Devotion Psalm 71:23-24a Always, Every Time
Humbled in my spirit
I kneel before the Risen King
Joyous in my spirit
I laugh as grace is upon me
Rapturous in my spirit
As I know His love
Transported in my spirit
Because of my God
Humbled in my Spirit
The Love of the Risen King
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion John 3:1-8 Meeting On The Rooftop Part 1
John 3:1-8 – Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.” It has been said that three words describe Nicodemus: 1) Religious 2) Rich 3) Ruler. He was a Pharisee so we know he was very religious and meticulous about living out the Law to the minute details. At least to the best of their understanding and tradition. He was rich as we read in John 19:39-40 that he was the one who bought the large amount the mixture of myrrh and aloes for Jesus’ burial. Also there is Jewish Tradition that names him as one of the three wealthiest men in the nation. He was a ruler because he was identified as a member of the “Jewish ruling council.” As a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, he was in a position of respect and authority.
What does not start with an “R” but is something else we know about him is that He was sincere. At the end of Chapter 2 we saw that Jesus did not entrust everybody who was clamoring around Him because of the miracles that He had performed. However, Jesus spent time with Nicodemus and saw that He was different. Nicodemus was sincerely wanting to find out more about Jesus and saw something in Him beyond the normal. He was sincere. Not yet fully committed, but definitely seeking with honest curiosity.
“He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Many say that he came at night because he did not want it known that he had come to Jesus. Possibly. However others say that he came at night for a more practical reason. One reason could simply be that Jesus had crowds around him during the day and so visiting him at night would afford them more privacy to talk. And since it was during the days of the Passover Nicodemus would also be busy teaching during the day. Another reason is that having conversations on the rooftop was a normal Jewish occurrence at the time. The days were often very hot and the evening rooftops were cooler and more likely to have cool breezes to enjoy. So, while it is easy to assume the less complimentary reason for the evening visit, it is just as easy to believe that Nicodemus had chosen the evening to visit because Jesus would less likely to busy, he would be less busy, it was cooler, and it was a common Jewish practice for evening visits on the rooftop. Actually, that sounds quite nice!
Since the “we” that Nicodemus mentioned likely was speaking of others of Jewish leadership, it is a remarkable statement for him to say that they understood that Jesus was a “teacher” from God. It was a frank, honest and powerful truth. His fellow leaders would try to falsely accuse Jesus, to kill Him by stoning and finally have Him condemned to death. At every turn they would challenge what Jesus taught. Yet, underneath all their actions to oppose Jesus was the truth that they knew that Jesus was a “teacher who has come from God.” That being true, that being exposed, it showed that truth and loving protection for the people was never true of them. No, it was the evil in their hearts that opposed Jesus, and therefore opposed God the Father, the one they called their God. See the parable of the Two Tenants in Matthew 21:33-46. The Jewish leadership never fooled Jesus. He knew the evil in their hearts. He knew that underneath, they knew that He was from God. They were just denying it for their own selfish needs. And so they would, in the end, receive the due sentence for their evil. But Nicodemus, he was different. He sought Jesus out to know the truth and to learn. He came humbly to Jesus.
Nicodemus was the same as us. A person who heard the call, sought after Jesus and submitted himself to learning from Him. He went to Jesus who had already called him by the Spirit, in his spirit. He went in the evening to talk with Jesus on the rooftop. Just him and Jesus. In a sense, so have we. And as He did, we are privileged to do the same daily, throughout the day. What a blessing to humble ourselves before Jesus and receive God’s grace. What a blessing to receive God the Holy Spirit. How wonderful to talk with Jesus! Oh Lord, cause us to continuously spend alone time with You and in that, be blessed in the highest of ways. May we crave those rooftop conversations with You! Thank you Lord! Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion John 3:16 My Shame, His Grace, Love Wins
How awful my shame, How Glorious His Love.
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion 1 Corinthians 2:12 Gaining God’s Knowledge and Wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:12 “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
John 14:26 ” But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Divine truths are revealed only by God to those who seek them. We are so blessed because we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For, who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Praise God for these promises that are filled with hope and truth from Him who never is wrong and who never lies! We understand scripture through the Holy Spirit. It is a miraculous imparting of God’s knowledge and wisdom that is given through He Himself, God the Holy Spirit. And for all of us, including those of us who were not blessed with formal training, how wonderful that the Lord has not forgotten us. To all of His He has given this great promise in 1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” We still need pastors and teachers. We all have a purpose which God has given us. The Lord speaks through each of us to speak to each other. We need each other. First God and then others. It all starts and ends with the Lord God!
