A Kingdom Truth

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Jesus often said, “He who has ears, let him hear.” When I read those words, I get the impression that the Savior wants me to pay attention. Something important has been said, or is going to be said. So I perk up and take notice.

But I also remember words that my earthy Father used to say, “Words are cheap.” There’s truth to that too. How does hearing a few words heal heartache? How will they help a marriage that has turned sour? Can they really help a business that is drowning in red ink? The sick? The lonely? The guilty?

Jesus painted a picture with His words in Mark 4. He held up a seed and said that a farmer doesn’t know how a tiny seed grows, but it does, with or without his knowledge. “This is what the kingdom of God is like,” He said. Then He took a smaller seed, a mustard seed, and contrasted it with large plant with branches big enough to handle birds sitting on them. Seeds are small when planted, yet they produce harvests and large plants.

What a great example of the Word of God planted in your heart! Jesus didn’t offer these farming examples to broaden your understanding of agriculture or horticulture. He intended to plant kingdom truth in your heart. His Word, like a seed, doesn’t seem like much. But it is the power of God! Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes” [Romans 1:16].

Just think. His Word, the Gospel, is the power of God. Because of that, He sprouts faith, grows faith, and fills your life with faith. Like a tiny seed that grows, the Word of God fills your life with the bounty of His fruit, and makes your limbs strong. 

He who has ears, let him hear!

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” 30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”  Mark 4:26-32

Praise God For…

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I love the Psalms. They inspire and instruct. Take praise, for example. You would be hard pressed to find another book of the Bible that encourages you to praise the Lord as they do. Not only are you inspired to praise God, you are often instructed what to praise Him for. And I like that. It helps me to think about who God is and what He can do. 

This morning I was reading through the Psalms in my devotional time. Among the chapters was Psalm 145. It’s a perfect example of inspiration and instruction. It offers many reasons to praise the Lord. Here are four that stand out:

• Pause to Praise the Lord for His GOODNESS

“They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (Psalm 145:7).

Take a look around you right now. You have: Family, Friends, Shelter, Clothing, Food, Transportation, and a lot more. All evidence of God’s goodness. Praise Him for it!

• Pause to Praise the Lord for His GRACE

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8).

As sinful as we are, God has shown us His undeserved love. He sent Jesus to cover our sin, to die for us. Praise God for His grace!

• Pause to Praise the Lord for His FAITHFULNESS

“The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made” (Psalm 145:13).

Just a couple verses after this, the psalmist mentioned how all creation looks to God to provide for all its needs, and since the beginning of the world God has been faithful to “satisfy the desires of every living thing” (verse 16). God keeps His word. Praise God for His faithfulness!

• Pause to Praise the Lord for His JUSTICE

“The LORD watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy” (Psalm 145:20).

We struggle at times to make sense of evil in the world; terrorists, identity thieves, criminals that harm us directly or indirectly. We desire justice and wonder if it will ever come. Remember, God is just, and justice for evil will come. Praise the Lord for His justice…and the love He shows to us by not treating us as our sins deserve.

With a little thought, you begin to realize a brief pause is not enough to give God all the praise He deserves each and every day. “Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord; everyone, PRAISE THE LORD” (Psalm 150:6).

My mouth is filled with GOD’S praise. Let everything living bless Him, bless His holy name from now to eternity! Psalm 145:21

It’s the Heart

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I have a little exercise for you this morning. I’d like you to take an inventory of everything you own; your car, your bank accounts, your clothing, everything. Picture it in your mind. Got it? Now let me remind you of two biblical truths…

All the stuff is temporary and doesn’t go with you when you leave this life for the next. Don’t believe me? Well, ask any mortician! When John D. Rockefeller died, his accountant was asked, “How much did John leave.” He replied, “All of it.” Maybe you’ve heard this maxim: He who dies with the most toys wins. Here’s my reply: He who dies with the most toys is dead!

