28 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 28 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“I waited patiently on the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.  He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3a

How many times in your life do you feel lost, trapped, or down? The reality is, in this life, there will be trials and difficulties.  Life is hard and we have times of dryness in our souls.  What do we do? Is the answer within us or outside of us? David shows us that the answer is outside of us in the person of God.  Building that relationship and learning to trust in Him will help us through all life’s situations.

God knows the difficulties, stresses, suffering, and pain that you personally have faced and will face in the future.  God manifests himself in a special way in those periods of life so that we experience his love and presenece.  We are shaped by our suffering in that God gives us peace, purpose, and even joy during our darkest days.  Like David, sometimes we have to wait patiently.  Isaiah said the same thing, “they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength”. 

 In the waiting, we find God present and listening.  Job who lost all his kids and wealth overnight was devastated and in the fog of grief had a moment of clarity.  Instead of hating God for what was happening to him, he said, “should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never any bad?” He blessed God. David found joy as he saw the hand of God in all of the challenges he faced and was given a song of praise to sing.  Sometimes we are not delivered from the pain, but delivered straight into the arms of Jesus.

Are you standing on solid rock or sinking sand?

Reading Plan: Psalm 40, 54; 1 Sam. 31:1-13; Acts 15:12-21;  Mark 5:21-43

27 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 27 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.  Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.  But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:17, 22-23

Have you been offended before? That’s a funny question today since everyone seems to be offended about something.  We know what it is like and how that feels.  It is not pleasant and we desire apologies, satisfaction, or straight-up revenge if we are honest.  The offended party must learn to have thick skin and have some patience.  The offender must learn to keep accounts short by correcting wrongs they have done quickly rather than letting them fester.

As we look at social media and the news, we see the root causes of the problems in our culture. (USA) We sin. We do evil. It affects the people around us.  Most people don’t see what they do as evil or bad, it is merely preference and freedom being exercised.  The moral compass of our society is broken and we lack love for our neighbor.  There is One that is offended by how we live our lives and the condition of our hearts.

God hates all sin and evil that we do.  It is actually a sin against God first, even though we sin against our neighbor.  He has written his law on our hearts and we know what is right and wrong.  He has given us his word in the Bible too, but we treat them like trash and do the offensive thing.  God calls all people to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus for salvation.  Without Jesus, you will perish in your sins and suffer in hell.  Nobody wants that! You need to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Are you ignoring God’s claim on your life? Do you treat his word with contempt?

Reading Plan: Psalm 50; 1 Sam. 28:3-20; Acts 15:1-11;  Mark 5:1-20

26 JUL 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 26 JUL 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers.  They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:21-22

The brutal facts of life need to be reflected on from time to time.  The Lord himself said that ‘in this life, there will be trials”.   Life in general is hard and even more so for the Christian.  Didn’t sign up for that, did you? Jesus in his paradoxical sermon on the mount, gave the Beatitudes in order to tell us how to be blessed or happy.  That happiness is in the midst of suffering, persecution, and even death for being one of his kids.

Paul demonstrated his willingness to suffer in verse nineteen of the same passage.  He is dragged out, stoned, and left for dead.  What did Paul do? The man got up and went back to town.  He was dealt vicious blows at the hands of those who rejected the message and the messenger.  Paul was not there for the people who reject him, he is there for the people who receive him.  Paul took his licks and stayed focused.  

He went and preached the Good News and made “many” disciples.  Here this! No matter where you go in this world there will be opposition, but there will always be “some, few, or many” that will receive the Lord and become disciples.  Jesus commanded us to go out and do the work of reaching the lost and developing the faithful.  We grow as we go.  Share the message and let it be the filter.  People are like a traffic light, they are either red, yellow, or green.  Don’t waste your time on the red lights because there are too many yellows and greens that are ready to receive the good news or be developed.  

Are you facing opposition and suffering as a Christian? 

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:49-72; 1 Sam. 25:23-44; Acts 14:19-28;  Mark 4:35-41

25 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 25 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.  For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.” Mark 4:21-22

Whenever I read this passage, it makes me reflect on my life.  How am I doing? Am I light to those around me? Am I illuminating and revealing Jesus to others? Or am I hiding my testimony and my relationship with Jesus? As we enter the election season and candidates position themselves for victory, people choose who they want to lead.  Then people get involved to the level they desire.

Some people will start by putting a bumper sticker on their car or a sign in their yard.  They plant their flag and show in a subtle yet direct way, their hope.  Others begin to chat around the water cooler at work or the coffee shop.  Some become activists and go door to door passing out information and forming groups to get the word out.  Some don’t do anything and just vote when the time comes or don’t vote at all.