The truth of Christ, abiding in us is a means to sever from sin, and unites us to the Son of God, John 15:3-5. God gave us His Word to reveal Himself and as a guide to us. Spend time listening to God. Have conversations with Him in private and when out and about. Why waste time by not being in conversation with Him. But we need to listen to Him. If we don’t understand, ask Him. (James 1:5)
Want to know more about God? Read the Bible. Want to push forward to the goal of not sinning. Read the Bible. Want a roadmap for life. Read the Bible. Want to understand the Bible? Talk with the Holy Spirit. Especially listen, and then do. In that is surpassing peace, joy, love and quietness of soul. Know that God is good all the time and that He loves us. Know that and know peace. So, in that, peace to you! Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
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Devotion Zephaniah 3:17 He Joyously Sings Over His
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
The Lord our God, the Mighty Warrior, undefeated in all His ways, is the one who guards us and fights for us. His comfort is more real than the heartbeat in our chests. Though we know that we don’t deserve His perfect love, we know that because of His perfect love He gives it to us. How wonderful our God!
Our God delights in us. I find it hard to believe that He would delight in me. Yet because He has declared it I know it is so. Why should He? Why would He? Yet He does delight in me! How marvelous, how wonderful that He delights in me not because of what I am but because of who He is. Oh my dear God, the depth of Your love is greater than the expanse of the world that You gave us. I could never explore the whole world and I will never fully understand Your love, but I am grateful, eternally grateful, for it.
You will correct me as I deserve and that for my benefit. Your love is displayed in Your correction. Oh how great Your mercy that disciplines me because of Your love. Thank you for the parents that You gave me that I might learn to know the beauty of Your loving correction that corrects, but never wears me out.
Oh Lord, I don’t deserve to be rejoiced over with singing! Sheepish am I that You do so! Oh, I know how fallen I am. I still hurt others. The love within me is still so imperfect. I need to be singing rejoicing praises over You, not You rejoicing over me. Still Lord, always and still, You rejoice over me with a song of love. Of Lord, how great is Your love that You could love one such as me? Lord God I ponder Your love for me and am so grateful for it. Thank You Lord! Only You Lord! Oh thank You my dear God! Thank You!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion Mark 12:29-31 Number One? Really?
Mark 12:29-31 – “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Concerning a well know Brother who passed away and then some dark secrets became public, that is why we keep our eyes on the Lord. It was also hard for my wife and I. I did feel disappointment, but really, the first and strongest thing I felt was hurt and sorrow for him and his family. We can be sure that this weighed heavily on him. I’m sure it was a struggle that he just never found the victory over. It must have burned him within. It’s so true that we are all weak. Sometimes we know how weak we are, and other times we don’t know.
Just today I was talking to the Lord about the two greatest commandments of love. Mark 12:29-31 and Matthew 22:37-40. Mark states that these are the highest commandments given. The highest commandments! Since they are the most important we should more often be hearing messages about this. These are the most important commandments that Jesus gave us. Matthew says that everything that is recorded in the Old Testament Law and the Old Testament prophets hangs on, is based in, and is contained in these two commandments. Also all the New Testament commands and guides are based on love. Does one steal? They would not if they loved as God loves and as we should. The same is true for anger issues, if we understand and strive for His love, and not any other “love.” Remember, that Jesus said all the commandments hang on love. So even sexual immorality hangs on love. Sexual immorality comes from wanting to satisfy self. The world today, and even pastors, teachers and Christian counselors want to help people by acquiescing and counseling with the world’s teachings instead of holding high and accepting this basic and most important truth from the Word. We all need to love God more than we do. We need to love God and each other as He loves us. (Matthew 5:48)
We all think that the throne of God is, in our lives, much higher than any other throne. We firmly believe that God is our treasure beyond all other treasures. Yet, too often, God has a rival and that rival is none other than ourselves. Now people have achieved different levels of loving God and honoring Him above all else. Perhaps some have reached that level, but really has anyone truly reached that level. If we love God more that ourselves, more than all desires, all addictions, and more than unhealthy habits, then natural reactions would be torn down and cast aside so that our actions would, in all ways, be pleasing to God. And for all of us, if it’s not one thing, it is another.
