Thurs Devo: Free Atonement

From last week, do you remember what God told Moses after the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for killing Korah?

Numbers 16:44-45   ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

Moses and Aaron responded with humility, reverence for God and compassion for the Israelites. Even though the Israelites deserved God’s wrath, Moses and Aaron didn’t say “Yeah, God, you get them! We’ve had enough!” Instead, look what they courageously and selflessly did!!!

Numbers 16:46-50   ⁴⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” ⁴⁷ So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. ⁴⁸ He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. ⁴⁹ But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. ⁵⁰ Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

Aaron made atonement [reparation for a sin; reconciliation between God and people] for the Israelites who had personally sinned against him. What a fore-shadow of what Christ perfectly did for all of us, once and for all! We don’t earn Christ’s atonement, just like the Israelites didn’t earn Aaron’s atonement. It was costly to God and Jesus, but free to us!

Romans 3:23-26      ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

By faith, we accept Christ’s atonement on our behalf! Then, we can enjoy reconciliation with God!

Do you and I truly realize that we don’t deserve Christ’s sacrifice of atonement, we can’t earn it, but we can fully receive it by faith?

How will you and I appreciate the free atonement offered to us through Jesus Christ?

Alice

Full Confidence

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.  And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  2 Corinthians 1:8-10

Lately, I feel like my mind is in a maze from which there is no escape.  There are worries about family and work.  Then there has been the massive uproar on spiritual topics ranging from same sex marriages to The Ten Commandments being removed from a courthouse.  All of this comes in the aftermath of a church shooting, and many have said that with all of this happening the end of days is near.  It has left my mind and soul tired and fatigued.  However as I was feeling those things, I was reminded of the words of Isaiah 40:30-31, which says, “Even youths grow tired and wear, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  And as I read those words, my strength and resolve to move forward grew, and the wisdom to find a way through the maze returned.

In times of struggle and turmoil, we must always have full confidence in the Lord because He is without fail.  There are numerous quotes of scripture that we should remember when overcome with fear and anxiety of the happenings in the world.  We need to focus on confidence.  Confidence not in what we see, but rather confidence in what we know.  We know that God is control.  Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)  Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”  Finally, the Psalms of David remind us that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” (Psalm 18:2)

God is in always in control.  While much of what happens in the world may bring us grief and disappointment, we must continue to have surety in God to do all things.  So as many will worry about the laws of the land changing, we must remember the words of Jeremiah 31:33b, which says, “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  Let the laws of the Lord we live by be forever in our hearts.  How confident are you in God’s righteousness?  What can you do to gain assurance in God’s all-knowing authority?  My prayer is that we, like Paul, have full confidence in God beyond our present circumstances.  Amen.

Tues Devo: He knows my name

Hello,

This last week my wife and I had our third child. As we made the final decision on the name, a nurse came in and asked if we had given her a name yet. My wife nodded at me and I was the first to say the name of the child out loud. It was an emotional thing – despite not being my first. You see, that was (still is…) my child. The name is not just words, but an identity and something that represents belonging. I was proud to say that was my child, honored to be the one to be the provider.

Then in that hospital room it struck me, God feels that way towards His children.  He knows our names. He is glad to provide and care for us. He is delighted that His children are His. He loves to call out to His children by name and guide them in a way that is best for them – even if(when) they cannot see it.

Exodus 33:17 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.’” (NASB)

2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.’” (NASB)

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (NASB)

We are His children is we have accepted Jesus as our Savior – let God be the loving father who knows us and what is best for us!

Will Hill

The End is Nearing

2 Timothy 3

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I was trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to write for today when I saw the first few of these verses posted by a friend.  This devotion is not to be a controversial conversation.  Rather, I’m simply putting the scriptures out there for us to read.  Some are happy about the Supreme Court ruling, others are very distraught over it.  Today, my friends, co-workers, even loved ones that may read this, I simply want to point out that we should not be surprised by the things that are happening in this world.  This was all laid out in scripture of what was to come.  We will face persecution as a Christian.  2 Timothy 3 says it very clearly, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 

So what are we to do?  We are to carry on.  Continue in what we believe and know from the Holy Scriptures.  We need to share this with others but it must be done in a loving manner. 

Today, I simply want to encourage you to let your faith shine in your life and love those that disagree with you.  

Atypical Behavior

6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.  Ezekiel 10

Sometimes, directions from God don't make a lot of sense to us.  The man in linen was told to take fire in his own hands.

