Archives for September 2020

September 27, 2020 by hldude

Daily Desperation For Almighty God

“Daily Desperation For Almighty God”

Psalm 42:1-2

NIV- As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

NLT- As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

I was reading a devotional this morning and the author used the word “Desperation” describing how our longing and panting for God should be each day. It really caught my attention and I looked at both the NIV and NLT translations and wanted to use them both for this week. I think about how we do or do not find ourselves longing or even panting desperately for God.

If we are really honest with ourselves, I think most of us find ourselves often longing and even panting for whatever is next to give us another “high” of what the world offers. With all the ads and invitations we constantly see and how we really long for the next great thing the world offers, we often get pulled away and enticed instead of truly longing and thirsting for what only God offers.

We so often get so busy with our daily lives that we forget how desperate we should be for God. As you can tell, it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve sent out a devotional. We just got done selling a house and buying one in the same town. For the past couple of weeks, I kept thinking about how I need to get another devotional out, but allowed myself to be consumed by everything else as we’ve worked on getting settled.

So the case and point right there is that I longed and desired to send out another devotional and then ended up reading this morning about being desperate. That hit home! We so often get wrapped up in what we think is important and often forget what is really important and that is meeting with Almighty God and seeking Him above all else.

When was the last time you and I found ourselves really longing and even panting desperately for God? We should be this desperate each and every single day, not just when we become drained from the pull of the world that leaves us dry. We should develop a daily desperation to seek God like we’ve never done before.

I hope and pray that we are all encouraged this week and in the coming days, weeks, months and years to daily become desperate to seek Him like we have never done before! We need daily desperation for Almighty God! Our souls should long and pant for God in desperation to meet with Him!

Weekly Devotional Blog Site www.zwdevotions.com

September 23, 2020 by TibiasDad

Press on!

Phil 3:12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

My first sermon, and I use the word very loosely, was when I was 17 at a church youth rally. It was supposed to be based on Philippians 4:13, but in reality it was a hodgepodge of quotes and stories that I memorized from a litany of my Dad’s Zig Ziglar motivation tapes and very little scripture! I had never heard the word exegetical at that time, and couldn’t spell exegesis, much less employ it in a sermon at that early stage of my life and ministry. I probably thought I was Billy Graham at the time, but it wasn’t too long before I realized what Paul said a chapter earlier was the real “rubber meets the road” exhortation that I needed to learn and apply to my life and attitude.

Don’t get me wrong, I still use those old Zig Ziglar quotes from time to time, and in a very real way I wasn’t too far off the mark regarding the central message that Paul and other Biblical writers were constantly telling the first generation of the Christian faith, and that was don’t give up, finish the race, hold fast, and press on! But without a doubt, as Paul stated in the passage above, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal…” I had a lot to learn about sermonizing and how to exegete a passage of scripture properly, and I think, perhaps, there are a few even here in our virtual world of forum debates that may think me in need of a few more lessons: frankly, I agree. And so do we all! So let’s spend a moment a flesh out what Paul can teach us from Phil 3:12-14.

The first thing I see, is that we must be truthfully humble. We chuckle, at least I do, that Moses said of himself, that “Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth!” (Numbers 12:3) But Paul acknowledged that he had not yet “obtained” or “taken hold of” or “arrived at” his ultimate goal or desire. Paul does not see himself as better than those to whom he was writing. He is putting himself on par with all believers, he is one of the gang, not different than or above anyone else.

This should be each one of our attitudes regarding our Christian walk and growth. Nobody has arrived while still in human flesh. If this is so, then what do we do? Paul tells us his point of action.

Paul says, “I press on to take hold”. The word for “press on” is the Greek word διώκω (dioko), which is a very interesting word. Used in a positive sense, as it is here, it means to go after something aggressively, as a hunter seeks his prey. If the word has a negative intent, it means to persecute aggressively.

