The Devotional - A Look at the Book #700

by Jesse Abel

We have been studying Spirituality as an absolute reality for the children of God. The apostle Paul makes it clear. “This I say then; Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” Galatians 5:16. Since the Spirit of God dwells in the temple of every believer… walk in your temple. This is the glory of the New Covenant. 2 Corinthians 6:11-18

When I was on submarines I was the protestant lay-leader and I enjoyed the title of “Bible Thumper” and each Sunday morning when we held services someone would come by in the stealth mode and tape a sign on the outside of the door that said: “Bible Thumper Time, do not disturb”. Sometimes we would try to find out who the man was but he was very good at his game.

Anything can be a distraction from our relationship with God and as simple as a little sign, if given the room to grow can turn into a festering distraction. One of the men in service became irritated with the sign and would get up and check for it. He would remove it when found, not only did this distract him, but the rest of us as well. The crackling of the paper being wadded up along with the disturbing of chairs and noise of the door being opened and shut was soon an irritation that was not tolerated by the rest of us and the offensive remarks caused us to nearly lose that brother. In fact; that service would have been cut short, had we not prayed and ask the LORD to regain our Spiritual needs.

I was reminded of this event when reading 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 the other morning in our devotionals before going off to work. The apostle is warning us to be sensitive to the consciences of ourselves and others. In the chapter he uses food and idolatry, but the same issue can be applied to most anything we do as children of God. Like the sign… Bible Thumper, do not disturb. The sign means absolutely nothing to anyone, not even to the person who hung it, but in the hands of spiritual wickedness in high places, it is an effective tool to destroy the weaker believer and irritate the stronger one. Ephesians 6:10-18.

We are often distracted from the “Joy of the LORD” because people (knowingly and unknowingly) do things that rattle the weak believer and aggravate the mature one. In church we take a moment to cleanse our hearts before the LORD; this is a good thing to do. However and even before we go off to church we should take a moment and look to see if we are a distraction to others. In some cases the distraction is so obvious that the eyes of many are distracted and the message of the joy of the LORD (which is in every service) is lost.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #699

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 699

Many treat the LORD as a fast food restaurant. We come to the call box make our request; draw near to Him and receive forgiveness. Then, we wipe our mouth and soon forget who we are; in Christ. This means that we have forgotten some of the response found in James 4:1-9, false humility and pride promote strife rather than the intended grace and peace which bring about the Joy of the LORD.

Many of you know that I just switched computers, now you would think that this is no big; to some it might be easy but for those like me who are not computer savvy, it can be mentally painful. I have all the tools on the computer as I had on the older one, but it seems these are in different locations and the reactions are not the same as the old and the program managers say; “that is because it is newer and better”. Maybe true, I’ve not figured that out yet.

One of the tools (major in my thoughts) is that I cannot get www.filehorde.com/jesse to work as it did in the past since that blog spot does not recognize Microsoft Word thus I cannot get the scripture verses to pop up as these did in the past. Why, take this time to tell you? Well again I am looking for help. I am wondering if there might be another site that I can use.

Let’s go back to Philippians. I love the Word of God and yes I’ve said this before, but if you say that you love Someone, it would not be very good if you said it only once in a lifetime. I know some out there is thinking… well Jesse the Bible is just words! Bah-humbug to you dear friend; have you not noticed. Genesis 1:3 “and God said”, or John 1:1 “and the Word was God” and 1 John 1:1 you might just as well read that verse on your own, John is speaking of Jesus. So! Which what is easier to say? I love the Word; or I love Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit.

Now back to Philippians. The apostle was in prison during the writing of this epistle, he was imprisoned twice in his lifetime but there is no way of telling whether this letter was written in the first or second imprisonment, but this has no effect in the message. The message of this epistle at least for me is the potential of the joy of the LORD available to every believer. Scofield references that the key verse is Philippians 1:21, I like that too, however I like this as a key passage; Philippians 2:5-11

One of the attributes of joy in the LORD is found in verse 4 of chapter 2. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others. This means that we have to take into account verse 3 as well. Selfish ambition and conceit is not a humble mind or attitude. The mind of Christ esteems others over His own interests and we should be like minded. This brings verse 2 into focus. If there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship in the Spirit, if any affection and mercy; these will only be accomplished by those of us who abide in the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedient to the point of death. I love the Word of God in context.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #698

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 698

Ever notice the aftermath of a happy moment? Many times these moments have a following of sadness even depression. God's Servant is the LORD... Notice Isaiah 42:1-4 and Matthew 12:18-21. Are you a bruised or broken reed in this world today. Let Jesus be your joy and comfort.

I have met a few people in my life who will not crack a smile, some have been friends but mostly not. The primary reason they do not become friends is because I will go out of my way to try and make them laugh out loud; you know since they won't smile they do not laugh either.

I work with two such individuals and recently I needed to go to a auto dealership of another manufacturer to get a part. When the technician open the box (the non-smiler is he), the object in the box looked like a nineteen sixties "pot pipe" Thats all I needed to make a comment about the tech smoking pot on the job. He must have been thinking the same thing. He smiled and for the first time in six months I saw the smile. I felt the victory... mission accomplished.

Here is the rub! All of us have issues in life, none of us are exempt from those experiences that have the power to dump us overboard into the angry seas of life. Most folks will overcome these issues in time, but almost always there are deep or heavy ladened side effects. These do not go away and when something happens to remind us of our past issues the side effect will short circuit the event so that the full impact is diverted.

Yesterday in a serious conversation with another individual we were discussing the gospel, the individual; my neighbor is not saved but he was hearing, with interest about Jesus, His death and His ressurrection. As we talked I would notice that he was allowing the short circuits of his life to divert the full impact of the LORD's message.

