Protect the Innocent

New technology has changed the way that crimes are solved. Forensic Scientists are able to take DNA from decades before and determine if someone committed a crime. This has resulted in a lot of wrongfully accused people, especially African-American men, being released from prison after years behind bars. Scripture tells us to protect the innocent by staying far from false charges and standing up for righteousness.

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭23:7

“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.”

God established an effective judiciary system with the Israelites before they entered the promised land. When bringing charges against someone, there had to be more than one person making the accusation to prevent false charges. There was also another unique aspect of the process. If the person was found guilty because there were multiple witnesses, the people who brought the charges were the first to cast the stone when the person was stoned to death. This meant the person’s blood was on their hands. That claim better be valid and sound because God knew the truth.

Read More
Lost for Good? I Daily Walk Devotion
Lost for Good?

When I was young, there was a show called “Land of the Lost.” It was cheesy back then, and there have been many attempts at remakes, all with the same amount of cheesiness. The underlying theme is a family trapped in the past trying to return to the present. They have to navigate dinosaurs and living in the wilderness. Will they be lost for good? That is the tension of the show and what we find the today’s passage.

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭6:4-6

“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

This is one of the most controversial passages in all of the Bible. Can you lose your salvation? Most reformed people will scoff at this and rudely refer you to Romans 9. Others will cheer you on and say yes. If you take this passage at face value, you can’t argue that this person has experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, been moved by the power of God’s Word, and then fallen away. The challenge is that no mention of salvation is made. Each theological side will dig in its heels and declare itself right. The truth is only Jesus knows who is saved.

Read More
The Source of Our Salvation I Daily Walk Devotion
The Source of Our Salvation

Have you ever hiked along a stream to the point where you got to the source? Most streams come from underground wells, trickling downhill until they join other streams or rivers and become bigger. This water is a source of life for many people along its route. Jesus is the source of our salvation. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him.

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭5:9‬

“And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,”

Jesus’ experience on the cross and being resurrected from the grave make Him uniquely qualified to be the source of our salvation. Another term for source could be author or cause. In a nutshell, Jesus is the one we go to for new life and our ticket to eternity. The cross and the empty tomb made Him the perfect source for our salvation.

Read More
Peace and Prosperity I Daily Walk Devotion
Peace and Prosperity

Anti-semitism or discrimination against Jews seems to be on the rise. Just recently, Kanye West said some Anti-semitic statements, and when pressed to clarify or recant, he doubled down. Kyrie Irving, a guard for the Brooklyn Nets, was suspended for supporting an Anti-semitic movie. This is nothing new. It seems to go in waves. The Bible tells believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that it may bring peace and prosperity.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭122:6-7‬

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. “May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.”

Even when the Israelites entered the promised land, they didn’t take hold of Jerusalem. It wasn’t until David conquered the Jebusites that it became theirs. He then made it the capital of Israel and the home of his palace. It has long been a place of contention for the Jews and the rest of the world. When the Jews revolted against Rome in AD 70, the Roman army burned it to the ground, fulfilling what Jesus said in Matthew 24:2 “There will not be one stone left upon another.” There has been little peace in Jerusalem, so we need to pray for the ultimate peacemaker, Jesus Christ, to come.

Read More
Choosing to Serve

People are being kidnapped from their home countries and sold on the black market to wealthy people to serve as servants in their homes. It is known as Human Trafficking. Brokers advertise helping people trying to get into a place like the United States and then hold them hostage. Did you know that in the Old Testament, people would sell themselves into slavery, and by choosing to serve, they decided to stay permanently?

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭21:5-6‬

“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

Slaves could choose to stay with their masters. In Israel, most slaves had term limits. They were working off debts or something of that nature, and at the end of that time, they were free to go. It was often better to stay with the master than go out alone. Most of the time, the slave had become trusted by the family, had a place to live, and had good food to eat. Those weren’t guaranteed when they went out on their own. So many slaves decided to serve their masters permanently. They marked that decision by putting a wooden awl in the ear.

