Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as The Miracle Key (12/12/24)

Have you ever locked yourself out of your car or house or office? What did you do?

One day, my husband Joe locked himself out of his office. I don’t think he realized he was the last counselor in the building and that the front door was locked. After going to his car to get a fork for his dinner, he realized he was locked out. He didn’t even have his phone on him. He prayed about what to do. He then went to the industrial trash bin area outside his office complex to look for anything he could use to pick the lock. He found a couple things to try, but made one more loop around the trash bin area and suddenly saw a key in the rocks nearby. You guessed it! The key miraculously fit his particular office door out of all the office doors in the complex!!! We praised God for “He Holds the Keys” as the Christian song title says!!!

The early Christian church in Philadelphia faced much bigger troubles than a locked door. However, Jesus reminded them that He holds the key and will reward their perseverance.

Revelation 3:7-10    ⁷ “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

Jesus recognized the weakness of the Philadelphia church, worn down by continual persecution. He commended them for their patient endurance and promised to redeem their reputation. He also promised to spare them from a far worse trial.  

If you are a follower of Jesus, He has made the same promises to you. No matter what we suffer in this life, He will spare us from eternal death and bring eternal justice on evil. How are you and I comforted knowing this? What current situation is easier to endure knowing Jesus, as the miracle key, holds the door to Heaven open for us?

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God despite our Foolish Frenzy (8/10/23)

I was convicted by this passage when I read it this past Sunday! 

At church earlier in the day, Joe and I read some Scripture passages as part of an interactive church service. Ahead of time and during the service, I was a bit distracted in several ways: nerves, making sure the kids were sitting properly, and concerned Joe wasn’t going to remember all that he was supposed to say before and after his reading!

Then, when I read the following passage during my own quiet time later in the day, I realized I didn’t guard my steps well while going to God’s house. I wasn’t prepared to listen to Him and was more concerned about how my family and I sounded.  

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7        ^]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

I want to prepare better the next few weekends so I am ready to listen to God at church and not distracted by my own thoughts or nerves. What about you? How will you prepare to listen to God, whether it’s at church, Bible study, personal prayer time or other times of worship?  

Our Faithful God has so much to say to us, if we will just listen! He was faithful to gently tap me on the shoulder and point out my foolish frenzy from earlier in the day.

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God of Grace – To His Household 8/25/2022

Part of God’s grace to us is giving us instructions for life! Paul passed on important instructions to Timothy to pass on to the church. Paul called the church God’s household.

I Timothy 3:14-16     Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵ if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,
    was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
    was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
    was taken up in glory. 

Not only did God give us instructions through his prophets and apostles, but He sent Jesus as the perfect example of how to live a life of godliness.

How valuable are God’s instructions to you and me? What keeps you and me from interacting with fellow believers in a Christ-like manner (whether it’s extending God’s grace to them as He’s extended to us or encouraging them in their pursuit of godliness)?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - A Different Sunday

Well, we didn’t meet in person with our fellow church members last Sunday. We did get to watch the live stream of our pastor’s sermon, which was encouraging!

In addition, since the President declared last Sunday a National Day of Prayer, we tried to pray together as a family most hours of the day. I compiled a list of things to focus on in prayer, Scripture passages to read, and songs we could sing together. We all took turns praying first, deciding which room of the house to pray in for that prayer time and what song to sing.  

Here’s what we ended up doing for our 7 prayer sessions throughout the day:

1. Prayed for the President/VP/Governor/other officials

I Timothy 2:1-3

Doxology (James’ pick)

2. Prayed for our church, pastor, and other church leaders

Acts 20:27-31

Deep and Wide (Sarah’s pick)

3. Prayed for the health of our family

Psalm 24:1-2

This is My Father’s World

4. Prayed for our school/director/teachers/families

Psalm 119:7-16

The B-I-B-L-E (James’ pick)

5. Praised God for His attributes and character

I Thessalonians 5:16-22

My God is so Big (Sarah’s pick)

6. Thanked God for His provisions and blessings

Psalm 150

I will Sing of the Mercies

7. Prayed for various needs of family members and friends

Acts 28:27

Amazing Grace

As we won’t be meeting corporately at church the next few weeks, I’ll probably plan something similar for the next few Sundays!

