The Devotional - A Look at the Book #582

A Devotional Look at the Book #582

Papa J's rules for Livin #5

On the surface a painted portrait resembles the good life; but beneath the stokes of the brush and the paint is simply a stretched out canvas rag that holds the inner thoughts of the earthbound artist. Isaiah 64:6-7

The Devotional

The power of a man in authority can be intimidating. I know such a man and he demands from those who work for him absolute obedience. He is not nice as he curses and rages with a face so red he always looks as if he is about to “pop”! His employees are afraid to talk with him on any subject as they have a real fear of losing their employment. I have not known this man for a long time; less than a year, but he has always been pleasant around me; in fact the man likes me and he does not curse or get visibly mad around me. Less than a month ago he had a mild stoke and was diagnosed with a severely clogged artery disease. He will be having an operation very soon! The man and his personality changed and his once unpleasant demeanor has been pushed aside for a face of fear. There is major expansion going on in his place of business and these events in his life clearly remind me of the following passage of scripture. Luke 12:16-21. I pray that I will have an opportunity to talk with him a length about the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ; I have told the man that I will be praying for him; my reporting of this to you the reader is that you will pray for me that the LORD will open the door for me to communicate the good news of our LORD and Savior, in that Jesus loves him and desires a relationship with him.

2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:14-21 – The apostle states that this is the third time that he is preparing to come to the Corinth church. Do you ever find yourself traveling back to a place because you love the fellowship of the believers in that location? We have a far greater ability to do that today then in the day of the apostle Paul, but in most cases; if we leave a church fellowship we never go back. If you have left a church or fellowship then return after a season of time you will see as the apostle Paul did some very interesting and parallel events.

It is the war of the two natures within. Men and women under the power of the Holy Spirit are the most pleasant people to be around. Love constrains us and love also abounds in us and there is no better fellowship to experience. However; men and women under the influence of the flesh are the most unpleasant people to be around and it seems that after the initial glad moment of arrival, conflict begins.

What is this conflict? Contention, jealousy, selfish ambition, backbiting, whispering and left unchecked all the rest mentioned here in 2 Corinthians 12:20. These things found in the church at Corinth are found in all churches across this country, also this corruption does not stop at those sins found in verse 20, but lead to further corruption listed in verse 21. If you go back to a church of your past… you will see just as Paul sees; that is if you look!

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #581

A Devotional Look at the Book #581

Papa J's rules for Livin #4

The average American does not drink enough water, but does spend billions each year at the pharmacy. Now that makes sense!

The Devotional

The submarine is a closed environment, in other words it is designed to keep natural elements outside while manufacturing those same elements inside to ensure human survival. Water and chemicals from the outside are hazardous materials and must be isolated from within. However; the submarine needs these same elements inside to maintain the health of the men on board and the safe operation of the submarine. I am intrigued by the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. God has placed in TIME for all things to happen at the right time. So the question of intrigue that dominates my mind is; is the birth of a child by an unwed mom, right or wrong timing? Or; is the death of an aborted infant; right or wrong timing? Can we go on and say that any time is a time of war; or is any time a time of peace by our own national determination and not be abusive of the works that God has given mankind to do while he or she is here. We need the elements of time to survive in time and I am sure that at the Great White Throne God will judge the nations and each individual on their works found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Why? Because God has made everything beautiful in its TIME as He has also placed ETERNITY in the hearts of all of us and it is my thought that many of us have abused time and destroyed our eternal perspective. Well… it is appointed that each of us shall die and after that the judgment; Hebrews 9:27. If you know Jesus Christ personally, your judgment will be MERCY, Hebrews 9:28 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-11. If you do not know Jesus Christ there will be no mercy at the Great White Throne, Revelation 20:11-15.

2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:11-13 – Boasting is something most of us do and we are very good at it… even those who seek to cover up their boasting by exposing the boasting of another more obvious person. These folks are readily identifiable because they appear to have eye problems as they look down just over their nose to talk. I am sure the apostle Paul knew many such people.

What we are before people as they view us is hardly worth the breath to expound on. It is however what we are before the Living God who will be the judge. If we say we are something and we are not… God Himself will take care of the matter. In the meantime if there is opposition that does not lead or lend itself to exposing false or foolish behavior, then this opposition is false and foolish rather than the ministry of the minister.