Paul is taking a very deliberate and intensely motivated action to “take hold” of the object of his desire. καταλαμβάνω means to “seize tight hold of”, to grasp forcefully with intent to make something your own. This is a conscious effort on Paul’s part to ensure, for his part, that he gets that which he has sought for so long, but it is not only what he has wanted for himself, but also that for which God wanted him.

καταλαμβάνω is used a second time, not describing what Paul seeks to take hold of, but rather, “of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” This speaks of the purpose of God for Paul, and all other believers, and is notable in its contrast with the first usage of the verb, namely, that Paul is the object “taken hold of” and not the one doing the seizing. Paul was taken hold of by Christ for a reason, a purpose, and Paul, in response to this action, takes the same mantle of purpose for himself to make sure that the desired result will indeed occur. Paul realized that perseverance is necessary even for an Apostle, to receive the prize. And he was not going to insult the grace of God that took hold of him on the road to Damascus!

And this is Paul’s resolve: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…” For Paul, and for any one of us, success spiritually boils down to this– focused prioritizing! Paul calls it “this one thing”, but it is really two sides of a singular coin: Forgetting what lies behind, and ” straining toward” what is yet ahead, which is the same Greek word as earlier in vs 12, διώκω (dioko), press on toward.

I like the 2011 NIV use of straining, because it reminds us that though we are assured of victory, only those who finish the race well win the prize, and any marathon runner knows that the hardest part in the race is the last few miles, and the runner has to strain against fatigue and dehydration to keep moving one foot in front of the other to cross the finish line. A champion in any arena knows that there are lesser things that have to be left behind and put out of mind to train sufficiently to run the entire race well enough to finish, well enough to win the prize, the βραβεῖον!

But what exactly is the prize? What is worth leaving all behind to run the race fully? Paul states this in the verses just before our text, Philippians 3:7-11: But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

There are three things that Paul is straining toward: 1) gaining the surpassing worth of knowing Christ fully, 2) that he might gain Christ and be found in him, and 3) to attain to the resurrection of the dead. All of these things are related to gaining eternal life!

Paul’s message is the prize is worth pressing on, straining as it may be at times, and that finishing is absolutely necessary to gain it! As the old gospel song goes, “onward to the prize before us…when we all get to heaven…we’ll sing and shout the victory”!

Doug

The Runner’s Prayer

Grant grace that we may finish well the race

To gain the prize for which we all have run

Give strength and stamina to keep the pace

And focus til the victory is won!

Allow my eyes to see the things of worth

Compared to lesser things that hearts may love;

Lord may I long for heaven more than earth

And store my treasures up in vaults above.

Let not my legs grow weary when the miles

Grow longer as I strain to reach the end;

To persevere and not seek to defile

The grace you’ve shown to name me as your friend!

You’ve chosen me and placed me in this race

And when I win it will by your grace!

9/22/2020

Numbers 12:3 (LEB)

Now the man, Moses, was more humble than any other person on the face of the earth,

Philippians 3:7-11 (LEB)

But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have considered loss because of Christ.8More than that“but on the contrary”, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider themsupplied from English context dung, in order that I may gain Christ9and may be found in him, not having my righteousness which is from the law, but which is through faith in Christ,Or “through Christ’s faithfulness” the righteousness from God on the basis of faith,Or “on the basis of his faithfulness”10so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,11if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 4:13 (LEB)

I am able to do all things by the one who strengthens me.

September 20, 2020 by TibiasDad

An Open Letter to the World

Dear World,

I recently celebrated 60 years of being a part of you. For the most part, my experiences have been good—a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at age 39 notwithstanding— and I am very grateful for whatever meager successes I have enjoyed, and especially so for all the people who have influenced my life thus far in my journey. This, of course, would include the influence of my parents and grandparents who raised me to value integrity, hard, honest work, and that my life is a gift of God and should be lived in such a way that He is honored above all else. While far from any level of perfection, I have always sought to sustain these principles as my daily modus operandi, and I seek the grace and interaction of God to make my life an example worthy of following by those with whom I am privileged to work.

