RECONCILED

2 Corinthians 5:18
All this newness of life is from God,
who brought us back to himself
through what Christ did.
And God has given us the task
of reconciling people to him.



In Bogota, Columbia, there is a Church called the Church of the Penitents that was built over 300 years ago by penitents who carried up two bricks for each sin committed. Now, if you think that penitent behavior reduces or removes your sins, you'd be sadly mistaken. You can only have new life in Christ Jesus if you allow Him to cleanse you of your sins in disobedience to God. Under no circumstance can we take credit for our being cleansed, which is why personal penitence is meaningless. Ephesians 2:8 teaches us, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” For one to have a new life in God, a person must understand that there aren’t enough works for us to do that would be worthy. Only God is powerful enough to reach down and reconcile man to Himself.

THE THRONE

Job 23:3
If only I knew where to find God,
I would go to his throne
and talk with him there.



When Job was facing the most daunting problems he had ever faced, he had nowhere to go and nobody to lean upon. His body was covered with boils and the only way rest and sleep was to lay in ashes. Regardless of Job's woes, he still desired to go to God and fellowship with Him. The President of The Navigators once said, “If you are suffering without succeeding, then someone will succeed after you. If you are succeeding without suffering, then someone suffered before you.” Job showed us how to survive through deep suffering and how to be blessed beyond imagination by going to His throne despite the pain. Follow Job’s lead and go to God when you’re suffering. Are you suffering today in any way?

RESIST

James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God.
Resist the Devil,
and he will flee from you.



The devil is like a roaring lion seeking whomever he may devour. It may even seem scary, but it really isn’t because John taught us in 1 John 4:4, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight with these false prophets, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” We may say that we are weak to fight the temptations of the devil, but Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” The victory is already yours; all you have to do now is resist the Devil.

DESTINY

Psalm 25:12
Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the
path they should choose.



I was asked by a graduating senior how to choose the right things in life and to know for sure if your choice was correct. My answer was if you don’t know what to do, ask The One who knows what to do. The only One who knows everything is God. King David said that those who fear the Lord would be shown the path to choose. This was later taught by Solomon in Proverbs 9:10, “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.” If you want to know your destiny you have to walk closely with The One who knows your destiny and ask for the wisdom to understand the choices before you. Is your walk with God close enough for you to hear His voice and instruction?

FINISHED

John 19:30
When Jesus had tasted it,
he said, "It is finished!"
Then he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.



I once heard this story about two men, a Christian and an unsaved soul, discussing how to get into Heaven. The Christian asked the other man, “Want to know the big difference between your religion and mine?” The other man replied, “Sure, what is it?” The saved man said, “Yours has two letters in it, while mine has four.” The other man asked, “What do you mean?” The Christian responded, “Well, yours says ‘Do’ while mine says ‘Done.’” Religion is man’s way of reaching up to connect with God while Christianity is God’s effort to reach down to the sinful world. When He saved man, Jesus completed the work when hanging on the cross. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” You just have to receive Jesus in your life as Savior and the work is done. Is God's finished work in your life apparent to those around you?

PREACH

2 Corinthians 4:5
We don't go around preaching about ourselves;
we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.
All we say about ourselves is that we are your
servants because of what Jesus has done for us.



I feel passionate about every Christian reaching out to share the Gospel. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” I’d read a story about a building contractor that was saved by the Lamb. The builder said to all of his carpenters, plumbers, and painters, “Boys, we are having a meeting down at the church. Nobody will work on my job here from 10 to 11am.” One worker said, “I don't care to go to church. I’ll stay here and work.” The contractor replied, “Nobody is going to work on my job while the preacher is down at my church trying to have a revival. We are all going down there.” Now there’s an example of a man that passionately wants people to hear the Gospel. What have you personally been doing to make sure the Gospel is shared with the unsaved?

FOOLISH DISCUSSIONS

1 Timothy 6:20-21
Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you.
Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those
who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.
Some people have wandered from
the faith by following such foolishness.
May God's grace be with you all.



God has entrusted us the with Holy Word, the Bible, which unfortunately is also being used by those that would like to destroy the true body of Christ. If you recall the temptation of Jesus Christ, Satan actually quoted scriptures to tempt Jesus. He told Jesus that according to the Bible, angels will always rescue the Christ as it was written in Psalm 91:12. Get to know the Word of God and you’ll be able to recognize a counterfeit. I’ve seen people that have entertained false applications of the Bible and were made to believe that they were even teaching truths. Many of those have distanced themselves from the church or have ceased to truly study the Word. When the time comes, will you be able to spot a counterfeit?

