Daily Devotional

Son, let Me tell you a truth “Any nation who refuses to obey Me will be destroyed.” So why would any nation want to go back and become slaves once more to useless principles of this wicked world? How did I become their enemy? I became their enemy when they rejected this truth! When people refuse to listen to Me they will actually enjoy doing evil. The become good for nothing. Therefore, I will send on them war, famine, and disease. I will break their proud spirit, demoralize them, and confuse them. They will find no satisfaction anywhere.

 

I will knockdown their false places of worship where people come in and think they are worshipping Me, but have not repented of the immoral things they do. The leaders of these churches speak foolishness. People can not have My peace and live this way. They teach the people that they must be politically correct, and to believe that the Bible is not all true for you today.  I will punish them for their rebellion to My word, and they will have no peace.

 

To those true children of Mine, remember righteousness and justice are the foundation of My throne. I protect the lives of My obedient children, and I will rescue them from the power of the wicked.

Needed: Reformation – Chapter 6

SUPREMACY IN REDEMPTION

 

When we think about God, who He is and what He has done, we must give some thought to the Supremacy of His redemption. In reading through Isaiah chapters 42-45 one sees the number of times the Lord shares who He is and how He is the only God.

 

One of the first things He brings out in Isaiah 42 is that He will bring justice to the nations. Several times this is mentioned. “I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1 “In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” Isaiah 42:3-4

 

To me an aspect of this redemption is bringing justice to the nations. It is a two-fold act that will achieve this. First, we have the first coming of the Lord where the Gospel is preached and people are given a chance to respond. Secondly, we have His second coming whereby “the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:24

 

When I think of all of the unjust things that have been done and are being done – one cries out for justice, but there is no justice. However, one of the things that reformation brings around is an awareness of who God is and that He will not relax until justice is brought forth to the nations. He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth.

 

Another very important aspect of His Supremacy in redemption is that He is the only One. There is no one else like Him or above Him. Although our world is filled with many false hopes of redemption there is no one else that will accomplish it.

 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 43:1 “I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no Savior.”  (43:11) “No one can deliver out of my hand.” (43:13) “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (43:25) “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”  Isaiah 44:22

 

It is obvious from these verses here in Isaiah that God only and God alone is our Redeemer. This is important because we do see from Isaiah 44 how a man will take a block of wood and use part of it to make a fire and keep warm, cook his food and then with what is left over he makes an idol to worship and say: “Save me; you are my god.” Isaiah 44:17

 

In our Western culture we might be a little more refined than this man depicted in Isaiah 44, but we still do the same thing. How do we use and look at money, for example. We use some money to give us heat in the winter, to cook our food over our stoves and we store it up so that when a rainy day comes, or problems come, we can say to the money that we have put away: “Save me; you are my god.”

 

Reformation brings us back to who God is and what He has done. We will begin to see afresh that Christ is the answer. We will again look to Him and no other. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2

 

Recognizing the Supremacy of His redemption will also give us a sense of urgency that this message is the only hope in this world for salvation. It will not come through our major religions, or from our governments that we so often hope in, but through the Lord Jesus Christ alone and always.  ONLY CHRIST SAVES!!!

Daily Devotional

Son, let Me tell you a truth “Any nation who refuses to obey Me will be destroyed.” So why would any nation want to go back and become slaves once more to useless principles of this wicked world? How did I become their enemy? I became their enemy when they rejected this truth! When people refuse to listen to Me they will actually enjoy doing evil. They become good for nothing. Therefore, I will send on them war, famine, and disease. I will break their proud spirit, demoralize them, and confuse them. They will find no satisfaction anywhere.

 

I will knockdown their false places of worship where people come in and think they are worshipping Me, but have not repented of the immoral things they do. The leaders of these churches speak foolishness. People can not have My peace and live this way. They teach the people that they must be politically correct, and to believe that the Bible is not all true for you today.  I will punish them for their rebellion to My word, and they will have no peace.

 

To those true children of Mine, remember righteousness and justice are the foundation of My throne. I protect the lives of My obedient children, and I will rescue them from the power of the wicked.