The Bible, God’s written expression of himself, has always been the bedrock on which all I have been taught and sought to embody has rested. For while you, the World, are in constant flux, God never changes; He “is the same yesterday, today, and forever”, and is The One before whom all of us must, and will give an account. Above all opinions, His is the most important, and the one I most earnestly seek to understand and conform to.

In my lifetime, I have seen: Prayer in public schools banned; the lives of unborn children sacrificed on the altar of personal preference and convenience; and now, with SCOTUS’ ruling on June 26, 2015, the desecration of the God-ordained and oldest relational institution known to mankind—the marital union of man and wife.

All of these are in direct opposition to God’s expressions of his desire and will for “the world”, and I cannot stand by without making my voice publicly and unequivocally heard. Therefore, I personally and publicly declare and affirm that:

Life cannot be independently segmented as secular and sacred; that civil Government and God cannot be exclusive of each other; and that the stability and success of the former is necessarily in need of the latter. This does not necessarily imply one faction holding all authoritative sway over the other, but does express the inherent and inseparable intertwining of the natures of the two entities.
All human life is sacred, valuable, and God-created from conception to final breath and is to be protected and preserved with the highest dignity and provision possible.
Marriage is ordained by God as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman for both the personal enjoyment of relationship and the exclusivity of sacred intimacy, as well as the procreation/adoption and upbringing of children within a loving and committed family structure. All alternative variations of this relational format (One man/One Woman in a lifelong, exclusive marriage relationship) are unsupported by the declarations of Christian Scripture and are counter to both its historic teachings and the general rule of historical cultural practices of human behavior and custom.
God alone is my final judge, and His precepts, declarations and written opinions supersede and overrule any individual or corporate human rendering. Therefore, I will submit my personal and public powers to the teachings of God as revealed in the Christian Scriptures, the Holy Bible.
I will seek to treat with respect and graciousness all who may disagree with me, and, in love, seek to share the reasons for my concern for them and my dissent to their points of view, but will not alter my commitment to the clear, unambiguous precepts of moral understanding as expressed in Scripture and historically defended and maintained by orthodox Christian traditions.
I will willingly, yet perhaps sadly, accept any forfeiture that may accompany this commitment and declaration. For indeed, “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”, and, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt 10:36-39/NIV84)

Finally, World, many of you will find me offensive, bigoted, homophobic and hateful for assuming this stance. I cannot control your opinions, but I will deny them as accurate or truthful. I am intimately aware of where many of you are, for some of you are my own blood and family; and while I strongly disagree with your version of “truth” and “rightness”, I will affirm as forcefully as I have my previous statements that I love you. I love you because God loves you. “This is how God has shown his love for the world: He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but will have eternal life.” (John 3:16/my translation)

God’s love for you was willing to sacrifice all to express itself to you, and I can do no less.

I believe that your actions are harmful to both you and those around you; and if you will be as a child stretching your hand toward an open flame, I will speak as loudly and firmly as I can to hinder your self-inflicted mutilation and harm. If that is hate, then that is your interpretation, not my intent. Indeed, my parents “hated” me often in this respect, and I love them for it. I pray that someday you will love me for such “hatred”.

I find encouragement in the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy, now so very poignant and timely. Paul, nearing the end of his own life, said to his protégé in 2 Timothy 3:10-17:

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 evil men 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 man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV84) (Emphasis mine)

May God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth and all that is within them, grant me the grace, courage, and fortitude to stand for the truth of His Word and the holiness of His Character; and may I do so with an attitude of gentleness and love through overt acts of compassion— reflecting the very Grace that he has shown me, a sinner above all others, without restraint, prejudice, or concern of loss for anything except His Honor, and Glory and the souls which He seeks to redeem. Amen!