I asked him to stop and let the full impact of God's love work through his past life and for the first time in ten years I saw the "man" next door. I also learned something... we see people everyday, but do we really see them, or do we see who they want us to see? What we see in most people, we do not like; but God sees them differently. He sees the man or the woman whose soul is crying to be filled with God's peace and mercy.

Here is what I learned; we who know Jesus personally need to see the people around us as God sees them; even as seen through the eyes of men like Ezeliel, Isaiah, James and Paul. Each of these men have made statements that show you and me how to sincerely share the Love of God, notice: Isaiah 43:1-5; Ezekiel 18:19-32; Romans 10:1-13 and James 4:7-10.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #697

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 697

Jesus explained for three plus years that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Was that because He was on earth; or because the Holy Spirit was and is an indwelling gift to everyone who would believe in Him? 2 Corinthians 3:15-18

People become good at what they do because they are interested in what they are doing. Having an interest in anything requires time. For example; the apostle Paul did not receive wisdom of the things pertaining to God by some magical event. In fact; his conversion on the Damascus road was more traumatic and life threatening then we think.

Struck blind and totally knocked out of commission for three days and he did not eat or drink during that time... this was no small matter. The only Spiritual Truth that was added to his resume was that what he was doing was sin and that he was at physical, spiritual and mental war with the One whom he thought he was serving. Acts 9:1-9

Paul was educated in the theology of the Pharisee Sect of Judaism; his teacher was a highly respected man and teacher named Gamaliel (Note Acts 22:3 as the apostle gives his testimony). So why do I bring this out? Before Saul's conversion, he was full of the wisdom of the Old Covenant, but not according to the knowledge of knowing God. His wisdom was based on man's wisdom as man teaches; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 is a good read on this subject.

After his conversion Saul who is called Paul did begin to preach, but he did not immediately begin to teach. With all of the knowledge of the Old Covenant and his training in Judaism, he went again to Damascus. This time he stayed there and re-studied the Old Testament scrolls; for three years he studied about Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the scrolls. Galatians 1:11-24.

Any reference that Paul makes concerning the study of scripture is from this three year period in Damascus; i.e. 1 Corinthians 15:3. So here is the joy resulting from the statement of Jesus back in Acts 9:15-16. The apostle came out of this Old Testament study while in Damascus with the Wisdom of God that we find written in the New Testament. Romans; Corinthians, 1-2; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; Thessalonians 1-2; Timothy 1-2; Titus and Philemon.

God in His Wisdom demonstrates His love to you and me in ways that goes beyond our earthly comprehension. Like Paul who was converted who says in most of his epistles; God's love for each of us will abound more and more when we are willing to discern the scripture. We are to be filled with all the fullness of God, which are the fruits of righteousness of Christ to the glory and praise of God. With the joy of the LORD... read Philippians 1:3-11

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #696

The kingdom of God is not physical... it is spiritual. Now I could just leave that statement alone and let you deal with it as you see fit; but notice how the apostle Paul explains this wonderful truth. "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Roman 14:17

The epistle of Philippians is filled with the joy of the LORD so we should take a look at the Book. One of the thoughts that come to mind is that grace and peace always precede joy. Righteousness is grace in action. In other words, God grants grace to all of His saints to live in the Righteousness of Christ, their LORD. Philippians 1:1-2

For me the JOY of the LORD is like finding gold and the epistle to the Philippians is like a gold mine. At minimum there are seventeen direct references to the joy of the LORD. With confidence and joy the apostle prays for those he remembers. Do we do that? Well our prayers are a one on one communication with our Father; however we should seek to remember each other before the LORD, daily and with joy.

Also our confidence in one another should be as strong as the confidence that the apostle has for the saints on his list (if he had a list). If Christ is in us the work which began with Him will be completed by Him and that work will be rewarded by Him in the future day of the LORD. Philippians 1:3-6

Does this mean that we have no responsibility to actively walk in the Righteousness of the grace of God? Absolutely not! In fact; if we fail the disciplines associated with grace, we fail in Christ-likeness and when we fail here, we will fail to know the JOY that God has purposed for us to have daily.

A friend refers to God as her Papa, while we may think this is strange, it is not strange at all. I heard of a man who is CEO of the one of the largest companies in the world who places a white handkerchief in the breast pocket of his suit coat. Not to be stylish, but to provide a visual for him to see that he must stay pure as His Savior is pure. Philippians 4:8-9

For me; I find that just thinking of the rose that is trampled on the ground, He took the fall and thought of me. Song of Solomon 2:1. Each time like my friend and this CEO when we think on the truth these symbols of remembering come to the forefront we are immediately filled with the JOY of the LORD. There are a multitude of truths in the Holy Bible to help us to remember and rejoice in the LORD.

The word ABBA (papa) is found only three times in the Holy Bible; Mark 14:36; Papa Father all things are possible for You, take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not what I will, but what You will. Romans 8:15 we are adopted children of God and He expects us to refer to Him that way. 1 John 2:28 through 3:3. Now for Galatians 4:6; I truly believe that if you stifle the Spirit of God by disregarding that we are God’s children (His saints) then we will miss many of the rewards that Abba has for us.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #695

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 695

by Jesse Abel

A kingdom is an entity that projects authority and the power to govern. What is comforting to me is that the Kingdom of God has the power to govern over all of creation and is victorious over all of the living and the dead in time and eternity. Make no mistake; the power of Satan is limited to govern only in time and only over the dead. Luke 10:17-20

On board a submarine some years ago I was challenged by the Executive Officer to give a lecture from the SOARM (Ship’s Organization and Regulation Manuel) to my duty section. I chose a regulation near the end of the manual called. "Worship Services" well, because the XO as he is routinely called said that I could choose any of the regulations.