We truly need to be careful that our evaluation of those who preach and teach the Word of God is not judgmental. I believe this is a major problem in today’s church of Jesus Christ. Some will say; “Well Jesse… there is no perfect church” and I will say true… but that makes you part of the problem and not a part of the solution.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #580

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #580

by Jesse Abel

Papa J's rules for Livin #4

If you really want to live by my rules; then you are too be a person most pitied. I know nothing about life, yet do not fear there is God who knows life as He created us in His image; HEAR HIM! Our failure is in our own image that we seek to live. Genesis 5:1-5

The Devotional

Over the years I have considered this section of the devotional as informational to life and the effects that God has on us as we live it out. I have used examples of my life (since I know it best) to describe events that only God could put together. The stories are real events and I have sought to be as correct as my memory would allow. If these devotionals are to have a future, it will be because God continues to keep the door open. I would like to use some stories from you the reader. God works in our lives daily and not just once every so often, so I know you have an event or story to share. If you send your story to me I will consider that you approve of me sharing it and I will write about it in these devotionals. Send you story by email to: abelj-r@yahoo.com. Our God is awesome and He is glorified when we share His work in our lives with others as a testimony of His faithfulness to us as He encourages our faith to grow. Hebrews 12:1-2

2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – Have you ever gotten so focused on the worm that your day of fishing came up empty? I think that many times in our study of scripture we focus on the wrong object. In this passage we see the words, “thorn in the flesh” and we lose the intended message by trying to figure out what the thorn was. It is sort of mysterious since the thorn is further described as a messenger of Satan. And to add to this confusion is the thought that this was given to Paul because he had a revelation and that God did not what him to be exalted beyond his ability to handle the event spiritually.

While all of the above has some relevance, even paralleling the event in Job’s life with the affliction of boils all over his body. Job 2:5-9, this passage teaches us that God is interested in the lives of His Saints to sanctify them in sufficient grace. If you involve your self with God and His Word; if you seek to walk as close to the LORD as possible as many of us do. You will find that you are physically, spiritually and mentally challenged daily; even being buffeted about by the world which is controlled by the devil. Ephesians 6:10-20.

The grace provided to us by Jesus Christ is sufficient; Jesus is the Master Spiritual Builder. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Too many times we react to (the battle is the LORD’s) with physical and mental efforts of the flesh rather than relying on the sufficiency of the grace that God supplies. We should not take sinful pleasure in our infirmities as some might conclude here; but we should look at our infirmities of the flesh, the mind and the spirit as those weaknesses that bring about needs, persecutions and distresses that Jesus provides strength to overcome by His excellent power at work in these weak earthen vessels.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #579

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #579

by Jesse Abel

Papa J's rules for Livin #3

Traveling the information highway has a lazy drawback! The more time you spend touring on this unrestricted avenue; the less time you will spend traveling the upright supernatural highway. Proverbs 15:19

The Devotional

When “Hospice” comes for a visit it is not long before someone within the household dies physically! This program is very good since families do not experience the loss of family members on a regular basis and seldom know how to deal with the various events leading up to the death. As an EMT there has been an opportunity or two to visit a home where people are dying without hospice involvement. Most often in these cases a person will be in a physical condition called; “agonal respiration,” aka dying respirations which is a few breaths per minute that cannot support life. When people are in this condition, medical professionals can do all of the right things but lose the battle, the person is just to sick to stay alive. Now place this condition on a nation! This is my take on the United States of America, my home, your home and supposedly the home of future generations. Does this mean anything to us? Are we doing all of the right things, but losing the battle? Is it too late? If we cannot answer these questions, then guess what! Our respiration rate is insufficient to support life. Our government was formed: Of the people, by the people and for the people. Yet in this day of our lives; if you are nine months from being borne; the twenty year old soldier is in a safer zone of life. And of course if you are sixty five or older you might be forced to give your medical rights to some foreigner who socially steals from the pockets of working people because he or she is an illegal resident. All of this is accomplished by the unsupportive respirations of “freedom of choice” and “pro life” sounds of cancerous political disorder and terminal political corruption.