As Christians, we have been given a great gift and serve an eternal King that will bring about lasting change, a new earth, and a new heaven.  He will bring real solutions to sin, evil, and peace.  Politicians and philosophies will never bring about a solution.  They will always leave us wanting and bring in more sin, evil, and division.   If the people of God would do half of what people do for elections, there would be a lot of light in the world and people coming to faith.

What are you doing with the light that has been given to you?

Reading Plan: Psalm 45; 1 Sam. 25:1-22; Acts 14:1-18;  Mark 4:21-34

23 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 23 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least it could have gotten some interest on it.’  Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25: 26-27, 30

One of the more shocking stories in the New Testament is the Parable of the three servants.  Jesus uses these parables, hard sayings, and sonship teachings to filter out those who are not His and a wake-up call.  God had given the Jews a task they were responsible for, but they did not do it.  The expectation that God has is that we are faithful to what he has given us and obey all that he has commanded.

Sometimes we believe we think that we are responsible for the fruit and the quantity.  We see two of the servants double their investment and see the numbers.  We also read that Jesus commands us to be fruitful and bear much fruit.  We think we need to keep track of those numbers so we can show Jesus his return on investment.  The actual numbers and fruitfulness are not within our control.  That is not what Jesus looks at.

Jesus looks at our faithfulness and our heart.  If we are faithful, we will be fruitful.  The problem in the passage is with the person that decides to bury the gift that was entrusted to him rather than use it for what it was intended.  This person did not bear fruit. He was unfaithful and useless to the Master.  This is an issue with people in the church today.  We are disobedient and refuse to use the gift of life purchased for us to live for God.  We still live for ourselves and our desires.  In reality, we have wasted our life! Let this passage make you reflect on your life.  

When Jesus returns, will he find you faithful and fruitful or useless?

Reading Plan: Psalm 63:1-8, 98; 1 Sam. 23:7-18; Rom. 11:33-12:2;  Matt. 25:14-30

21 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 

21 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: “Brothers if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.” Acts 13:15

The format of a synagogue service is very similar to traditional services in the church today.  An interesting part didn’t make it through except for house churches, such as impromptu speakers, and questioning.  We do have planned guest speakers to come to our churches to teach specifically on topics in which there is expertise or when the pastor needs a break.  

Rarely does the person who leads the service glance or scans the audience and asks someone to bring a word of encouragement. Why? Well, it is scary.  You never know what is going to fly out of someone’s mouth.  The structure and size of our service do not yield to that kind of flexibility nor do we discern the Spirit at that level.  In the synagogue, there is a period of question and answer on what the Rabi has taught.

Asking questions is a part of the learning process and helps us to better understand information, concepts, application, and the development of relationships.  We do rebuttals like “amen or preach it brother”, in order to affirm the pastor in the good thing he is saying.  In a lecture format, people are not accustomed to asking questions and discussing the effects on their lives.  This is the way to fortify discipleship within the context of worship, but it takes an adjustment to the way we do things.

Paul always looked for opportunities to either share the gospel or develop the saints’ maturity and for the mission.  When called upon he would bring a word.  We have to be ready to do so as well whether in a large gathering, house church, or individually with a person over coffee.

Are you prepared to bring a word of encouragement?

Reading Plan: Psalm 31; 1 Sam. 21:1-15; Acts 13:13-25;  Mark 3:7-19a

20 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 20 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit.  They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.  There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God.” Acts 13:4-5

When you enter into a relationship with God Almighty and surrender your life to “his” will, things can get interesting and exciting.  You never know what adventure the good Lord will take you on.  Saul, also known as Paul, came to saving faith during an encounter with Jesus that left him literally blind for a few days.  Another believer, Ananias, also was put on an adventure to minister to a known terrorist!

Both men were obedient to the Lord’s orders even though initially they were scared of the unknown.  Paul had to learn to just “do” what the Lord commanded and he got to see the hand of God work through his life.  This was no fuzzy unicorn life of tooting rainbows and butterflies.  Walking with God takes you to places you may not want to go, you may suffer, and have to deal with all kinds of evil people.

Barnabas and Paul were sent from a great church to a place where the gospel had not been heard.  God put them in difficult situations to be salt and light.  Sometimes God takes you to a place and you see no fruit.  That doesn’t mean that he is not working and doing things in the midst of your turmoil.  Your presence in that very situation brings the maker of heaven and earth to bear on the people.