I saw this as an opportunity to talk about the needs of the ship and the people on board. I used; 1 Timothy 2:1-3 as a platform. The lecture was scheduled after the evening meal; my duty section included one third of the crew. During most of these lectures you see people talking and sleeping rather than listening. This evening, every eye was wide open… their eyes were fixed on me and the man who was standing directly behind me… the XO! Also present were a few of his officers; those in my section.

When I finished I went to my office in MR1 (Machinery Room 1) for you land lubbers. The phone rang. The voice on the other end was that of the XO, Chief Abel; get up to the Wardroom immediately. He was not happy and I was immediately flooded with a joy that is unexplainable. I knocked on the wardroom door. The door flew open and the XO grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me in. With his face boiling, he said; "I dare you to use my training time to preach about your God to my men, I ought to punch you square in the face!" To my surprise I said, "Well, XO if it will make you feel better; go right ahead." He released his grip on me and stumbled backward. After a bit of threatening remarks, he said. "Go, to your office and make a list of all who were at the lecture and apologize to each of them personally for talking about your God." I turned and walked out the door; my spirit now rejoicing that I had permission to go and follow up on that lecture to each person. The joy of the LORD was so rich at this moment in time that; again it simply is not explainable.

Back in my office I was going over the list of attendance when the phone rang again. It was the XO, his voice was calmer. "Chief; I want you to come up to my stateroom right now." "Yes Sir, I am on my way." I knocked on the XO’s door and out came only his hand, "I apologize Chief, please accept my apology and shake my hand." My mouth did not work right again; "No sir, I will not shake your hand until I explain my God to you. His door swung open and he said; come in and sit down.

Thus this man heard the gospel of Jesus Christ (Maybe for the first time) but here is the point; the fiery trials and the sufferings we face are not events that we walk alone in. we are blessed with the joy of the LORD the moment we enter the fire. 1 Peter 4:14 is real for every believer, for time and eternity, why?

Because Christ is the object of reproach and as these events play out we glorify God in His Name. Many of us saints have firsthand knowledge and experience of the joy and rejoicing that goes on in the soul of those under the Authority and Power of the Holy Spirit as He glorifies Christ though us. 1 Peter 4:12-16 carries the eternal weight of glory to the saint in time to the unbelieving who do not know that their blasphemies are already forgiven.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #694

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 694

A precious faith is a faith that is one of a kind. Faith in religion or in one’s personal character is not precious at all. For example; during the reformation many were martyred in the name of religion. Currently, a famed religion martyrs many Christians and Jews. The only precious faith is the One that is found in the perfect Righteousness of our LORD Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-4

Have you ever given thought to your life in Christ? Recently I was wondering about loving God from a pure heart. A good conscience and a sincere faith is the high calling of God’s command for all believers, 1 Timothy 1:5. If you ask people about their faith, they respond with yes, I love God and I have faith… I believe them and you should too. However here is the rub; how sincere is one’s faith.

You and I are not the ones whom God has called to judge another’s faith as earlier in the epistle of Romans the apostle discusses this very point; do not judge lest you be judged yourself, also in Romans 12:1-21 this whole chapter is dedicated to our behavior to one another as believers and the use of our Spiritual gifts as a spiritual service to God in order that we would prove what is good, acceptable and perfect; that being the will of God.

Using the ministries of God for purposes that do not edify one another as the apostle Paul notes in 1 Timothy 1:1-11 is giving heed to disputes of false doctrine which destroys faith. Our churches today in this country fail to meet this powerful command. People walk away from many services on Sundays without having their conscience and heart challenged to maintain a sincere faith and faith without sincerity is not a faith that expresses the joy of the LORD.

Notice what the apostle Peter has to say in 1 Peter 1:3-12 as he focuses his attention to our heavenly Inheritance. By God’s abundant mercy we are born into His living hope, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is not something that is possible for you and me to have unless God Himself gives it too you. Also once He has given it, He keeps it for you by His power, not yours or mine. I certainly know that within me there is no power to keep anything. I am weak, but He (God) is strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

There is a ton of joy here in Peter’s first epistle and I am poorly touching on a bit of it as he discusses election, but the apostle’s key verse and the one that I wish for us to see is verse eight.

“Jesus Christ; whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

1 Peter 1:5-7 explains why; those who are sincere about their faith will grieve through the various trials of life their faith grows, a faith that is much more precious to them then life and prosperity in the world that will one day perish. But this grieving will not hold up. At the return of Christ and when our soul sees Jesus this inexpressible joy will be expressed as a new song; as the one we will sing in Revelation 5:8-14… Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

The Devotional – A Look at the Book 693

Ecclesiastes 8:1 – Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the strength of his face is changed. Also somewhere in Proverbs Solomon says that wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. There is a catch! 1 Corinthians 2:13

Today will have to be short since I am a little be behind and will be leaving on a short trip to New York.

Isaiah is called the Royal Prophet and here is a statement from Dr. Howard Hendricks, a long time professor of Dallas Theological Seminary. “It’s amazing what can be accomplished if one doesn’t care who gets the credit.”

This statement could well have served as the epitaph on the tombstone of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied both judgment and deliverance for Jerusalem and Judah, with no thought of himself. Arguably, he was the greatest prophet in history after Moses; yet, amazingly, little is known about him. The 2012 March/April issue of Israel My Glory and if you have a copy I hope you are reading about the prophet.

Here in is the rub! If you are saved and if you are you know it. However; do you proclaim your salvation or do you hid it? Then too; if you proclaim your salvation, is it a brag-a-mony or a testimony?

If it is a tale of “How great thou are” then you will truly not be the song found in any future hymnal. Yet; if your testimony expresses the truth of; “How Great Thou Art” Your heart will sing this praise and the tears of joy will run down your cheeks, like the oil of gladness that Isaiah speaks of in Isaiah 61:1-11.

Having joy in your heart daily is preaching the good news of Salvation to the lost souls of the world around us. Have a good and godly day for, what is a good day if God is not in it!

