Light That Brings New Life

Light That Brings New Life

I am usually up before the sun. I can see it rise from where I sit while I do my devotions. Those first rays of the morning bring everything to life around my window. The Birds start to chirp, the animals and insects start to move to the warmth, and the plants start to turn towards the light. When we follow Jesus, that darkness no longer can overcome us. He is the light that brings new life.
John 1:4-5“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The light brings new life. It shines in on the darkness. It wakes the world up and brings warmth to the cold. Jesus came into the world to bring new life. He shines in on the darkness of your soul and gives you hope. He brings life to dead bones and illuminates the darkness so His disciples can see the way. Nothing can stop His penetrating light.

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Entering Into God’s Promises

Entering Into God’s Promises

Do you know there are over seven hundred promises from God in the Bible? What’s amazing is that God has kept every one of them. Many of these promises are for you today. Entering into God’s promises takes a step of faith on your part. Are you going to leave what is comfortable and step into the unknown? That is usually what it takes. Today we see Israel was on the cusp of the Jordan river and entering into God’s promises.

Joshua 3:17 “Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.”

This is the second time God has parted the waters for the Israelites. This time they are crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land. They are about to realize all that God has promised them. Notice how it still took a step of faith? Moses was gone, and Joshua was in charge. Can I trust him? On top of that, they had to pass through the Jordan during the flooding season. What if the water breaks away and we drown? When God promises something He will bring it to completion.

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Time to Make Some Changes

Time to Make Some Changes

Everything needs maintenance, or it decays. Left too long, it will fall into disrepair. That’s why you see buildings falling apart. The owner has neglected them. Eventually, you wake up and realize it’s time to make some changes. That is how Asa felt when he heard the prophecy of the Lord. He went about reforming the nation of Israel and bringing it back to the Lord.

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15:15

“All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their mind. They had sought him with all their heart, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.”

King Asa was known as a reformer. He heard the prophecy from Obed and started to tear down the idols all over Israel, and then he consecrated the nation of Israel, and they sacrificed 700 bulls and 7000 lambs to the Lord. He then committed to seeking the Lord with all of his heart, and Israel followed him. After this oath, they rejoiced and sought the Lord, and He gave them rest on all sides.

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How to Live a Happy Life

How to Live a Happy Life

Do you remember the song "Don't worry, be happy?" It was part of a soundtrack for a movie in the 80s. It caught on, and people used to sing it to themselves as a reminder not to worry so much. Everyone wants to know how to live a happy life. The Bible doesn't use the...

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Separated from God?

Separated from God?

Have you ever been separated from something, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't reach it? Have you ever felt separated from God? Feel like you can't reach him? God can reach us anytime, but several things keep us away from him. God wants to draw you closer...

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Incline Your Ear

Incline Your Ear

If someone is talking to me, I am at the age that I have to lean in to hear them. If the person speaks softly, I will often place my ear close to their mouth. Even then, I still need to ask them to repeat what they said. When Isaiah says to incline your ear, he...

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An Open Door

An Open Door

An open door intrigues me. My curiosity always gets the best of me, and I want to look at what's behind it. It amounts to nothing most of the time, but sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. God will open a door that he wants us to walk through. He has our best...

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Show Compassion

Show Compassion

There is a lot of selfless giving going on in the world today. People are donating their time and resources to those down and destitute. It warms your heart to see all of the acts of kindness going on. One famous chef provided over three million meals in one week to...

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Increase Your Faith

Increase Your Faith

Have you ever doubted yourself? Did you have to make a decision where you didn’t know the outcome or perform a task you have never done before? It is easy to lose faith in your abilities when it is something new. That is the way the disciples felt being around Jesus. He was going around performing miracles, He spoke like no one they had ever heard, and He treated people with compassion and kindness. When he told them that he was leaving and they were going to lead the church it had to make them feel inadequate. They asked Him to increase their faith. Did you know you can ask Jesus to increase your faith?

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Faith is the primary substance of following Jesus. It takes faith to believe in a God you can’t see. It takes faith to step out and do something new for the Lord. This faith isn’t in yourself but Jesus himself. When we put our trust in Him, we are expressing our faith. When we send up a prayer expecting an answer, our faith is in action. You can’t manufacture your own faith. It is something that has to be given.

