- Living in View of God�s Mercy By Laura Bailey �Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God�s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God�this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God�s will is�his good, pleasing and perfect will.� Romans 12:1-2 A lesson we are trying to teach our oldest daughter is that our choices have consequences�some good and others bad. But either way, our actions and how we choose to live our lives matter. Especially as Believers, we are called to live in a way that representsChrist; our lives are to look radically different than the world around us. Philippians 2:5-8, through the example of Christ, Paul tells us how we should conductourselves while on earth. These verses remind us that our attitude determines our actions, we should make God�s will our number one priority, and our efforts will tell the truth of our heart�s desires. It is not easy having a Christ-like attitude, acceptingGod�s will over our own, or even holding ourselves accountable for practicing what we preach. Living each day in a way that honors God requires complete submission of our hearts, soul, and minds takes work. Daily sacrifice and surrender don�t come easily, even to the most seasoned believers. Looking at Romans 12:1-2, we see that offering ourselves as living sacrifices pleases God. It is an outward expression, a way we show our sincere love and gratitude to the Lord, not just by our words. So, we must constantly renew our minds with the things of God,not of this world. So how do we live in view of God�s mercy and daily renew our minds? Paul gets very practical; he spells it out for us in Romans 12: 9-21. Paul writes that love must be sincere; we should hate what is evil and cling to what is good. He encourages us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, and enthusiastically serve the Lord. We should share with those in need and practice hospitality. We strive to live at peace with everyone, blessing those who persecute us, choosing not to repay evil for evil. Paul concludes with instructions onhow to treat our enemies; by feeding and clothing them, we overcome evil with good. When we set our minds on Christ, daily renewing and transforming our thoughts to align with him, we are less likely to think and act in a worldly way. Instead, we naturally begin to change our perspective, aligning our choices and will to God�s. It seems like a simple concept, but it is hard to live out. The Bible tells us to engage in corporate worship, find biblical community, and engage with Scripture daily to keep our minds firmly set on Him. God doesn�t ask for perfection, but a heart willingto follow Him, confess and repent of our sin, and live a life of worship to our Savior. Intersecting Faith and Life: Take time today to ask yourself the following question, does my behavior match my beliefs? Take inventory of your answer, and call on the Holy Spirit to help you as you seek to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. ---------------------- Obedience or Preference Matthew 26:36-42 Every believer must choose whether he will live by the principle of obedience or follow his preferences. When a person commits to doing the Lord�s will, then every situation and decision is sifted through the standard of "God said it, so I�m going to doit�and that�s the end of it." He may complain, weep, or try to argue. But in the end he will be obedient, no matter what. I recall being invited years ago to interview with a church in Atlanta. During the entire road trip, I told the Lord that I didn�t want to move. I fussed and carried on a good while, but I knew Atlanta would be my new home. I didn�t like the idea, but thealternative was unimaginable: there are few things more unpleasant than living with the nagging anxiety that you missed out on something good. The Lord certainly understands our need to question, cry out, and petition Him for the strength to do what He asks. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Jesus wasn�t excited or happy about the cross. He grieved over the coming separation from His Father. Nevertheless, He was committed to following God�s will (Matt.26:39). No one took Christ�s life from Him; He laid it down (John 10:18). Our lives are about fulfilling God�s purpose. Many people miss His awesome plan for them because they choose to follow their preferences. Obedience is sometimes hard, but the struggle and sacrifice are worth it. There is joy and peace for the believer whopleases the Lord and lives by His principles. -------------------- A Dead-End Street - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord withpure hearts. �2 Timothy 2:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-dead-end-street/Listen I didn�t grow up in the church. I grew up in a world of alcoholism, abuse, and godlessness. We never went to church, prayed together, or read the Bible. These things weren�ta part of our lives. I knew this world didn�t have what I was looking for in life, and that sent me on an aggressive search at an early age. However, I went in a lot of wrong directions on thatsearch. But one day I heard the gospel on my high school campus, and I gave my life to Christ. And I didn�t want to go back to a worldly way of living anymore. That�s why, after my conversion, I was surprised when I met people who grew up in the church and in the things of the Lord, yet the things of the world drew them. I had beenthere, done that, and bought the T-shirt. And I knew it was a dead-end street. It can be hard to understand how we can raise children in Christian homes, yet the world still attracts them. That was the case with Abraham�s nephew Lot, who was drawn toworldly things. This caused friction with Abraham that resulted in a conflict between his herdsmen and Abraham�s herdsmen. Lot was at war with Abraham because he was at war within himself. And he was at war within himself because he was at war with God. So, when Abraham and Lot decided it wastime to part company, Lot chose what looked like the better land. But that choice turned into a series of missteps that led to his backsliding. Whenever we end up in sin, it�s always the cumulative product of small indulgences and minuscule compromises without discernible, immediate consequences at the time. But littlethings ultimately turn into big things. ------------------------ SuddenCreation �For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.� (2Corinthians 4:6) Even a superficial reading of the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 impresses the reader with the idea of suddenness. God simply called the universe into existence from nothing and then quickly set about the rapid formation of certain features, interspersedwith other direct creative acts. All of the events, whether creative or formative, seem to have happened over a brief period of time, such as the formation of the plants (Genesis1:12), the animals (v. 20), and the sun and stars (v. 16). Even aspects that were evidently formed by a process such as the continents and oceans (v. 10) and humankind (2:7, 22) seemingly took no great length of time. This is especially true of the creation of light. �And God said, Let there be light: and there was light� (1:3). No slow and sporadic arrival of light from distant stars is mentioned, nor a gradual heating up of the sun as interstellar gas collapsed and fused.Some evangelical advocates of the old-earth concept hold that God slowly cleared the atmosphere of leftover interstellar dust that allowed the light from the sun and stars to penetrate to the earth. But, if Scripture alone is our authority, then it happened suddenly and spectacularly. As discussed in our text, it happened just as suddenly and just as supernaturally as a new creature is created out of a dead creature at the moment of salvation. Sanctificationmay be a lifelong matter, but �if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature� (2Corinthians 5:17), literally creation. No more time is required for the transformation than for darkness to turn into light at the Creator�s command. JDM -------------------------