Read More
You Are an Open Book I Daily Walk Devotion
You Are an Open Book

Everything is under surveillance today. You can’t walk down the street without a camera recording your journey. Most people accept it as a daily part of life and are thankful they can refer back to it when an accident happens. Others bristle at the thought of someone watching them. Did you know this knowing new for Christians? You are an open book to Jesus.

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭4:13

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

The verse right before this one is very well known. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” It talks about how God’s words can pierce down to the smallest issue. God’s Word speaks to us. There is another aspect that we don’t give much thought to. No one is hidden from the sight of Jesus. Nothing is done in secret. He can see everything you are doing, and you will have to account for your actions.

Read More
Where Do You Look for Help I Daily Walk Devotion
Where Do You Look for Help

People are being kidnapped from their home countries and sold on the black market to wealthy people to serve as servants in their homes. Did you know that in the Old Testament, people would sell themselves into slavery, and by choosing to serve, they decided to stay permanently?

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭21:5-6‬

“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

Slaves could choose to stay with their masters. In Israel, most slaves had term limits. They were working off debts or something of that nature, and at the end of that time, they were free to go. It was often better to stay with the master than go out alone. Most of the time, the slave had become trusted by the family, had a place to live, and had good food to eat. Those weren’t guaranteed when they went out on their own. So many slaves decided to serve their masters permanently. They marked that decision by putting a wooden awl in the ear.

Read More
Encourage One Another I Daily Walk Devotion
Encourage One Another

It may be a little soon to think about new years resolutions for 2023, but can I offer one? Be an Encourager. Look for people who need to be built up and be their biggest cheerleader. See their potential over their faults and walk with them through the whole year to help them accomplish their goals. Who knows, you might keep them from the wrong path. By doing this, you will fulfill what Hebrews tells us, “Encourage one another.”

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭3:13

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

The temptation to fall away from the Lord is real. I know some teachers teach that you can’t lose your salvation, and I believe that, but after thirty years in the ministry, I have seen plenty of people leave their salvation. This passage is very clear. Verse twelve says, “Take care, lest any of you have an evil and unbelieving heart and fall away from the Lord.” Sin, unbelief, and evil harden your heart and pulls you away from the Lord. A once vibrant relationship with the Lord can slowly diminish over time.

Read More
Builder of All Things I Daily Walk Devotion
Builder of All Things

There is a housing shortage where I live. Even though prices and interest rates are at an all-time high, construction is still going at a breakneck pace. There have been questions about how some lower-income housing is being built. It looks cheap and unstable, and people are complaining that it will be an eyesore. Who will be accountable when there are problems? That makes today’s passage interesting, “Every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭3:4‬

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”

It is essential to understand the context of this verse. The author of Hebrews is comparing Moses and Jesus. Moses was a faithful servant in the house of the Lord, but Jesus was over the house. Jesus is greater than Moses. To some Jews, those are fighting words. No one is greater than Moses. He is their guy. He led them out of Egypt (actually, God did with Moses being faithfully obedient to Him). To some Jews, Moses gave them the law (once again, Moses went up on a mountain and got the law from the Lord).

Read More
Go a Little Lower I Daily Walk Devotion
Go a Little Lower

Sometimes the key to going forward is taking a few steps back. If you want to build something up, you need to break it down. If you want to soar to new heights, you need to go a little lower. To be the best leader, you need to learn how to be a humble servant. No one embodies that better than Jesus Christ. He made Himself lower than the angels for a little while to take the role of a servant and humble Himself to the point of dying on the cross.

‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭2:7‬

“YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;”

I love how the author of Hebrews writes this passage. You made Him, for a little while, lower than the angels. (I added the English grammar). In chapter one, we see the deity of Jesus, and now, in chapter two, we see the humanity of Jesus. The Angels reside in heaven, and Jesus was sent to earth; thus, for the little time He was here, He was lower than them. He added a human nature to His Godly nature and was BOTH fully God and fully man. That is important because people either deny that Jesus was God or that He was man.

Read More