SECRET PLAN

Colossians 2:2
My goal is that they will be encouraged and
knit together by strong ties of love.
I want them to have full confidence because
they have complete understanding
of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself.



God's secret plan was revealed over 2,000 years ago. However, modern people are still blinded by the greedy and deceitful one, Satan. I once read about man who said, “Just look at that cathedral being built! What’s it going to cost? Maybe millions? It would be a better credit to the folks who are building it if they’d improve the lot of the people who live in the slums down here.” There is no wrong in building a huge edifice for God, but we mustn’t forget what’s most important – that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost because he loves his brothers and sisters. Our main purpose is to share God’s Secret Plan, Jesus Christ, with the world. Tell the people about the God's Secret Plan. Who was the last person you shared God's Secret Plan with?

FAVOR

2 Corinthians 12:9
Each time he said,
"My gracious favor is all you need.
My power works best in your weakness."
So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may work through me.



The quicker that we humble ourselves and recognize that we need God, the faster we can avail of His gracious favor. Paul is joyful about his weaknesses because he knew that the power of God’s gracious favor takes effect when we reach out to Him at our weakest point. A surgeon once asked a young assisting doctor, “Who do you consider the most important person in this room?” The intern was caught by surprise and replied, “You are, Sir.” The doctor shook his head in disagreement and the intern changed his response to, “Well, I suspect it would be the nurses who assist you, sir.” The surgeon said, “No, the most important individual in this operating room is the patient.” Similarly, when we give our life over to God recognizing that we are weak, we immediately get His attention and His favor. Do you have God's favor in your life right now?

WORTHLESS

Proverbs 6:12
Here is a description of worthless and
wicked people: They are constant liars.



We can use words in one of two ways, words that speak truth or words that speak lies. Every word we speak represents the kind of person we are in the balance between truth and lies. King Solomon described people who constantly lie as worthless and wicked. The reason that this speaks truth is that a person that constantly lies has the potential to bring destruction to whatever he is involved with. Lies bring death to relationships, endeavors and investments, but the truth will always bring life. When Satan injected lies into the hearts of man, man fell into sin. The Bible teaches us in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When Jesus came, we were revived because John 14:6 tells us, “Jesus told him, I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.” If you want your life to be valuable, abide in Him. In the balance of words, do you more often find yourself speaking lies or truths?

NO FOOD

Proverbs 20:4
If you are too lazy to plow
in the right season,
you will have no food
at the harvest.



More often than not, people find themselves hungry because of their own laziness. Proverbs 20:4 is an exciting work challenge to everyone. The simple solution to having food to eat is simply to work. According to a "rapid-decision making" research project conducted at the University of Southern California, people process information up to 20 percent faster when they are standing up and actively moving around. Not standing or moving, however, provides numerous disadvantages. There’s really no virtue in laziness or indolence. Are you lazy about what you need to be doing? Why haven't you completed the task?

LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST

Ephesians 2:2
You used to live just like
the rest of the world, full of sin,
obeying Satan, the mighty
prince of the power of the air.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts
of those who refuse to obey God.



A life without Christ is cursed. The Bible is clear that without Him, you live just like the rest of the world – obeying Satan. You may not personally agree with this premise, but the Bible is very clear. Be sure to remember what 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns each of us about, “But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.” The only way to have a blessed life is to have Jesus Christ in your heart and life. Are you allowing Jesus Christ to rule in every aspect of your life?

DESTRUCTION

2 Peter 2:3
In their greed they will make up
clever lies to get hold of your money.
But God condemned them long ago,
and their destruction is on the way.



I am sure that no one has ever wishfully dreamed of being destroyed. The Bible is very clear, however, in 2 Peter 2:3 that greed and deceit are a surefire way to achieve self-destruction. Tolstoy’s How Much Land Does a Man Need is about a peasant farmer who was offered all the land he desired for a really low cost, but on the one condition that he was required to walk about his land all day returning to his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning, the peasant began walking out further and further away from his starting point so that he’d be able to cover all of his new land. As the sun began to set, he began to sprint back to his starting point as fast as he could. With his heart pounding hard and exhausted from the day’s walk, he suddenly collapsed and died. By the next day, the peasant farmer was buried in a grave that was six feet long, three feet wide and six feet deep – all the land that a man would need at death. Don’t let greed into your life or thoughts because greed marks the beginning of your ending.

