26 OCT 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 26 OCT 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“The Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah.  He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and send it throughout his Kingdom.” Ezra 1:1

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Has the Lord just done something in you that won’t go away? As a child, I remember my eyes being opened to the gospel.  It came through understanding what sin is and my need for Jesus.  I hadn’t done much as a kid, but it didn’t matter because God was initiating a relationship with me.  My heart stirred and was moved to the action of repentance and trust.

As a teenager, God stirred my heart in the midst of many youth group meetings and trips.  Sometimes he convicted me of sin and other times, he moved me with a passion for him or the lost.  Throughout my life, I have experienced God stirring my heart and implanting new desires in my heart for His work. (Ps. 37) It never goes away but tends to ebb and flow as I do life.  Some days are stronger and more intense than others, but it is always there bubbling up.

The passage hit me this morning as I opened up Ezra and read, “He stirred the heart of Cyrus”.  Such a small pebble hitting the pond of my heart and creating a ripple of memories that lead to worship and abiding. God is so wonderful and the magnitude of his grace is something to experience.  God throughout history works on the hearts of leaders of countries to shape history.  

Sometimes he uses the enemies of his people to correct, discipline, and pass judgment.  He also uses our enemies to move us into the places he expects us to go. (Acts 8:1) He takes nobodies, people you wouldn’t expect, and uses them to do great things.  Being stirred by God is a great thing and we should expect it, look for it, and ask for him to do it.  When he does stir his desires and plans into you, they will stay with you until you meet him face to face.  I’m sure of that!

Is God stirring in you?

Reading Plan: Psalm 37:1-18; Ezra 1:1-11 ; 1 Cor. 16:1-9; Matt. 12:15-21

25 OCT 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 25 OCT 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Cor. 15: 54-55

It is now two months until Christmas! Growing up, I remember waking up early with my brother to scope out the gifts under the tree.  Ever so often we would get a bike for Christmas and it would usually stand out because that is one thing that was difficult to wrap.  It usually would have a bow on it or it might have a sheet over it.  We loved getting a new bike.

I was particularly hard on bikes because me and my friends would do all kinds of crazy stuff like jumping over ramps, riding through mud, and racing through the neighborhood.  Oh course with all that fun we would have tremendous wrecks that required regular maintenance or some duct tape.  Our bodies can be like those bikes and take a beating while having fun or just doing life.  You might not have a lot of age on you, but you have a lot of mileage and can feel it.

Ask someone in their forties to eighties how their body is holding up.  They will freely tell you of all the aches and pains or they might give you a smile to let you know they have worn out a few parts that maintenance won’t fix.  The older you get the reality of death becomes more evident knowing you have lived more than you have left.  The hope of the gospel turns those thoughts on its ear.  Those that die in the Lord or if the Lord returns, will have a great transformation to look forward to.

Paul says, that we will don a new body, a glorified body, that will last for eternity.  Jesus says that there will be no more tears death, sorrow, crying, pain, and all these things are gone forever.  To me, that will be the best Christmas gift ever!  Right now we have the promise of it, but when it becomes a reality, it will be a joyous moment.  We too can say, O death where is your sting? O death, where is your victory?

Are you looking forward to the new body that Jesus will give us?

Reading Plan: Psalm 38; Lam. 2:8-15, ; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Matt. 12:1-14

24 OCT 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 24 OCT 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: ‘O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.  Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! No one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’” Matt. 11:25, 27b

There are so many things that are puzzling in this life.  When talking to people about the Lord, they often take issue with things God hasn’t done.  If they were God, they would handle this problem in one way and allow other things to happen.  Sometimes believers in their frustration, wonder why God operates the way he does.  We don’t understand that God doesn’t operate like us.  His ways, motivations, and plans are different than ours. 

 If Jesus is thankful for that, shouldn’t we? The passage in Matthew is just after a paragraph about Jesus denouncing the towns where people did not repent and believe.  They had heard the message and witnessed miracles,  and many of those people had a miracle done for them and yet did not believe in him.  Jesus dusted his feet of the people who rejected him and confirmed God’s plan at the same time.  How so you may ask.