And please we must quit saying we are only human. At least those who belong to Jesus. Doesn’t 2 Corinthians 5:17 state “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Since we believe the Word of God as the Word of God then we should believe it before anything else, including what can come to our own minds. (2 Corinthians 10:5) We are no longer merely human flesh, for those in who have faith in Jesus, God the Holy Spirit has come to live within us and seals us as God’s children as stated in Ephesians 1:13. Since God is within us we are not merely flesh, but flesh and God within us. Jesus was one hundred percent both God and flesh. We are one hundred percent human but with God within us. With God within, we are not “only human.” How great is God and His love for us.
The beloved and dear brother who erred loved the Lord dearly. He was a great man of God and I still cherish his teachings. His error does not erase the Truth he taught. If a man tells another man that murder is a sin, even if that man should commit murder the truth of what he said still stands. He just did not live up to it. In reality, do any of us live perfectly? Can any of us say that? He was not perfect. He knew his sins. He likely agonized over them, yet that was his weakness. It was bad. What is worse is that he was putting his natural desires higher than how much he wanted to honor God. And he definitely wanted to honor God. And that is what we all do in one way or another, whether we want to believe that or not. Even anger is true of this and also our unhealthy eating habits. Both of these could be used by people in the world to judge us (even some sitting next to us in the aisles of our churches). Their judgement does not risk our salvation, but it does harm how much they will believe when we share the Lord with them. I know that too often, while I have cried out to God that I place Him on the highest throne, I have been, at the same time, consciously and unconsciously, making choices that place my wants and desires perilously close, or, horribly, even to the level of His throne. God forgive us! God forgive me! And…He does! How amazing is our God!
I believe the brother who erred is in Heaven with our Lord who loves Him. After all, the Lord knows all of our attitudes and sins much better than we do. I feel bad for his family. And for his ministry partners. He let them down. I feel bad for them. But I believe that this brother felt worse about all this than we do. He couldn’t help himself. I hurt for how he must have hurt and for the hurt he left behind him. Yet I remember that when I write about him I write a lowercase “him.” When I write about the Lord, I write uppercase “Him.” There’s the difference. About ourselves and all others, we do well if we remember that. And always praise the Lord that He judges from His just love. Praise God! Thank you Jesus!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion John 2:13-35 He Loves, Calls, Teaches And Corrects Part 2
John 2:13-25 – When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
There are a couple scenarios offered about these merchants. One is that these merchants were here merely as a service to the people who had came there to make offerings and offer sacrifices. Many of the people who came during these festivals came from far distances. It was convenient for them to be able to purchase an animal for sacrifice. And the money changers offered a valuable service because again many worshipers came from far and carried with them unacceptable foreign coins. Some of these coins were not acceptable to use to pay the required Temple Tax (for maintenance). So the money changers would exchange their non-usable coins for acceptable ones. So we can see that both of these services would be valuable to those who travelled far.
Others have stated that the only reason the merchants were there were to rip people off. They charged exorbitant prices for the animals for sacrifice and were gouged at the money exchanging tables. It is said that the priests were in on this taking advantage of worshipers. They would inspect an animal that was brought in for sacrifice and declare it unworthy. Then they would direct the worshipper to buy one of the animals being sold and the priest would get a cut of the money. Then, they would impound the animal that was said to be unacceptable and sell it to another. Very underhanded practices indeed.
Both of the above were true. Indeed the merchants served a legitimate purpose. But also true was that greedy men took advantage of the worshippers.
“So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” John here records that Jesus objected to these merchants making His Father’s house into merely a place of business. The root word used here for “market” is emporion, a market place for selling goods. It would seem easy to understand why Jesus found this objectionable. The Temple was to be a place to seek and honor God. It was a place to seek forgiveness and grace. It was a place for God to richly pour out His mercy and to be understood as a good and forgiving God. Instead, these merchants were there not merely to provide a service, but to make as much money as they could (during festivals). They did not provide an honest service, but were taking advantage of the people and the priests were in on it. God had allowed the building of the Temple as a place that the people could worship Him and receive His grace. Instead, they made it into a marketplace, and worse, a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:12-13) Very disgusting loss of what the Temple was meant to be. Also, it would seem sure that many common people, who had come for the right reasons, were turned off to the House of God by what the supposed people of God were doing.
