DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 5.4.24

 RagingWaves “[They are] raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame.” (Jude1:13) Jude connects together a string of 21 illustrations to describe the character of ungodly men who are attacking “the faith once delivered to the saints” (v. 3). This very poignant letter literally sizzles with scathing imagery for those who dare to stir up dissensionand disobedience among God’s people. The particular image in verse 13 is of roiling billows surging ashore after a storm, spitting out “shame” from amidst the foam. The physical picture is disgusting enough. As the energy of the storm increases the waves’ height and frequency, the detritus inand on the ocean is picked up and carried along. As the waves rise up toward the shore, they break and the foam begins to collect and then spew out the “shame” previously covered by the depths. Isaiah’s comparison is most apt: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah57:20). The shame cast up by these raging waves is not just filthy but also damaging to those among whom the shame is dumped. Paul warned the Corinthian church about those who dealt with “hidden things of dishonesty,” were “walking in craftiness,” or were “handling the word of God deceitfully.” In vivid contrast, Paul and his co-laborers openly displayed “the truth commending ourselvesto every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2Corinthians 4:2). Like Jude, Paul forecasts only destruction for these kinds of people. They brag “in their shame” and have their minds set on “earthly things” (Philippians3:19). “Foaming” at the mouth is frequently connected with demonic oppression in Scripture (Mark9:17-18; Luke 9:39; etc.). Medically, the symptom is seldom positive. Perhaps Jude is offering a glimpse of the devilish source of such “raging” and raising a further alarm. HMM III ----------------------- SpecificCreation “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, anotherof fishes, and another of birds.” (1Corinthians 15:39) The doctrine of special creation means that creation took place by supernatural processes and that each created entity was specifically planned and formed by God. This doctrine is clearly taught in the Genesis record, where the phrase “after his kind” is usedno less than 10 times in the very first chapter. One such remarkable reference is found here in 1 Corinthians 15:37-44. The distinctiveness of several major realms of creation is set forth as follows: Botanical: “God giveth...to every seed his own body” (v. 38). Zoological: “All flesh is not the same flesh” (our text). Physical: “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another” (v. 40). Thus, although all celestial bodies may be made of the same basic chemical elements, planetEarth is unique in its complexity and purpose. Astral: “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory” (v. 41). Even among the celestial bodies, each star is unique. Spiritual: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (v. 44). The Scriptures indicate that although they are genuinely physical bodies, they will one day be supernatural bodies, not controlled by the present force systems of nature. God has a noble purpose for each created system, and He has specially designed each for that purpose. Although He has made ample provision for “horizontal” changes within the system, never can one evolve “vertically” into a more complex system. HMM -------------------------- TheAbounding Life “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,may abound to every good work.” (2Corinthians 9:8) Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John10:10). This well-known promise is sometimes misapplied, being interpreted to mean that the Christian life would normally be a life of material prosperity, popularity, and happiness. The words “abundantly,” “abounding,” and similar terms are all basedon the same Greek word that does, indeed, mean “abundant.” But it can apply to sorrow as well as happiness. The Christian life, as our text indicates, should be abundant in good works for the simple reason that God’s saving and keeping grace has been manifested abundantly toward us. Having been “stablished in the faith,” we are to be “abounding therein” (Colossians2:7). Christians, of course, should also “abound in love.” “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you” (1Thessalonians 3:12). But the Christian may also experience much sorrow and difficulty in his life. Paul was a classic example: “...in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft” (2Corinthians 11:23). One may also abound in poverty. For the Christians at Philippi, for example, “in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (2Corinthians 8:2). An abundance of suffering for the believer can always be overbalanced by God’s abounding grace. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2Corinthians 1:5). Our God of all grace “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians3:20). HMM ------------------------ OneAnother “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God tolove one another.