Jesus tells us that God chose to hide the truth of the good news from some people, those who think themselves wise and clever.  It says that God was pleased to do it this way.  His glory and pleasure are at the forefront of all that He does and doesn’t do.  It is a fundamental truth that He ultimately decides what can make us vulnerable and dependent on his mercy.  We can’t manipulate God into giving us his favor, grace itself is his unmerited favor.

There is another interesting and hard truth in this passage, Jesus chooses who he will reveal himself and God to.  He intentionally seeks after those he desires to be in a relationship with.  The Father and the Son determine the who and will send the Holy Spirit to initiate that relationship by changing the heart, opening the eyes and ears, and preparing them for the encounter.  Those are the people who respond positively to the message.

Do you wonder why some people are not responding to the Gospel?

Reading Plan: Psalm 26, 28; Lam. 1:1-5, 10-12; 1 Cor. 15:41-50; Matt. 11:25-30

23 OCT 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 23 OCT 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.  For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.  I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.” Matthew 11:23-24

Many times in the Scriptures, we see God give a harsh reality to his people.  All the bad news comes from disobedience, sin, and idolatry to name a few.  He doesn’t want us to be self-deceived either and think we are in good standing when we don’t even have a relationship with God.  The Lord is unafraid to tell the truth and pass final judgment on people.

In Matthew 7, he says, on judgment day many will say to me, Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.  But I will reply, I never knew you.  Jesus gives sober words that should stop us in our tracks and evaluate where we are with God.  Are we truly his disciples? Have we surrendered our lives to him and are we obedient?

Most people in the world think they are good enough or are working at putting more good on the scale to outweigh the evil they have done.  They believe in their mind that the bad or evil they have done should not be that offensive to God.  Try and say that to anyone today who is offended by what you have done to them.  You will get an earful! We always play down our part and expect others to extend us grace.  We do that to God too! That’s a dangerous presumption.

Jesus in this passage lays down some hard truths.  Some people were destroyed and are rotting in hell who would have quickly repented and trusted Jesus if presented the gospel.  We are on this side of the grave and have an opportunity to respond rightly now.  What is your excuse? It is better to hear it now and be a bit butt-hurt than to hear it from Jesus and be eternally in pain knowing you rejected Him.

Will you be honored in heaven?

Reading Plan: Psalm 25; Jer. 44:1-14; 1 Cor. 15:30-41; Matt. 11:16-24

21 OCT 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 21 OCT 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.  Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.” 1 Cor. 15: 21-22

Even as I write this today, the tension of the rope of Christ’s return appears to be very tight.  We can speculate this as we see once again Israel being attacked and a greater war encompassing the rest of the world is possible.  War brings great loss of life and ultimately, everyone fears death. (Heb. 2:15) Most of the world doesn’t think anything of the second coming of Jesus or a life that is after death.

There are those who don’t believe in God, but believe they should still go to heaven.  They have done enough good to outweigh the bad they have done.  Even the most horrid sinner is self-deceived in their thinking as they too believe they have a place in heaven.  Are you evil enough for God to punish you with hell?  To be good in God’s eyes is to be morally perfect in thought, word, and deed.  Jesus says that there is none good, but God. (Mark 10:15)

Where does that leave us? We die.  Death came through Adam, but there is a solution to death.  Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life and will be resurrected to live with Him forever.  How do you belong to Jesus? Repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus for what he did for you on the cross.  He will make you presentable to God by taking your sins and he will give you his righteousness.  At that point, you will become one of God’s kids and have a place in heaven.

As things heat up in Israel, are you ready for Jesus to return? This could be the moment and you don’t want to be here as Jesus’ enemy when he shows up.  It will be too late then because no mercy or grace will be extended.  You have had the time to respond.

Are you ready for the return of Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 20, 21:1-7; 2 Kings 25:8-12, 22-26; 1 Cor. 15:12-29; Matt. 11:7-15