“His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”” What if you returned from a long absence to your parents’ house and found that they were forced into a small back room and the rest of the house was now being used by a relative as a store for their own benefit. A relative who had no regard for your parents and who was just taking advantage of them. Yes, most of us would want to right the wrong. It would be personal! (Psalm 69:9)
“The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” The blindness of the Jews is repeatedly shown in how they could not understand the true meanings of what Jesus said and did. They wanted to know who gave Jesus the right to do this because they refused to see who He was and why He was there.
“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken” What Jesus told them they again missed the meaning of. He was telling them that when they destroy the temple that is His human body He will then raise it up. He was saying to them that He is the One in whom God Himself resides. He is the Messiah, the Coming One who had come! Like He told the Samaritan woman that the time had come that people would not worship in stone buildings, but in Spirit and Truth and that the time for that had come when He came. (John 4:21-26) But of course, those who do not love and follow Jesus cannot understand. Therefore they thought that He was crazy. Yet, even the disciples did not fully understand until after He was raised from the dead.
“Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Jesus did many wondrous signs that brought many people to come and profess belief in Him. And yes the signs were a proof that He was from God. But Jesus knew that many people would profess belief in Him but they would not follow Him. They were there for the show. They didn’t see the signs and then consider who Jesus must be and why He was there. Remembering that Jesus was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man Jesus knew all about their minds and hearts. He could not trust Himself to them. He would not. They didn’t deserve His trust and many would end up against Him.
Let all of us remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Let us not take our eyes off of the prize. (Philippians 3:14) The Lord has commissioned us to spread His Gospel. (Matthew 28:18-10) Let us not be those who look into a mirror and then forget who we are. (James 1:23-25) May we continue to humbly serve the Lord. Let us not become to an unbeliever a reason to scorn the Lord or to a believer to stumble (Matthew 18:7). Let us be a light to the lost who leads them to Jesus. Let us be an encourager to each other. Let us be a child of God who honors Him by expressing His love to everyone. In that, we please the Lord. And in pleasing the Lord our souls are filled with joy and peace. Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion John 2:13-35 He Loves, Calls, Teaches And Corrects Part 1
John 2:13-25 – When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The Apostle John identifies the Passover as a Jewish holyday for the benefit of gentile believers who were not familiar with the Jewish sacred days. To Christians today the Passover is a reminder that the blood of the Paschal Lamb marked the Israelites as separated and saved children of God. This is a type of the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, saves us from the Second Death that is eternal separation from God. (John 1:29)
The Passover is a celebration of the Lord God freeing them from Egyptian slavery. It is celebrated on 14 Nisan at the March/April full moon. It was immediately followed by the week-long festival of Unleavened Bread (15-22 Nisan). During this feast the Israelites ate no bread with yeast in it in remembrance of their hurried departure from Egypt. To us we understand yeast as a type of sin. So to us today, we can understand that when the Lord sets us free from this world through salvation (John 8:36), we are to turn from the sin (yeast) of this world and to live pure lives unto God. (Exodus 12, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:28) Sensible people who are rescued from swamp of filth don’t jump back in.
Whether a Jew was traveling North, South, East or West to get to Jerusalem it was said they were going “up to” Jerusalem. Jerusalem was on a hill. Jerusalem the city of God. (Psalm 87:3) Hebrews 12:18-29 shows that the physical Jerusalem is a type of our God, or being in His presence. Jerusalem was a place people went to seek, be obedient to and to honor God. Now people who seek God must go to Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5) He was the one who died on the hill of Calvary, He was the one who was risen up as Moses rose the serpent pole (in obedience to God) to save the people. Jerusalem, like the serpent pole of Moses, are shadows of the future pointing to Jesus. There is One to look to for Salvation and that is Jesus. There is One to look to and live in love and obedience with, the Lord Jesus. As Jerusalem was the place to seek God, so is Jesus the only one to seek and find in order to gain eternal salvation. As Jerusalem led to God, so, ultimately, will Jesus present us all to the Father as His brothers and sisters of Christ, as God’s children who are washed clean by the blood of Jesus. (Jude 1:24-25)
Anyone and everyone who declares that the Bible is a book written by men is merely declaring their ignorance of the Word of God. They don’t see that the Word of God is alive, how it is interconnected from the beginning to the end. They are ignorant that it is from an eternal God who knows the last and the first and is creator and keeper of all. No one who knows God states that the book of man’s invention. It is not possible. It only shows that what they say they know they do not.