God always gives some or a few that are prepared to receive him for the first time and others that need investing.  We can trust that God will clear away the obstacles for people to hear the good news about Jesus.  Paul had to clear away a demonic sorcerer in this passage that tried to keep a man from hearing the gospel.  God removed that obstacle and he will do the same for us.

Are you on an adventure with the Lord?

Reading Plan: Psalm 37:1-18; 1 Sam. 20:24-42; Acts 13:1-12;  Mark 2:23-3:6

16 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 16 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in this are made right with God.” Romans 10: 4

There are so many in this world who labor to gain the attention and favor of God.  They religiously attend meetings, worship, and prayer times, and try to do good works.  They are under the impression that there is a scale that determines the fate of their life if they can only “do” enough to outweigh the bad deeds they have done.  When Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims connect with me in conversation they are quick to say what they “do”.

They must feel worn out checking the boxes on their self-righteousness menu, always hoping, yet never securing eternal life for themselves.  At the end of the day, they hope in the mercy of God to save them.  Have they “done” enough to get them over the bar? The answer is, no! No one is made right with God through good works, no one.  The scale is crushed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ work on the cross accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.

Any good works we do are considered dirty rags. (Isaiah 64:6).  No one is good or does good, not one. (Lk 18:19, Rm 3:12) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rm. 3:23) If we say that we are good when God says that we are not, then we are self-righteous and call God a liar.  This should strike us with fear and humility which points us to our need for Jesus.

Jesus is good, holy, and righteous.  He lived a life among his creation and did not sin, thus fulfilling the law.  Only he was able to do this.  The wonderful news is, we can be made right with God by believing in Jesus for what he did on the cross for us.  He exchanges our sins and gives us his righteousness so that we can be presented to the Father holy and blameless.  Our task is to hear, believe, and obey his word, plus pass it on to everyone we know. (HBO-Plus)

Do you have HBO-Plus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 148, 149, 150; 1 Sam. 17:50-18:4; Rom. 10:4-17;  Matt. 23:29-39

14 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 14 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalm 16

When people are asked if they believe in an afterlife, many say yes.  But what do they think it will be like? Some of the responses are that there is a heaven and that place is a paradise of beauty and lots of good food.  Muslim men will often state the sensual gratification of numerous wives they can take pleasure in.  Others have ideas that I think they come up with on the fly.  While heaven itself is a beautiful place, much of what we hear is not there.

We miss the biggest reason to be in heaven! That is to be in the full presence of God, face to face.  If you are hoping to see anything else more than Him, then you probably are not going at all.  We are in a bad habit of creating a god to suit ourselves and a heaven to our liking.  That is what God calls idolatry.  We are very good at that.  Look at all the people on social media, video games, and virtual reality simulations.  They are trying to escape the reality of this life and live in one that affirms their sin and evil desires.

The psalmist (David) in chapter 16, understands that there is nothing in this life that will satisfy us apart from God.  The Lord alone is his inheritance and cup of blessing. (v.5) God’s continued presence in our daily life is a blessing to us in that he guides, instructs, and fills us with contentment and satisfaction “in” Him.  That produces joy and causes us to rejoice in God.  Some people say that heaven would be boring because people are worshiping God for eternity.  

Why do you think they say that? Because even the best stuff they do now doesn’t bring satisfaction or joy.  Everything fades, rusts, and becomes old.  They project that on what the bible says about heaven.  God tells us that the saved will have unending joy and that everything done in heaven will be satisfying.  

Do you look forward to meeting your maker (Jesus)?

Reading Plan: Psalm 18:1-20; 1 Sam. 16:14-17:11; Acts 10:17-33;  Luke. 24:36-53

13 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 13 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him a tormenting spirit from God is troubling you.” 1 Samuel 16:14-15

Self-reflection and self-assessment are needed in the daily life of a Christian.  There is so much that we face in life that we can become confused about why things are happening to us.  The Old and New Testaments give us insight into the various roots of our problems and how to fix or at least understand our problems.  The disciples ran across a man who was blind since birth and analyzed the situation like a doctor.  Maybe the root of his blindness is attached to the sin of his parents.

Was God punishing the Son because of some sin of his mother or father? Jesus said, no.  This case was to show the manifestation of God’s glory.  What? God made that person blind for a purpose.  Jesus would ultimately heal that person demonstrating his power to heal where there was no human cure.  That should be challenging and encouraging to those with disabilities or limitations.  You can glorify God with your life and have a purpose even in brokenness or suffering.