Douglas Allen Jenkins

9/18/2020

#OpenLettertotheWorld

John 3:16 (LEB)

God’s Love for the WorldFor in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

2 Timothy 3:10-17 (LEB)

The Value of the ScripturesBut you have faithfully followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,11persecutions, and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra, what sort of persecutions I endured, and the Lord delivered me from all of them.12And indeed, all those who want to live in a godly manner in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.13But evil people and imposters will progress to the worse, deceiving and being deceived.14But you continue in the things which you have learned and are convinced of, because youHere “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal know from whom you learned them,15and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,17in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

September 17, 2020 by Serving Zion

The judge stands before the door

Compare these two verses:

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. ³Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do their deeds, for they tell and do not do
Jesus Christ, Matthew 23:2-3

“woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in to enter.
Jesus Christ, Matthew 23:13

The two verses are from the same passage in the chapter of Matthew 23. Jesus is saying that the scribes and Pharisees are the official experts in the law of God, but that although their judgements are sound, the way they are living does not produce the outcome of salvation. We can learn a lot from this passage, especially as it relates to the likes of Matthew 7:1-2:

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. ²For by what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and by what measure you measure out, it will be measured out to you.
Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:1-2

Does it mean that a Christian should not be making judgments? .. does it mean that a Christian should allow everything to happen around them without any objection? If that were the intention, how on earth could we fulfil John 20:23, or Matthew 18:18, or Galatians 6:1 or 1 Timothy 5:20?

Of course there is a rightful place for judgment in a Christian’s life, but there also is an aspect of judgment that doesn’t belong to us. It is the aspect of enforcement (penalty/punishment) that doesn’t belong to a Christian.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has punishment …
St. John, 1 John 4:18

The type of judgment that belongs to a Christian is that pertaining to wisdom. People were coming from all over to hear Jesus teach because His words were so full of truth and grace, they were learning to understand life in a way they had never known before.

Now someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!” ¹⁴But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
Jesus Christ, Luke 12:13-14

Wisdom in teaching requires intellectual honesty – integrity to the truth in spite of the costs. This is what had distinguished Jesus from the other teachers (Mark 12:14-17, Mark 1:22, Matthew 21:15-16). Jesus had an authority in His faith that came from a sincere conviction of His knowledge of the truth – that is quite a different origin of authority than that which is derived by qualification:

I do not receive glory from men; ⁴²but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
Jesus Christ, John 5:41-44

Jesus is not the only one who has had this type of faith. We see that John the Baptist had a certain authority in his faith (Mark 1:7, Matthew 11:11), owed to his knowledge of the truth (Luke 1:65-66, John 1:23, Matthew 11:14).

Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; ⁶and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; ⁹and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
John the Baptist, Matthew 3:4-10

Who else? Look at what Paul has said:

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
St. Paul. Galatians 2:11

That man, Cephas, is in fact Simon Peter – one of the twelve disciples and one who might have been the most enthusiastic (John 18:10, Matthew 26:33-35, Matthew 16:15-18).

St. Paul was, on the other hand, an apostle who wore the honour of being the least of all (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Have you ever been in a position where you witnessed an elder of your church, or even the pastor, discriminating against and ostracising a certain type of person in the church?

Naturally, we are inclined to think it takes a special kind of courage to correct someone who has a greater reputation, but I am inclined to ask why.

Why does it take courage to approach someone who is greater when they are clearly in the wrong? It is because we are afraid of a wrathful response when their sin is exposed.

Who is a person that ever wants to be seen naked and exposed in their sinfulness? (Revelation 16:15). No, it isn’t “nobody”, even if that’s the last thing you’d expect.

In fact, Jesus tells us about a type of person who thrives on conviction:

But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Jesus Christ, John 3:21

That’s right. There is a type of person who is not only not afraid of coming forward to the light, but they are in fact attracted to the light so that their deeds can be proven as being wrought with a good conscience (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). Those are the ones who are practicing the truth. They are the ones who keep making decisions in line with their conscience. They are the ones who do not stand condemned (Romans 8:1).

But here we see in Galatians 2:11 that Simon Peter, the one whom Jesus had called blessed, is standing condemned!

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, ²⁰let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20

There must have been something uniquely Christ-like in both Paul’s approach and Peter’s response. There really must have been godly love. Nobody who is caught in sin will confess their fault unless they also trust the one who is bringing their deeds to light, and how can a person trust the one who is judging them if they have never seen judgment with mercy?