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9) The Christian life involves both individual accountability and interpersonal involvement. Each of us is individually responsible for maintaining the right sort of relationship with others, especially others in our Christian fellowship. A beautiful Greek word is allelon, often translated “one another.” For example, we are commanded: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians4:32). Furthermore, we are to “be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5), “in honour preferring one another” (Romans12:10). There are many other such admonitions, all built around the beautiful phrase “one another.” Although we have indeed “been called unto liberty,” we are nevertheless to “serve one another” (Galatians5:13). We are also to “exhort one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13) and to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews10:24). “Use hospitality one to another without grudging” (1 Peter 4:9). We are told: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). In times of sorrow, Christians are admonished to “comfort one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and “pray one for another” (James5:16). But by far the most frequently repeated admonition is that in our text: “Love one another!” There are no less than 15 times where this command is given in the New Testament. Most significantly of all, it is Christ’s own “new commandment”: “By this shall allmen know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). HMM --------------------------- TheSavior of the World - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Then they said to the woman, �Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of theworld.� �John 4:42 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-savior-of-the-world/- Listen She thought that romance and sex would satisfy the deepest needs of her life. As a result, she went from marriage to marriage and from relationship to relationship. She hadbeen married and divorced five times. And then she was living with a man. Nowadays, this story wouldn�t be all that uncommon. But in the first century, it was scandalous for someone to live this way. By the time this woman encountered Jesus at aSamaritan well, she had been used, abused, and disillusioned. Undoubtedly, she was strikingly attractive. But perhaps as the years passed, her beauty began to fade, and as a result, men started disappearing from her life. There wasn�tanyone who would commit themselves to her in marriage anymore. And before she knew it, she had no friends to speak of. People probably wouldn�t even look at her, much less give her the time of day�that is, until Jesus came along. And He gave her more than the time of day. He went out of Hisway to speak with her, and He revealed to her the truth of God�s Word. She hadn�t realized it, but she had an appointment with God that day. One thing we can always be sure of is that God keeps His appointments. He is never late; He is always on time. It�s interesting to note that the story of this woman in John 4 comes immediately after the story of Nicodemus in John 3. Nicodemus was a religious, upright man who came toJesus at night, searching for answers in life. Meanwhile, the Samaritan woman was an immoral person whom Jesus sought out. There are some interesting contrasts between these two individuals. One was a man, and one was a woman. One was very moral, and one was very immoral. Nicodemus was known forhis great accomplishments, while the Samaritan woman was known for her great immorality. At the same time, both had something in common: they were empty, and they needed Jesus. We, too, have a spiritual thirst deep inside us. And there�s nothing in this worldthat will satisfy this thirst except for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This serves as a reminder to us that everyone needs Jesus. Sometimes we think that Jesus is only for the down-and-outers. Yes, they do need Jesus. But relatively good peopleneed Him too. I have found that wherever I go, the answers for the problems of humanity are the same. I have preached in the United States and in several other countries. And everywhereI�ve been, I�ve found that one thing is always true: people are sinful, and Jesus is the answer. Regardless of someone�s culture, age, race, or gender, they need Jesus. Everyone is empty, everyone is lonely, everyone has a sense of guilt, and everyone is afraid to die.That is something we need to realize. Jesus is the Savior of the world. He is the Savior of every person, young and old, from the simpleminded to the great intellect. Jesus Christ is the answer. --------------------------- The Limitless Love of God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria on the way. �John 4:3�4 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-limitless-love-of-god/- Listen No Orthodox Jew ever would go to Galilee by way of Samaria. In fact, Jews went out of their way to avoid it altogether. The Jews did not want to associate with the Samaritans, and the Samaritans did not want to associate with the Jews. This prejudice had been passed on from generation to generation. Jesus, however, had to go to Samaria. He had an appointment with a lonely, hurting, and searching woman, and He was about to bring God�s love to her. The love of God knows no racial, economic, or