Sometimes people are damaged and broken due to other people’s sins.  I think we see this a lot and it affects us in such a bad way.  Every day on the news there are reports of drunk drivers, murder, theft, arson, etc. These evil things that people do bring trauma that damages people physically, emotionally, and even morally.  This can shake the foundation of the faithful and further blind the lost.  This is why God has consistently commanded us to love others and turn from evil.

As we see in our passage today, there are also times when God deals the blow of judgment on a person.  The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was given to certain people to empower them in their roles.  Saul had him, but the Spirit was removed when God rejected Saul.  God gave him a tormenting spirit that ate him up mentally and caused depression and fear.  God chooses who he extends mercy to and who he does not.  Saul lost the privilege of being a leader and with it, God punished him for it.

Do you reflect on the life you are living?

Reading Plan: Psalm 18:1-20; 1 Sam. 16:14-17:11; Acts 10:17-33;  Luke. 24:36-53

12 JUL 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 12 JUL 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Don’t judge by appearance or height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.  People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

I remember as a child playing pick-up games at school or in the neighborhood.  There would be that awkward moment when all the kids are gathered together to be selected for each team.  The captains would scan the crowd and size up each kid to see if they were worthy to be on their team.  You would think they were the general manager for the NFL or something.

In their mind, they had a standard or metric that they desired to have in a player.  Tall or big or fast or friend, that would fit the bill as a player.  All of us judge a book by its cover whether in business, politics, or personal life.  We look at surface metrics to determine the leader or soulmate we would like.  There is more to a person than that.

Samuel, a Prophet of God, was tasked to find a new king for Israel since Saul had become an offense to God.  Samuel was directed to the family of Jesse.  There he would find the new king and anoint him for this role.  Samuel scanned the crowd of sons and began to size them up based on his own standards.  He saw one right away that met his required metrics and said “Surely this is the one!” God said, nope!

Samuel then ran through all seven sons and none of those were acceptable to God.  There was one more son, David, who was out caring for the sheep.  When he arrived, Samuel saw a young man who was handsome, but not what he expected.  He would be the last one chosen for kickball.  God told Samuel that he looks at people differently than man does.  God looks at the heart, not the physical metrics.  The truth is God forms leaders and places them in power.  Some are placed for our benefit and others for our judgment.  

What standard do you use to size up people?

Reading Plan: Psalm 119:1-24; 1 Sam. 16:1-13; Acts 10:1-16;  Luke. 24:12-35

11 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 11 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!” 1 Samuel 15: 29

There is an interesting thing that happens when someone begins to share their faith.  You find that people will have all kinds of interesting ideas about God.  Some are rooted in religions that are false, but some are rooted in the person’s mind.  People create thoughts about what God is like and how he might treat people.  They are fashioning a god to suit themselves.

This is a violation of the second commandment given to Israel by God.  When a person doesn’t know God or doesn’t like what they have heard about Him, people tweak their idea or massage Scripture to make themselves feel better.  When you are faced with the reality that God is good, holy, and perfect, it can spark a bit of fear in you.  That is because we are not.

Fear is good, for it is the beginning of wisdom.  Isaiah experienced God in a way that shook him to the core and in the 55th chapter of his book he made the statement that “God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours”.  God does not lie, he is the truth.  There is no error, sin, or evil in God.  That is why he defines sin the way he does.  It is those sins that are counter to his nature and will.

He expects his creatures to do his will and to be like him, a reflection of him.  Saul sinned against God and it cost him his leadership over Israel.  He probably thought that God might overlook his sins by banking on the traits of mercy, love, or grace.  How many people when confronted with their sin think God will let them off the hook because he is loving? A ton! God has made a way to deal with our sins from before the world was created.  He doesn’t change his mind but does only what pleases him.

Do you know God’s nature and how he deals with your sin?

Reading Plan: Psalm 5, 6; 1 Sam. 15:24-35; Acts 9:32-43;  Luke. 23:56-24:11

8 JUL 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 8 JUL 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.  Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.  And Jesus replied I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23: 40-43

There is just so much that is beautiful about this passage even in the midst of being the most evil day of the ages.  Jesus demonstrated his love for all of us by taking our punishment and death on the cross.  He drank the full wrath of God so that we don’t have to, making the way possible for salvation.

Two criminals were also crucified on either side of Jesus and an interesting thing happened.   The religious leads came to gloat that Jesus was being crucified and soon would be dead thereby ending the problem.  They mocked him, telling him to heal himself since he was able to heal so many.  They taunted him to come down off the cross and prove himself one last time.

