Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as Holy in Judgment (10/2/25)

 Last night, James came home from gymnastics upset about the bullies who had called him names and pushed him around. It’s natural to want justice to be served immediately in situations like these! We often desire swift judgment for others while pleading for grace and mercy for ourselves.

God will bring perfect justice in His own time. As we saw last week, God’s glory and power completely filled the temple as He sent out the seven angels with the seven plagues in the seven golden bowls of His wrath to finish His judgment on the earth. He doesn’t dump all His judgment at once. One angel pours out a bowl of wrath, followed by another. God could certainly pour out His wrath all at once and be done with it, but He doesn’t. Instead, He continues to give people opportunities to repent and turn to Him.

Revelation 16:1-7    Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.

4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
    you who are and who were;
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
    and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”

7 And I heard the altar respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
    true and just are your judgments.”

I find it interesting that in previous passages in Revelation, Jesus, the Holy One, was referred to as the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8, 4:8, etc.) However, in this passage, the last phrase is omitted, as Jesus has returned by this point. This change implies that there will be no more waiting on the part of His people when He brings final judgment.

We can trust in God’s Holy, true, just and complete judgment, knowing that it will come at the perfect time. With what situation do you and I need to leave to Jesus, for His holy justice? What areas of our lives require us to trust in His timing and judgment, rather than seeking immediate justice or resolution? 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Await Meeting (9/25/25)

Monday, Matt’s devotional reflected on Jonah’s frustration with our compassionate God whom he knows is gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. This merciful God gives numerous warnings, having provided over 2,000 years of warning about the final judgment. A day will come when He pours out all His wrath and completes judgment on sinful humanity.

Revelation 15:5-8    ⁵ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. ⁶ Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. ⁷ Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. ⁸ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

As a holy and just God, He must punish sin. Yet, He is also compassionate and gracious, offering people ample opportunities to repent before it’s too late. The number seven, symbolizing completeness, appears here again in Revelation, signifying the thorough and complete judgment that will take place. This event is so significant that no one will be able to enter the temple until all seven plagues from the seven bowls of God’s wrath have been emptied.

In the chapters that follow, we will see God’s people rejoicing and feasting with Him at the wedding feast of Jesus. No more tears. Everything will be made new. Jesus awaits His followers on the other side.

Are you and I ready to meet Jesus face-to-face today? What about those around us? How can we be used to help those around us prepare to meet Jesus?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 6th Seal (3/13/25)

Have you ever played Hide and Seek with small children? Often they hide in very visible and easy to find places! When our twins were about three I remember one time they sat next to each other and “hid” on the other side of our large living room chair. Since they couldn’t see me, they assumed I couldn’t see them!

Similarly, we can’t hide from God. Just because we can’t “see” Him doesn’t mean He can’t see us. He sees everything. At the end of time, when He releases His wrath, all kinds of people will try to hide from His wrath.

Revelation 6:12-17   ¹² I watched as he [the Lamb/Jesus] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

No one can hide or escape from God. Death will not give relief to those experiencing God’s wrath. In fact, eternal death will be far worse. If those running and hiding from God would instead turn and run towards God, He would forgive them, even in the last moments of time.

When God’s judgment comes, will you be hiding in dread or resting secure in your relationship with God Almighty? Who do you and I know that even now seems to be trying to hide from God instead of running towards Him? What truths will you and I share with them?    

Jesus is worthy to open the 6^th seal and merciful to give people yet another opportunity to turn to Him rather than hide! 

Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Mercy Pleading Job (8/15/24)

With several close Olympic races and competitions, I know there were numerous challenges made to various results. It’s heartbreaking when it seems the judges were unjust in their scoring. Appeals are made when there is a chance that a replay or review might alter the results.

In Job’s situation, he knew an appeal to the all-knowing and all-powerful God didn’t stand a chance. God didn’t make a mistake. Job couldn’t argue he was completely blameless and upright. Job didn’t think he “deserved” the hardship, but he knew his only plea could be for mercy.

