The Devotional – National and personal sin

The Devotional – National and personal sin

Comment: Joel 1:1-20 – Good teachers of the Holy Word of God are illustrators and instructors of TRUTH. Sometimes the use of current events or natural disasters are good tools to point a congregation, a community or even a nation to the NEED of revival, to return to the Living God. A side note – I say The Living God in order that we may know that I am talking about the SELF-EXISTING GOD of the Holy Bible. I am not discussing the man-made gods of religion, nor the usurper, who is the thief and murderer identified in the Holy Bible as Satan. The illustration that the Prophet Joel uses is literal, an event in time in the southern kingdom (Judah) of Israel. The event came without warning – a plague of locust around 800BC. Judah had plenty of warnings of pending judgment from God to turn from its national sins of idolatry and immorality. The locust plague is one of them. Joel’s prophesy of national waste due to sin is an ongoing warning to all nations that there is a day of judgment coming. A not so far away day when another locust-like invasion will come upon all men, women and children, see the Fifth Trumpet judgment, Revelation 9:1-12.

Devotional: John 8:31-36 – Are you interested in TRUTH, does your soul seek a haven of rest, and are there times in your life when your heart is exhausted from the lies of movies and media? No doubt your mental answer is yes, even if your lips might play the devil’s advocate and say otherwise. To those who believe in Jesus we are challenged daily to abide in Jesus (Truth) while we live in a world of lies.

As a disciple of Jesus we are exhorted from the Living God to abide in Truth and live in freedom, as the Truth is in Jesus (John 1:17) thus it is Jesus who sets us free from the challenges of trial and testing. These lies bombard us daily to live like the world in the thick of darkness. We must be willing to reject the lies of darkness and the traditional religions of our day. We must be willing and abide in the Truth of God. Romans 13:14, John 14:1-6 are just a couple of many that point us to live in TRUTH.

A sin committed is opportunity from the world to become a slave to the way of the world, the world is a temporal place, we are here only for a short time, why live as a SLAVE to the world when God, through Christ/Messiah offers to those who BELIEVE in Him an abode FOREVER. One that is SET free from slavery. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free INDEED.”

The Devotional – Caught in Adultery

The Devotional – Caught in Adultery

Comment: Haggai 1:1-15 – 2:1-23 – a short book in the Old Testament that is rarely visited. If we were not studying an Old Testament survey in our Monday night class I would no doubt be looking elsewhere this morning for a few words of challenge. The name “Haggai” by etymology and meaning is uncertain and could be derived from the Hebrew word “Hag” or “Haggiah” meaning festival, or festival the of Yahweh. Also it is said that he was born on a feast day, possibly the feast of Tabernacles. The purpose of the Haggai’s writing, was the LORD’s concern for the people who returned to Judah under the lead of Ezra the scribe and Zerubbabel the governor and the sixteen year delay to rebuild the temple. The delay was caused the PERSONAL affairs of the people which interfered with God’s Will to restore the land and rebuild the Temple. Today in our land I see a similar trend, as the children of God we are too busy with our personal lives and have forgotten the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

Devotional: John 8:1-12 – There is the darkness of the world and there is the LIGHT of God, or we can say there is the LIGHT of God and there is the darkness of the world. Both statements are correct from a personal viewpoint. If I am of the world I use darkness to judge the living ones around me. If I am a child of God I use the Light of God to judge the living ones around me – get the picture?

Religion does not govern the SINS of people by the standard of God’s grace, religion governs people by “DEEDS”, apart from the grace of God. The religion during the LORD’s ministry on earth was a system of laws governed by lawyers (Sadducees) and priests (Pharisees). The system was corrupt, political and strict. Religion today has not changed, large denominations have their priestly leaders and their lawyers to keep their people in line and the public at bay.

The personal business of mankind often includes sin, we would be naïve to think differently. Yet given a moment in anyone’s life and being caught in a serious sin by the church, even adultery; the consequence is often a tragic loss for all effected. Not because of the act, but because of the actions of others who are reacting priestly like the Pharisee or legally like the Sadducee.

What do we see the LORD do in our passage this morning, in stooping down He wrote in the sand with His finger and then He stood up and said “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Returning to the ground he wrote again. One comment in favor of the religion of the day is that all of these men understood that they were sinners as well and left the place where Jesus was.

When Jesus stood up again and seen that only the woman remained and that all of her accusers had left He said to the woman, “where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said, “No one LORD.” And Jesus said to her. “Neither do I condemn you: go and sin no more. Jesus is the LIGHT of the world, he who follows Jesus will not walk in worldly darkness, they will however walk in the light, like Jesus… full of grace and truth – John 1:14-18 is a MUST read to understand grace and truth.

The Devotional – The Promise

The Devotional – The Promise

Comment: Proverbs 7:6-27 – The harlot! When reading scripture many read only what is in front of the eyes. The harlot, a young man of ignorance (that is ignorance of protecting his soul) the arrow that strikes his liver and the cost (the loss of a not so innocent), but ignorant life. With this we move on to the next chapter if we have the time, and in less than ten minutes we have forgotten the message of Proverbs Seven. I see this as a problem in Christendom today, a lack of MEDITATION and PRAYER on the WORD of our God and Savior. In this case of Proverbs the woman is loud and rebellious, today we have the harlots of society too! Loud, rebellious commercials, peace offerings of legal and illegal drugs, tapestries of laws directed at social decline and the perfumes of enticing demands to fill our hearts with illicit lifestyles with speeches that can flatter and persuade the careless of soul to accept the arrows of death to those who care to listen.

Devotional: John 7:1-39 – For the last few devotionals I have sought to stay focused on the love of God and His Character. The gospel of John is loaded with the Deity of Jesus Christ, His love for the world and His mercy in dealings with people. Jesus did this in His humanity apart from His Deity. Jesus lived a sinless life and He glorified God the Father at the unfolding of every event in His Life. In a brief reading of this passage someone might conclude that Jesus was a lone-ranger, this is simply not true, but He did spend time with the Father in Prayer and Meditation that even in our humanity we should too.

Jesus did not glorify Himself to any crowd, religious or secular but He was glorified by the Father on all occasions, just as Jesus glorified the Father on all occasions. John 7:16b-17 – “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. if anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. Jesus goes on to say in verse 24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment”.

When we judge righteously (something we seldom do) we are able to see clearly that Jesus is the Christ (MESSIAH), while we do not see Jesus in the temple or walk the streets where He walked, we His children do KNOW Him and know where He came from, we also know the ONE who sent Him, that in this they being ONE are glorified as ONE. The unbelieving world around us does not know Him this way. Religiously they may seek Him, but in that system of fleshly deeds they will not find Him. “You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come! John 7:36b.

There is for every child of God a promise from Jesus, it is found in this chapter of John and here it IS. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to ME and drink. He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of LIVING water.” John 7:37-39, this context refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit to be given to ALL who believe after the death, resurrection and ascension of the CHRIST. It is impossible for the soul to know God if one does not have the promise of the Holy Spirit.