Jesus was able to do all of that and destroy all who resisted with a word, but he chose to lay down his life so that others might live.  Then, the two criminals begin to mock him, but one of them has a change of heart.  He confesses his own sin and owns the consequences.  He yells at the other criminal and rebukes him.  “Don’t you fear God? Don’t you realize who he is and that there is no reason for him to be on a cross?

Then he asks Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom.  Even a few hours away from death, Jesus shows mercy and grace to one.  Jesus says that he will be with him in paradise today.  All of the world religions including Judaism require good works to be done to earn favor from God or the universe.  There is no guarantee to be in a better place after death.  Not so with Christianity.  The Lord can choose someone to be with him at the last minute if he desires to.

Isn’t it a beautiful and wonderful thing when a sinner becomes a saint?

Reading Plan: Psalm 137, 144; 1 Sam. 14:16-30; Acts 9:10-19;  Luke. 23:32-43

7 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 7 JUL 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the way found there.  He wanted to bring them-both men and women- back to Jerusalem in chains.” Luke 9: 2

Take a minute to think of who some of the most cruel and evil people are today.  There are certainly people that come to mind, right?  Many of these people strike fear and anger in our hearts and minds.  They are doing things that are harsh, maybe thieves or murderers.  In our day, we remember their names like Dahmer or Bin Laden.

After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the church was born and began to spread like wildfire.  So much so, that Jewish leaders began to become jealous and angry.  They tried to stop it from taking root in Jerusalem and the surrounding cities and nations.  The Jews were terrorists to the Christians of that day.  The Christians were jailed without cause, beaten, and murdered.

Where was God in all this? Remember that Jesus himself was killed on the cross to fulfill the plans of God. Jesus told his followers that they would be hated because of Him and would face persecution and some even death. (Matt. 5) Rapid multiplication comes from the blood of martyrs.  At the same time,  the enemies of God will be dealt with, in His way.  Some of them will be shown mercy and grace, and others will be shown justice.

Paul is a great example of this.  He was a Bin Laden of the day and everyone knew his name and was afraid.  But Jesus sought out Paul and made him one of his Apostles.  That encounter changed Paul and he became a fantastic instrument in the hands of God.  He went on to reach many people for the Lord and start many churches all over the Middle East.  

When we face people wicked people today in our daily lives or see dastardly people on the news, pray for them.  You never know how God may change their lives and use them for His glory to bring many to saving faith.  God may do something special in you or through you in the midst of your trials.  Take heart, God is with you.

What do you do with cruel and evil people?

Reading Plan: Psalm 140, 142; 1 Sam. 13:19-14:15; Acts 9:1-9;  Luke. 23:26-31

6 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 6 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent! Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.  So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.  As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder.” Luke 23: 14b, 15b, 24-25

In the court case, Jesus versus humanity was judged and sentenced by Pilate.  This short case has an amazing shift in outcome.  If we were watching this on television and had no understanding of who Jesus is, we would be shocked by the outcome.  We would be very angry that Jesus who was pronounced innocent by two different Judges ended up flogged and crucified.

How can this be that an innocent man dies a criminal’s death? In Pilate’s initial conversation with Jesus, he is bold to tell Jesus that he has the power to pronounce life or death. Jesus tells Pilate that he would have no power if the Father hadn’t given it to him.  God’s plan had not failed but was successfully executed.  Every piece of this story is important and worth chewing on.

One of the pieces we miss or just let slide by is Barabbas.  This is a picture of what Jesus did for the elect.  The substitutionary atonement of Jesus for Barabbas, the holy spotless perfect lamb for an evil sinner.  This past week a female professional basketball player spoke angrily that a certain segment of our population killed Jesus.  But she left out her own name, her own sin, her own guilt and shame.  We could do that too if we are not careful.

Barabbas, son of the father, was a sinner and rebel, but so are we! Reread that verse and replace Barabbas’ name with yours.  “He released “me/your name” and sentenced Jesus to death.” That is the essence of the gospel.  Jesus died for me.  Jesus died for you.  You can die for your own sins, but that is not just one death, it is two.  The payment of your sin is satisfied either on the cross or in hell.  God is satisfied and glorified in either! 

Will you turn from your sins and trust Jesus or suffer the wrath of God?