Job 9:1-10 and 14-15   Then Job replied:

² “Indeed, I know that this is true.
    But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?
³ Though they wished to dispute with him,
    they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
⁴ His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
    Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
⁵ He moves mountains without their knowing it
    and overturns them in his anger.
⁶ He shakes the earth from its place
    and makes its pillars tremble.
⁷ He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
    he seals off the light of the stars.
⁸ He alone stretches out the heavens
    and treads on the waves of the sea.
⁹ He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
    the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
¹⁰ He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
    miracles that cannot be counted.

¹⁴ “How then can I dispute with him?
    How can I find words to argue with him?
¹⁵ Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;
    I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.

Job had a better understanding of God than his friends did. He knew none of them were totally righteous and without blame. He knew God was the only perfect, all-knowing and all-powerful One. God created everything and could decide exactly what happened to His creation.

God doesn’t answer to us, but we answer to Him. None of us deserve anything, but by His grace and mercy He extends blessings! His offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ is totally undeserved and the greatest gracious blessing! Will you join me today in praising God for His mercy? Like Job, I don’t want to plea for His justice, but for His grace and mercy!    

Thursday Devotional - Condemned or Not Condemned?

We can’t ever be good enough or meet God’s expectations. We are born sinners, sinful and condemned. That’s why God sent Jesus to live the perfect life we couldn’t. As the perfect human, He paid for our sins to save us from our condemned state.

John 3:16-18       For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The only way we won’t remain condemned is by believing in Jesus’ work and letting His righteousness cover us. He then gives us the Spirit to help us live the life He intended us to live!

Romans 8:1-4      Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

How are you and I submitting to the Spirit, allowing Him to rule our minds? What areas of our mind do we still need help to give over?

Let’s praise God for His mercy to save us from condemnation and live in freedom by submitting to the Spirit!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faith and Righteousness

Did any of you take AP (advanced placement) classes in high school and then get college credit for it? You didn’t have to take or pay for the class in college, but were given the credits as if you had!

With God’s righteousness, we won’t ever meet His standards. However, for those who place their faith in His work on their behalf, He credits with Christ’s righteousness. He treats us as if we were righteous and have met His standards.

Romans 4:1-8     What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶ David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
⁸ Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

For believers, our sin is treated as if the punishment has been paid. We didn’t pay for it, but Jesus did on our behalf. He paid our punishment and we get His righteousness!!! Fair, huh?! No. What love, grace and mercy!!!

Alice

God and Us

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

We often focus on how God is loving and righteous. Other times, we discuss His discipline or forgiveness.  However, one thing that God is that I at times fail to acknowledge is merciful.  The other day, I was upset over something, and I vowed to not follow something I knew God told me to do in scripture.  I was being totally honest that my heart was not into it, and spoke out.  While my comments did not hurt anyone, I know God would have a legitimate issue with what I was saying.  Yet, God was neither vengeful nor did I fall under His righteous discipline.  He just listened, and let me talk to Him.  After a timely debate with . . . well God and me, I was able to reset and follow what He asked of me.  It was then that I remembered the story of Jonah.  Reading it put things in perspective.

God know exactly what we need when we need it. In the story of Jonah, Jonah fully expects God’s wrath to come down on the city of Nineveh for their sinful ways.  However, God shows mercy when He sees the city “had put a stop to their evil ways,” and “He changed His mind.” (Jonah 3:10)  Jonah, apparently disappointed because there was not the fireworks show he expected, was angry feeling God had somehow let him down.  That felt similar to where I was the other day.  However instead of totally lighting into Jonah, He displayed mercy on Him for a moment.  Then, He educated Jonah to understand His righteous mercy.  The story is a great reminder to all of us for we too will have moments where we just do not like what God is saying to us.  However, just as He was to both the city of Nineveh and Jonah himself, God is full of mercy and compassion for His people.  As such, we are to always remember this when those around us lash out and deserve punishment or their just due.