BROKEN AND REPENTANT

Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice you want
is a broken spirit.
A broken and repentant heart,
O God, you will not despise.



J. Wilbur Chapman, an American evangelist and revivalist minister, once told a story about a young girl who ran away from home and lived a life of sin. Her mother sought the help of her daughter’s friend to search for her. This friend took a number of photographs of the searching mother and placed the words words, “COME BACK,” beneath her grieving face. Together, they posted these photos all over the nearby red light district. When the daughter saw the sad face of her mother and the words, “COME BACK,” tears began to run down her face. She returned home weeping and broken. When she put her hand on the knob, she found that the door was left unlocked. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said, “My dear child, the door has never been locked since you went away.” Remember that God is always ready to welcome you home, no matter what we you've done. All you have to do is actually come back.

ENVY

Luke 10:40
But Martha was worrying over
the big dinner she was preparing.
She came to Jesus and said,
"Lord, doesn't it seem unfair
to you that my sister just sits
here while I do all the work?
Tell her to come and help me."



Martha’s appeal is a legitimate and logical request. It appears unfair that she would do all the work while her sister Mary sat and listened to Jesus. But it only appears that way. I recall first hearing the song, “I Miss My Time With You,” by Laarnelle Harris. The song is God's love song to man. One of the verses says:

I miss my time with you,
those moments together.
I need to be with you each day,
but it hurts me when you say
you’re too busy,
busy trying to serve me.
But how can you serve me
when your spirit is empty?

Jesus replied to Martha in Luke 10:42 with, “There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it – and I won't take it away from her.” Are you paying attention to the right thing or are you too busy watching what others are doing?

DEPRAVITY

Genesis 6:11-12
Now the earth had become corrupt in God's sight,
and it was filled with violence.
God observed all this corruption in the world,
and he saw violence and depravity everywhere.



Genesis 6:11-12 holds true from the time of Noah to this very day. When men make the choice to run their affairs outside of the parameters set by God, violence becomes part of the equation on the playing field set by men. It is the shadowy part of man’s depravity. Consider the following emperors horrid decisions: Crasus, crucified 10,000 slaves at one time; Augustus, executed 30,000 for a political offense; Trajan held 10,000 death fights in the amphitheater for amusement with the slaughter lasting 123 days. Whenever man has chosen to live outside of the parameters set by God, you can surely expect violence and depravity to breakout everywhere.

THE LAMB

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said,
"Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!



In the Old Testament, a lamb needed to be offered up to appease the anger of God. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, we can say that according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified by sprinkling with blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” God is truly good, isn’t He? He knew that everyone wouldn’t be able to perform an offering like in the days of the Old Testament, so He sent His only Son to earth to become the final sacrificial Lamb to take away our sins once and for all for everyone. Let Him cleanse you in the blood of the Lamb and be washed of all your sins. 1 John 1:9 teaches us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?

UNFAITHFUL

Jude 1:5
I must remind you — and you know it well —
that even though the Lord rescued
the whole nation of Israel from Egypt,
he later destroyed every one of
those who did not remain faithful.



This verse serves as a reminder for all Christians. It reminds us that we that are saved can still live a life of disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. We should be committed and faithful children, living a pleasing life to God. When Jesus obeyed baptism, God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” It's such a simple concept that God is pleased when we simply obey Him. I've heard the newly saved say that they've chosen to wait before being baptized because they're just “not ready”. It’s the equivalent of saying I want to have a relationship with Jesus as my Savior so that I can go to heaven, but I don’t want people seeing me with Jesus. Or better yet, it's like marrying someone, but not wanting to be seen with your new spouse. Faithfulness means sticking it out no matter what. Without faithfulness in our relationship with Christ, the situation is doomed for self-destruction. So are you being faithful in your relationship with Christ?

THE LAW

Psalm 119:30
I have chosen to be faithful;
I have determined to live by your laws.



All of man's laws emanate from the laws first created by God. He institutionalized the law according to Romans 13:1-4 when Paul wrote:

Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong, so do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.

