A Look at the Book #269

By Jesse Abel
The Devotional

What does Papa “J” Say?
How can a person identify moral and ethical problems and avoid falling into those traps? The LORD God has provided a Lamp for your feet and a Light for your path. (His Word) Psalm 119:105 or be unwise and and fall into the hands of darkness. Proverbs 7:9-12
Plans, programs and promises. The challenge to do good and eliminate the bad is always the motive for a good plan, the right program or a solid promise. Today I would like to turn these three “P's” into bricks. Brick #1 (plan) is your favorite color of blue; Brick #2 (Program) your favorite color of (purple) and of course brick #3 (promise) your favorite color of brown. We live in a generation of time when men and women are seeking a one world government or rule. A time when the world population does not want to live independently. The building is beginning to take shape and the bricks are laid out in a neat professional pattern. Multiple colors of blue, purple and brown all of which come from various cultures. In Genesis 11:1-9 the peoples of the world gave themselves a similar project, they built a tower in a city whom God called Babel. I find it a little amusing that God calls the plans, programs and promises of mankind, “Babel”. Our languages are to identify our individual identity. However our plans, programs and promises are as confusing as shopping at the major department stores today. Try to read the multiple languages hanging from the ceiling to identify the products in a certain isle, now that is confusing. What is wrong with this someone might ask. EVERYTHING! Why? Because it is a human effort and not blessed or approved by God! 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Gospel of John

John 15:18-27 Now Jesus explains to us that the world hates God. So if this is true then it means that if we follow the world's pattern of making things better in the world around us then we too are a hater of God. If you are motivated to do good works based on the efforts of man's ability; then face up to it, you hate God and His way. You also hate those who seek to do good works based on the power and provision of God.

The power of God (The Holy Spirit) and the provision of God (Jesus Christ) is the wisdom of (God the Father). If you are in Him, then you are an enemy from the world's perspective, and in some way you are being persecuted. Are you being persecuted? Do the people, even those who say they are believers in Christ persecuting you? If so then it is because you know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him. It is not the hearers of the Word who are blessed but the doers, and this effort of works is not based on the standards of the world, but obedience to God.

However, if you say you know Jesus, but you do not know persecution as described by Jesus in these passages you may need to take inventory of your personal relationship with God. As the world around us caves in, it will be the ministry of the Holy Spirit who will help us to remain steadfast and unmovable in our walk, our talk and our position in Christ as we witness the great things God is accomplishing in our life by the persecution of the world.