The Devotional _ R032

The Devotional

Comment:

Have you looked around at various religions lately? Seriously these places of worship look very beautiful on the outside, many have long standing traditions and families that have supported the ministries for centuries. Yet I am reminded of something said by the LORD Jesus during His Ministry on earth. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness – Matthew 23:27. How is it that we here in the United States of America feel as though we are exempt from the comments of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God regarding His Church? Should I get indignant with the religious errors of our present day? No! No I should not, I can only remind myself and you the reader that the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:37-39 and the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 9:1-5 clearly are words of God’s unchanging love for His people.

Challenge: Romans 9:1-8a

The truth of the Word of God is not in many of the churches, instead we see a celebrated worship to a God whom ninety percent of the people do not know. These folks are friends, neighbors and relatives all belonging to a country we call our homeland. Have you shed tears for a friend or relative concerning their misconduct in “religious” matters? Have you felt discouraged over the news of uncleanness within the church leadership? Do you wish that you could reach out to those whom you know are perishing?

I believe that if you are saved by the Love of God and are practicing Righteousness based on the Word of the Living God, then these thoughts are very real to you on a daily bases. So it is not odd or out of place that the apostle Paul could say that he has great sorrow and continual grief in his heart over his lost countrymen. At times “I, who am the least of all peoples will sometimes be in sorrow of heart for my lost country.”

Paul the apostle says that his people who are Israel, whom God Himself adopted, glorified/saved and were given the covenants and the law, the service of God and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. And we say what? Good for them and not us, but did they not fail? Was not Jerusalem destroyed in 70 AD? Can we not see the history of suffering for Israel’s failure that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 23:38?

By the adoption of God the Father, that is those of us who are glorified/saved, we to were given the Holy Word of God, we call that Word the Holy Bible, in this by God’s Purpose and Plan the Church of Jesus Christ is given the knowledge and wisdom of everything that was revealed to Israel in her dispensation. Sadly the apostle Paul laments over Israel’s failure. Should we the remnant of the Church today who love God and who are called (predestined) to be conformed to the Image of the Son of God, should we be lamenting too?

There is NOTHING that can separate us from God’s Love, we are alive forevermore based on God’s promises. Yet today because the church fails to speak out ‘JUDGMENT’ but instead openly reveals that it practices what ought to be JUDGED, then we are no different than Israel in the days of Jesus Christ the LORD of Glory/Salvation who said. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.” – Matthew 23:37-38.

So is it that the Word of God today is of no effect? God forbid this thought! Simply the “church” today who seeks to identify itself with Jesus Christ is not all the church who are of the church, nor is the church today in the United States of the seed/faith of Abraham. Faith today in many churches does not exist, instead it is replaced by celebration and by works of the flesh people who are; children of the flesh, not children of God.

The Devotional - R031

The Devotional

Comment:

The evidence of mankind on earth is covered with ornaments of distraction, places of pleasure and a selfish way of life – 1 John 2:16. This deception is worldwide, very strong and very convincing. Yet, all of this is counterfeit and a disguise; hiding behind the disguise is Satan. On another scale of evidence, God has done nothing in secret. Psalm 19 explains that the heavens broadcast the Glory of God and also that the Righteousness of God is revealed from generation to generation. Starting in verse 7 of this Psalm the author David explains to his readers that the LAW of God is PERFECT (not counterfeit) and that it has the power to restore the soul of anyone who will hear the testimonies, the statutes, the commandments, the fear and the judgments of the LORD God. Not only is there conversion of soul, but also gained is wisdom, joy, purity, endurance and truth. Altogether this is the exhaustive expression of God’s revealing LOVE for you and for me.

Challenge: Romans 8:-31-39

What else can be said, like the apostle Paul; men of God around the world have proclaimed this Love of God. If God’s Love is for us and it is, who then can stand between us or against us? Satan and the unbelieving of the world try; these entities seek to destroy our testimonies, our freedoms and our families. Yet there is a barrier that stands firm between the saved and the unsaved, that barrier is the Death and Resurrection of God’s Son, our Savior the LORD Jesus Christ.