sinful boundaries. It had been determined long before, in eternity, that Jesus would meet with this Samaritan woman on that day. We see from the example of Jesus that we must go where people are. We need to go into our culture and be salt and light to the people with whom we have contact. Each of ushas a sphere of influence. And in that sphere of influence, we can touch people in a way that no one else can. As Christians, we should seek to share the gospel in an authentic, loving, culturally relevant way without compromising the integrity of it. We want to let people know whoJesus is. And we need to care about the people we speak to. People can tell whether we care. No one is beyond the reach of God, no one should be left out, and no one should be written off. The Samaritan woman was surprised to see a man sitting at the well that day when she came to draw water. And she was even more surprised when she saw that He was a Jewishman. She probably braced herself for a confrontation at that point, believing it was only a matter of time until He said something insulting to her. Perhaps she could tell from His clothes that He was a rabbi. The legalism of the day dictated that when a rabbi saw a woman, he had to cover his eyes. In fact, it wasn�t uncommonfor some of them to bump into walls or trip and fall because they didn�t want to make eye contact with a woman. This wasn�t from God. It was cold, dead, legalistic religion. And just to show you that Jesus wanted nothing to do with it, He went out of His way to reach a Samaritan�andnot only a Samaritan but a woman (and an immoral one at that). She was someone to whom you�d never expect Jesus to speak. And it�s why the disciples were shocked when they came back from town with food and saw Jesus talking with her (see John 4:27). But Jesus loved her. He was reaching out to her and would appeal to her curiosity, her inner spiritual thirst. Are you willing to leave your comfort zone and take the gospel to someone? Are you willing to go to people who are different from you and tell them about the love of JesusChrist? That is what Jesus modeled for us. Every generation needs regeneration. Ours is no exception. --------------------------- The Search Is Over - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Jesus replied, �Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.� �John 4:13 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-search-is-over/- Listen For her, life was all about men. She was looking for Prince Charming, a man who would meet her deepest needs. She had fallen in love again and again. But as soon as the excitementwas gone, she went looking for another relationship, and then another, until she ended up empty. But one day, while she stood in the blazing sun by a well in Samaria, Jesus said to her, �Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drinkthe water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life� (John 4:13�14 NLT). Jesus wasn�t talking about literal water; He was using it as a metaphor for life. You could take any so-called well in your life, from the well of pleasure to the well ofmaterialism, and you�ll discover the same thing this woman did. It may satisfy you for a time, but then you will thirst again. This woman had searched for�but never found�her heart�s desire. That�s because she had a loneliness for God. And no one else was able to fill it. We see examples of this in Hollywood all the time. Celebrities talk about how in love they are, but then suddenly their relationships end. Love is not about the initial attraction,although that is part of it. Love goes beyond that. And it won�t always be exciting and fun. God has created us to desire companionship. After He created Adam, God said, �It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him� (Genesis2:18 NLT). There is nothing wrong with having a desire to find the right person. And it�s something for which you need to wait upon God. But it�s also important to understand that the person you marry isn�t going to meet every need of your life. There are certain things that only God can do for you. Only Godcan fill the deepest void in your life. When you�re a child, you think that when you�re finally a teenager, life will be better. Then you become a teenager, and you can�t wait to get your driver�s license and acar. Then, your next goal is to get out of high school and get on with life. After that, your goal is to become financially independent. On and on it goes. It�s an endless cycle of always reaching but never finding. As Solomon pointed out, �Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!� (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NLT). When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, the search is over. If we drink of the water that He gives us, then we�ll be completely satisfied. We have a spiritual thirst that onlyGod can satisfy. And all the other things this world has to offer ultimately will come up short. ----------------------------------- Waiting �Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?