I Timothy 2:1-4  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

How did you spend last Sunday? In extra time in prayer, too? Many people need our prayers for wisdom and discernment. Let’s be diligent to pray.  

Alice

Thurs Devo: Miracle Key

Have you ever locked yourself out of your car or house or office? What did you do?

Joe locked himself out of his office a few weeks ago. I don’t think he realized he was the last counselor in the building and that the front door was locked. After going to his car to get a fork for his dinner, he realized he was locked out. He didn’t even have his phone on him. He prayed about what to do. He then went to the industrial trash bin area outside his office complex to look for anything he could use to pick the lock. He found a couple things to try, but made one more loop around the trash bin area and suddenly saw a key in the rocks nearby. You guessed it! The key miraculously fit his particular office door out of all the office doors in the complex!!! We praised God for “He Holds the Keys” as the Christian song title says!!!

The early Christian church in Philadelphia faced much bigger troubles than a locked door. However, Jesus reminded them that He holds the key and will reward their perseverance.

Revelation 3:7-10     ⁷ “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

Jesus recognized the weakness of the Philadelphia church, worn down by continual persecution. He commended them for their patient endurance and promised to redeem their reputation. He also promised to spare them from a far worse trial.  

If you are a follower of Jesus, He has made the same promises to you. No matter what we suffer in this life, He will spare us from eternal death and bring eternal justice on evil. How are you and I comforted knowing this? What current situation is easier to endure knowing Jesus, as the miracle key, holds the door to Heaven open for us?

Alice

No Never Alone

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:19-10

While there is so much going on in the world today, I want to speak of something more personal as it has relevancy to much of what is going on.  This past weekend, I lost a friend, and while all indications was that he was a believer, I could not help but feel the sadness of a life gone too soon.  It also brought me to realize one of the worldly devices that is creating greater stress in the world.  It is called loneliness.  I listen to experts, and see the data that points to a declining church and that people feel a disconnect with it.  With that disconnect, there is this empty space where loneliness takes its place.  It is not easy for me to ignore because I have such a connection with an awesome God, but many will say I just need to worry about myself.  But I can’t.  So I ask myself how can I not feel suffering when others feel they have no one to turn to.  What can I do to be accountable to making God’s presence in the world more known?

There is a reason Jesus commissioned us to teach others of God.  Many will disagree, but I believe much of what has gone awry in the world deals directly with the void of God in those places.  People who are alone are much more susceptible to evil, violence, and deception.  Our job as followers of Christ is to stay connected not only with God but also those who do not know of Him.  They are the ones who need to know of a God who loves them deeply, and must realize that whether they don’t have someone or do but sense no one cares about them, God is always watching, listening, loving, and protecting them.  There is no depth of loneliness or despair that God cannot touch, heal, and make one feel anew!

God is the only answer to save others.  The world is a ruthless tool of the devil for as 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  Armed with the truth, we have joy everlasting through Jesus Christ.  We have been given true victory, and with it, we know He is with us always for God has said. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Anyone who knows this will never ever be alone.  Who do you know that may be feeling alone?  Who in pain needs a reminder of God’s faithful promises?  My prayer is that when others feel abandoned, we are able to sing to them the old spiritual hymnal, ‘No Never Alone.’  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Faithful and True

Would Jesus say you and I are faithful and true to Him? He said that about the Pergamum church.

Revelation 2:12-13    ¹² “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Do we openly identify ourselves as a child of God? What if we knew we would be killed if we said we were a Christian? Antipas was supposedly burned for refusing to renounce his faith. Jesus called him His faithful witness for living a consistent faithful life in the face of satanic evil.

Similar situations happen today. The gunman in Oregon reportedly asked his classmates if they were a Christian and asked the Christians to stand up. Then he shot them and continued down the line. Would you and I boldly claim to be Christians after seeing what happened to the first victim?

Antipas and the Christian victims in Oregon are safe in God’s arms now. Nothing will ever harm them again. Jesus has eternal rewards for His faithful and true followers! That's something we can cling to, no matter what happens! 

Alice

Thurs Devo: Letter from Jesus

If Jesus wrote a letter personally to you and to me, what would it say? In what areas would He say you and I were faithful and what weaknesses would He point out?

Here’s what He had John write to the Ephesians.