What does understanding the Bible is a book of divine inspiration mean to us? It means that it has been and remains inviolate. That God, who is good and has no evil within Him, and who loves us, and by that cannot lie to us (He is not a man who can and does lie) (Numbers 23:19). He has given His Word to us that we may know Him and His ways. His Word is filled with words that come from the omniscient and omnipotent one who knows all things, the one who is never wrong. We have a Holy Book that testifies of itself and those who know God grow in that knowledge as they grow in God. Those who want to change what it clearly states err, to their own harm. The Word of God has no error and He who wrote it left nothing out that we need to know. What is in the Bible was purposely included and what is not in Bible was purposely excluded. How wonderful our God who has blessed us so! He has not left us stumbling in the dark, blind and reaching for what we know not. He has loved us. We need not reach up in search of Him, He has reached down draw us to Himself. We need only to respond to His call and He leads us to Him and having found Him, continues to teach us what we need to know. Yes, praise God, yes! God is good all the time and He loves us. Praise God! Thank you Lord God! Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion Hebrews 10:22-25 Mutual Edification
Hebrews 10:22-55 – Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Romans 14:19 – Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Mark 12:30-31 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Clearly the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to continue attend church. He wants us to edify each other. He does not want this for no reason, it is because He is the Creator who designed and made us and He knows that we need each other. But what does “edify” mean? The word “oikodomeó” is what is translated as to build up or to edify. It actually means “to build a house.” As a house is built by a person (likely persons) so we build each other up, as in 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
People who say that they don’t need fellowship, that they can get along without it, well by that statement they reveal their lack of understanding and maturity. How can we say we love the Lord if we won’t take care of His sheep, If we don’t love His sheep? (John 21:15-17) Mark 12:30-31 states that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love each other. How can we say that we have the love of God, who loves all His sheep, if we don’t love each other? It is not enough to say that we love each other. Our actions will show whether we truly love. James 2:14-17 states that you show your faith by what you do. So the same principle applies to love.
Selfish are we? Acts 20:35 states that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” If our hearts are right then what we receive from the Lord we will want to pass on to others. It’s not like we can ever run out! It is not healthy for any disciple of Christ to be selfish with our blessings. For those who think that the Lord blesses them with wisdom and knowledge of the Word then praise the Lord and share the blessings. But if that person hoards the blessings then that person is selfish and unloving. And is we are unloving, then we are not one of God’s children. (1 John 4:8) Also be careful, like the teaching goes, any ember removed from the fire goes cold. To think otherwise only reveals foolishness and lack of love. Healthy sheep of God love, receive, share and care and to not do so, shows spiritual unhealthiness.
Pastor John Courson (Pastor Emeritus of Applegate Christian Fellowship) wrote in his New Testament Application Commentary that “healthy sheep just naturally reproduce.” If they’re healthy, then they reproduce. If they don’t then something is wrong. Here is a story that he shared “I recently talked to a lady at my son Peter John’s baseball game who said, “When I first came to the Fellowship, I remember thinking that people were crazy to travel such a long distance. But as I began to worship with you, take in the Scriptures, and see what the Lord was doing, I found myself saying “You know, it’s not such a long drive.”
You see those who worship together, take in scripture together (and also privately), and imitate, help and support each other, are spiritually healthy. Those who refuse to do so aren’t a healthy child of God, if one at all.
Family, let’s love each other and let’s do that in word and deed. (Colossians 3:17) In that way we show that we love the Lord and each other. In that way we build up others and get built up by others. Alone, we will never be all that we can be. Don’t be proud, be loving and so please God and be blessed. Praise God who has made us so. Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
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Devotion John 2:1-12 Not So Simple Part 3
John 2:1-12 – On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
“Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.” These were large stone water jars used to hold water for the washing of hands and also for the washing of utensils. Since there were six jars holding twenty to thirty gallons, they held a total of between one hundred twenty and one hundred eighty gallons! Wow! Even when the water was used for washing of hands and utensils that is a lot of water. However we must remember that this was week-long celebration with many guests. They would take some water out and use it as needed. This happening over the week would certainly use a lot of water, after all, they did not having running water.
“Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.” Jesus did not use the water that had been in the jars. When Jesus said to fill the jars with water did He mean to: A) top them off, B) Empty them and then fill them, or C) fill the jars that were now empty. Each option could provide a pastor with inspiration for a sermon. Option A would seem unsanitary to us to be turned into wine. Option B would seem unlikely because it would be unlikely that the servants would have allowed that to occur. So Option B seems the most likely.
“Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so.” Jesus next told them to draw out some from the jars and take it to the master of the banquet. They obeyed the Lord. You know, we have a part in what the Lord does for us, and that from the very beginning of our walk with Him. The Lord God calls for everyone to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but we know that not everyone will. In fact, we know that most will not. (2 Peter 3:8, Matthew 7:13-14, Romans 10:16) The point is that our part is responding favorably to the call of God in order to be saved. And when the Lord uses us for miracles big or small (is any miracle small?) we must be listening to Him and obeying Him. These servants needed to obey for the miracle to transpire. Of course the Lord could have gotten someone else to do it, but they were the appointed ones and they would have missed the blessing and, the story would have been slightly different.
“and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This scripture says that master of the banquet tasted the wine that Jesus had made from water. You know, it seems that even modern day “experts” of the Word, researchers and commentators, will “strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24) In this verse they contest whether the water turned to wine was only the water that was drawn. Really? The most important thing was the miracle, not whether all the water in all the jars was turned to wine or just the drawn water was turned to wine. I wonder the reason why it would be important to them to draw this conclusion. Does it offend another doctrine of theirs so they were compelled to insist so? What was the reason for the miracle, wasn’t it so (simply) the people at the wedding would have wine to drink? So if only the drawn water was turned to wine then the miracle would need to occur many (hundreds or thousands) times, each time the water was drawn. However, if the full contents of the jar were turned to win, the miracle happened once and was sufficient for its purpose. It would seem most logical that all the water was turned to wine, or at least all the water in some of the jars. However, really, isn’t the miracle more important than such details? Let us praise God for His work!
We know that the Lord sent someone to bring the Good News to us and so we believed and are saved. Though we are grateful to the ones who shared the Good News with us, that person is not the most important part of our salvation story. The most important part of the story is the Jesus came to earth to save us and He did everything necessary to do so. The important part of our salvation story is what Jesus did. Arguing over these little details is silly. Let us receive from what He wants us to receive. Don’t let people ruin a good Bible story over unimportant details. Jesus did the miracle then and He does the miracles for us. Praise the Lord! Praise God
Some claim that Jesus did not make fermented wine, but merely grape juice. That is improbable. For those of us who lived in the world into adulthood, for those of us who “partied,” most of us will recall a known trick the host of the party would do. At the start of the party the host will bring out the higher quality alcoholic beverage. The people would drink it and their sense of taste would diminish. So when the “good stuff” ran out, the host would take the empty “good stuff” bottle into another room and fill it with less expensive stuff. The party goers were none the wiser. It would seem the master of the banquet revealed this same tactic from the biblical times ““Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” No, I believe what Jesus made was wine and not grape juice. Besides, the word used here for wine was “oinos” which means wine, not grape juice (staphulé). One more point. Jesus drank wine. Why would He be called a winebibber (Matthew 11:19 KJV) for drinking grape juice? Note: A winebibber was someone who went from place to place (party to party or house to house) drinking wine. Winebibber could be referring to a tippler (Social drinker – small amounts) or to a drunkard (drank to excess). We know that being drunk is a sin so we know that Jesus, who was sinless, never got drunk. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.” This was the first public miracle of Jesus. We know that Jesus did signs to help people toward believing in Him. (John 10:38) This miracle, and all the miracles done with the disciples present, also revealed His glory and strengthened the belief in Him of the disciples.
Notice that it says here that Jesus was with His “mother and brothers and His disciples.” There is a clear difference between brothers and disciples. Mary was with Him, Mary’s other sons were with Him, and then His disciples were also with Him.
Let’s all of us who are the Lord’s love and be in awe of our Lord. Let us believe Him and obey Him and maybe He will use us to do miracles through. Though I believe, He does that for all who are His. It is just a matter if we have eyes to see and understanding to comprehend. May the Holy Spirit make it so. May we be willing as we all love and praise God! Praise God!
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
by Bob withWarning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /homepages/4/d182552187/htdocs/b4g/wp-includes/class-wp-comment-query.php on line 399
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