All the stuff, you can't take it with you. And you know what else? All the stuff doesn’t define you. Who you are isn’t determined by what you’ve collected. You are more than your clothing or accumulated things. Jesus said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” [Luke 12:15].

Heaven will not recognize you by what you’ve accumulated; a big house, the latest gadgetry, the number of people following you on Twitter, or the number of friends you have on FaceBook. Heaven knows only one thing…heaven knows your heart! 

We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. Ecclesiastes 5:15 NLT

God of Your Tuesday

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I woke up early this morning, Tuesday morning, and my Bible reading was from the book of Philippians. I read it three times. My soul again refreshed. There was a verse that captured my attention as it has done many times. It talked about what you and I can do with Christ on our side. 

As I pondered that for a while, it reminded me of some other things that I’ve read recently. 

• The Hubble Space Telescope sends images of galaxies over ten billion light years away. [For you math maniacs, that’s 10 Billion X 6 trillion miles. Now doesn't that just bless your day!]
• The star Betelgeuse has a diameter of one hundred million miles, which is larger than earth’s orbit around the sun. [Another blessing, I'm sure!]

Why such immensity? Why such vastness? Why such unused space? I have a theory. So that you and I, freshly amazed, can confidently say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The God of galaxies is the God of my Tuesday. And yours!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

The Remedy We Need

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Yesterday was Sunday, what many Christ followers call the “Day of Worship.” I hope you did that; that is, I hope you worshiped the Lord in spirit and in truth. Worship works, and it has remarkable effects on worshipers. For one thing, worship lowers the chin of the proud, but raises the soul of the brokenhearted. It lifts the shoulders of the burdened and straightens the backbone of the weak. 

Worship rightly positions the worshiper. Oh how we need that! You’ve heard it before, I’m sure…we walk through a lot of life “bent out of shape.” We think too highly of ourselves or not highly enough. Ten-talent people swagger. They often think that God is lucky to have them on His team. Two-talent people struggle. They often conclude that God is through putting up with them. 

Both of these are wrong and can be repaired. The remedy is worship. 

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! Psalm 22:23

The Hour of His Glory

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Take a moment and find some synonyms for the word “glory.” You probably found words like: adore, exalt, wonder, brilliance, grandeur, beauty. Every one of these words are true of Jesus. However, one time when His glory was revealed, it came so differently. To use a word from my grandkids, it was “wonky” glory—backwards-and-upside-down.

We typically think that glory comes with fame and honor, not in shame and dishonor; from being a winner, not a loser. We think it comes with power and authority, not in weakness and humiliation.

So let’s take a moment and see how different it was for Jesus when He came to His “hour of glory.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man” — to be crushed under the pressure of carrying the weight of the world’s sins, making his sweat pores drip blood — “to be glorified.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man” — to feel the traitor’s lips on His cheek, and to have the eyes of a “kangaroo court” sear Him with glares of hatred — “to be glorified.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man” — to feel the hammer-like blows of raw knuckles and calloused hands; to experience thorns pressed into His scalp; to hear the sound of steel against nails; to sense the force of a hammer driving Him into the wood of an old rugged cross — “to be glorified.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man” — to feel abandoned by His Father; to have a cold, rock slab in a tomb pressed against His skin — “to be glorified.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man” — to experience a rush of air whisk back into His dead lungs; to triumphantly step out of a dark tomb and into the light of day — “to be glorified.”

The Son of Man came to that hour for you. Live in the light of it. Walk circumspectly. Be holy. Speak truthfully. Live honorably. Serve humbly. Rejoice abundantly. Live in a manner pleasing to the glorified Lord!

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23

The Priority of Patience

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The apostle Paul elevated patience as the premier expression of love. In writing to the Corinthian Christ followers, patience was the first in his descriptive assessment of love. It overshadowed kindness, non-jealous, non-prideful, and a host of other important aspects of love. 

The Greek word for patience in 1 Corinthians 13, makrothumeo, is the same word Peter used to describe God’s patience toward people. However, the translators rendered it “long-suffering” [2 Peter 3:9]. It is a very descriptive word meaning, to take a long time to boil.

