The Devotional – 1454 – Even so, come LORD Jesus

The Devotional – 1454 – Even so, come LORD Jesus

Proverbs 30:20 – This is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats and wipes her mouth, and says. “I have done no wickedness”

Comments and challenges

Recently I decided to play golf in the Tuesday night league in the town where I live. It is two seasons since I stopped playing in these leagues because of the language of the men in the league. Last evening it was a cold (literally) slap in the face reminder of why I do not enjoy the game that I enjoy so much in other settings. What was additionally upsetting is that, this is the town that we call home and of the other three players, I know two of them very well.

Two of these men I have played golf with before and one I served on a board with as “trustee”. One who at every meeting hears the opening prayer of someone in the meeting, I do not remember if he has offered prayer, but I do know that he has heard me pray at these meetings. Now it has been a few years since I was on the board, but I know that the board is theologically liberal and cursing is not permitted. 

As we progressed through the nine holes of golf, the man who is in his last year as a member of this board; the term is seven years, made a specific purpose to get face to face and for one whole sentence spoke nothing but curse words. He seemed provoked and he was able to make each word resemble the countenance of the adulterous person who says. “I have done no wickedness”! I turned away from him without comment, and through the remainder of our time on the course, he had little to say to me.

Now this is not all that transpired, but it is enough for us who are saved by the grace of God to consider what we are against in the world of adulterous actions against God. Yes against God; we live in times that are similar to those days when Jesus said to the religious people of His time on earth. Note: Matthew 12:38-42.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

God is not slack like a man, the promise of His return is absolute; He will return. Also He speaks boldly that when He does return, He will bring “reward” with Him for He says in Revelation 22:12 – “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work”. The adulterous nation will have a “wiped mouth” but the national breath will give off the stench of death. Revelation 22:15 – But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

The Devotional – 1454 – God loves the scoundrel!

The Devotional – 1454 – God loves the scoundrel!

Proverbs 28:16 – A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will prolong his days (NKJV) or (NIV) a tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

Comments and challenges

While working for a small town in Connecticut I was often blessed to see the LORD working. For example I was hired as the maintenance supervisor, but when the director for the housing authority left for a better job in Hartford I asked the municipality if I could fill that position and they agreed. I served in that position for fifteen years and then retired in 2009. Often as the director I would call on God to help me with decisions that directed the future families that were under my immediate responsibility, so here is an event of a man and his boy.

The man lived alone, but through a previous marriage had a son. When I met the son he was around five years old, so this means that when I retired the boy was a young adult of at least twenty. The man who lived alone in accordance with the lease he signed, really did not live alone. The boy as it turned out lived many days within the father’s household. Oh! There were arguments of abusing the lease or rental agreement. There were oppressive moments when this ruler of his household lack judgment or coveted others belongings. “The stories, awe the stories I could tell”.

Once after a moment of intense argument, he decided to sue the housing authority because his vehicle was all pitted on one side with rust spots from sanded roads caused by the weather. His claim was that the housing authority did the damage during the grass trimming around his vehicle and the person trimming did not take care to protect his vehicle. Of course he won and his claim was settled for nearly a thousand dollars on a vehicle that was above fifteen years old. “Awe, the stories that could be told are many”.

Here is the Story! The man was obnoxious, a thief, a liar and many who knew him were afraid of his presence. Yet God gave me the opportunity to know the man for ONE reason and that reason was to be a witness of FAITH in Christ. In the fifteen years that I knew the man I witnessed to him of the love of Jesus Christ. Was I perfect in this? NO, not at all! But there were times that he and I sat alone in his apartment talking about the LORD. One day at one of these moments in time, he accepted the LORD’s sacrifice for his sins and became saved.

Some months later, the man suffered a heart attack and nearly died, but he recovered and when a neighbor’s husband died, he married the widow. This family was saved so they were friends before the man died. Oh! The buzz in the apartment complex about that was as heavy as any love/hate novel on the book shelf today. The young boy, well he was there cheering his father along and by now a senior in high school. My wife and I attended the wedding reception.

Why do I tell you this? I heard within the last couple of years that the man has gone to be with the LORD. It is important to each of us (saints) how we treat the people around us. We are not perfect and while we expect to be, I praise God that He knows we are not. Yes God does command us to be Holy and blameless before Him in LOVE, otherwise we are not able to approach HIM. Colossians 1:22.