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #692

by Jesse Abel

There are twenty seven references to being happy, while there are over one hundred seventy references to having joy in the Bible. There is national, personal and Spiritual joy and all are a grace gift of God while being happy is not grace or a gift. Happiness is an emotion of the flesh; while joyfulness is a realized condition of a healthy relationship with the Creator. Ezra 6:19-22

There are so many truths in the Holy Bible about our LORD Jesus and to pick just one and comment on it is impossible too do without a mention of one or more of the other truths about Him. I suppose that the apostle John had this in mind in his gospel when he penned these last few words. “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” John 21:24-25.

In Hebrews nine the writer in verses one through nine describes the limitations that time places on the earthly sanctuary and services of worship. He notes that the first covenant had ordinances and this is important in that anything that is covered by LAW is limited to the outworking of that law; such as he mentions, ordinances of divine service including ordinances within the sanctuary. The first part of the sanctuary included the lampstand, the table and showbread. This first room was called the holy place and was veiled off from the second room and as you know the second room was called the holiest of all.

Included in this room was the golden altar, the ark of the first covenant, the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded and the tables of the Law of the first covenant. Above all these objects were the cherubim; these guarded the empty Mercy Seat. Earthy service in this room, as you know was performed annually, yet none of these high priests sat on the seat, they were only allowed to sprinkle the blood of the slain animals on the seat. In this we can see that this earthly service of worship was… limited.

For me to think about these truths is joy as I hope that you will also have. But Christ; let me say it again! “But Christ” who is Thee High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle, the one that is not made by the limitations of time and the restrictions of ordinances of creation. The Christ who does not enter that tabernacle with the blood of goats and calves; but with His own blood, He entered in to the holiest of all, once for all. Now how much more shall the blood of Christ, through the eternal Spirit cleanse you and me from a conscience of dead works? This is no longer then a temporal condition, restricted with ordinances and time. Why? Because the Second Covenant is made perfect and permanent through Jesus, the Christ who lived to die and rise again.

Jesus is seated in the heavenly sanctuary; the greater, perfect tabernacle; yes we must picture Him seated on the Mercy Seat… protected by the Cherubim. We who are called, chosen and sanctified through His blood are seated with Him in eternity this very moment. Only time and the partial indwelling of the Holy Spirit restrict our service of worship while presently on earth. This second covenant is the fulfilled by Christ promise that all of the whosoever will, will receive the eternal inheritance that Jesus Christ has for all of us who have this hope within our soul. Now for me that is JOY, and I hope it is for you as well.

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #691

by Jesse Abel

Do you need comfort? The world around us does not provide comfort. The signs of world are troubling and full of despairing dead ends where the enemy IS. If your heart is after God’s heart, then do as David did… meditate on the Excellencies of the LORD. Psalm 86:1-17

 

Someone asked recently for the blog site that is now getting an average of 700 hits daily. It is: www.filehorde.com/jesse . Here is a bit of background information. When I first began these devotionals we were leading a small group Bible study in our home on Wednesday evenings. Because of work schedules and children some families were not able to make the study, so in order to try and meet the needs of those absent, I would send out emails to the small group. As time went by I started to include the daily devotionals of Dr. David Jeremiah. 

So from once a week, I went to once a day after contacting the staff at Turning Point and received and okay to piggy back off Dr. Jeremiah’s devotional. As time went on and as I became more confident that the LORD was okay with what I was doing I went on my own. 

Now here is the interesting part: Somehow I was sending these devotionals to a man whom I never met although there was a connection in that he is an employee of a friend who does get the devotionals. So one day I asked a question to those who were reading. Does anyone know how to get the referenced Bible verses to pop up on the emails when you place the cursor over them? The man who I never met responded and the blog highlighted above which is still in his format began. Over a year went by, but I finally had an opportunity to meet him. He was and is a blessing. Thanks Jason.

I will be spending some days referencing the Joy of the LORD. For me it is critical to walk about in our world and see the unhappy countenance on the faces of people all around. We sort of expect this from people who do not have a personal relationship with the Risen LORD. However; more and more children of God are being caught up in a countenance that reveals worry and fear, rather than the joy that our LORD promises to all of us who are saved. John 15:9-17

Now don’t get me wrong, we all have down days from time to time but it is not biblically normal to have a long season of no joy in the LORD. If you read through the Psalms you will find that David, Korah, Moses and Abraham used the moments of life; the good, the bad and the ugly too draw close to the LORD. And they found that when they did, they found comfort and peace, resulting in joy. Is joy important to those of us who call on the Name of the LORD? The apostle Peter states that joy in the LORD excels above all of the conditions a person can face in life, in that; once you are experiencing it that it is so full of the glory of God that it is impossible to express it or share it with others. He also says that this joy is part of our heavenly inheritance.

Can you stand it? No not really and I suppose that is why we only get a taste of joy now and then because the glory of God is so joyful too you and me that to experience it all of the time here in the flesh would be overwhelming. But even in this, we should strive to be full of joy. Why? Because joy in the LORD is one of the attributes of a genuine Faith in Christ, 1 Peter 1:3-12; be someone today whom the world just does not understand!

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #690

by Jesse Abel

We cover our self-righteous nature with worry, toil and worldly interests. Remove this robe and we may observe the nakedness of a joyless soul. The epistles explain how we might remove this robe and reveal this naked condition. The epistles also show us how to replace that robe with Jesus Christ bringing inexpressible joy and restoration to our soul. Romans 13:14 and 1 John 1:1-4

Many years ago… okay, in 1976 the submarine I was on was ported in Spain. I was a babe in Christ since the day of being saved by Him was in May of 1975. With a friend and brother in the LORD we went into the town called Rota; there were so many people in the streets it was hard to move from one spot to another, I thought that there must be some parade or something special going on. There was a group of young people standing in front of a church handing out some sort of literature. I looked at the paper that was shoved into my hand. There big and bold was a cross and what I thought was Jesus in the clouds above the cross, I could not read the words, but the message was clear. We tried to communicate with these young people and soon with our pocket Bibles and the Bibles they held; we connected.