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
St. Paul, Colossians 4:6

Therefore if we are doing the work of reproving and restoring the lost with grace, through teaching the ways of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), then we are dealing in mercy rather than judgment. We are inspiring them to trust in repentance, which produces lawfulness from the natural volition of love (James 2:13, James 3:13, Galatians 5:22-23).

On the other hand, if we are judging a person so as to make them feel inadequate for their sinfulness, we are tempting their pride and reinforcing the condemnation that comes against a person who is found to be in opposition to the truth.

but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
St. James, James 4:11-12

Can you answer St. James’ rhetorical question?

Who are you when you are the one who judges your neighbour? See this:

behold, the Judge is standing before the door.
St. James, James 5:9

for the Law brings about wrath,
St. Paul, Romans 4:15

through the Law comes the knowledge of sin
St. Paul,Romans 3:20

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.
St. Paul, Romans 13:3

The power of a judge, (and in fact the whole purpose of a judge’s role), is to examine whether a person is guilty of breaking a law and then to pronounce their reasoning for having refused to pardon the accused (Matthew 7:1, James 2:13). Judgement comes only from a heart that desires to condemn.

The energy that propels a person to judge is of the essence of hate and wrath (Ephesians 2:3, Hebrews 12:9-10). When the condemnation is for sin, the penalty is everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
St. John, 1 John 3:15

On the other hand, love produces natural concern and a desire to teach a sinner how to avoid condemnation (Luke 6:34-37, John 15:13).

Therefore be patient, brethren, strengthen your hearts because the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain against one another so that you also may be not judged (James 2:13). Behold: the place where the judge stands is before the door!
St. James, James 5:9

Genesis 3:24 (LEB)

SoOr “And” he drove the man out, and placed cherubim east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming, turning sword“a flame of the sword which was turning” to guard the way to the tree of life.

1 John 4:18 (LEB)

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear includes punishment, and the one who is afraid has not been perfected in love.

1 John 3:15 (LEB)

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.

Matthew 26:33-35 (LEB)

But Peter answered andHere “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!”34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!”35Peter said to him, “Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Matthew 21:15-16 (LEB)

But whenHere “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple courtsHere “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant.16And they said to him, “Do you hear what these childrenThe word “children” is not in the Greek text but is implied are saying?” So Jesus said to them, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise’?”from Ps 8:2

Matthew 16:15-18 (LEB)

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16And Simon Peter answered andHere “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”17And Jesus answered andHere “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal thissupplied from English context to you, but my Father who is in heaven.18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it!

Matthew 23:2-3 (LEB)

saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.3Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do,“their deeds” for they tell others to do somethingThe words “others to do something” are not in the Greek text but are implied and do not do it themselves.*The words “it themselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied

Matthew 3:4-10 (LEB)

Now John himself had his clothing made from camel’s hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan were going out to him,6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as theyHere “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“confessed”) which is understood as temporal confessed their sins.7But when heHere “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!9And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!10Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 23:13 (LEB)

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees — hypocrites! — because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go inHere the present tense has been translated as voluntative (“wanting to go in”) to enter.The most important Greek manuscripts omit v. 14, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you devour widows’ houses and for show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.”

Matthew 7:1-2 (LEB)

The Sermon on the Mount: On Judging Others“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.2For by what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and by what measure you measure out, it will be measured out to you.

Matthew 18:18 (LEB)

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.

Matthew 11:11 (LEB)

Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 11:14 (LEB)

and if you are willing to accept it,*supplied from English context he is Elijah, the one who is going to come.

Matthew 7:1 (LEB)

The Sermon on the Mount: On Judging Others“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.

Matthew 23 (LEB)

Seven Woes Pronounced on the Scribes and PhariseesThen Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,

Mark 12:14-17 (LEB)

And when theyHere “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and you do not care what anyone thinks,“it is not a care to you concerning anyone” because you do not regard the opinion of people“because you do not look at the face of men” but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?”15But because heHere “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“knew”) which is understood as causal knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at it!”*supplied from English context16So they brought one.*supplied from English context And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.”17And Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” And they were utterly amazed at him.