 

Daily Devotional

God’s children must always stand for the truth. If they refuse to stand up for the truth, things will only go from bad to worse. Progressive thinkers will take over and begin to take everything you have. They will tell you what you can eat, what you can say, what you can do in your home, how to raise your children, and what is acceptable life styles. They will re-define everything in life, so that no one will know what is truth. Then when you question them they will say how foolish of you to ask why.

 

Soon when Jesus comes to rule the earth, His rule will be founded on justice and only those know the truth can live in it.

Daily Devotional

Do any of our leaders in California even talk about righteousness any more? No! They have chosen wicked paths and said, “We do not need God.” They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right! These leaders have polluted the land with their progessive thinking, that is why the rains have stopped, and everything we have worked for will be squandered on a delusion.

 

God’s children need to unite and confess that we have failed to be led by His word. We need to change our hard hearts, and surrender our pride. Come back to God, and live by the truth of His eternal word.

 

Don’t join up with those who say that God’s word is not true for today. How can those who know the truth be a partner with this progressive thinking? How can the light of the word be around their darkness? What common ground can there be between the truth and their lies? Therefore, have nothing to do with them, and remove them from office. Don’t allow their filthy teachings into your homes!

 

When God’s children become united, and surrender their wills to Him, He will give us leaders after His heart that will guide us with His knowledge and understanding.  So if we truly wanted to return to God, we could.  Then we could say, “God’s power is working for us. Our hearts may ache, but we always have joy because of His promises. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”

Daily Devotional

Lord, my body is like a fragile clay jar which is being pressed on every side by the troubles of today; pressed but not crushed. I am puzzled by all that we see going on in the world, but I am not hopeless. I get put down by the people of so called progressive thinking, but I go after Your thoughts and I choose to think the way You think.

 

I will never be abandoned by You. I will tell anyone who will listen, “I believe in Jesus!” That is why I can never give up on doing so. My body is dying but My spirit is renewed every day by Your word. The troubles I face today are small and won’t last very long! When I keep my eyes on You these problems will produce for me a glory that vastly outweighs them all, and that glory will last forever! So I must not look at the troubles I see now; rather, I must fix my gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things I see now will soon be gone, but the things I cannot see will last forever.

 

Lord, today people’s minds have become hardened to the truth, and that is why they cannot recognize the truth when it is told to them. This veil can only be removed by believing in You and receiving Your Spirit. When I tell the truth about You, all who are honest will know it is the truth. What is the truth? Satan is the god of this world, and he has blinded the minds of those who refuse to believe in the truth. They are unable to see or understand the glorious light of the Good News; the news about Jesus Christ. Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

 

Son, I knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. I set you apart and appointed you as My spokesmen, and you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

 

Tell America I have pronounced judgment on it for all their evil, and for deserting Me. What did they find wrong with Me that led them to stray so far from Me? They worshiped worthless things only to become worthless themselves. They do not ask, “Where is The Lord?” But shout out loud, “At last we are free from God! We don’t need him.” Some of the pastors of America who are responsible to teach My word, even ignore Me, and teach things I never instructed them to teach. America has brought this upon itself when they rebel against Me. Your wickedness will bring your own punishment, and soon you will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not fear Him.

 

Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive with unfailing love for all who ask for Your help. Teach me Your ways, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You as You deserve.  Your love for me is greater than life!

 

Daily Devotional

Everyone dies, and everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life when He comes back. Our earthly bodies will be planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. These bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. Remember, first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. These physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God because the Kingdom will last forever.

 

So be strong and immovable, always working enthusiastically for the Lord. Nothing you do for Him is ever useless. Remember the more you suffer for Christ, the more God will shower you with His comfort. In the days ahead some of us will feel crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we might think that we will not live through it, and then ask God, “Why?”  This will help us to stop relying on ourselves and learn to rely only on God. For, He is the one who raises the dead, and He has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in us. So when these days arrive, when you walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of refreshing for you instead. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. He will bless those who have humble, contrite hearts; those who know Him by His Word.

 

Today there is a wide-open door for His children – to tell people who Jesus is, but many will oppose the faithful. So be on guard. Stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ. Be courageous and strong. Tell the people that God has placed around you His unfailing love. Praise Him for all He has done for you. Rejoice in His great goodness, and His awesome deeds. Remember that since the world began no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like ours who welcomes all who gladly follow His ways.

