The Devotional - #026

A Thought for the Day – 026

A private becomes a chancellor, a lawyer becomes a president. The man who is prompt in his work will not stand among the “unknown” but he will stand out with the “king”. Umm! Excellence in the land of the living has given way to the land of the slothful and the obscure. Proverbs 22:29

Comments and challenges

There is nothing in this world of ours that compares to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the older that I become the more pleased I am that the death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God is the one event in history that is not only verified by men and women living during that event; 2 Peter 1:16-21 and 1 John 1:1-4 but it is also the one event in the kingdom of God that is pleasing to God. Revelation 5:1-14. Is God speaking to your ear about this GOOD NEWS?

Have you noticed the news? The local, national and world news report these days is not good news; in fact the news today is not even bad news. The events of our current world are so horrid and chilling that for the sake of seeking to understand what is going on we become shackled by the event. What I mean is this; take for example the senseless slaying of children and their teachers a few months back.

We are bound to this event in such nonsense about guns and mentally sick people that our leadership and many well-wishers have missed the entire problem. Now do not get me wrong, I am not God and I do not have the SOLID answer, but neither do those who think they do. But I do remember a man who once did a Barney Phyfe impersonation. The man is a popular motivational speaker; Dennis Swanberg.

The impersonation went something like this: As a young boy of ten, one morning in church he was sitting with his friends in the back of the church. The preacher was preaching and kept repeating. What shall we do with sin? The preacher was on his fifth or six time; “What shall we…” and Dennis in his best Barney Phyfe voice ever said. “I say nip it! Nip it! Yes that’s what you do with sin! Nip in the BUD!

Dennis went on to say that by the nape of his neck he made it from the rear of the church to the seat next to his dad as fast as Satan was shot out of heaven. Luke 10:18. Well I am not looking for any Barney Phyfes or Dennis Swanbergs this morning, but I am looking for a few people, including myself to pray for our national struggles with SIN. We are a nation who is in the cycles of discipline that God has promised to all nations who turn their back on Him and replace Him with idolatry. Exodus 20:4-6 and Leviticus 26.

You say; “who has committed idolatry? Where does this nonsense come from? Domestic violence and battles on the city streets. Adultery, fornication, abortion, homosexuality and disobedience to parents; don’t these things come from within the selfish desires of our own hearts? Now don’t say no, just because I did not include lying in the list. If you did, you included it not me. All acts of selfishness are the sin of idolatry.

We are not born yesterday are we? If we were we might have a slim excuse, but no doubt you are like me, just cross me and see how fair or humble minded I can be! The only block that bars you and me from these selfish struggles is the grace that God provides in life. It is the Light of the Gospel and the suppression that God provides through the earthly ministry of God the Holy Spirit. If you do not know the Gospel or the earthly ministry of God the Holy Spirit, the block that separates me from you is missing, but between you and your neighbor, who thinks like you; beware! For scripture references please CTRL+ click on the following website: http://www.biblos.com