Think about that for a moment. What is the main factor for the speed of boiling water? Is it the size of your stove? No, it’s the size of the flame. Water boils faster, the higher the flame. It boils slower, the lower the flame. Metaphorically speaking, patience keeps the burner set on low. 

Is that a helpful clarification? Patiences is neither oblivious nor naive. It doesn’t ignore irritants. It just keeps the fire low. It waits. It listens. It’s slow to boil. That’s how God deals with us, and how we should deal with others.

Love is patient.  1 Corinthians 13:4

A Wonderful Savior

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The Pharisees watched Jesus as He interacted with the people of His day. They just could not come to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. They didn’t recognize Him as the Promised One who would rescue them from sin’s curse and give them total victory over their enemies. In other words, they rejected Him as Messiah.

To prove their point, they proffered Jesus’ activity of having a meal with people of ill-repute, tax collectors and the like—sinners. In their twisted logic, if Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed One, He would know the kind of people He was associating with, and would avoid them like the plague. 

Jesus would have none of that. He answered His critics with a healthy dose of logic, “Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do.” Those pious Pharisees considered themselves to be healthy, spiritually speaking, because they strived to live good lives through the sacrifices of the Law. They had no need of a Savior. At least they didn’t think they did. So Jesus wasn’t much help to them. He couldn’t help them because they would not acknowledge their guilt before God. 

Since they were knowledgeable of the Scriptures, Jesus quoted one. It was penned by the prophet Hosea, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices” [Hosea 6:6]. That was the solution to their sin problem, and ours too. The Messiah shows mercy to those who sincerely admit their sin and trust Him to save them from eternal separation. 

Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. That’s me, and you too. That’s our Jesus—a wonderful Savior.

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” 12 When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”  Matthew 9:10-13

Our Righteous God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

God made Himself known to us by means of His many attributes. The Psalmist declared, “He is…righteous.” That’s who God is. He went on to say, “His righteousness endures forever” [Psalm 112:3] and, “reaches to the sky” [Psalm 71:19]. 

God is righteous, and everything He does is righteous. His decrees are righteous [Romans 1:32]. His judgment is righteous [Romans 2:5]. His acts are righteous [Daniel 9:16]. Daniel declared, “God is right in everything He does” [Daniel 9:14].

God is right about everything and every action. He has never made a wrong decision, had a wrong attitude, walked down the wrong path, done or said the wrong thing, or acted in the wrong way. He has never been too late or too early, too fast or too slow, too loud or too soft.

He has alway been and will always be right. That is the God we love and serve. That is the God Christ followers strive to be like. We can be more like Him when we are full of His Spirit. Paul said it this way, “…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” [Romans 14:17]. 

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion and righteous. Psalm 112:4 

Parched

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Have you ever been thirsty - really thirsty? The only thing your body craves is water. 

Christ followers know the soul is like that too. Your soul can get dehydrated if you don’t get enough spiritual water. Parched hearts make for desperate living. Demanding tempers. Tumultuous worry. Gnarling guilt. Paralyzing  fear — none of which reflect the way God wants you to live your life. 

Resentment. Sleeplessness. Loneliness. Irritability. Insecurity. All of these are indications of a dry, thirsty soul. So take a big gulp [not from 7-11]. Flood your soul with a giant swallow of spiritual water. 

Where do you find it? Jesus said, “If you’re thirsty, come to me and drink” [John 7:37].

Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. John 4:14 - The MESSAGE Paraphrase

Worthy Sacrifice

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The people of Corinth knew about sporting events. Every other year, athletes from the city of Corinth participated in the Isthmian Games, which were second in popularity only to the Olympics. Paul used those games as an illustration to Christ followers in reaching out with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever seen the training habits of someone who is a world class athlete? Their training starts in the morning and continues all day, sometimes until the dark of night. What keeps them motivated? They keep their eyes on the prize. 

