A Look at the Book #487

A Look at the Book #487

by Jesse Abel

Daily Devotional – A Look at the Book #487

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Living a day without Jesus Christ as Creator of the universe will never be an experience that you will have to endure… Why? Because He is faithful; or trustworthy! 1 Peter 4:19

A DAY IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE

As many of you know I have been writing these devotionals for nearly five years, some of my retained notes are dated September 2007, but I did not start saving the devotionals until I broke from Dr. David Jeremiah’s daily devotionals and went on my own. I want to again thank his staff for allowing me to sort of piggy back off of those devotionals until I felt the confidence of God the Holy Spirit leading me to take that step of faith and move out in His power and direction. I will be going through all of these old notes and recapturing some of the events. I hope you will enjoy the trip, I know I will. Some of you may recall that on Valentine’s Day, February 13, 2008 I began; “Papa J’s rules for Livin” Here is #1 – Success follows men and women who do those things that other people refuse to do. Now that sounds like a neat statement and in the concepts developed by the world it might stop a leak in a boat to keep it from sinking, but it is not a permanent repair. So pray that you are not too far from shore; since your MacGyver patch over the hole will fail! Success is not measured by the ability of willpower or manpower since there is no final victory in either of these efforts of man or his technology. God’s Plan and Endurance supersedes man’s best effort. Genesis 11:1-9. Of course; you knew that!!! Didn’t you?

1 Peter

1 Peter 4:1-2 – As the apostle looks back at his previous comments he says as he continues; Therefore; or AS, Christ suffered in the flesh; arm yourselves also with the same mind. Having spent most of my early life in the military; words like “arm yourselves” get my attention, like: Man your battle station! Christ suffered – the just for the unjust. We who are called saints have been made just through the suffering of the Just One. Now it is evident that if He suffered; then we too will suffer for the sake of the gospel. This is not bad news; it is GOOD News.

The strength and power found in the lust of the flesh is rendered useless by the greater power of suffering through the circumstances of living a just life. Many people suffer resulting in death; but only One has suffered as Jesus Christ; the JUST for the unjust. Somehow we do not fully come to grips with this; until we ourselves are placed in this baptism of suffering. Luke 22:39-46 Yes our hearts cry great drops of blood and our souls ache for comfort; but the out working of this suffering leads us to live the rest of our lives; “but for the will of God.”

We say that we are living for Christ, doing His will and yes it is true. Jesus Himself lived in His humanity for His Father’s will; sin all around Him, suffering the thoughts and abuses of man (the Just for the unjust). He had no sin of His own; yet He became obedient to death; death on the cross as the LAMB; the sacrifice; the Just for the unjust. As His saints we might also suffer; “but for the will of God.” Again, this is not bad news; it is GOOD NEWS.