If we try to be holy and blameless around the people God has placed in our path, it does not take them long to do something to us to show to them our real nature. Don’t be holier than you know you are, be real but also be the saint that God would have you to be. “Be ready to give an answer” as in the following verses in 1 Peter, God calls us to suffer for right and wrong in order that we may be a good testimony at the right time, 1 Peter 3:13-17.

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled”. But sanctify the LORD God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

The Devotional – 1453 – A club or a joint, but not a church.

The Devotional – 1453 – A club or a joint

Proverbs 24:18-19 – A person who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. Confidence in a unfaithful person in times of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

Comments and challenges

I am told that the English language is the hardest language to speak and understand and through friendship with others in Europe I believe it. In some languages; after being interpreted the English words are still unclear. There is little example to draw from without the possibility of offending someone so there is little sense to join the club of further confusion.

An example of language and the confusion that we all might understand is the language of Mexico, while the population is fluent in Spanish the government in Mexico recognizes 68 distinct indigenous “American languages” from seven different families and four isolated languages. All these languages and yet the national language is Spanish and most Mexicans speak it.

There are over forty translations of the Holy Bible; most of these are translations in the English Language. Just looking at the English interpretations we have Bibles that are liberal, conservative, fifth grade level, high school level, college level, cult, occult, specific religion and protestant interpretations and of course, individual authors of the Bible. For my understanding all of these are copy-righted, therefore are nothing more religious literature.

In fact; I am leaning to believe that if someone does not like what they read in the Holy Bible, just wait a second and they will write out their interpretation, and don’t you know! A second is about all one needs these days to be absolute in any given area of expertise. (Liars, all of them) This brings me to the Proverbs passage above, in saying that mankind is a liar is not rocket science, is it?

Just when we think we have sound doctrine, someone whips out their sword and whoops, it is like a sharp stick in the eye, or a lump on the head from dull club and a fiery arrow from the evil one. So what is the rub here? 2 Peter 1:20-21 – knowing this FIRST, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any PRIVATE interpretation, prophecy never came by the will of man, but by holy men who (spoke by will of God) as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 

Also Hebrews 1:1-4; while there were many prophets who recorded messages from God in the Old Testament, there is only ONE who speaks today and all of the New Testament writers agree, this ONE is the LORD Jesus Christ who plainly says that it is His Holy Spirit that indwells every believer who will guide them into ALL TRUTH. John 16:13-15.

Now I am not binging on those Men who are devoted to the Living Word of God and are called of God to bring His Word to those who do not have it in their language. Nor am I seeking to beat up on those who earnestly seek truth and use, the Darby Translation (yes there is such a translation) and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them.

I am however concerned about the multitude of “Worship Centers” popping up that interprets the Living Word of God out of a “coffee and donut” mentality. In Europe and in the United States these venturesome hazards are on the increase. Men, women and children are flocking to these large mega buildings to be tickled and pampered into eternity by those who profess to be wise and yet they have become fools. Romans 1:22.

The Devotional – 1452 – God is Love

The Devotional – 1452 – God is Love

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Comments and challenges

Just a short note this morning to let you know that I am not feeling well. For the last few days I am down with a cold. I do not want to call it the flu, even if it could be but whatever is going around… I got it.

Over the past three days I have attempted to write but I have not been able to get to “first base” so with this said I think I will go back to bed and see if I can get to church this evening for the Wednesday service.

Here is a thought that I intended to write about, salvation is of God. Speaking of our so great salvation, the apostle John speaks of the witness of Jesus Christ and He was rejected, but to those who did not reject, John says.

John 1:13 – who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Our sole hope in life for our loved ones who are lost is that they be saved. This is God’s desire too, so let’s not get in His way. We may be responsible for their physical birth and that is as far as it goes. So do not beat yourself up over their continued hardening of heart. If they are going to be saved it will be, “but of God”!

God loves each of us into His Kingdom and He loves those who are lost also. Please take a few moments, reading and praying through John 1:6-13, this will help give you confidence that God is willing to save, our only need or input is to pray for the lost and love them as God does.