26 APR 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 26 APR Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.  Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.” 1 John 5:10

The more I read the Scriptures, the more blunt and offensive it appears to be to our modern ears.  We think we know so much more than people from the previous eras of history.  We certainly have more information, but hardly the wisdom.  Sometimes we believe if we have the right evidence or the most prominent thinker, we can hang our hat on a topic and call it settled.

In doing so, we can presume that we have all truth and that is enough to discount God’s own testimony.  Christians face the indifference of opponents to our faith even rejection and hostility.  Rejection is a painful thing to be on the receiving end of.  We are personally made to feel less than and our message is viewed as a fairy tale.  That’s a politically correct way of saying the message is a lie or trash.

In reality, we are dealing with two things, our audience is spiritually dull and God is being insulted.  Every time we share the good news there will be people who reject the message because God has hidden the truth from them.  The pieces of the puzzle they do understand they suppress in their hearts thereby hardening themselves to God.   Their response to God, his message, and his messengers is taken as an offense.  Ultimately, they are calling God a liar and they will face the consequences.  May God have mercy on their souls.

Are you calling God a liar?

Reading Plan: Psalm 38; Dan. 5:1-12; 1 Jn. 5:1-12;  Luke 4:38-44

25 APR Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 25 APR Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” Luke 4:36

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 9:10) The more people understand who God is and his capabilities, the more likely fear will set in.  The people of Capernaum were in awe of Jesus’ teaching and how he spoke with authority.  It’s not that the other Rabbis were not learned or scholars or people of influence, but Jesus was something else.

As he preached and taught, he didn’t cite other people’s words or ideas unless he was exposing errors.  He taught from a position as “the” source of wisdom and truth.  When you read the Bible you find that he makes truth claims that leave no room for any other viable ideology, religion, or other truth.  This causes a stir in a person’s heart to be in awe of Jesus or to hate Him.

The people experience Jesus’ authority and power when he encounters a demon-possessed man.  Demons are fallen angels that rebelled against God and live on earth living among us.  In this case, a demon has overridden a man’s will and life controlling his every action.  Demons know Jesus and they know those that belong to Him.  When the demon sees Jesus, he is struck with fear.  He knows his maker and knows what he can do to him.

No one, not you or me or angel or animal or planet or demon can hold back the will and command of Jesus.  His will, will be done, period.  He does what he desires and no one can stop him or complain that he is doing this or that.  Jesus has both the authority and power to back it up.  That can spark fear, but it can also spark hope.  If Jesus is for you, who can be against you or what can man do to you?

Are you trusting in the authority and power of Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 26, 28; Dan. 4:28-37; 1 Jn. 4:7-21;  Luke 4:31-37

23 APR 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 23 APR 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: Peace and prosperity to you! I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.  How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.” Daniel 4:1-3

The Book of Daniel is a great and exciting book with an overarching theme of God’s Sovereignty.  It gives a glimpse into the human heart and how we think.  It specifically gives us insight into the mind of a king and how pride and power blind him.  God reveals himself to the king in dreams and unbelievable actions.  

The king’s memory is short and quickly goes back to self-worship, pressuring the kingdom to worship him too.  After God delivers three of His children from the fiery furnace, the king is in awe of God and rightly proclaims the glory due to God’s name.  What he says is true about God and that is good, but it is only lip service.  The king’s heart wanes toward God’s mercy and grace and God shocks him with another dream of judgment on this kingdom.  

While he is full of pride, he is reminded that God is the one who establishes kingdoms and can remove them as he desires.  We can be fooled by our own minds that our success is by our own hands, but the true source is God.  Whether you are smart or not, rich or poor, your position in life is determined by God. (1 Sam. 2:7)  Learning to submit to God no matter the circumstance and honor God not just by our lips in the proclamation, but by obedience showing our possession of Him.

You may proclaim who God is, but do you possess Him?

Reading Plan: Psalm 148, 149, 150; Dan. 4:1-18; 1 Pet. 4:7-11;  John 21:15-25

18 APR 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

18 APR Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father.  He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” 1 John 2:1

As believers, we are called to live a life that is different from the world.  The plumb lines that are set by Jesus are to live holy and righteous lives.  The world doesn’t recognize these standards and often makes fun of them on one end and will hate you on the other.  God’s ways are light and that helps us to see where we are going so we do not stumble.

The world is blinded by darkness.  When we bring light, it reveals the truth and sins.  Have you ever had someone turn the lights on when you were dead asleep? You probably hissed and moaned then pulled the sheets over your head, right? As Christians, this shouldn’t be so.  We are learning to walk in that light and need one another to help us stay the course.

You never know where there might be deadly traps or subtle detours.  John knows that we are still tempted to do things and can get out of alignment with God’s standards for us.  When we sin, we are not left in the dark and alone.  We have someone that is praying for us and advocating for us with the Father.  He can restore us when we repent. (1Jn. 1:9)  The Holy Spirit is also there to guide us in making the right choices.  When we obey his word and follow his lead then our path will remain illuminated for us.  When we don’t, we walk in darkness and subject to falls. 

We also need one another to love us and tell us if we are walking in darkness.  The church is there to build each other up and to fortify our hands for battle.  The world, our flesh, and the devil are always fighting to harm us so we must be mentally and spiritually awake to fight. 

Are you walking in the light and leaning on your Advocate?

Reading Plan: Psalm 5, 6; Dan. 2:1-16; 1 John 2:1-11;  John 17:12-19

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