 

Today people who say there is no God shout out, “Where is He, who said He would send His Holy Spirit to live in his people? Where is God whose power was displayed in the Bible when Moses lifted up his hand, and divided the sea before Israel? Where is God in all of the suffering going on in the world today? Where is God when my child died? Where is God when people are stricken with diseases that take their lives?”

 

The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am, call on Me!’ All day long I opened My arms to these rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. All day long they insult Me to My face. For when I called to them – they did not answer. When I spoke – they did not listen. Therefore, since they have turned away from Me I will let them have what they desire, and that is to live according to their own ideas. For, I can see what they are doing and I know what they are thinking.”

 

Lord, You must be very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners! How can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags to You. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

 

Son, when My troubled children cry out to Me, I will save them. I will display My holiness through those who come near Me in spirit and in truth.

 

Needed: Reformation – Chapter 5

Reformation in the Past

 

If we look at church history it would seem that there were two other times when there was reformation.

 

From the 1st century to about 300 AD the church spread throughout the Roman world.  There were many things against the early church: the Roman Empire, pagan gods, superstitions, etc. Yet within 60 years the Gospel of the church had been planted throughout the Roman Empire.

 

The second reformation took place in 1500 AD. Martin Luther discovered an old truth (new to him): justification by faith alone – that stepped out and into the pages of history. Most of what we have in our Western civilization can be traced back to this reformation.

 

In the first reformation the Gospel got into the hands of the people and transformed the Roman Empire. In the second reformation the Word of God got into the hands of God’s people again. It is electrifying to see what happened. Two college professors did a study on whom and what made the biggest impact upon the United States. They went through thousands of documents, essays and speeches that had made the biggest impact upon our nation to see who was quoted the most. They discovered three men: John Locke, Mononisque and Blackburn. They discovered also that when these three men were quoted it was when they were quoting the Bible.

 

Studying our history, as well as what we have in Western Europe, the Word of God has made an impact in our culture. It is interesting to see that the new EU Constitution was recently rejected in France. In that constitution they had left out the Word of God and anything to do with Christianity.

 

Today we need a reformation that will bring the work of God back into the hands of God’s people. For too long it has been in the hands of the professionals: clergy, priests, paid pastors etc. Now it is time for the work of the Lord to be brought back into the hands of God’s people. We read in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

 

Just as Martin Luther discovered the truth of justification by faith and brought in the second reformation – so we also need to bring in another reformation of the truth; one where every believer is a priest and able to proclaim the “praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 

We need a new reformation that frees God’s people from church – or perhaps what I should say – out from the four walls of what we call “church.” The real work of God is not done within the four walls of a building, but in the market place. The four walls are to train us for the work ‘out there.’

 

This reformation will shift us from strategic planning to spiritual guidance, prayer, etc. So much of what we do today is done through worldly marketing ideas, planning, etc. instead of realizing that God’s work must be done God’s way and through prayer.

 

One last thing that I would like to share about reformation is how we need to see a shift to ‘apostolic’ leadership. This doesn’t mean that pastoral leadership is not necessary, because it is, but we will begin to see that a part of the Body of Christ has been in a locked down situation of not being recognized. 

 

However, this is beginning to change and new wine skins are being developed that will engage the world in bringing hope to the millions who now have no hope. God is on the move.

Ready To Face Death?

Ready to Face Death?

 

I was talking with a man about a 9/11 video I just watched. In one scene it showed people in the tower looking out the windows above the flames knowing that death was coming. I asked him how would you meet death. Will you try and run from it or will you meet it head on? He asked me what I would have done. I told him, “I hoped I would get as many people together, calm them down and tell them that this is not the end but only the beginning, because of what Jesus did for them.” He did not like my answer so he finished the conversation with, “I believe in re-incarnation.”

 

Lord, today Your children are mocked; an object of scorn and ridicule by those around them. Therefore, help us to stand up for the glory of Your name, and forgive us for not bringing honor to You. People treat what You have done for them as a joke, and when they are on the brink of death, they will reject what You have done for them.