This unique moment of meeting was not the physical attraction that one experiences when simply meeting people; you do know what I mean, don’t you? There is a worldly attraction of what’s in this for me and a host of other interests that are selfishly motivated. But the moment we knew we were brothers and sisters in our Savior there was a spiritual connection of joy. We did not understand the things we were hearing from each other, but there was so much joy that any passer by would have thought we knew and understood each other perfectly.

Later I was in Scotland and this same brother and I visited a church in a town north of Sandbank, Scotland. It was Sunday morning and the pastor was sitting on a stool with a guitar and singing a hymn when we went in. This was not a familiar hymn, but the message that followed was. After the service he and some of the people came to us and invited us to one of the homes for a lunch. This same spiritual connection was present as in Spain and the joy of the LORD was very special.

When the apostle Peter said to the LORD, “You shall never wash my feet!” John 13:8 he did not understand the connection of serving one another. If we do not reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ; again if we are not willing to serve one another in our local churches and godly homes then our motives may be out of sync with the joy of the LORD. I know that this passage in John is focused on men who knew the LORD, but I use it too illustrate the misunderstanding that seems to be mounting in our churches and fellowships. We isolate our self to the joy of LORD that is available from God when we say that we do not have a need for the comfort of meeting with and serving each other.

Notice further in John 13:31-35… when in Spain and Scotland we were obeying the commandment of loving one another (even if naive of the command) and this resulted in knowing each other in Christ, that we are His disciples and we had love for one another. What a joy!

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #688

by Jesse Abel

Like a rose, trampled on the ground… He took the fall and thought of me. What a thought about our LORD! Crucified… laid behind the stone; rejected and alone. Certainly; these reflections can and do bring tears; but herein is the Joy! Luke 24:34 and John 11:25-26

On a trip to the state of Washington and in the old section of Seattle we bumped into a young man who had no money. It seems that in that section of town there were many without money or places to live. However, these homeless folks were busy as they all seemed to be searching out people (tourists) who might give them a buck or two. The man said he was from Canada and was traveling with his wife and child asked if I could give him enough money to get his car fixed and his family back home. I had already determined to give him some money, but my wife was skeptical and asked me to get the man to take us to his wife and car. After a few blocks of roaming, we happened to past a woman walking with a baby carriage on the other side of the street. He called out to her, but did not respond. She is embarrassed, he said. Okay was my reply; are we near your car. Oh yes he said, it is right over here. I noticed that it had Washington plates, it was also locked and he said that his wife had the keys. There was no baby seat and there was a pack of cigarettes in the front seat. Well, in my mind I had already turned the money over to the LORD so with Matthew 25:31-46 I gave the young man three five dollar bills. At some point in our conversation he said that he was saved, if so then what he did with those few dollars are between him and the LORD. 

Some of us have a tough time parting with money that they have worked hard for. Even a little pocket change for some is hard to dig for when someone asked for help. The hair on the back of our neck responds, our eyes become beady and even a little anger creeps in. I can be like this; but somewhere along the line of time the LORD changed my heart. I can look into a persons eyes and see need. Now this does not mean that I walk around with my wallet open, but it does mean that 1 Corinthians 9:7-8 is alive and well in the course of my day.

Why would this be? Unless the LORD builds the house; those that labor, labor in vain. If you disregard the LORD of you soul, the cost of a hired watchman is more costly. If we labor, we labor for the LORD and no one should live to him or herself, nor does one die to him or herself but if we live, we live to the LORD and if we die, we die to the LORD, in this… we belong to the LORD.

So Psalm 127:1-5; Romans 14:7-12 and 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 have this in common. Life needs to be lived. God is supreme in giving in that He first gave of Himself as an example of the good things to come to those. What He gives to us is a gift that is indescribable. Jesus Christ… laid behind the stone, rejected and alone; like a rose trampled on the ground. He took the fall and He thought of you, He thought of me, so together we have the empty cross, the empty grave and the Risen LORD; O halleluiah, halleluiah; what a friend we have in Jesus. Spend time with Him today and you and He will be full of Joy.

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #687

by Jesse Abel

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the LORD; (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth) proving what is acceptable to the LORD. In the Greek text the English word Spirit can be translated Light; Ephesians 5:8-10, we will be called to be a light for someone today; are you prepared?

People suffer in many ways and if you have been on this planet for very long you do not need someone like me to tell you; you have first hand experience. Once responding to the home of an elderly woman who was having difficulty breathing; oh! By the way; most of the calls from elderly people are, difficulty breathing. If you read into this and don’t let the problem become routine as many do, you will find that difficulty breathing can be physical, mental or spiritual. Heart or lungs, loneliness or fear, death or life; or any combination of these conditions will trigger rapid or slow breathing. I remember this one woman who did have a heart condition and we had taken her to the hospital a few times over that past year. However this day she did not show symptoms of her ailing heart, but she did seem lonely, so I stopped the paramedic from responding too. We placed her in the ambulance and headed for the hospital. She was very glad to see me and she had remembered my name. She asked me how my wife was doing since on a previous run I had explained to her that my wife had fallen off the ladder into a bucket of paint and the details that went along with that day. (Now that is another story; hmm)! Getting back to this elderly lady she said; I am being bad you know; I am simply having an anxiety moment, I am old… no one visits me and I am fearful of being alone. It was just her and I in the back of the ambulance so I prayed with her for comfort and peace. It is God who puts these moments in time together and nothing about the moment is routine.

