by Jesse Abel
The Devotional
What does Papa “J” Say?
Dad commands and mom carries out the law, or you could say that dad provides the lamp of direction and mom gives light to the path her children are to walk. If there is a breakdown in family, then there is first; a breakdown from following God. Proverbs 6:20-23.
A few of years ago when I first started these devotionals I felt led to look at Proverbs 24:30-34. I felt then that we as a nation were fast approaching a condition in our land that Nehemiah faced when he heard of the conditions in Jerusalem and asked King Artaxerxes for permission to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. What led Nehemiah to do this? Of course it was God and Nehemiah's love for his country. Note: Nehemiah 1:4-11. I am praying that our nation will wake up, that we will pray and fast while we are still within the walls of the nation. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Stand in the market places. Take a moment and study the people. People are lazy for truth. They have no understanding of the vineyard God has given us. Or statutes and laws have become overgrown with thorns that hurt the citizens. Our walls of security, integrity and character are cracked with moral decay and economy ruin. The government has become so corrupt that the resume of the criminal is more acceptable. Socialism and liberalism ideologies have put us to sleep and the prowler is armed with weapons of empty promises. And we remain asleep through this. Should we not call out to God? Which part in this are you looking to be in? Sleep if you will, or be counted in the godly restoration of our nation.
The Gospel of John
John 14:19-27 The world does not see God for one reason, if you are reading through these passage at all then you know what that one reason is. LOVE. I find it interesting that in the middle of this discourse of Jesus about knowing God by the love of God, that Jesus is interrupted by His half brother (the brother of James) see Acts 1:13-14. Some would say that this Judas is the son of James, the LORD's half brother but that is not in the text.
So here is the point: Do we love God as Jesus commands? Or do we pretend to love Him and question Him like the world? Let's notice the words that Jesus spoke to His half brother. If you love Me, you will keep my word and My Father will make Himself known to you. If you do not love My words then you will be like the world. The world does not know My Father and they do not know Me. This is not my command, it is His!
The tie that binds, as that old gospel hymn explains is the tie of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces; love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. These characteristics of the Holy Spirit are the Characteristics of Christ in us and it is only through this Character that God can communicate to you and me His love which the world does not have. As stated earlier in this chapter by Jesus, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. The flesh of mankind cannot love God, as it does not know the way. It is the Spirit of God all the way as our helper, the flesh profits – nothing. John 6:63 and John 14:26-27
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