Mark 1:22 (LEB)

A Man with an Unclean Spirit HealedAnd they were amazed at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Mark 1:7 (LEB)

And he was preaching, saying, “One who is more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down andHere “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“bend down”) has been translated as an infinitive untie the strap of his sandals.

Luke 12:13-14 (LEB)

The Parable of the Rich Landowner Who Was a FoolNow someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!”14But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

Luke 1:65-66 (LEB)

And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.66And all those who heard kept these thingssupplied from English context in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!”

Luke 6:34-37 (LEB)

And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what kind of credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal amount!35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!Some manuscripts have “also is merciful”37The Sermon on the Plain: On Judging Others“And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned.

John 5:41-44 (LEB)

“I do not accept gloryOr “honor” from people,42but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If another should come in his own name, you would accept that one!44How are you able to believe, if youHere “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“accept”) which is understood as conditional accept glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from the only God?

John 20:23 (LEB)

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sinsAn understood repetition of the phrase from earlier in the verse of any, they are retained.”

John 18:10 (LEB)

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. (Now the name of the slave was Malchus.)

John 15:13 (LEB)

No one has greater love than this: that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 1:23 (LEB)

He said, “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’from Isa 40:3 just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

John 3:21 (LEB)

But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, in order that his deeds may be revealed, that they are done in God.

Romans 3:20 (LEB)

For by the works of the law no person will be declared righteous“all flesh will not be declared righteous” before him, for through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 4:15 (LEB)

For the law produces wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

Romans 13:3 (LEB)

For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it,

Romans 8:1 (LEB)

Set Free from the Law of Sin and DeathConsequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:9 (LEB)

For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Galatians 5:22-23 (LEB)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 2:11 (LEB)

Paul Confronts Peter at AntiochBut when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was condemned.

Galatians 6:1 (LEB)

Carry One Another’s BurdensBrothers, even if a person is caught in some trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of humility, looking out for yourself, lest you also be tempted.

Ephesians 2:3 (LEB)

among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the willOr “desires” of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrathThis phrase is a Semitic idiom which can mean either (1) “children characterized by wrath” or (2) “children destined for wrath” by nature, as also the rest of them were.

Colossians 4:6 (LEB)

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 (LEB)

But you, brothers, are not in the darkness, so that the day should catch you like a thief,5for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (LEB)

and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved.11And because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion“a working of deceit” so that they will believe the lie,12in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 5:20 (LEB)

Reprove those who sin in the presence of all, in order that the rest also may experience fear.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (LEB)

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,17in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 12:9-10 (LEB)

Furthermore, we have had our earthly fathers“the flesh of our fathers” who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live?10For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness.

James 5:19-20 (LEB)

My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and someone turns him back,20he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that person’s“his,” but in context this refers to the sinner, not the person who turns the sinner back soul from death, and will cover over a great number of sins.

James 4:11-12 (LEB)

Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. The one who speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of the law.The words “of the law” are not in the Greek text, but are an understood repetition from the previous clause12There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your“the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun neighbor?

James 3:13 (LEB)

The Wisdom That Comes Down from AboveWho is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his“the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom.

James 2:13 (LEB)

For judgment is merciless to the one who has not practiced mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 5:9 (LEB)

Brothers, do not complain against one another, in order that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors!

Revelation 16:15 (LEB)

(Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!)

Revelation 2:7 (LEB)

The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.’

September 15, 2020 by Susannah

And a Child Shall Lead Them

“And a Little Child Shall Lead Them.” Isaiah 11:6

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ” Matthew 18:3 RSV

These are words of wisdom. They are direct and to the point—do this and this will happen—cause and effect. And certainly, if we truly want to go to heaven, we need precise directions. Being told to be “good” Christians is such vague advice. This verse offers us much more specific information. We must “turn and become like children.”

