Tag: christian devotional
Stones or Bricks?
Genesis 11:3 “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.”
1 Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
Babylon is built with bricks, while the house of God is built with living stones. Man creates bricks, God creates stones. May we reflect on our lives and all we are building. Though they may reach into the heavens, our brick structures are worthless in God’s sight. He is ONLY desired in constructing a spiritual house founded on the corner stone, Jesus Christ Himself.
Who’s Lifting Your Eyes?
Genesis 13:10-18
In verse 10 it says, “Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”
In verse 14 it says, “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:”
Are you lifting your own eyes like Lot, pitching your tent towards the deceptions of Sodom? The Lord knows destruction is coming no matter how good it looks from a distance. This doesn’t only speak to us of the deceptivness of sin, but even things we do in God’s name. We lift our eyes to do ministry and serve the Lord. It may appear well watered from a distance, but it’s not the promised Canaan land God has for us. Sodom and Gomorrah even once had a form of Godliness being well watered like the garden of Eden. However God saw it was headed for destruction. Where are we pitching our tents?
Or like Abram will you wait to hear the Lord finally say, “Lift up now thine eyes.” To wait until the Lord says, “arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” Lot chose the plain of Jordan in his own strength. Abram was given the plain of Mamre (fatness) by the word of the Lord.
Who’s lifting your eyes?
How to Forgive – Corrie Ten Boom
Wedding Feast
Who are we in this story?
22 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Walk in the Light
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
This verse is a wonderful exhortation for our fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ and other saints partaking of the same divine nature in Christ. We would be deceiving ourselves if we were to think this fellowship described is what we have come to know in most western churches as coming to some church building once, or maybe a few times a week, to hear a message then go home.
This verse lays out a condition. IF we walk in the light, as He is, THEN we have true fellowship and cleansing from all sin. IF we don’t walk in the light THEN those promises don’t apply to us. The Greek word for walk (Strong’s 4043) implies to live a certain way. The Greek word for light (Strong’s 5457) implies a manifestation of God’s life. Are we living in the manifest presence of God? Is our fellowship with others based on THAT manifestation of life alone or are we deceiving ourselves fellowshipping on the basis of something else? Maybe our fellowship has actually become founded on our denomination or way of thinking instead of the life of Christ. We could have at one point been walking IN the light, but do to various reasons no longer are. May we take an honest assessment of our lives.
This fellowship is much deeper and real. This fellowship can happen at any place and anytime IF we are walking in the light. This fellowship exists only in the light, where He is. It is hidden from the eyes of men. There are no easy roads into this fellowship, only through the door Jesus Christ Himself. This type of fellowship cleanses us from all sin, and most importantly it’s where the Lord Himself is manifesting to His people standing in their midst.
May we begin to, or continue to simply walk in the light where He is.
John 12:26 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour”
If He arrives, we arrive. If He leaves we leave.
Jerry Hyde – “God’s Corporate Son”
They Followed Saul
1 Samuel 17
There is a treasure of insight in this chapter. The most often talked about is David going against Goliath. However the Lord also speaks about many other things within these verses.
Verse 13-15 say, “And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his Father’s sheep at Bethlehem.”
If God says something multiple times we ought to listen. The three eldest followed Saul, not the Lord. Yet we see that David returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep. There are two happenings here. The majority of elder brethren are following Saul (man) into battle where there is action, while David is tucked away learning what it truly means to be a shepherd of God feeding His sheep. Peter also once wanted to go to battle and drew the sword, however was also later on given the high calling by the Lord to simply “Feed His Sheep.”
Saul can represent so many things. Saul can be the apostle who shared this word with you. Saul can be the prophet who God uses in glorious ways. Saul can be the evangelist who’s boldness you admire. Saul can be the elder who always has the right words at the right time. Saul can be the teacher who’s spiritual insight has blessed you. We must submit to Saul as David did, but we need to ask ourselves constantly, “who are we following?” Are our eyes on a man, or the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?
Many times if we truly choose to go the way of David and follow the Lord outside the camp bearing His reproach, we will also be accused by our eldest brother of pride and naughtiness even though we were simply obeying our father’s command to bring corn, bread, and cheese to our brethren. This scene also parallels the story of Joseph in many ways. The first are last and the last are first.
In the end God uses David, the youngest, who knew the victory was won in the name of the Lord alone. While David’s brethren were following Saul, David was learning the ways of the Lord. His heart was to simply feed natural sheep and obeying the word of his father to feed his brethren. A true shepherd’s heart.
Follow God, not Saul.
The Darkest Dungeon
Acts 16:23-28
“and when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: who having received such a charge, thrust them into inner prison, and made their feet fast in stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands we’re loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
Many reading this have been afflicted with not only stripes, but imprisonment in the darkest dungeon. Not only in prison, but the inner chamber. Not only the inner chamber, but feet fast in stocks. Not only feet fast in stocks, but it’s also the midnight hour. Sons of God make no mistake, the Lord has put you into this prison. You have no means of escape naturally. Your only duty is to pray and praise God. When the midnight hour is upon the earth the Lord may bid you the dungeon to bring forth His glory in the darkest of places. God gives a promise in these verses. Your praise will shake the foundation of the devil’s prison house and set the captives free. Not only will the other prisoners hear you, but your jailer will find grace in the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are there to bring your enemy to the Lord. You are there to witness Christ. Paul and Silas had every right to triumphantly walk through the open door God created, but out of love for their enemy they chose to stay. This man and his household were saved because of their selflessness. You are in the prison for a reason. Pray and praise until the captives are set free.
Death to Self Devotional 