Having compassion for others is a sign of God’s strength in us. It shows that we understand there is something bigger and more important than ourselves.  God shows us at times mercy for our wrongs, and offered His only Son as a shining example for us to follow.  Yes, we can be whacked on the knee when we don’t ‘get it,’ but God is patient with us.  Along those lines, we too should practice mercy and compassion toward others.  That makes for a better relationship with both God and others.  Where can you show greater compassion toward others?  How will you respond when God shows you mercy?  My prayer is that we are filled with God’s mercy when He allows us to have a talk between . . . God and us.  Amen.

Minds, Hearts, and Mouths

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  James 3:13-17

The other day, I was figuratively thrown under the bus.  In a discussion, I had said something that was the truth as I knew it only to have someone else give an entirely different version of it.  Furthermore, they said that not only was I naïve about it but also too nice to recognize that it even existed.  Having heard this, there was a part of me that wanted to go into a demeaning tirade toward that person.  However, I stopped and paused to reflect for a moment.  What stopped me?  When everything in my body wanted to just ‘light them up like a Christmas tree,’ why did I hold my tongue?  My only explanation was that this must be what wisdom is about.  When everything in you wants to rage out of control saying the angriest, cursed, and vehemently horrible things that you feel inside, something within says, “Wait.  No not yet. Just wait.  There is a better way to respond to this.”  It is that something within that gives you an opportunity to where you might actually help that person instead of destroy them.  In this case, I would later sit down with that person to discuss when the right time to bring something up is.

 God wants for us to walk with wisdom in our journey of faith by tempering down that which we might often say or do.  Everyone growing up should remember the saying ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.’  Those who truly believe that obviously had not read too much of the 3^rd chapter of James, which says, “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,  but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.” (James 3:7-8) While actions definitely speak louder than words, our words do matter.  If I cannot use the restraint that comes from wisdom to control what I say, then I run the risk of offending and/or hurting others, which is not what God would intent.  This is not to say to be dishonest as verse 14 clearly states we should not be.  However as verse 17 also states, the truth should be peace loving, gentle, full of mercy, and the fruits of good deeds.  It’s knowing who to call ‘jerk’ and who to ask, “Do you think it was the best way to handle that?”  If we are following and growing in Christ, we gain the wisdom to distinguish between the two.

Gaining wisdom from God is a vital step of our growth toward being a true follower of Christ.  Today’s verses speak of wisdom that is an inspiration toward doing the right things.  When our words are in lock and step with our good deeds, others, both believers and non-believers, benefit as they stand to see the glory of God from within us. Thus, a controlled response followed with actions from one’s humble heart will always be reflective of true wisdom from God.  What greater wisdom can you gain from measuring your responses?  Will you commit to ensure your words match your actions?  My prayer is that we are inspired to act with God’s true wisdom in our minds, hearts, and mouths.  Amen.

Unfailing Love and Faithfulness

But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
Look down and have mercy on me.
    Give your strength to your servant;
    save me, the son of your servant.  Psalm 86:15-16

This weekend, we were reminded that the world we live in can be a sad and cruel place.  Some might look at the tragedy over the weekend and have a sense of fear or uncertainty.  Others may be filled with anger, and look to lash out against others who do not share our faith.  A select few may look at words of God, and say this is God’s judgment against those whose lifestyle is sinful.  In thinking of all of these, I asked myself, “Is this what God would want from me?”  My answer is that God would want me to look from what He has put within my heart, and respond outwardly.  As such, my focus is not on condemning or pushing for God’s righteous judgment of others.  It is instead to remind myself that we all are in need of God’s compassion and mercy, and it is me who is underserving of God’s love and mercy.  Yet, I am humbly grateful that He has been merciful on me.  Thus, I need to be an example of this; His example of this.  Not look to blame or spew hatred toward others who may have a different religion or lifestyle than mine.  Instead, it is to be slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness toward the victims and others no matter their affiliation or beliefs.