The God-given privilege to create laws, however, has been used to establish laws against God himself by creating laws banning even the basic acknowledgment of His existence and His part in the equation of the affairs of man. Obey the law of man, but don’t allow yourself to be twisted into disobedience of the God's laws.

STAND FOR THE TRUTH

2 Corinthians 13:8
Our responsibility is never to oppose the truth,
but to stand for the truth at all times.



In what may seem to be an ironic twist, Christians occasionally use one truth to violate another truth. A young man once asked me if he could serve the Lord through sports, but the challenge facing him was that his scheduled games conflicted with his worship time at church. I told him that the Word of God does not contradict itself, but rather it complements itself. You can serve God through sports, or by whatever means, but do it without violating your time of worship. At the end of the day, you have to stand for the truth and not against the truth. Do you stand for the truth at all times?

HOLDING IT TOGETHER

Colossians 1:17
He existed before everything else began,
and he holds all creation together.



I received an email about the molecule Laminin and in my research I learned that this molecule is vital to making sure our overall body structures hold together. Amazingly, this molecule that holds us all together is the shape of a cross. Without this cross-like molecule, we wouldn’t be able to do simple physical actions, like standing up or sitting down. Interestingly, this appears to be exactly what Jesus is teaching in John 15:5, “For apart from me you can do nothing.” How true is it that He isn’t just the One that holds us together spiritually, but He’s also the One that apparently provides the adhesive that holds us together physically.

DREAMS

Genesis 37:5
One night Joseph had a dream
and promptly reported the details
to his brothers, causing them
to hate him even more.



All the physical things of man that are around us began with a dream produced by someone’s imagination. From cars to buildings - you name it - everything was once a dream. Have you ever heard of Tim Berners-Lee? He is the creator of the World Wide Web and is a big reason that you can read this devotional via the internet. He isn’t really popular but the things of his dreams have become popular and are used the world over. Move yourself to realize God's dreams just for you, regardless of whether or not you become famous or wealthy. God will use the dreams placed in your heart to bless many people. So what are the dreams in your heart that you'd like to see realized?

CAREFUL WITH YOUR EYES

Matthew 6:22-23
Your eye is a lamp for your body.
A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.
But an evil eye shuts out the light
and plunges you into darkness.
If the light you think you have is really darkness,
how deep that darkness will be!



Everything your eyes see is processed by your mind and then converted into words, images, concepts or ideas. These images or ideas are either true or false. As we set our eyes upon things, we have to be picky. 2 Samuel 11:2 teaches us that, “Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.” This was the beginning of the darkest days of King David's life. He set his eyes onto something that he should never have seen which led to some really dark days. He allowed a temptation to come in through his eyes and he convinced himself that the darkness to come would bring him happiness. Be careful of what you see, your decision making might be altered and you could have many regrets in the future. Do you set your eyes upon things that you know are not good for you?

SIN WITHIN

Romans 7:19-20
When I want to do good, I don't.
And when I try not to do wrong,
I do it anyway. But if I am doing
what I don't want to do,
I am not really the one doing it;
the sin within me is doing it.



At a family camp that I’d attended, a teenager approached me to ask for permission to leave the campground to smoke a cigarette. That teen was a new Christian and I knew that his flesh was likely already addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. The Apostle Paul clearly tells us about the weakness of the flesh in Romans 7:19-20. Our body is weak because the old nature remains in us even when we have received Christ in our hearts as Savior. One day, however, God will change our sinful bodies into glorified bodies. For now the only remedy that can be prescribed to prevent falling into temptation is to make our spiritual lives strong so that we can overcome the fleshly weaknesses. Is your spiritual life strong today?

ANGELS

Psalm 34:7
For the angel of the LORD guards all
who fear him, and he rescues them.



Although this verse may be difficult to understand, it still speaks truth because it is written in the Word of God - which, of course, settles its validity. There was a Christian singing group that was describing the background of the song, “Angels All Around You.” The song was written while they were on tour and visiting a lighthouse. A child that was walking up the spiral staircase slipped and lost hold of the rail falling down through the center of the spiral. She was heading down several stories directly for the ground. Amazingly, as the family looked on in full distress, the child was caught by another visiting tourist to the lighthouse. The family quickly descended to retrieve the girl only to find that the only person that was there was the little girl and that the person who caught her was nowhere to be seen or found. Isn't it amazing how angels of the Lord truly rescue?