Revelation 2:1-7       “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Jesus recognized the Ephesian church’s faithful service, faithful doctrine and faithful endurance. They worked hard for Him and were conscientious to uphold Godly standards. However, they had forsaken their love for Him. Maybe they were so focused on their work FOR Jesus, that they forgot to BE with Jesus.

Jesus wants us to faithfully serve Him and uphold His truths, but not at the expense of truly spending time with Him. He desires our love first. He wants a personal relationship with each of His children where we enjoy Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, etc.

Are you and I more focused on serving God than loving and enjoying Him? Often, my answer is yes. Studying and teaching this passage this week really challenged me to take time to be with and enjoy God instead of focusing most of my energy on serving Him. 

What might need to be put off in order to pursue loving God more? Is someone or something else our first love? Or is it God Himself? He loves us so much and desires us to faithfully love and enjoy Him!

Alice

Good at Night

 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.  For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.  I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”  John 12:44-46

An old saying goes that nothing good happens after dark.  This was something my grandmother would say to me as a young child.  As I have grown, it seems there is a lot of truth to that.  Yes, there are evening baseball games and shows and events that entertain us until late in the night.  However, it seems that bad things always happened to me when night fell.  And yet like many others, we all can be drawn to darkness in some form or another.  It is worthy to note that there is indeed good in darkness.  Without darkness, we would not be able to distinguish light.  Also, darkness reveals our deepest fears and brings out our worst character flaws for us to become aware of.  You might say that maybe I’ve lost a screw upstairs for Jesus is ‘the light,’ and what good could possibly come from a world representing darkness?  Why would darkness be positive?

A fallen world gives us a clear indication whether we are truly serving God or not.  Imagine if you will that you are in a dark room by yourself with no light to be found.  Just pitch black.  As you become comfortable in it, you might be able to see something or feel your way around.  You may even start to notice a figure in the room.  However, you will eventually get to the point that you need a light switch, right?  And once we find it, we feel the relief that comes with it.  There are two things to pull from this analogy.  First, we all lived in total darkness until we found Jesus, and with Him, we are able to understand the difference between our lost selves and our reborn in Christ like image.  Furthermore, someone who becomes comfortable living in darkness will not seek Christ.  This leads me to the second point.  Once we are given the light through His Holy Spirit, we become the light in places of darkness.  We are to shine God’s light wherever we go whether it is at church or at the night club for should we shine His light, it becomes the very light others in darkness will run to.

Jesus is always with us.  Knowing this, the appearance of darkness in our life should not be threatening.  It is an opportunity to show our greatest growth.  Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan after fasting for 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:1-11).  Yet, He gained strength from it to further share the Gospel.  One my favorite authors, Dr. Brene Brown, once said, “Who you are in the space where you can’t see in front of you is where courage is born.”  So darkness can either be the precursor of our demise or if positioned from a Godly perspective, further confirmation of the power of the one true living God.  How can you better appreciate being ‘in the dark?’  What must you do to further exhibit God’s light in places of darkness?  My prayer is that instead of dreading, we are courageous enough to see the good in the night.  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Gift Management

 In addition to our local churches, there are also so many wonderful Christian organizations furthering the cause of Christ in the world. We have so many different ways we can give to God’s work. The Israelites in Moses’ day didn’t have near as many choices or opportunities. Most of their financial gifts were to one place – the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle).

Numbers 18:21 and 24       ²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. ²⁴ …I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

Just like our tithe at church goes toward the living expenses of our church leadership, the tithe of the Israelites went toward the expenses of the priests and Levites who did all the work at the tabernacle.

Sometimes I wonder if my gift is being used most effectively. However, it struck me that God didn’t tell the Israelites not to give their tithe if the Levites weren’t doing their job efficiently. He gave no caveat. The Israelites were to give to the Levites and the Levites were to give a tenth of that back to God. No exceptions!

Numbers 18:25-29   ²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. ²⁷ Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. ²⁸ In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’  

Giving is an act of worship and obedience to God. The gift belongs to the Lord. If we try to micro-manage how our gifts are used, then we probably aren’t giving from our heart in true worship of God. God will hold the recipients accountable for the use of our gifts.

How will you and I prepare to give cheerfully, in sincere worship and obedience to God? After prayerfully considering where and how God would have us give, we can leave the rest in His hands!    

Alice