We serve a God that protects us in spite of our flaws and wrongful choices in life.  He encourages us not to be filled with hatred but to share his son’s message, which is one of salvation.  As we look at the tragedy yesterday, we should ask ourselves if the words we speak represent our beliefs or God’s.  Yes, God would want us to speak strongly against the type of violence that befell us, but He would also ask that we both act and speak lovingly with compassion and mercy as examples of Christ himself!  Furthermore, we are not to be fearful for what is to come or worry about things we have no control of.  We are to be reassured of God’s mercy on us and ask for courage and strength to serve Him faithfully in spite of all we see in front of us.

God will take care of us all.  Ours is not to worry, be fearful, lash out, or condemn.  Ours is to be merciful and compassionate filled with a seemingly limitless amount of love.  Lin-Manuel Miranda may have captured the spirit of this best at The Tony Awards ceremony last night saying,

We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger
We rise and fall and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love
Cannot be killed or swept aside.

What do you chose to do today?  Would God be pleased with your response?  My prayer is that we do not question.  Instead we respond as God responds to us . . . with compassion and mercy filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.  Amen.

You Will Win!

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.  This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.  For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[g] in their relationship to Christ.  That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.  1 Colossians 1:25-29

At Sunday service, my pastor challenged the congregation with something that seems simple but was one of those ‘you really don’t know what you are getting into until you are actually into it’ moments.  He asked us that when facing trouble with a person to pray, “God, help me to represent you well today.”  It sounds easy enough, and when you say it, there is a level of both calm and confidence that comes with it.  However once we get to that situation, we struggle with the infamous hijacker of many of our faith based ambitions known as ‘That Person in the Mirror.’  As one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs says, “Left to myself, I realize I am the maker of my own demise.”  My fears, reservations, and doubts slowly creep in and try to dig in their heels.  Before I know it, I am in the midst of the storm.  Keep in mind this is the storm before the actual storm.  Is it any wonder that we fail before the fight has begun?  It’s not that our faith is not strong.  However, we are already battle weary such that when the real storm hits, we are unable to fight anymore.  So how do we prepare to win the battle?  How can we combat an enemy that is as great as we are because in essence, the enemy is us?

The key to victory is not realizing Christ is not only just with you but also within you.  Today’s verses provide encouragement to the battle weary reminding them that though the work and struggle may be hard, we are assured of glory in Heaven through Christ.  Our past struggles and transgressions may tell us we are not deserving of such love, grace, and power.  But if Christ is within us, we know with certainty and assurance as written in Romans 8:37 that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  We all go through stretches where we are battle tested but often battle weary.  No one does well having to constantly fight for if you are constantly fighting everyone and everything, your hands are always clenched and closed.  However to receive God’s love and mercy our hands must be up and open.  God wants us to open our hearts to Him, and through Him, we will find a reserve that is liken to God Himself; omnipotent/all powerful!

We can always see victory if our perspective is Christ-like.  Yes, there are times we will not see the end of our suffering, but we must have confidence that God is not only with us but within us.  We can answer the enemies of self-doubt and fear with the words of David saying, “The Lord is my light and salvation – whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a – NIV).  What fears and doubts have settled in to your mind that God can remove today?  How can you remember to recall God’s strength in you when you are battle weary?  My prayer is that when you are weary from the battle, remember God is both with and within you.  You will win!  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Patience in Evil

Like we talked about last week, the “plagues” from Revelation chapters 6-9 are warning signs to the inhabitants of the earth. God is getting everyone’s attention. He is offering multiple additional opportunities for people to repent, turn to Him, and worship Him for who He truly is before He completely destroys this earth. How do you think people will respond?

Revelation 9:20-21    ²⁰ The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.²¹ Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

We can’t make people repent and believe, but we can be prepared ourselves.

II Peter 3:10-15 ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

It can be frustrating to live in a world where evil continues to grow and increase. The delay in God’s final judgment and destruction of this world, though, means He’s giving additional opportunities for others to accept His way of salvation. He displays His grace, mercy and patience as we wait for evil to be avenged.