 

Revive Your children once more, so that people will know that we are a people that You have blessed. Help us to pray day and night continually, taking no rest, so that the message of Your truth will go out throughout our land. Help us to shout out, “Look, the Savior of the world is coming, and He brings His reward with Him.” Then we will be called, “Holy people; the people redeemed by the Lord.” For You have anointed Your children to bring the good news of salvation, to comfort the brokenhearted, and to proclaim that people can be released and freed from the bondage of sin. Today is the day to know the Lord’s favor, and it will help you to not be afraid to meet death face to face.

 

Remember, that there are three things that will last forever: faith, hope, and love; the greatest of these is love. So let love be your highest goal! For love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

Needed: Reformation – Chapter 4

What We Need Reformation – Part 2

 

The third thing that we need to ask ourselves is in regards to our culture: Is the church making an impact in our culture today? Who is in control in our culture? Is it God or is it Satan?

 

When we turn on TV what do we see: programs that honor God or Satan? When we listen to modern music what do we hear: music that honors God or Satan? When we consider art, music, films, etc. what are we confronted with: do we see something that honors God or Satan?

 

Chuck Colson was speaking to a group of pastors about engaging our culture today. He said that one of the pastors came up and asked a question: “But won’t engaging the culture this way interfere with fulfilling the Great Commission? Isn’t it our job to win people to Christ?”

 

Chuck’s response to this was: “Of course we’re called to fulfill the Great Commission, but we are also called to fulfill the cultural commission. Christians are agents of God’s saving grace in bringing others to Christ, but we are also agents of His common grace. We are to sustain and renew His creation, defend the created institutions of family and society, and critique false worldviews.”

 

I was reading a book on the Nazi conscience. I was wondering how a nation that had a Christian heritage turn in such a way that millions would be killed.

 

We all have a conscience, but the question is: What is the conscience set on? For example, I think of some of the different religions in the world such as Hinduism. They have what is known as Sati (wife burning). When the husband dies they throw the wife (alive) on the burning pyre so that she might be with him in the next life in reincarnation. Their conscience does not seem to bother them. My conscience would. What makes the difference?  It depends on what their conscience is set on. For me it is set on the Bible with a biblical worldview. This makes a difference. The Hindu has a Hindu worldview. It is a difference of belief. 

 

So it would seem that what we believe is very important.  What is remarkable to me is that a nation that supposedly is a Christian nation (nominally) would have a Christian belief and still do what they did during the war? How was a nation’s conscience cauterized to allow something like that to happen? Also, where was the church in the midst of it all?

 

Then I think of the USA with over fifty million babies that have been aborted. Where was the church? What happened to bring us to this point? Where is the church in the midst of it all?

 

While reading this book several things stood out for me. First, we see that it was a time of lax moral codes in the country. No morals, no truth. It was a time when the moral people (probably the church) felt that something needed to be done, but what and by whom? It seemed that there was a sense of impotence. It was at this time that the man Hitler rose up. At first he appeared as a man of morals giving voice to what many felt. He was a good speaker and a charismatic character. He was sharing what many people felt and through his charisma many fell for his propaganda.

 

Next we find that Hitler had a tremendous propaganda mill and through this he began to pour out the poison. In one sense what he was doing through his propaganda mill was to engage the major issues of the day and give an answer. What the German preachers should have been doing we find Hitler doing. We know the rest of the story with the Holocaust. Biblical preaching is engaging the major issues of the day and giving a biblical response.

 

Through the constant barrage of propaganda, people’s thinking and belief began to change which in turn affected their conscience, setting the barriers for the conscience. Once that happened it was easy to lead them to other things as well. This is what we see today in our own culture.

 

Later when Hitler took more and more power, it was even more difficult for any opposition to what he was doing. He also used thugs to help bring about his message by fomenting fear in the hearts of anyone who did not agree with the propaganda. What do we encounter today when we speak out against a homosexual lifestyle?

 

So where was the church? Did they see? Did they understand the dynamics that were taking place? Perhaps some did and they did speak out to their own detriment. I think of Bonhoeffer who was eventually put into prison and later hanged.

 

Looking today at our culture in the West makes me want to cry out for reformation.