16 APR 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 16 APR 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But you are my witnesses, O Israel says the Lord.  You are my servant.  You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.  There is no other God-there never has been, and there never will be.” Isa. 43:10

If I didn’t reference the book that this quote came from, you might have thought that it came from the book of Acts, chapter one.  God’s ways have not changed and do not change.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Our struggles with our study of salvation in the New Testament can be satisfied by our study of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible).

You might ask yourself, why Israel? What is so great about them? Why did they receive such favor? The Jews were not special, bright, mighty, or large in number nor did they do anything to get noticed. If you are Christian, stick your name into those last three questions.  Jesus says the same thing to his disciples in John 14:16. We are not his because we are smart, fit, attractive, race, ethnicity, or any other reason.  

You were selected, elected, or chosen by grace, unmerited favor, and for no other reason than by His good pleasure and glory.  Anyone that belongs to Him, is His for a purpose.  We are to glorify Him in all of life, be His witnesses, and serve Him.  The 1 Peter passage below, says that we are a chosen people, royal priests, and a holy nation for God’s possession.  This is fantastic and humbling news.

Why am I a Christian?

Reading Plan: Psalm 146, 147; Isa. 43:8-13; 1 Pet 2:2-10;  John 14:1-7

14 APR Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 14 APR Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” John 16: 7-8

There is an interesting discipleship pattern that is subtle in the gospels.  Jesus initially calls the disciples and tells them up front the vision he has for their lives.  He tells them to follow him and he will make them into fishers of men, disciple-makers.  Throughout the gospel account which covers their three years together,  we see Jesus model for them everything they will be expected to do.  Jesus gives them the opportunity to serve with Him but also gives them time to do ministry on their own while being observed.

They will begin to understand people from Jesus’ viewpoint.  They will also be tested throughout many challenging situations so that their faith and dependence on Jesus would grow.  By the time Jesus is ready to ascend to heaven, the disciples have reached the level of training needed to start a movement.  Jesus charged them (and everyone who follows him) to go and make disciples, the very thing they were trained to do.

The next phase could only come if Jesus left.  They had to be on their own and learn how to walk by the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit would be their teacher, and comforter, and give them the power to do ministry and overcome sin.  As disciple-makers, we too will have to train others to the point of doing the same thing.  If we stay with them, it will hinder their development and reliance on the Holy Spirit.  It will also hinder our walk because God has more for us to do outside of them.

Are you training disciple makers and then leaving them to it? Maybe you should.

Reading Plan: Psalm 136; Dan. 12:1-4, 13; Acts 4:1-12;  John 16:1-15

13 APR 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 13 APR Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.  The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world.  I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” John 15:18-19

When I first read this passage many years ago, I was frankly surprised that if you live for Jesus people would hate you.  Then, I started sharing my faith with my friends in Middle School.  I got a lot of kickbacks and rude responses.  In my mind, I thought I was sharing the greatest news ever, which it is, but my audience didn’t think so and wasn’t afraid to tell me.

The reality is people will reject you if you are sharing your faith and living for Jesus.  Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes so we are not surprised.  He tells his disciples again in John 15 that people in their nature hate Jesus and we are hated by association.  Today, Christians are persecuted and killed more than at any other time in history.  

We don’t have to fear suffering for Jesus.  He actually gives us the grace to receive it as joy and knows we have been counted worthy to suffer for his name. Paul, the chief sinner and sufferer, commands us to rejoice! If you are spoken against, dismissed, treated with indifference, verbally or physically harmed, know that it happened to Jesus first.  These are the marks we carry as faithful follower of Jesus.  Never think we are victims.  We are victorious…more than conquerors even!

Are you hated for living out your faith in Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 146, 147; Ezek. 37:1-14; Acts 3:11-26;  John 15:12-27

12 APR Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 12 APR Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.  This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15: 2, 8

The passage in John paints a picture of a vineyard in which Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and the Father is the vinedresser or gardener.  He intentionally works in the vineyard to produce a regular crop of fruit.  We can miss some really good information about what our lives should look like and our part in that.  We can also get what he is saying wrong and begin to feel like we are not doing enough.  God wants you to be filled with joy, not sorrow.

If you focus on the fruit, then you will miss out on all the heavenly glory. (paraphrasing Bruce Lee) The fruit is a byproduct of being connected to Jesus and receiving the life-giving spirit from abiding in him. We are to be focused on being faithful, not fruitful.  He tells us in this passage that we cannot produce fruit apart from him.  If we are not remaining in Him, we will wither and die.  Those branches are broken off because they are useless.

The fruit itself is both internal and external.  The internal fruit is that of the Spirit and is about your maturity and development as the person that God wants you to be.  The external fruit has to do with people coming to faith through your testimony, gospel sharing, and investment of time.  In both cases, it is the Lord that is working through you moving that life-giving power like a branch connected to the vine.  If you are connected, you will see fruit and prove that you are His.  

Are you remaining faithful to Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 97, 99; Micah. 7:7-15; Acts 3:1-10;  John 15:1-11

11 APR 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 11 APR 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

There are many troubles, frustrations, and fears in this life that cloud our minds.  We try to find answers through all kinds of measures such as diet, exercise, psychology, medicine, and religious practices.  While they can be helpful to our general health, we are still left wanting when it comes to soul issues.  Those issues bring fear into our life.  How do we deal with this?

Jesus in the gospel accounts tells us that we need both peace “with” God and the peace “of” God.  If you have this you are given a spirit of power, of love, and self-control.  These fears troubles, frustrations, and fears can be overcome or endured.  Jesus says that this peace cannot be given to you by the world.  It is not theirs to give.  This is not a principle to develop strategies or glean or rewrap or sold as a new prescription.   

It is a gift that is freely given by God's grace, which was paid for by Jesus on the cross.  The gift of peace “with” God comes first.  When you surrender to Jesus, you are no longer enemies but are now friends.  You are right with God and do not face his wrath.  The peace “of” God is also given throughout life as we face trials, fears, temptations, and even the horrors of life.  It gives us resilience that pours out when we need it to protect us.

Jesus promises to give us His peace when we believe in our hearts in what He did on the cross, repent of our sins, and put our trust in Him.   If we don’t do that we will never experience true peace.  This gift is offered to all, but few receive it.  Have you?

Are you dealing with a troubled mind and need peace?

Reading Plan: Psalm 103; Isa. 30:18-21; Acys 2:26-41;  John 14:15-31