I assume that to “turn” means to change in a very unique way. Not by adopting new and never experienced attitudes, but by reclaiming a former way of feeling, thinking and behaving. One can visualize, with the aid of the verb “turn,” that we are being told to do an about-face and go back to where we started. This surprising advice reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son, in which to move on to a better and more fulfilling life, the son had to turn back to something he had abandoned.

What specifically are the characteristics or personality traits of children which make emulating them the key factor to our entry into “the kingdom of heaven”? Certainly not every personality trait is relevant. Will having a temper tantrum get me into heaven? I think not. However, using the imagery of the parent/child relationship and looking more closely at some of the qualities intrinsic to children, we can clarify the point Jesus is making.

One characteristic of children is the complete confidence they have in their parents. Children recognize and totally accept their dependence on their mother and father to provide food, clothes, shelter, and emotional support. As a result, children do not have to be encouraged to give credit where credit is due, or to believe and trust in their parents. It is not a soul searching experience, it is just reality.

As adults we must emulate this natural, spontaneous, unquestioning faith. We must not doubt God’s role as the provider of our “daily bread,” and we must not hesitate to believe and trust “Our Father who art in heaven.” The less our faith is compromised by doubt, the closer we are to being like innocent children, and the closer we are to the kingdom of heaven. In speaking of Corrie ten Boom, Jean Buckingham observed, “As a little girl believes her Daddy can do anything, so Corrie ten Boom trusts in God—even more. She is living proof of what happens when a woman—when any person—is filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Because children are dependent on their parents, they are (for the most part) obedient. They may seem somewhat rebellious and independent, but when push comes to shove they do as they are told. As adults, we too must be obedient to God. We may have our own ideas about how to live our lives, but in the last analysis we must say to God, “Thy will be done.”

Furthermore, because they trust in the omnipotence of their parents, children do not have as many fears as adults. For the normal child, life is carefree as long as parents are near at hand. As adults we too must take this brave attitude. Despite our awareness of the reality of evil in this world, if we are to have peace of mind (heaven here on earth), we must turn our fears over to God and never forget that God is with us always. Our state of mind should reflect our belief and trust in God’s love and power to carry us through.

In observing children, I have noticed that their perceptions of the world are based more on their feelings than their thoughts. They don’t analyze or think about their experiences, they just “feel” them. Adults can really take a cue from this. Feeling, I am convinced, is the most pleasurable way to experience God in our lives. The intellect can easily dismiss God.

In this age of scientific rational thought, thinking can be an unemotional activity which can leave us cold. Feelings, on the other hand, promote a bond of understanding between ourselves, other human beings and God. Feelings are universal and thoughts are unique to the particular ego. We all can experience God as love.

Children are also more intuitive than adults because they are less cluttered by ego-oriented, analytical thoughts. “Out of the mouths of babes shall come gems of wisdom.” The child’s gift of intuition is based on a lack of self-consciousness and doubt (both products of the thought process). Children are also more honest and don’t compromise their intuitive feelings. They just spontaneously share their perceptions.

To me this is illustrated beautifully in the fairy tale about the child who can see that the emperor has no clothes even though the adults around him are acting as if he is fully dressed. In the adult Christian, this can be seen as the evangelical experience, the spirit of God bursting from the human heart and lips, not the mind. We adults must seek to experience God more intuitively so that we can see to the heart of things. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God.”

Another noteworthy characteristic of children is the natural (ego-less) bond they feel with their parents. In their infancy, they feel completely at one with the mother and are not conscious of themselves as separate human beings. The development of the ego, which results in the consciousness of self and later preoccupation (or obsession) with self, has not yet separated them. Later, the bond between parent and child is based more on love but they always retain the memory of feeling totally at one with their parent.