� (Mark 13:4) Within a week of His approaching death, Christ sat down with His disciples to talk of the future. He would be leaving, terrible persecution would come, but He would return. Purposefully, no date was given. Their curiosity was no doubt great, but Christ hadother charges for them. Instead, Christ focused on other issues, and His instructions apply to us just as surely as to the disciples. Whether things are going well or not, we must not be misled into a false sense of security. The disciples were looking at the beautiful and serene temple and grounds, but Christ predicted unprecedented destruction. �There shall not be left one stone upon another� (v. 2). Nor should we allow ourselves to be deceived by false prophets (vv. 5-6). Scripture gives ample information to allow us to identify and shun these �wolves in sheep�s clothing.� But to our shame, false teachings permeate our churches and television airwaves. Furthermore, when natural calamities and world turmoil cascade in on us (vv. 7-8), we must not be frozen with fear. These things must come (v. 7). Persecution must come also (vv. 9-12). We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated in our witness or trippedup by bitterness. Instead, we must �endure� and remain loyal to Him (v. 13). We must be at work to spread the gospel to all nations (v. 10) in spite of the opposition. And, �take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is� (v. 33). As the events in the Middle East escalate and take on a character that could lead to the sort of conflagration Jesus prophesied, let us commit ourselves to the attitude of heart and life He commanded. JDM -------------------------- WanderingStars �[They are] wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.� (Jude1:13) This short reference is somewhat enigmatic. The five �wandering stars� of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were clearly known in Jude�s day, and their behavior had been plotted for many centuries. The Bible also uses �stars� as figures of speech forangelic beings in Job and Revelation. It is clear in context that Jude is referencing ungodly people, most likely influential leaders in the churches who are damaging and defiling the work of the kingdom. The particular focus of this example is that they are �reserved� for a �blackness of darknessfor ever.� Earlier, Jude cited �the angels which kept not their first estate� as being �reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day� (v. 6). Peter alludes to the same punishment of �angels that sinned� who were delivered �into chainsof darkness, to be reserved unto judgment� (2Peter 2:4). But it does not appear that Jude is speaking of angels in today�s text. Beginning in verse 8, Jude begins to tie his illustrations to people�leaders who are misusing their role and privileges for evil rather than good. All of the previous examples are obvious:filthy dreamers, natural beasts, those behaving like Cain, Balaam, or Korah�even the waterless clouds, fruitless trees, and foaming waves are easily compared to human behavior. How do we apply this illustration? Since the Creator made all things, His revealed Word often provides insight about the true nature of the universe long before we discover it. Comets were observed in Old Testament times. Today we know that they �wander� forsome time but eventually dissipate into �the blackness of darkness for ever.� Just so, these �stars� may wow some for a season, but they are reserved for an eternity in hell. HMM III ------------------------ Worship the Right God - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. �John 4:24 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/worship-the-right-god/- Listen Some people like to envision a meek and mild Jesus who walks around with a lamb draped around His neck, saying, �Whatever you want to believe is cool with Me�as long as you�retrue to yourself.� However, that isn�t the Jesus of the Bible. When He spoke with the woman at Jacob�s well in Samaria, she said, �So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem isthe only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?� (John 4:20 NLT). Jesus answered, �Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. . . . The time iscoming�indeed it�s here now�when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way� (verses 21, 23 NLT). He was saying, �Your form of belief is the wrong form. It is not going to lead you to God.� Jesus clarified the issue and brought it back home. He also pointed out that allreligions are not true. He told the Samaritan woman, �You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews� (verse 22 NLT). It�s important that we worship the right God. People say things like, �I don�t feel like I need to go to church. I feel like I can commune with God in the great outdoors.I don�t like church.� Yet the Bible says that we must worship God both in spirit and in truth. We need to know that God established the church. The church isn�t perfect. It has its flaws. But Jesus set it up. And He has said that when His people gather, when we meetfor Bible study and worship, He manifests His presence in a special way. Jesus said, �For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them� (Matthew 18:20 NLT). That is worshipping God in truth. Having said that, we also must worship God in spirit. You can go to church every week but not really have a relationship with God. Jesus was saying to the Samaritan woman, �Let�s move away from the religion discussion and get back to the relationship discussion. This is about knowing God. If you want to know Him, then you can know Him right now.