Therefore we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness – 2 Peter 1:3 and what are these things. First and foremost we have been given “The Faith” the same faith of Abraham, Moses, and all of the Old Testament saints. We have been given the same Faith of all of the New Testament saints; therefore all of the apostles and all peoples who ever lived and died, who believed God, we all have the SAME faith. Secondly, we have the Word of God.

Our personal faith in the message of God’s Son who said in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” is the confirming of this common saving/faith – Jude 1:3. This covenant is then sealed by God who gives us the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. We can by the world standards be judged and condemned for this truth, but really? Who can bring a charge against God or His Children? It is God who justifies!

Who or what shall separate us from the abundant expression of God’s LOVE? What form of suffering is strong enough? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, or famine, nakedness, injury or death separate us from God’s LOVE? No not at all; suffering death and slaughter is the way of the world, therefore we should expect it. As it is written: For the sake and love of God, His children are killed all day long, we are counted by the world as sheep for the slaughter.

Yet in all… we are more than victorious, Jesus conquered sin and death; He died to sin for us and rose from the dead therefore we are more than victorious through Him who loves us. As the apostle says in conclusion of this chapter. In all of this I AM PERSUADED that neither death nor life, nor angels, principalities or powers, or things present or things to come. Nor height, depth or any other created thing shall be able to separate God’s children from the love of God which is evidenced to you and me in Christ Jesus our LORD. This same persuasion should be resident in our heart as well.

The Devotional - R030

The Devotional

Comment:

Suffering is a major, important aspect of life and the world around us deals with suffering as a major industry. Doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics, care-workers, insurances, lawyers, psychologists, drugs and potions; so on and on it goes. There are other avenues to consider as well, yet we would spend the day listing these. Suffering is often self-inflected, suffering can be the result of health, suffering is not limited to just a minority, and finally; from the very young to the very old suffering is the reward of the living. What would you say if I said; “suffering is caused by sin, resulting in death”. God did not invent suffering, He judged sin as disobedience, thus suffering and death resulted. Genesis 3:1-24 and in this chapter we see the fall of creation, the fall of mankind and the world-wide suffering of creation that followed. Now there are many in the health industry today who would say that Genesis, the book, is myth. This would be the lie of Satan and the greed of man protecting his income. Now I am not saying that we do not need doctors, nurses and an industry of health, we do, but not on the scale that we see it here in the United States of America, this is another story for another day.

Challenge: Romans 8:-23-30

The fruit of sin is suffering and death, however the fruit of the Spirit of God is peace and life. The apostle Paul explains that those who are children of God have the first fruits (evidence) of life and peace with God. 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, and since we do we find that we eagerly groan in the flesh as we wait for the fullness of adoption which is the redemption of our soul. We were saved with this hope (confidence) and if we were to see this hope in the fullness of the glory of God where would the hope be?

We do not see this hope in full, but we do eagerly wait for it because we have been given the firstfruits of the Spirit of God who helps us in our weaknesses (sufferings). For example; we know that we should pray to our Father, but we do not know what we should say. The Spirit of God who indwells us, He makes intercession for us with “groanings” which cannot be interpreted or humanly uttered, these reach the Father’s ears. 

So our Father has given us His Spirit (if we have the genes of our earthly father, and we do) why is it so hard to understand that in believing in Jesus, that the Spirit of God now dwells in us, too? Also, Jesus who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit of God is saying, since Jesus Himself makes intercession for us as well. All of this in done in accordance with the WILL and PURPOSE of God, WHY?

Suffering cannot be avoided, from birth to death all suffer, but with the exception of those who are God’s children, those of us who are saved by the Blood of Christ (His Suffering, death and resurrection) we KNOW that ALL things work together for GOOD to those who LOVE God, to those who are CALLED in accordance with HIS designed PLAN and PURPOSE.

God knew mankind would fall into sin resulting in suffering and death and before time on earth began, He predestined for those who would respond to His Grace gift to be conformed to the image of His Son; remember we were originally made in the image of God and through Jesus Christ we who believe are being conformed back to the image of God in Christ Jesus. Moreover, those whom called (whosoever will come, let Him come) God justifies and whomever is justified will be glorified, suffering and death has no power over God’s children.