2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:2-6 – How good it is to return each morning to the Living Word of God by which we are cleansed daily by the Power of God. John 4:10-14 individually and as a church family we are daily being made to drink in and bathed in the Water of Life by the Word of God. Ephesians 5:26. Also many other passages that are statements from God that it is His will to sanctify His saints in truth.

The apostle Paul does not identify himself as the person who was spiritually caught up into the third heaven, but based on the event we know that Paul is talking of his own experience. If you are a student of the Word of God, no doubt you have been taken on a spiritual journey or two in your time spent in the Word. The joys of these events are truly inexpressible and full of glory. And really these events are for you and God and have little to do with sharing with another since these cannot be explained with any success. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

More explainable then are the infirmities that we deal with; why…? 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13 explains that our infirmities are common to all of mankind and spiritual revelation is not. So the apostle desires to display his weaknesses in order that the power of God, which is excellent will glorify God and not the apostle as He relies on the Spirit of God to work through him.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #578

A Devotional Look at the Book #578

Papa J's rules for Livin #2

Make no bones about it! Bitterness in the heart is like a knife that whittles away at those nearby. Left unchecked; one will have only skeletons for friends. Proverbs 18:24

On one of the subs I was on… I forget which one; we were on the surface preparing to submerge. The process for taking a perfectly good bubble and making it sink is to cause the bubble to have a negative reaction to buoyancy. In this process it is also necessary to keep water out of the main bubble where the people are and fill up those outer bubbles that keep the submarine on the surface. Leaving the forward hatch open is a very dangerous mistake that should never happen. After receiving a report from the Chief of the Watch that the ship was ready to dive (a straight board) for you sub sailors, the Officer of the Deck ordered the Diving Officer to submerge the ship who ordered the Chief to open the ballast tanks and submerge the ship. Something had tripped the switch to the forward hatch as being shut; it even looked shut but it was open to the tune of twenty three thousand gallons of water per minute coming into the people tank. Immediately was the sound to emergency blow the ballast tanks and the boat grudgingly came back to the surface. This is a true event and I am here to explain it; some would say that this was a mechanical error. Okay, but that does not take the human being out of the lime light. Cables and other objects are in these hatches while the ship is in port and before going to sea these hatches (all of them) must be inspected for obstacles that would prevent the hatch from shutting completely, this simple task was not done properly and the result was dangerous, even the mission was delayed. This same sort of thing goes on daily in religion; religion looks right, but dangerously deceptive and religion delays the mission. The people who follow religion will gladly swallow the camel while gagging on the gnat. Matthew 23:1-36.

2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:1 – Sometimes it is necessary to boast about our life in Christ; while it may not be spiritually profitable and should never be materially profitable… boasting about what the LORD has done and is doing in our lives is important. If it were not then we would never know the power of God that is often dismissed as nothing more than human reasoning.

I believe in boasting in the LORD, but I also believe that we can get carried away like many charismatic churches do over things that are not spiritual in a godly environment but demonic. This could take us on a rabbit trail since all the gifts that people of these faiths believe they have belong to the church of Jesus Christ and not to the private interpretations of the individual. So boasting is not to be of who and what I am, but who the LORD IS and what He is doing through the Holy Spirit within.

God does all things in an orderly and perfect way, if; and He does reveal some attribute of truth to you and me, He will do it by way of revelation. So in using this method… does He do it in order for you to keep it secret or to share it with others? Hmmm! We should think about this, it is food for thought as the rest of the chapter speaks specifically to this subject and those results of revelation in the weaknesses of our flesh.

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #577

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #577

by Jesse Abel

Papa J's rules for Livin #1

Success follows people who do things that others refuse to do. If we refuse to take out the trash, we will also refuse to listen to sound judgment. If we listen to sound judgment, we will take out the trash. Profoundly simple; Yup! Luke 14:34-35

The Devotional

Each of us has that processing center in our heart where we sort out the things to share and the things to keep secret. I call this unseen place our “heart of hearts.” This reminds me of the surfaced submarine, in that; five percent is exposed above the water while ninety-five percent remains hidden under the water. We know each other by what we reveal, but you know you by what you do not reveal. As believers in Jesus Christ we have come to the Light to be the light of Christ to the world, or to be fully clothed in His Righteousness. (John 3:19 and Colossians 1:13-15) In these verses we can learn that we have been given light and while some darkness will always remain in our heart of hearts we are encouraged to become more like Christ because we have been redeemed by His Blood. We must therefore live as those whose sins are forgiven (LIGHT) and not as those who live and love the darkness. The joy and light of the LORD is available to each of us who are increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-12.