Will you and I remember that when evil seems to prevail, God is patiently granting more time for others to repent and turn to Him?  

Alice

Thurs Devo: How Long for Justice?

We often want justice served quickly and completely for those who harm other people. Even the saints in Heaven plead for justice.

Revelation 6:9-11     ⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

God is Just and will eventually avenge evil. He patiently and lovingly withholds immediate justice to give people additional opportunities to repent of their rebellion against Him and turn to follow Him.

II Peter 3:9    ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Are you and I pleading for justice now? Or, are we waiting patiently for God’s final judgment day? Like the saints in Heaven, I think it is natural and acceptable to ask God “how long?”. As we await His justice, we can also focus on the grace and mercy He has already extended to you and me, and rest in the assurance that God will bring justice in His Sovereign time.

Alice

The Good And The Bad Of Thanksgiving

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:19-20

Just a little over seventeen years ago, I received a phone call letting me know that I would be offered a job to work at my current employer.  As I looked back, I remembered my excitement getting the job offer.  Thoughts about the jobs I had before never quite being happy in any of them swirled in my head.  Each one of them prepared me in their own way for that moment.  Even the ones that I did not enjoy had a level of relevancy because they would become reminders of just how good I would now have it.  Thus I was thankful for all that had happened prior to that day.

When looking back at our journey of faith, we are to be thankful for all that happened to bring us closer to God today.  We are thankful of the blessings He has given us like our jobs and homes.  We are to be thankful for the people He brought into our lives to influence and be influenced by us.  We are thankful for the many victories He has given us in His name.  And yet, we are to be thankful for the many trials and losses we have had.  They have tested our faith and taught us lessons that would be useful for future success.  We are also to be thankful for the failures that we had for they proved our imperfections and reminded us how we are not God despite our knowing who He is.  They awakened the Holy Spirit within us saying something is not right.  They became the inspiration for us to do better, and once learned, became testimonies to those who once believed they could never make it.  You see?  Once we become a child of God, we are no longer bound by sin.  However like all children, we must grow and build a better relationship with God from it.  That is something we can be eternally thankful for.

God is good whether we are or are not.  When things are good, it is very easy to love God.  However our love is never fully appreciated when it is easy.  It is when the most trying of circumstances challenge our love is tested.  In spite of our greatest sins, God loved on us showing His mercy and grace.  For that most of all, we should be infinitely thankful.  What problem in your life can you give thanks to God for?  How can you show an attitude of gratitude for God in all circumstances?  My prayer is that we simply show thanks to God for everything; both good and bad.  Amen, and I pray for you and your family a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

That's How He Is

He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.  Romans 2:6-8

As a teenager, I struggled with the concept of someone getting their just due.  Whenever someone did someone else wrong, I would lash out seeking justice for the wrongdoing.  Of course many times, it would be me who was at the wrong end of the stick, and my frustration level would be incredibly high.  “Oh why, oh God, have you decided to look favorably upon them of all things???”  My thinking was that I was a good person, and why someone who ‘clearly’ was not as good as me gets the glory while I was left to feel emptiness and pain. Being born again, my walk of faith would help me see that I was not as good as I should be.  My sins were at times as great as and greater than others, and I was not worthy of such blessings.  It was that change in perspective that caused me to focus less on what others did to earn their keep and more on what I should be doing to live a life worthy of the sacrifice of Christ.  I’m still working on it, and the more I find myself doing God’s bidding, the better I feel about how God has affected my life.

Our walk of faith requires focus on our own growth and not of the actions of others.  With some of the events that happened over the past week, it might cause many of us to struggle.  Why would someone do such an evil thing, and where was God in all of it?  Why did God put so many people in harm’s way?  Many of us may have those questions in our minds, and others struggle with these questions particularly from nonbelievers.  Our response is not to fully explain these things to them.  Instead, ours is to reflect on what God might be trying to tell us, and we must then respond with love on others as God would.  We are to remember that we live in a fallen world where sometimes, evil wins.  Nonetheless, we are responsible to respond with a Godly heart.  Thus we might say, “No, I do not know why some man decided to kill those innocent people, but I do know without question God loves us.  He would want us to love on those who were affected by the tragedy, and be a little kinder and a little more caring and humble to one another.”