The other day I thought to ask the LORD about Romans 13:14. I know about the indwelling Spirit, His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. I also know that I am commanded by God to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. However! Do I really understand how to put on the LORD Jesus Christ and make no provision (escape route) for the flesh?

As a disciple of Jesus Christ; life should never be routine, even the weakest believer has the strength to bear the burden of someone who is hurting physically, mentally or spiritually. Have you noticed Romans 15:1-6 lately? The strong disciple should bear the burden of the weaker saint. In the lust of the flesh this is impossible to do and still glorify God. Then this section goes on to exhort you and me to please our neighbor for his or her good and not for our own selfish pleasure. Also there is this added kicker…why! For their edification.

The weak require strengthening and the blind require guidance, the test of this is whether or not I will follow the lead of Christ who never pleased Himself, rather He allowed the zeal of doing the Father’s Will in His bodily temple fall fully on Him. In His doing so we have a very clear example to follow, Psalm 69:9; Matthew 26:39 and Philippians 2:5-11 all point to this one moment. We will be called by God to be a comforter to someone; maybe even today. Will you have already put on the LORD Jesus, or will you be trying to get out from under the influence of the flesh while seeking to put on your shoes of peace and fumbling with the donning of your helmet of salvation or waist belt of truth?

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #686

by Jesse Abel

Thoughts for the Day

Looking back at some of the first devotionals reminds me that time amounts to a little bit of nothing compared to eternity. Eternity includes everyone, everything and all of God; as it is appointed unto men to die once, but after that the judgment (The Divine tribunal is not a myth; it is truth) Hebrews 9:27

In May of 1975 after hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ for several years by faithful men and women I believed. Jesus rescued me from a terrible life of sin; abusive ways; depression and despair. He took me out of the quagmire of being alive; but dead in sin. My soul, once black with sin and blind to God, He cleansed and then He protected me by placing my soul in His bosom. He gave me a brand new life, a life to this very day is rich in His grace, protected by His mercy and surrounded by His Word. Many who read these testimonies daily have a similar story; the richness of being rescued from the dead life and given the free gift of living Life everlasting. Notice the Words of Christ recorded by his apostle John. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (peace). The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:9-10 I love the abundant life that Jesus provides for me each day. When I began writing in November of 2007, this testimony was already thirty two years old; four and a half years have gone by, Jesus is my Good Shepherd, He knows me and if you are His, He knows you too! What a wonderful Savior, Jesus my LORD! Romans 13:14 read it again!

Yesterday I saw a bit of the old Jesse pop out. I want to believe that some of what I did was justifiable but at this point it really does not matter, the matter is resolved. The apostle Paul makes in clear in Acts 24:16 that he strives to have a conscience that is without offense toward God and men. So we always have a mandate to resolve our differences; first with God, then with those where the agitation dwells.

In our work-a-day world we always rub shoulders with others. Some are close to being friends and others are close to being unfriendly. Some have short fuses and others take a while to light up (this is the world and within these two types of people there are thousands of variations of when the match hits the fuse and the fireworks begin). Well there is an exception; we who believe in Jesus are told that anger will happen and we are also commanded within the same context… not to sin. Psalm 4:4; 37:8 and Ephesians 4:26 explain why. 

I find it interesting that the Hebrew reading in Psalm 4:4 is to (be agitated) you can almost feel the moment. So I believe that we should not stuff that emotion someplace in the dark corner where it will fester into a monster, but to reveal that we are becoming angry. We must also be aware that God is our righteous help in these and all matters where emotion can destroy. Read Psalm 4 and apply the Word of God to our soul, then we will be able to react in the countenance of the LORD, rather than the shamefulness of SIN.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #685

by Jesse Abel

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #685

I am told that if something is not broken, that there is no need to fix it! Yet there is wiggle room for a tweak or two and we call that preventive maintenance. It would seem that in this nation, we have tweakened in all the wrong places and weakened the backbone of our national Constitution.

Reading through Romans 13 this morning I was struck with this thought. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. Now if you listen to the conversations of the people around you, you know that we are missing the mark intended by the apostle Paul. Even if we took the time to listen to our own mouth we would be shocked (I think!) about the things we pour through our teeth and at what we allow to pass through our lips.

The elections for this nation’s leaders are once again on the horizon. The jaws of people all over this country are working overtime seeking to push their point of view, agenda or candidate into the front and crown him or her as one of the next leaders. We spend large sums of money as well, words and money all for naught! Notice Romans 13:1.The authority in place is there and appointed by God. Do we really believe that? I think not!

Romans 13… read it again. I see that our governing authorities are corrupt, but not because God put corrupt people in because He is cruel, but because we forced our will over His, just as the Israelites did when they wanted a democracy over them rather than a theocracy as they had. 1 Samuel 10:17-27. Now it is not my intention to go into all the argument that focuses on democracies and theocracies; I see the hand writing on the wall just as you do as nations today seek to force their religious law on weak nations that cannot resist.

This does bring up the next section in Romans 13. Our land is full of adultery, theft, and false witness and coveting. The Holy Bible clearly states that this kind of debauchery is not a result of having no law, but of having no love for one another. Notice; love does not harm the neighbor. Have you or I harmed your neighbor lately, physically or verbally; spiritually or mentally?

For the unbelieving… we may feel that they have an excuse since we can say that they do not know any better. But I believe that we have been saying things like this far too long. Yes we may say that they may not know any better, (maybe only to join them) but they do know better because the scripture says earlier in Romans that these unbelieving people are a law unto themselves. Romans 2:14, so there is no excuse for the unbelieving just as there is no excuse for the believing.