� She said, �I know the Messiah is coming�the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us� (John 4:25 NLT). Then Jesus told her, �I am the Messiah!� (verse 26 NLT). It appears that at this moment, she believed instantaneously�despite her hardened heart and world-weariness. She immediately responded to Him. She accepted what Jesus said.And it softened her hardened heart. Maybe, like this woman, you have a hardened heart. There�s a void in your life that only God can fill. It is a thirst that only Jesus can quench. -------------------------------- Redeemingthe Time �See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days areevil.� (Ephesians 5:15-16) This incisive expression��redeeming the time��occurs also in Colossians 4:5: �Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.� The Greek word for �redeem� means to �buy back,� to �ransom,� or even to �rescue.� That is, time is a very valuable asset in danger of being lost forever unless it is rescuedor redeemed. As a matter of fact, time is just about the most valuable asset we have. If we squander our money or lose our health, there is always the possibility of earning more money or being restored to health, but wasted time is gone forever. In our text, those whoare wise redeem the time, whereas those who are fools waste or misuse it. The word in the original for �circumspectly� is translated �diligently� in Matthew 2:7. The text thus indicates that those who redeem the time are walking diligently; the parallel passage in Colossians 4:5 says they are walking in wisdom. The time God gives us, therefore, should be used both carefully and diligently. The marvelous passage in the 139th Psalm that describes the growth of the human embryo concludes with a remarkable declaration: �In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them� (Psalm139:16). The words �my members� are not in the original, and �in continuance� is actually the Hebrew word for �days.� Thus, the verse is really telling us that all of our days were written in God�s book even before we were conceived. Each day of our livesis vitally important in the plan of God. �So,� as Moses prayed to the Lord, �teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom� (Psalm 90:12). HMM --------------------------- Imitation Christians - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. �2 Timothy 3:13 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/imitation-christians/- Listen When the iPhone was first released in 2007, Apple redefined the entire cell phone market. Phones had never looked that way before. And it wasn�t long until other companiesintroduced their own versions of the updated smartphone. Whenever something is popular, there are always imitations. Before the return of Jesus, the devil basically will flood the market with cheap imitations of the real thing. And it will be an effective ploy. In fact, some people willhave a difficult time knowing the true from the false. Maybe you�ve known people who were strong Christians and even influenced you to put your faith in Jesus Christ. But after some time passed, it became evident they weren�tthe Christians you thought they were. Even worse, they were living double lives in complete contradiction of their professed faith. Perhaps you thought, �Well, if they�re hypocrites, then I�m not going to be a Christian, either. I�m going to turn my back on this. They�re all just a bunch of phonies.� And the devil would say in response, �Gotcha! You fell for my trap. You bought into what I was doing.� That�s how things will be in the last days. People will be imitation Christians. They will appear to be something they really are not. That is the idea Jesus conveyed in a story we call the parable of the wheat and the weeds. A farmer went out and planted wheat, but during the night, his enemy came and sowedweeds throughout the wheat. The problem was that if the farmer tried to pull out the weeds, it would uproot the entire crop. So, the farmer instructed his workers, �Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them,and to put the wheat in the barn� (Matthew 13:30 NLT). Likewise, there will be many people in the last days who believe, but there also will be many who fake their belief. They will sit side by side in the same churches. Theywill sing the same songs, read the same Bible, and say the same things to some degree. But in reality, these people won�t be Christians to begin with. These won�t be believers who have gone astray. They will be people who never believed and were faking it from day one. In fact, the Bible says that will be one of the signsof the last days (see 2 Timothy 3:5). That is how our world will be before the return of Jesus Christ. Both the best and the worst will be happening at the same time. The good news is that God will be at work, and people will be coming to faith in Jesus Christ. The bad news is that Satan will be at work as well, seeking to undermine ourfaith. Until the Lord�s return, a spiritual battle will be raging. But God ultimately will have the victory over the devil and his kingdom.