Reading Plan: Psalm 131, 132, 133; 1 Sam. 13:5-18; Acts 8:26-40;  Luke. 23:13-25

5 JUL 23 Wednesday- A Closer Walk Devotional

 5 JUL 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Don’t be afraid, Samuel reassured them.  You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn back on him.  Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you-they are totally useless! But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.” 1 Sam. 12:20-21, 25

People are interesting creatures, to say the least.  We establish habits and fall into some that are not healthy or offensive to God.  At the same time, we are blind to our own faults and evil.  Don’t believe me? Ask anyone you meet if they are a good person? The response of the majority is yes.  The standard for goodness is always set by the person being asked and it is always on a sliding scale.  They may admit to being a liar, adultery, homosexual, and murder at heart, but still tell you they are good.

This is what is known as self-righteousness. We are all guilty of this at one time or another.  Samuel, a Prophet of God, told the Israelites that they had done wrong in asking for a King instead of yielding to God’s leadership.  They would ultimately suffer for it.  But Samuel told the people what God expected for their lives and character.  The plumbline of what is right and good is defined by the Lord, not us.  

Today, if you turn on the news or look at your feed, you will see the redefinition of terms to fit peoples’ sins.  We figure if we control and define the definitions then our lives will be acceptable in society and thereby extension to God.  We naturally create gods to suit ourselves and we worship them.  In this passage, Samuel speaks against this stating that we are to worship God alone.  All other religions are worthless and useless.  

From the time this book (1 Samuel) was written until today, the Jews have gone back and forth seeking other gods.  Jesus came to fulfill their religion and set a new covenant to be right with God.  We who are Gentile Christians must understand that we too are vulnerable to the same sins of Jews.  God has expectations of us because we have been bought with Jesus’ blood and are commanded to live holy lives, not sinful ones.

In a world that is offended by everything, is anyone asking if what they are doing offends God?

Reading Plan: Psalm 33; 1 Sam. 11:1-15; Acts 8:1-13;  Luke. 22:63-71

4 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 4 JUL 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.  Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.” Acts 8:4, 6

When Jesus told the disciples that they would take the message of salvation and freedom from sin and death to the nations, they probably had a difficult time comprehending how.  For the most part, people get used to staying in one place and enjoying the people they have always enjoyed.  To go to a different city, state, or country means a big change.

As we read at the beginning of Acts 8, we see that moving into a new place and among new people was not their plan.  God orchestrated the move and they moved.  That happens to us today.  People are forced to move due to their job, political unrest, and persecution.  These moves are important and we shouldn’t miss what God may be doing in the midst of it.

Philip, the apostle, moved to a new city and found people whose hearts were already prepared for the Lord to receive the good news and be saved.  In every place and every land, there are people being prepared for the good news to take root and be set free from the bondage of sin.  Even if you just impact one person, it is worth the move, suffering, and change.  It brings glory to God and grows you as a disciple.

Today in the United States, we celebrate our freedom from England’s rule.  Many of those Christians came to this land for freedom of religion and to share the gospel.  If you are reading this in America, it is an extra special day to know that God weaved through the mess of history to bring you people that carried the good news to your ears.  He set you free from the wrath of God and established you as Christ’s own forever.

Are you celebrating your freedom from sin, death, and the wrath of God?

Reading Plan: Psalm 33; 1 Sam. 11:1-15; Acts 8:1-13;  Luke. 22:63-71

3 JUL 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 3 JUL 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem: and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.” Acts 8:1

At the beginning of Acts chapter one verse eight the Lord charged his followers to the task of world mission by being empowered witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The scope was the world which includes the nations of the world.  It was and is a big mission to accomplish through ordinary people.  The Lord has given us a powerful, unchanging message, and the Holy Spirit in order to change the lives of all that receive Him.

In order to reach the nations, you actually have to go to them.  We cannot just wait around and expect them to show up on our doorstep unless our focus is on Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Solar Power salesmen, and political activists.  They need the true life-saving Gospel for sure! There are more people who have never heard the good news once that are not in your city but are in a town in another country.

When we don’t move, God may create an issue that moves to where he expects us to be.  The believers in Acts didn’t yet obey Acts 1:8, so they got Acts 8:1.  They were ultimately scattered by persecution into the very places that Jesus “commanded” them to go.  Think about that.  We are often busy on our own mission pursuing the American Dream, materialism, and pleasure, and ignoring Jesus’ Mission.

How long will the church remain rebellious and disobedient to the commands of Jesus?! Will the church wait until persecution comes to start living for Him and not themselves? What are you waiting for?

Reading Plan: Psalm 106:1-18; 1 Sam. 10:17-27; Acts 7:44-8:1;  Luke. 22:52-62