Is there a problem then with God, His Law or mankind’s law? I have to use the words of the apostle here; “Certainly not” Romans 11:1 just as God has not cast of the Israelite, He has not cast off the believer either; but the believer who can make a difference in the nation, the laws of the nation and the leaders of the nation have cast of Christ. Say what? Just read Romans 13 again and especially Romans 13:11-14.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #684

by Jesse Abel

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #684

Meditate on this!

Taking time to do things right is not my best suit. I have always said that when confronted with a project; just do it! Then make the necessary changes where needed. This works for me but others seem to think that I am a bit; out to lunch and by my size and shape… they could be right! 

Psalm 19 in these final verses are so very wonderful; whether we realize it or not the Living Word of God is more satisfying then the best gold available to man. The Word of the Living God is also sweeter than the honey inside the honeycomb. Pure gold and the pure honey are not what we have when we obtain these precious commodities from the world. This brings up an important point about the Holy Bible. The Word of God is pure truth and here is why. If you were to go out too purchase pure gold, the cost would be astronomical, the same would be true for the honey inside the bee’s home. But notice what Isaiah has to say about the purchase price of God’s Word. Isaiah 55:1-3, in these verses he says that you can purchase the best of the best with no money. God’s Living Word is free to anyone who will open their eyes and ears to this TRUTH. 

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last.

The truth of God’s love for you and me exceeds the truth that this world has to offer and so friend: can you not see this? 

Have a look at this from the world’s point of view. The world calls the day; “good Friday” but first we must have a “holy week and a holy Thursday” Why? Well the world has to acknowledge the death of Jesus. His death is an historical fact. The religion of the day condemned Him to death (that would qualify His trials of that week as holy) and on Friday the execution took place so this means that for the world view (today… Friday is good; He is dead).

But notice what happens on the Day of His Resurrection; there is little talk of this Powerful Victory! Many churches go through the Gospel according to Luke during holy week, but are more interested in the Easter Bunny on Sunday and make little or no mention at all about the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ. You can see that the world around us offers truth from the world’s perspective; but it is not the Pure Truth that Psalm 19:10 speaks of. The cost to God of this Truth goes beyond anything that this world has to offer you and me. But He lovingly gives it to anyone who has a desire to know the truth. It is free to them, and it will set them free indeed. Open your eyes to Luke 24:28-35 and John 8:30-36

One day soon we will all meet the Resurrected Jesus. We will see Him as the Lamb who was slaughtered, the world and all of Israel will witness the return of Jesus; Zechariah 12:10-14, you see the Savior is Coming Again and even though He bares the marks of the slaughtered Lamb, He will return; alive and Powerful… with the same Power that Raised Him up nearly two thousand years ago; Jesus is Alive, He will return with the host of heaven as the KING of kings and the LORD of Lords. This Truth is purer then the finest gold and sweeter that the honey from out of the comb. My heart sings praises to God and I hope yours is to! Happy Resurrection Day to you this coming Sunday.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #683a

The Devotional - #683 Revised

by Jesse Abel

Meditate on this!

Standing before the judge seems to be a scary event; especially if you are guilty. Yet I am convinced that I would rather stand before God at the judgment Seats of God where the verdicts will be TRUE and RIGHTEOUS, altogether. Why? For it is impossible for God to lie. Numbers 23:18-20; Psalm 19:9b; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 and Titus 1:1-4. 

How popular is God? There are religions and world philosophies that have nothing to do with a personal… one on one relationship with God the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Some religions preach and teach about other so-called gods like those of the moon and other objects of creation. Then there are those religions that do acknowledge The One True God but miss the mark of FAITH in a personal relationship with Him by seeking to accomplish good works that will appease His pending judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) of the deeds of the flesh. What about the philosophies, the cults, the agnostics, the atheists and the host of other cultures that practice witchcraft and have so-called medicine-men? All of this and much more point out one thing to me. The topic of God, gods and the super-natural is the popular topic; the major conversation and the major divisions of the people in the world. Throughout the history of world in time; religion or the lack of it is THE major topic and business of the world… EVERY ONE is affected by personal and world views about God, the gods or the supernatural. Is this just coincidence? NO? Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 explains this better than I do. Because God loves us; He has made provision for us to have a personal one on one relationship with Him. The apostle Paul says in Romans 9 through 11 that it is his hearts desire that all of his countrymen might be rescued from the grip of religion and the philosophies of the world, he also God has opened the door for all people to escape the grip of false religion relegated by Satan. He says that God has made this possible by His Son Jesus. Read Romans 10:1-13… make that confession in verses 9-10 then you will know that God loves you and has always loved you. Romans 5:8.

Psalm 100

Psalm 100:1-5 – What if we could hear the created world around us worshipping the Creator? Or do you believe that creation knows God? Psalm 98:8-9. How about Balaam’s donkey Numbers 22:22-33; Isaiah 55:12 and Romans 8:18-23. O the depth of the wisdom of God and His creation! A pastor and friend who is now with the LORD used to say that when it comes to understanding the depth of God’s love for us… we are a needy people. Our darkness in understanding Him must be so grievous to Him; yet He will not give up on us because of His love, Romans 5:8

See also Luke 19:39-40 in this passage, Jesus knows the hearts of all mankind; He also knows the praise and worship of the people around Him to be less than perfect, yet He accepts it. He is asked by His soon to be accusers to stop the people from the praise they are giving Him. Notice that He also knows the of the absolute joy that the stones on the ground would express if the people kept silent. Jesus says that the stones would immediately cry out in praise and worship.

Have you ever stopped to think about the number of sheep that were sacrificed by the nation of Israel over the decades of time? The number is innumerable! Psalm 44:22 and Romans 8:36 seem to place you and me in the same category. We are a people made by Him and like all of His creation we are subject to Him in every way. And yes, lest we forget we are made in His image, but fallen. And because of His love to restore us back too His image; (Genesis 1:27, then Genesis 5:3); He reminds us in His Word that while we remain disobedient, all the rest of His Creation eagerly waits to reveal its patient obedience. What a day of celebration that will be and that day is already a recorded appointment with God. Revelation 5:1-14. WORTHY IS THE LAMB.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #683

by Jesse Abel

The Devotional – A Look at the Book #683

Meditate on this!