This reminds me of Adam and Eve, before their expulsion from the Garden, when they had no sense of separateness from God, when communion with God was a way of life, and when self-will had not yet spawned disobedience. In many ways, entering the kingdom of heaven is like finding our way back to the Garden and bringing to our lives that feeling of oneness with God. This can happen with the deflation of our ego, that part of us that can only see ourselves and therefore cannot see God. In turning away from being ego centered, we can return to the state of being like a child. We can perceive ourselves as being one with God.

Another aspect of the child’s personality which adults should emulate is the wonderful lack of prejudice and preconceived notions. Unlike the average adult, the happy, well-adjusted child wants to touch and embrace everybody without discrimination. And they do just that until the parent begins to socialize them into the mores of their particular culture by separating them from the “unacceptable.”

In a multiethnic community such as Berkeley, I have been privileged to see what happens when you place young children of various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds in the same room. They don’t waste any time getting acquainted and have no inhibitions about enjoying each other’s company. They are easily able to transcend the barriers that adults might erect in a similar situation.

We grownups can learn from the “open-arms” attitude of children. We can set aside our prejudices and experience brotherhood in the full sense of the word. This can be a major milestone in our journey to the kingdom of heaven. Prejudice is the product of fear and intolerance. It has no place where love rules supreme. Ask any child.

Finally, we should note that children are more teachable and enthusiastic about learning new things. If you do not believe me, just sit down and play with youngsters and see how anxious they are to learn how to hold a paintbrush, stack blocks, and read a book. Many adults only want to learn new things grudgingly.

More often than not, they are closed-minded and full of outdated information. To enter the kingdom of heaven, we must be willing to be molded by God—or to transcend our limited notion of who we are and how we relate to the universe. And we would do well to reach out joyously for what God wants us to learn. For it is through lessons learned along life’s way that we are shown the way to heaven.

It is obvious that there is much to be learned from the ways of children. In becoming more dependent, obedient, trusting, intuitive, tolerant, teachable and less analytical we are humbling ourselves before God.

Isaiah 11:6 (LEB)

And a wolf shall stay“dwell as an alien” with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie down with a kid, and a calf and a lion and a fatling together as a small boy leads“and a small boy leading” them.

Matthew 18:3 (LEB)

and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven!

September 9, 2020 by hldude

Do They Really See Him In Us?

“Do They Really See Him In Us?”

1 John 4:11-12 NLT

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

I have to really wonder how often unbelievers really see God in and through us. As I consider all the ways we tend to live our lives each day as proclaimed followers of God, I just have to question whether or not we are striving for others to see Him in us? It seems like we get so focused not only on how we want things, but also on how we want others to know how we feel about certain things.

I just have to wonder with all the different opinions that we feel we need to share and get others to hear from us, how often are we really concerned how much God is showing through? In all of my years of experience with secular work and working in ministry, it breaks my heart how so often His love is not expressed through how we treat one another.

Think about this passage and read it over and over again, pondering what it is saying. God loved us way more than we’ll ever understand. He came to die for us and that is the greatest act of love anyone has ever expressed. What does that mean to us? Does it overwhelm us? Does it move us to the point where we stop focusing so much on what we want and what we think and focus on loving others as He commanded us to?

I go to work each day and I just so often wonder if others are seeing God in me in some way. I wonder if they notice something different in the ways that I treat others. Sometimes, I don’t know if they see God at all in me as there are times that I don’t handle things well at all and say things I should keep to myself. Working in the secular world for so many years has taught me so much and it has challenged me to think more about how I am around non-believers.

Loving each other is probably one of the biggest challenges we face in being the church God wants us to be. Why is that so hard? Sure, we have differences, but why can we not just love each other as He has called us to do? That’s been a prayer and cry of my heart for years. I’m sure it has been for many of you as well.

I hope that you and I will deeply desire for others to see God’s love in and through us. We need to work a lot hard on loving each other, especially when challenges arise. We need to love others as best as we can, even if we don’t get along. If we really want others to see God in us, we will obey His command with a passion in our hearts to sincerely love one another.

Weekly Devotional Blog Site www.zwdevotions.com

1 John 4:11-12 (LEB)

Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us and his love is perfected in us.