Christ followers also exercise self-discipline striving to share the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. We spend time taking part in the ministry of our local congregations. We hone our spiritual gifts in Bible Study so that we can capably share our faith. We give generously for outreach work done in our hometowns and throughout the world. Why such sacrifices? We know that the Holy Spirit uses our temporary earthly sacrifices to bring people to saving faith in Christ so they may have an eternal prize in heaven. Our sacrifices are worth it!

As you begin this new week, take time to reflect on the great gift that God has given to you in Jesus Christ. Then make every effort to live for Him and share what He has done for you.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Just A-Passin’ Through: Reach for the Eternal

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Time management specialists, both sacred and secular, talk about the importance of setting goals. Goal setting is important for a variety or reasons, not the least of which is to focus your energy on a desired end. And sometimes, it's not that important to reach your goal. As the old adage says, “I’d rather shoot for the moon and miss, than shoot at nothing and hit it!”

I want to add a caveat here. Go ahead and aim high. Strive to reach your goals in life. But remember this, your time on earth is a temporary assignment. An old hymn says it well, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.” Knowing that will radically alter the value you put on the earthly and help to fix your attention on the really important matter of the eternal. 

My Jr. Boys Sunday School teacher taught us a short poem:

Only one life, will soon be past

Only what’s done for Christ will last. 

A common error among Christ followers is to assume that God’s goals for you include prosperity, success, and power. Those are the kinds of goals that earthly-minded people shoot for. Christ’s promise of “abundant life” is not a guarantee that you will have a successful career and a fully diversified retirement portfolio. So don’t focus on those kinds of temporary “crowns.”

Paul was a faithful Christ follower who set goals. One of them included a missionary trip to Spain [see Romans 15:24-28 — it’s up for debate whether or not he achieved that goal], yet he ended up in a Roman prison. John the Baptizer was faithful too, but he was beheaded in Herod’s palace. Countless Christ followers have been martyred throughout history, many very recently. Some have come to the end of life with very little of the earth to show for it. But remember, this isn’t all there is…we’re “just a-passin’ through.”

When we come to the end of our time on earth, we’re not leaving home, we’re going home!

We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Second-Hand Spirituality

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Maybe you’ve tried to have a daily quiet time but it hasn’t been consistent or successful. Perhaps you’ve set up prayer times only to have them turn into nap-time. Some of you have a hard time concentrating while others are just plain too busy to spend quality time with God, listening to His voice. So you settle for Option Two, what I call, “Second-Hand Spirituality.” Second-Hand Spirituality is where you let other Christ followers spend time with God, listen to His voice, and then you try to benefit from their experience. You let them tell you what God is saying rather than hearing it for yourself. After all, isn’t that what preachers and elders are for!

Is yours a first-hand experience with God, or do you have Second-Hand Spirituality? If you answered, “Second-Hand,” I’d like to challenge you with this question: Do you do that in other areas of your life? Do you let other people take a vacation for you? Do you go to a restaurant and let others eat for you? Most likely not! 

There  are certain things that should never be done on your behalf…most importantly, spending time with God.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

Come, Let Us Worship

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

It has been 2,000 years since Jesus stopped at a well and spoke with a woman about worship [see John 4:4-26]. She had some issues with worship, and the Lord had to help her through them. I’m not so sure that we’ve worked all the kinks out of our worship either. We struggle in prayer, fumble through Scripture, question whether to kneel or stand, to raise or lower our hands and voices; all that to say, worship is a daunting task. 

That’s why I like the Psalms. It’s like a worship manual for God’s people. It’s a collection of hymns, prayers, laments, petitions, and praises with one thing in common — they were written for a heart that is hungry for God! 

The variety reminds us that worship is profoundly personal. There is no secret formula for the perfect worship scenario. What moves you closer to God may cause another to withdraw, because we each worship differently — but worship we must!

Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Psalm 95:6-7

Good Behavior

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The most effective way to study your Bible is to simply ask two questions as you read: What does the Bible say? How do I live it out? Both are important, but living it out is the highest goal because knowledge without behavior is useless. It’s not enough to hear, or know, what the Bible says, you must do what it says. 

Take Joshua, for example. He knew the importance of behavior—living out the Word of God. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” [Joshua 1:8].

That was sound advice. The key to Joshua’s great success was a people who obeyed the words they received by living them out.

James basically said the same thing. He told his readers to be “doers of the word.” He wasn’t asking them for periodic obedience, but for habitual obedience. Running in a race or teaching a class is one thing, but being a runner and a teacher is something else; runners are known for running and teachers for teaching. You might say it this way, what they do is characteristic of their lives. That should be said of every Christ follower—obeying biblical truth is characteristic of their lives.

Your testimony of loving Christ has the highest meaning only as you obey what He said to do in the Bible. A doer of the Word obeys what Scripture says. That’s good behavior.

Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22

A Humble, Teachable Heart

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

There is so much to our salvation, and the Scriptures speak about it in terms of the past, present, and future. We have been saved from the penalty of sin [past - salvation], we are being saved saved from the power of sin [present - sanctification], and one day, we will be saved from the presence of sin [future - glorification]. 

In the book that bears his name, James talks about the “implanted Word,” which is able to save our souls. At first glance, we may think it to mean salvation from the penalty of sin. Upon closer examination, it is a reference to the present and ongoing process of “being saved,” our sanctification, which is nurtured by the Word of God in you. It is a source of power and growth for your life in Christ. It goes without saying, we are responsible to humbly received it so that it may do its sanctifying work in our lives. 

James exhorts us to receive the Word humbly. The Greek word has many meanings: “meek,” “gentle,” “willing spirit;” but I prefer the word “teachable.” A humble heart is teachable, willing to lay aside pride to learn from the truth of the Word, and to apply it to all of life. 

Paul told the Colossian Christ followers to “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom…and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” [Colossians 3:16-17].

As you start this new week, may the Lord bless you with a teachable spirit and an ever-increasing love for the Word of God.

A humble heart is a teachable heart.

In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21

Come and See

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Philip was called to be a disciple the day after Jesus called two sets of brothers, James & John and Andrew & Simon [Peter]. He was from a small village on the north coast of the Sea of Galilee, Bethsaida. It’s very likely that they knew each other.

The first thing we learn about Philip is his enthusiasm in bringing others to Christ. When he became a Christ follower, the first thing we read about him is that he found Nathanael. “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” [John 1:45]. 

He couldn’t contain his joy. He had found the long-awaited Messiah and was thrilled at his discovery. The news was so good, in fact, he could not keep it to himself. He reached out to Nathanael, most likely one of his friends, and told him about Jesus. 

Nathanael wasn’t as thrilled as Philip. It’s fair to say he had his doubts. “Nazareth!,” he blurted out, “Can anything good come from that place?” [John 1:46].

Have you found yourself in Philip’s position? You’re confident in your conviction about Jesus and want others to know Him, but when you talk with them, they are less enthusiastic, even skeptical? 

Perhaps you think there is little you can do to reduce their skepticism. And you may be right. But you can do what Philip did. “Come and see,” he told Nathanael. I don’t have answers to all your questions. I can’t resolve all your objections, but come see for yourself. Come to church with me. Come over to my house and we’ll talk about it. Let me introduce you to some friends of mine who may have answers for you. Meet my pastor. Come see for yourself that Jesus is the Savior of the world — your Savior, in fact! 

Philip found his friend, shared with him the news about Jesus, and invited him to come and see Jesus. He wanted his friend to have the joy of knowing Jesus. Isn’t that your desire too!

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these … Philip … Matthew 10:3

The Beloved John

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

John was a member of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, joining James, his brother, and Peter.  John was the closest to Jesus of the three. He was “the disciple whom Jesus loved” [John 19:26]. Sure, Jesus loved them all, but there seemed to be a special bond between Jesus and John.  