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Made Alive in the Spirit

Made Alive in the Spirit

Have you ever been around children who live in poverty? Even in the worst circumstances, they go about having fun with their friends. They find joy wherever they are. Do you realize that Jesus came to give you abundant life? Are you moping around feeling sorry for yourself? That isn’t what God intended when He sent His Son. He came that you would be made alive in the Spirit. That means we can live a life with peace and joy.

1 Peter 3:18
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”

Peter presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one of the clearest and straightforward verses in all of the Bible. We have been made alive in the Spirit because Jesus suffered and was put to death. Look at the transaction that was necessary here. The just, which means without sin, did this for the unjust. This is so revolutionary. Have you ever heard of a good person sacrificing himself for the bad? History is full of the unjust suffering for the just, yet Jesus turned that on its ear and suffered for those of us who don’t deserve it.

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A House Under Control

A House Under Control

As the generations pass, children are getting more and more out of control. Parents don’t want to do the hard work of parenting their children when they are young, so they end up with rebellious teenagers. Then they wonder where they have gone wrong. Paul lays it out clearly. You need to have a house under control. If the home is in disorder, the community suffers. If the community is suffering, the country follows suit.

‭‭1 TIMOTHY‬ ‭3:4-5

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),”

This passage is directed toward elders. An elder needs to have his house in order. He needs to keep his kids under control with dignity. That means the children respect and obey their parents instead of fearing and despising them. Elders are church leaders and set the tone and example for the church. If an elder can’t lead his home, he is incapable of leading the church. This goes for pastors as well. Many pastors are great preachers or leaders, but their home is out of control.

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Jesus Is the Only Way

Jesus Is the Only Way

Have you ever used Google maps for directions, which led you on a goose chase through sides streets and eventually got you to a destination but not where you needed to be? That has happened to me several times. It is proof that all roads don’t lead to where you need to go. I ended up at the service entrance for a cemetery and had to backtrack for twenty minutes to get to the funeral I was officiating. People will tell you all roads lead to heaven, but in reality, Jesus is the only way.

‭‭1 TIMOTHY‬ ‭2:5‬

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

A mediator is someone who goes between two parties and tries to settle the differences. Courts often use a mediator to work out issues that would clog the judicial system. Jesus acts as a mediator between God and us by paying the ransom of our sin. He redeems us from a debt we can’t pay by becoming our substitute. No one can come to God and have a right relationship unless they go through Jesus. He is our mediator before God.

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Do You Love Me?

Do You Love Me?

Navigating the seasons of life can be at least challenging but also confusing. The uncertainty of what is going on and how to deal with it can leave a person feeling overwhelmed. Peter went through a season like that. He wanted to quit the ministry and go back to fishing, but Jesus gently restored him. Jesus will ask you the same question, “Do you love me?”

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭21:17

“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

Imagine being the Apostle Peter for just a moment. Jesus rebuked him when Peter said he would not allow him to die on the cross. Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan!” In the Garden, he lopped off a guy’s ear, and Jesus had to heal him. Finally, he denied Jesus three times, and the rooster crowed. You could see why he would feel defeated. Jesus restores Peter by asking him three times if he loved Him. Jesus tells him to refocus on what he was called to do, feed my sheep.

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A Heart of Worship

A Heart of Worship

As I sit and write this devotional, my daughter is practicing her piano. She has been taking lessons for several years and has gotten good, but what she enjoys the most is playing in the worship band at the church. She was considering quitting lessons, but playing worship music made her want to get better because she knew she would be doing it for the rest of her life. She has developed a heart of worship similar to what we see in today’s passage.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭104:33-34

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.”

The Psalmist perfectly describes someone who has a heart for worship. “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise God while I’m alive.” This is someone who likes to be full of the presence of the Lord. He would choose this over anything else. Worship is a powerful tool for the disciple in their daily walk with Jesus. It fulfills their innermost desires and gives them a sense of peace. A person with the heart of worship wants to be in close proximity to the Lord.

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God Uses the Unlikely

God Uses the Unlikely

In America, we have the faces of some of our most outstanding leaders chiseled into the side of a mountain. It’s called Mount Rushmore, and four presidents have their faces memorialized for eternity. All of these men are known for their leadership and eloquent speeches. In the Bible, a leader who surpassed all of those presidents was Moses. Did you know he struggled in front of people? God uses the unlikely.

