A Look at the Book #265

The Devotional


What does Papa “J” Say?

Many men and women have had their joy of life stolen. Flirting with their sinful natures women tease and men spoil. Disobedience to the Light of Life causes both to be consumed and reduced to ashes in the end. Proverbs 6:24-29.

Have you read the Book of Job? In our daily devotions Louise and I are reading this Book of the Bible and finding out some very interesting things. We notice that Job (Iyyob) in Hebrew means Persecuted One. We also notice that during this period of time in Job's life he was under heavy stress and persecution. Also, he was on trail, by the Creator, by the Deceiver and on trial by his wife and friends. This would be the epitome of being alone in the personal sufferings associated with the circumstances in his life. We can see that Job has dealt with each stress or persecution with integrity. The integrity to hate evil and love that which is good. His response to these circumstances though is missing something. The something that is missing is that Job's character (like yours and mine) is ignorance of the holiness of God. We can be wise like Job and believe me, he was a very wise man. Or we can be like his wife and friends, judgmental. This is our lot. But we can never be like God to test the Created character of man, nor can we be like Satan who seeks only to temp and deceive the character of man. There is no excuse for our ignorance, God has revealed His holiness in creation and Job comes to realize this as the book reveals. Like Him, while alive we have the opportunity to know the holiness of God. Not only an opportunity but also a responsibility. Job 42:1-6 Hearing is one aspect of this responsibility and seeing is the other. Without faith this task is impossible. Hebrews 11:6

The Gospel of John

John 14:28-31 There are a couple of comments by the LORD Jesus in these verses that I would like to highlight. In verse 28 Jesus tells His disciples that their understanding of His departure is flawed. He says; “I am going home to my Father, He is greater and the place where He is, is a greater place than here” If you know this, then your response would be that of joy. This should remind all of us that as believers in Jesus that He alone has victory over physical death. He alone is the pathway to God the Father, the One who is, who was and is to come. Revelation 1:8.

Jesus also tells us plainly that Satan, who is the ruler of this fallen world has control over the evil practices of this world. Verse 30. His plan is to interfere with God and mankind. We do not hear much about him these days. That Satan attempts to replace the love of God with a counterfeit love for the world. 1 John 2:15-17. Many pulpit managers have set aside sin, Satan and death by short circuiting the truth that Satan still controls the fallen world.

Coming up in Chapter 16 is another message from Jesus that explains that this counterfeit system has been judged and that the Spirit of Truth is provided to set the record straight. John 16:5-15. Jesus needed to go back home, His desire to be the sacrifice that destroyed the counterfeit kingdom of Satan is no longer His desire. Mission accomplished! It is very real in the souls of saints made perfect in the blood of the LAMB and in the power of the Spirit of Truth who glorifies Jesus to us by grace.