John was enthralled with the undeserved love of God for the whole world. It was he who wrote the passage that Martin Luther called the gospel in a nutshell, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life" [John 3:16]. 

In love, God sent His Son from heaven to ransom those lost in a sin-sick world. In John, Jesus found a heart of love. Listen to these powerful exhortations of love; “We love because He first loved us” [1 John 4:19] … “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” [1 John 3:11].

While the other disciples scattered in fear when Jesus was arrested and sent to the high priest, John followed and stayed with his Lord to the bitter end. He was at the foot of the cross, close to Jesus while He was in agony. John loved Jesus so much, he remained loyal to the Lord, even as Jesus faced death.  

Like the other apostles, we are sometimes just not there when the Redeemer of the world has work for us to do.  Sometimes we're not close enough to the Savior to even know what His will is for us. What we need to do is what John did. We need to come to the foot of the cross and gaze at the One who shed his innocent blood on our behalf - the blood that frees us from sin and death. 

In His blood we find freedom — not to be free from Him, but to freely serve the one who loved us so much. We are like John; we are disciples whom Jesus loves!

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these … John … Matthew 10:2

Faithful James

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

William Steuart McBirnie was the Chancellor of the Seminary I attended years ago. He was a bright man with several post-graduate degrees. One of the books he wrote was, “The Search for the Twelve Apostles.” In the book, he traced the lives and death of the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. I have referred to that book many times for information and inspiration from their stories.

James is an inspiring one. He was one of the inner group within the Twelve. Together with his brother, John, and Peter, he enjoyed a special relationship with Jesus. Peter, James, and John were privileged to be with the Lord on several occasions when the others were not included.

He was in the death chamber of Jairus’ daughter. He saw the Lord take the lifeless hand of that young girl and command, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And she did! [Luke 8:40-56] He personally witnessed the One who had power over death. That would play an important role in his life just a short time from then.

After the Lord rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, James became one of the leaders of the church. His word and counsel were highly respected in the Christian and apostolic community. However, it wouldn’t be very long before this beloved apostle would taste the bitterness of the persecution of the early New Testament church. 

It was Herod Agrippa who wanted to suppress the growing Christian community. So he seized James and put him to death by the sword [Acts 12:1-2]. I think James' heart had been strengthened over the years by his close contact with Christ. That helped him to courageously face his execution. 

I want to be like James. I want a be close to Jesus like he was. I want a strong heart so that, in life, or death, I will please Him in every respect. I know you do too!

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these … James son of Zebedee … Matthew 10:2

Good Ol’ Pete

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Someone said the only thing consistent about Peter was his inconsistency. He could go from high to low in a heartbeat. Like the stormy day on the Sea of Galilee. One minute, faith-filled, he walked on water. The next minute, fear-filled, he sank. Or take the Upper Room. One minute he didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. The next minute, he blurted out, “Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" One minute he promised he would die before ever forsaking the Lord. The next minute, cursing like a sailor — or like a fisherman in this case — he vehemently swore he had never even heard of Jesus. One minute he lashed out with his dagger to defend Jesus. The next minute, like a coward, he ran away. Consistently inconsistent, that’s good ol’ Pete.

How quick we are to point out Peter’s inconsistency and often overlook our own. One minute we’re deeply religious. The next minute, we’re a million miles away. One minute our minds are made up to be a faithful disciple of Christ. The next minute, we lose our resolve and fall back into the same sinful habits.

If it were up to me, I’d have wiped my hands of Peter. But not Jesus! When Peter sank, Jesus reached out and lifted him up. When Peter denied the Lord, the Lord graciously restored him. I don’t think Peter ever got over the depth of Christ’s love and forgiveness offer to him. Later, he would write to dispersed and suffering Christ followers, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” [1 Peter 5:10].

Like ol’ Pete, we are called to be disciples of Jesus. And because the Lord died on the cross of Calvary and rose from a cold, dark tomb, there is sufficient grace to live like one. 

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter… Matthew 10:2