I have thought about this some and I wonder if you have? Standing before the judge seems to be a scary event; especially if you are guilty. Yet I am convinced from the Word of God that standing at the judgment Seats of God the verdicts will be TRUE and RIGHTEOUS, altogether. Why? For it is impossible for God to lie. Numbers 23:18-20; Psalm 19:9b; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 and Titus 1:1-4. 

How popular is God? There are religions and world philosophies that have nothing to do with a personal… one on one relationship with God the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Some religions preach and teach about other so-called gods like those of the moon and other attributes of creation. Then there even those religions that do acknowledge The One True God but miss the mark of FAITH in a personal relationship with Him by seeking to accomplish good works that will appease His pending judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) of the deeds of the flesh. What about the philosophies, the cults and the agnostics the atheists and hosts of other cultures that practice witchcraft and have so-called medicine-men. All of this and much more point out one thing to me. The topic of God, gods and the super-natural is the major topic, the major conversation and the major divisions of people in the world and throughout the history of world in time. Religion or the lack of it is a major business in the world… EVERY ONE of us is affected by our thoughts or lack of thoughts about God, the gods or the supernatural. Yet, everyday we are allowed by the Creator to keep breathing. Why? God love you and has made it simple for you and me to have a personal one on one relationship with Him. The apostle Paul says that it is his hearts desire that all of his countrymen might be rescued from the grip of religion and the philosophies of the world. He says that God has made this possible by His Son Jesus. Read Romans 10:1-13… make that confession in verses 9-10 then you will know that God loves you and always has loved you. Romans 5:8.

Psalm 100

Psalm 100:1-5 – What if we could hear the created world around us worshipping the Creator? Or do you believe that creation knows God? Psalm 98:8-9. How about Balaam’s donkey Numbers 22:22-33; Isaiah 55:12 and Romans 8:18-23. O the depth of the wisdom of God and His creation! A pastor and friend who is now with the LORD used to say that when it comes to understanding the depth of God’s love for us… we are a feeble folk. Our darkness in understanding Him must be so grievous, yet He has not given up on us because of His love, Romans 5:8

See also Luke 19:39-40 in this passage, Jesus does not hope for or seek the praise and worship of the people around Him to be perfect and knowingly He is asked by His soon to be accusers to stop the people from the praise they are giving Him. Notice that He is surer of the absolute joy that the stones on the ground would have if the people kept silent. Jesus says that the stones would immediately cry out in praise and worship.

Yes, like dump sheep we are a people made by Him and like all of His creation we are subject to Him in everyway. And yes, lest we forget we are made in His image, but fallen. And because of His love to restore us back too His image Genesis 1:27, then Genesis 5:3; He reminds us in His Word that while we remain disobedient, all the rest of His Creation eagerly waits to reveal their patient obedience. What a day of celebration that will be and that day is already a recorded appointment with God. Revelation 5:1-14. WORTHY IS THE LAMB.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #682

Meditate on this!

There is a fear, like that of a child who is insecure; you know… mom or dad seem distant and unloving. The child is clingy and vulnerable to dangers. There is also a fear that is clean and secure. A sense of awe and respect of the father’s unfailing love and mom’s protective guidance; one who has this fear also understand the proper fear of the LORD, it endures forever. Proverbs 19:9a

Time in the morning is so precious for me; it is the time when I think mostly about the LORD and His Word. I love the Word of God; there are no lies, no confusion and no commercials. I do not have to mute anything in the Word of God. Even when I read a passage that convicts me of some area sin that I need to tweak. Confession of sin is a good thing for example; what if God did not allow for confession? I mean, after all; Jesus died for all our sins and rose again for our justification! Why not just leave it at that and move on. Well, many religions do just that and end up in ritual worship which never goes beyond the ceilings of their places of worship, but that is not my main point. Do you not like talking personally to the LORD? I know that I do, but I also know that if there was not a means whereby I could confess those sinful feelings and action that make up my character, I would have no communication with God for the wall of sins not only block my communication but also my desire to read His Word. Notice Psalm 19:12-14. King David really drives this point home and so does the apostle John in 1:1-10. Also, do not take 1 John 1:9 out of the context of this entire epistle. Confession means repenting of the act of sin and one cannot repent if he or she does not understand why.

Psalm 131

Psalm 131:1-2 – What is going on in our minds these days. The economy, wars, elections, traffic, television programs of interest; like Dancing with the stars; maybe we are sports conscious, you know, the baseball season has begun. Our minds can be and are control by what we put into it. If you are bent to listening to commercials; I know some children that can quote commercials from memory but do not know John 3:16. And even they do know the verse; they have no clue of the meaning. Yet by design the programming of commercials gives them enough information in 30 seconds to provide knowledge of use.

How do we set aside all of this clamor in the day that seeks to captivate all that we do? David in this Psalm is King over the nation Israel and he clearly says to the LORD. LORD I am not arrogant or proud and I do not walk about in things too difficult. In other words, David is saying that the bondage or distractions of life are not to be trusted. Again; in other words he is saying that he has purposed in his heart to calm himself of these distractions; like that of a child who is satisfied on his mother’s breast.

Is your soul satisfied with the LORD? Or do the distractions of life feed you darkness, confusion and deception found in the world around you. It is difficult to envision the calmness of God’s love if our vision is focused on the various networks of the world. David says; “O Israel, hope in the LORD; from this time forth and forever.” I agree with him and now that salvation is open to the gentile (you and me) I say; “O saint, hope in the LORD; form this time forth and forever”.