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭4:10

“Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

It’s incredible to think that the greatest leader in the Bible had a problem communicating. He wasn’t eloquent even though he was educated under Pharaoh. Speaking in front of people was a struggle because he didn’t think quickly on his feet. He would be criticized and overlooked in today’s landscape because he wouldn’t be considered charismatic enough for people to follow. This shows you how God uses the unlikely.

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Walk in Peace

Walk in Peace

Going for a walk has a way of removing the day’s stress. Sorting through your troubles makes it feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Jesus wants you to walk in peace. He can carry you through the storms and give rest to your worn-out heart. Look to Jesus and ask for his peace that passes all understanding.

John 20:19

“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

The disciples were hiding away in fear from the Jews. They were shut in the Upper Room and uncertain what to do. At that moment, Jesus stood in the midst, saying, “Peace be with you.” It says the doors were locked, and no one was getting in without a struggle. Jesus appears in the room. He could’ve walked through the walls or just appeared out of thin air. It was a supernatural moment to show the disciples they had nothing to worry about. He reminded them He brought peace to their hearts.

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Go About Your Business

Go About Your Business

With all of the unrest in the world, there has been a renewed interest in the End Times amongst believers and unbelievers. People want to know when Jesus is returning. They are afraid of missing the boat. Some have gone so far as to declare the end of the world. It is essential to keep the proper perspective. Go about your business and trust in the sovereignty of the Lord.

‭‭2 THESSALONIANS‬ ‭3:10

“For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”

The Thessalonians were consumed with the second coming of Jesus. They were sure it would happen at any moment. Some of the church had worried that it had already happened and missed it. Paul addressed that in the first letter to the church (1 Thess 4). In the second letter, he teaches them further on end times issues like the Antichrist in chapter 2, but in chapter 3, he addresses those who weren’t working and were living off the church’s charity because they thought Jesus was coming back. Paul tells them that they don’t deserve to eat if they don’t work. It was a wake-up call to those who were using the church’s benevolence to their advantage.

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The Finished Work of the Cross

The Finished Work of the Cross

When you reflect on what Christ did for you on the cross, you start to consider the gravity of the event. He took your place and took the penalty of your sin. After it was all done, He declared to His Father and the world, “It is finished.” Then He willingly gave up His spirit and died. The finished work of the cross impacts your life in ways you can’t comprehend.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭19:30‬

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Jesus said several things on the cross, but the most profound is when He says, “It is finished.” If there ever was a thunder, lightning, and earthquake moment, it was after he said those words. He had accomplished everything His Father had sent Him to do. Your sins had been atoned for, and new life was now possible. Access to God, which was destroyed in the Garden, was restored, and now you can boldly approach the throne.

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Grow Where You Are Planted

Grow Where You Are Planted

A couple of years ago, my wife planted plants in our backyard. Because the massive oak tree creates so much shade, most of the plants didn’t grow. One of the plants she transplanted to the front yard, and it exploded. Now we have to figure out how to prune it back and keep it the correct size. You can grow where you are planted as long as your life is full of the Son of God.

‭‭EXODUS‬ ‭1:7‬

“But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.”

God’s blessing has always been on Israel. It’s not to say there hasn’t been judgment for wicked behavior, but they have always benefitted from God’s provision. While they were in Egypt, they were fruitful and increased significantly in numbers. It got to the point that the Egyptians became afraid that Israel would be led by an enemy to turn on them. For a family that got to Egypt with around 70 people, it became a nation over four hundred years. To counteract this, Egypt mistreated them and made them into slaves making bricks for many of the cities and possibly Pyramids. Even during this treatment, they multiplied and flourished.

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Have You Heard Correctly?

Have You Heard Correctly?

My wife told me to get my hearing checked the other day. It seems like I am not hearing what anyone in the house is saying. It would have nothing to do with being glued to my iPad or anything like that. When we are distracted, it reduces our ability to hear. Jesus brings up an interesting question to His followers, “Have you heard correctly?”

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭18:37

“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this, I have been born, and for this, I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

When both Pilate and Herod were questioning Jesus, He was asked if He was a king. Herod was threatened by anyone who could counter his power. Pilate was just curious. Why would the Jews bring their king to be crucified? Jesus told him the truth and said that every who hears correctly hears His voice. Only those led to Jesus were able to hear His voice.

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