We know God has all things under His control, and we will only know the full story when we see Him in Heaven.  In the meantime, we cannot focus on those things that we have no control over.  We must embrace that which we do control and more importantly how we respond to it.  One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Job that says, “ . . . the Lord gave, and the Lord have taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21 KJV)  So if you are struggling to accept what someone else has done or received, stop focusing on what happened.  Use it as a tool to magnify the glory of God and focus not on your disappointment.  How can we see tragedy through God’s eyes?  How can we show love, grace, and comfort to those who may not even deserve as much?  My prayer is that we focus less on the ‘why it is’ and more on the ‘How He is.’  Amen.

Thurs Devo: The Bronze Snake

How do you think the Lord answered the Israelites’ request to take the venomous snakes away?

Numbers 21:7-9  The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

God didn’t take the snakes away, but instead provided a unique way for the people to survive a snake bite. Similarly for us, God doesn’t always remove the consequences for our sins. He does help us move forward through the consequences, though, when we turn back to Him and seek His help.

All sin deserves death. However, God is so merciful. He gave many of the Israelites an opportunity to live, even if they were bitten. The Israelites didn’t earn the right to live, but rather looked to and accepted God’s way of salvation.

Going even further, God has provided an opportunity for eternal life with Him in Heaven. Like the Israelites, we don’t earn it, but must choose to look to and accept God’s way of Salvation.  

John 3:14-16      ¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Is Jesus your “bronze snake?” Have you accepted God’s unique way of salvation by looking to Jesus? He paid the ultimate sacrifice so you and I don’t have to experience the full consequence for our sins (Hell/eternal separation from God). Instead, you and I can live with Him for eternity!

Alice

Seriously?

One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!  Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.  Matthew 16:1-3

My eleven year old daughter really makes me laugh at how she tries to get out of the obvious. This phenomenon is not unfamiliar to any of you who have parented a child. The other day, an ice cream bar that I had been saving suddenly was missing. I asked my wife if she had eaten it, and she said no. Being that there are only three of us in the house, the finger naturally goes to my daughter. We asked if she had eaten the ice cream, and she said emphatically, “No!” My wife and I look at each other, and say, “Seriously?” While we had to hold her accountable and reinforce the importance of telling the truth, we continue to laugh about how ‘creative’ she was in trying to explain for the unexplainable.

This brings me to how we as believers encounter people who choose not to believe in Christ. We must without hesitation be able to confirm both His existence and truths. We encounter those who choose not to believe even though the signs are right there in front of them. The verses today refer to such a instance where the elite and knowledgeable sects of the Jewish faith questioned Jesus’ authority . . . dare I say again. This was after Jesus had (get this) fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21) and then another 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish (Matthew 15:32-39)! So in reading Jesus’ response, we get the impression of ‘what the heck does He have to do to convince these people?!?!?’ Seriously? Rather than appeasing them, Jesus, the master that He is, tells them of the sign of Jonah, which referred to His own resurrection. This would be proof beyond all doubt of Jesus’ divinity. We are often presented with things where people will question the existence of the true living God. We must answer with a sound mind and heart not focusing on what we do not know (i.e. why a tragedy occurs). Instead, we must focus on what we do know (His grace, His word, the transformative changes in our lives). Only then are we able to be advocates for Him.

Our personal relationship with Christ answers all doubts of His existence. While nonbelievers may come up with evidence of His nonexistence, we know beyond question how real He is. Our mission is not to convince others of His existence. Ours is to be knowledgeable of it and present the evidence to them for their spirit within cannot deny it. Where do you doubt Christ’s existence and how will you address it? How will you without hesitation tell of Jesus’ existence in your life? My prayer is that we confirm our truths so when questioned of Christ’s existence, we simply say to ourselves, “Seriously?” Amen.