Take your BARE HANDS and grab some fire.  Yeah, sign me up for this.  The point is, he did it, even though it may have been weird and out of character.

A picture went viral earlier this week.  A rapper took a picture of himself in a public restroom cleaning breast pump parts for his wife.  He captioned it that this is what he does after his shows #thuglife

It was a completely out of the norm photo for this man - and it blew up in a very positive way.  I looked a little through his posts and the previous picture he posted of himself at a concert had a measly 45 likes, but this breast pump part picture was well into the tens of thousands of likes.  There's no telling then how many people saw it and didn't comment or like it (such as me).

Why does this relate to the verse?  A man did something out of the ordinary for God's purpose.  Did I mention earlier that this was a Christian rapper?  That's right, his lyrics are about Christ and he uses his music as a means to spread God's word.  That one picture went viral and was shared among a demographic that probably has never heard of him but now people are listening and checking him out.  

God doesn't always call us to do huge, life-changing things outside of our normal realm.  Sometimes, it's small, like taking a picture and posting it online.  The result doesn't have to impact thousands, it may only impact one person.  Trust in God when you do something our of your norm.  He has you in his hands, and he has a plan.

Thurs Devo: Lesson Learned?

Numbers 16:41-45  ⁴¹ The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

⁴² But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

Wow! I can’t believe the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for killing Korah, his clan, and his 250 followers. They aren’t giving God the credit and are giving too much credit to mere humans, Moses and Aaron. Plus, haven’t the Israelites learned their lesson yet? We’ve seen God step in each time the Israelites opposed Moses. God also stepped in when Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses. So, it’s no wonder God stepped in when Korah decided to challenge Moses and Aaron’s authority. We saw how full of pride Korah was, with no ounce of humility or repentance.

Each instance of opposition was really rebellion against God, His plan, and His choice of leaders. If I’m counting correctly, this is now the third time God has told Moses He plans to wipe out the Israelites, yet spare Moses. God knows the hearts of the people. Yet, each time, Moses appeals to God’s compassion and humbly pleads for mercy.

Are you and I more like the Israelites or Moses?

Do we keep learning lessons the hard way, over and over again?

Or, do we know and trust God’s holiness and His character, and humbly approach Him?

Alice

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.

Tues Devo: Firm on a Foundation, Part 3

Hello,

I wanted to spend one final week on this topic of a firm foundation. A critical piece of the foundation that we haven’t gone into is the mental side. I can’t even count how many times I have heard people talk about getting old and being more concerned with having a sharp mind than a physically fit body. We understand the importance of having mental acuity and sharpness. Keeping our mind in the right spot is a key element of a firm foundation. Without it, we are prone to attacks that begin to make us doubt our foundation – and that un-surety will render us less useful for the cause of Christ.

So, how do we keep our mental side where it needs to be? Try Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)

Dwell on the right kind of things – find the things and people that help put those types of thoughts in the forefront of your brain.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Every Step I take

Psalm 121:7-8

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

We have all heard these verses before and sometimes hear them used to question God.  Why God did you not protect me from harm?  David wrote this from a way to direct and encourage us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God.  We are by faith to put ourselves under his protection and commit ourselves to his care.  This does not mean we will never face harm.  It’s more that in those times that we do, that we trust the Lord to take care of us. 

I think the entire Psalm 121 is a great Psalm to meditate on regularly.  Remind ourselves that the Lord is the Maker of Heaven and Earth and that He is watching over us.  He sees our every steps. 

Is every step you make something that you’d want the Lord to see?  We sure want His protection over every step so let’s make every step pleasing to Him.

Plant the Seed

4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”  Ezekiel 9

It's more punishment from God (this group of people had a ton of problems), but this time there are some who are spared.  They are spared because they "grieve and lament over all the detestable things."

We all see sin - every day in fact.  What is your reaction to it?  Do you give it any thought, do you sigh and shake your head, or do you grieve and lament?  Do you pray for that person?

Everyone has an opinion about something and someone.  There will be people who sin right in front of you.  You can either roll your eyes and mutter that they're an idiot and wonder why they can't see the harm they're doing or you can grieve and lament for them and share your concern for their future.  

I've talked to people who say that we only need to "plant the seed" with non-believers.  I disagree.  I believe that we need to constantly demonstrate living a life for Christ and talking to those non-believers about Christ.  That seed needs cultivation.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”  Matthew 13