2 Corinthians 11

2 Corinthians 11:5-15 – Again as said yesterday… we live in a deceptive world. What looks normal is so normal looking that it is extremely hard to know what is false. Our technology is able to detect counterfeit money and watch abnormal activity, but where the rubber meets the road; we fail and fall daily as victims to the false lead of many and varied activities of darkness. You know the score in all of this so I will not labor the point, but will set my sights on the apostle’s effort in these verses to point us to truth.

In our current church stewardship we do not have apostles, although there are some who would like to be identified as such. This identity does not make them false apostles it simply shows that they lack understanding in certain truths in scripture. Or even more visible; the untrained person in speech or writing does not make that person a false teacher when that person is gifted by God since God is not a respecter persons as we might be. So what is it then that makes a person a false apostle or false teacher of the Living Word of God? The apostle answers the question in verse 11. God’s Love for people; those saved and those who are unsaved. God knows!

So in order to expose false apostles and teachers we must continue to do what God has commanded us. John 13:31-35, we are to have His love for one another. Those who commend themselves to be something other than what they are; are false. Just as the secular world is full of counterfeit operations, so is the spiritual world. False teachers and deceitful workers promote fear; but perfect love casts out all fear because there is no fear in the love of God. Satan will torment those of us who practice righteousness by promoting fear. But true teachers of the Word of God promote love, because we are being perfected by love. 1 John 4:12-19

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #576

The Devotional - A Look at the Book #576

by Jesse Abel

Papa J's rules for Livin #112

There once was a lady from St. Helen who was a noted felon. She spoke often with cursing and needed no rehearsing. Her tombstone; the evidence of a life path... Her epitaph; the evidence of wrath. Proverbs 10:25

Looking at Life through the Holy Bible

On one of my earlier trips to Italy I was stationed on a destroyer that spent two weeks in Naples. As a good well project, some of us volunteered to go to an orphanage for some home improvement. The orphanage, during World War Two had been overtaken by the Germans who used it as a headquarters. Many of the “off limit” rooms were bombed out, lockers and German uniforms were scattered about and large bullet holes were everywhere. I remember that there were many children in this place, dirty, skinny and lonely looking. Today, they would be in their late fifties or early sixties. Many of the sailors, who came with me, came for one reason. The promise of free vino (wine), all the wine you could drink while mending the bullet holes, patching cracks in the walls and fixing the roof. Our hearts changed though when we saw the children. The water they were allowed to drink was wine too, because the water was not fit to drink; used only to wash clothes and then to bathe in. Water came once a day by truck and if one tried to drink it they would be scolded. The fact is that today's world has not changed as many believe; there are many parts of the world around us that lack the waters of life. Fresh living water to drink and be physically satisfied and spiritual living water satisfies our need for Jesus. John 4:1-26.

2 Corinthians 11

2 Corinthians 11:1-4 – We live in a world of diversity… just think of the number of automobile makers. Ford, General Motors, Chrysler; just naming the three major ones of our country. All automobiles do the same thing traveling from point A to point B successfully. Televisions, cell phones, the I-pod and monkey pod (checking to see if you are paying attention). All these function as designed but all have many and diverse manufactures. Is this folly or fact?

In a very like manner we have many religions, cults and isms and believe that; like the automobile, the television and telephone that all lead too and share one purpose. The purpose of satisfying man’s appetite for comfort and ability to please God on man’s terms will eventually be perfect and that God will be pleased. This sphere of wisdom was demonic. It was demonic when the serpent deceived Eve nearly seven thousand years ago and it has not changed even today.

In your heart of hearts you know the answer to this folly and fact; but even the saints of our day are refusing to face the truth. Well here is the TRUTH! There are many preachers in the world around us… some are in churches, some are behind podiums in the secular world of business and education. Some are even in our very homes and communities all around this great land. Those who preach another Jesus are causing many to receive a different spirit, by substituting the simplicity that is in Christ for a different gospel, having corrupted the minds of future generations with the devil’s craftiness.