Finding Mercy

Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.  Matthew 18:33-35

Patience truly is a virtue. I say this thinking over the events in Charleston, SC this past week. You see, I grew up in a historic and traditional AME church much like the church in Charleston. In a world that I continually am color blind to, I was given a sad reminder that many others still see color differently, and would want to do harm to me simply because I am different. I wanted to say something more about it, but I did not have the words nor felt a feeling that perfectly described my sense of innocence lost. In the midst of waiting, God’s glory was revealed. As the killer was being arraigned, each of the victims’ families did not cry for vengeance nor utter a word of hatred. Instead, they prayed for mercy and spoke of forgiveness. It was the perfect response because it forced others to ask two questions. First, it started the discussion on God as others asked the question, "How can someone have love and mercy for one who murdered their loved one?" Second, others had to ask, "What do these people have that is missing from my life?" It was a Godly and right response.

Forgiveness is mandatory for us as Christians. There is a reason that God put love and mercy above many other things. When we were given grace through Jesus Christ, we gained so much by having a true authentic relationship with God. Thus through forgiveness, we stand to gain and not lose. That is why Jesus felt strongly about mercy through the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). In listening to each family member of the Charleston church ask for mercy and forgiveness on the person who had done such an evil act, my spirits were uplifted, and others who questioned whether God truly makes a difference in one’s life could not deny His power then. Furthermore, the ripples of what one might call the ‘Devil’s work’ turned into another moment where God’s light shined brightly. Through mercy, we become a light for as Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12b)

We serve a loving and merciful God. While our natural instinct may call us to rush to judge and seek punishment when personally wronged, we must trust God to handle it. Romans 12:19b says, “For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.” Let us focus on the power of forgiveness for that is a sure way God’s glory is revealed to others. Who must you forgive today? How can you be more merciful in your walk of faith? My prayer is that we find mercy for those who do not deserve as much for we too were first given mercy. Amen.

Giving All of Us

Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”  So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.  1 Samuel 7:3-4

Do I serve God with my head or heart?  This is a constant in my mind because there are times that the head and heart are not on the same page.  For example when dealing with my own sin, it would appear that the head (i.e. reading God’s scripture and taking it to ‘heart’) should win the day.  Yet when dealing with others in their brokenness of their own sins, having a heart and being compassionate is the right thing to do.  I have found that I best serve God with my head as the guiding force but my heart as the driving force.  You see, we cannot serve God just one way or the other.  He wants every bit of us to serve Him.  Only then will we be able to have a growing Christian walk.

Serving God must be done fully and completely.  I was fascinated with the story of Samuel in doing this devotion not only for the verses above but also the build up to this moment.  Samuel was called on directly by God to serve, but first, the stage had to be set for God’s truth to be revealed through Samuel.  God allowed Israel to be defeated by the Philistines and lose the Ark of Covenant of the Lord in that battle.  If you do not understand the significance of this, imagine doing the thing that you do better than anything else, and on your best day, you still were not as good as someone else.  Pretty devastating!  However, God was just prepping the stage by later causing all kinds of grief and suffering for the Philistines while Samuel was being elevated to his leadership role.  Thus when Samuel spoke to Israel asking for them to give everything to God; hearts, turning away from false idols, and obeying God alone, they were ready to listen to everything he had to say, and the Israelites gave everything to God.  As such, the Philistines would attack yet again, but this time they were defeated as God was with the now faithful Israelites.

In our lives, we will have situations that may not go our way.  These are opportunities to pause and reflect on whether we are fully vested in the God we serve; mind, heart, and soul.  If we are, we know He is setting the stage for our future triumph as He is faithful and without fail.  Do not focus on those things you do not control or enemies who have seemingly incredible odds stacked in their favor.  Focus on being completely vested in an awesome and amazing God.  Are there parts of you that are not completely vested in what God wants for your life?  How can you respond to situations with both heart and mind toward God?  My prayer is that we are giving all of us to God today.  Amen.