DAILY DEVOTION, March 14, 2022

Jesus described the Christian life as beginning with a new birth. One must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. The Greek word Jesus used in John 3:3 is a little ambiguous. To be born “again” (Greek, anothen) also means “ to be born from above.”  Jesus is likely thinking of being born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit, but the word “again” also applies. We are born again and from above is the basic idea. When Jesus described conversion as a new birth, his meaning is plain. When we are born the first time, a radical change takes place. We leave the comfort and warmth of the womb where we are sustained entirely by the mother and enter into a world where we have to breathe on our own, where there is pain and discomfort, where there is love and hate. The first birth brings about radical changes. Life in the womb is completely different than life in the world. Jesus suggests a sweeping shift occurs when we are born again from above. We have to ask ourselves, where is the evidence in our behavior that we have truly been born again? Can we live a self-centered life where the primary focus is me, me, and then claim to be true Christians? I leave it for you to answer that question for yourself even as I must answer it for myself.  

Father, I don’t want to play at being a Christian. I want the real thing. If I am not convinced that I have been born again, please bring that change into my life.        I do believe in Jesus, and I want to honor Him daily. Amen.

DAILY DEVOTION, March 13, 2022

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

Salvation is a gift freely given to all who trust in Jesus. Once we receive salvation, we are to work for God with fear and trembling. Why fear and trembling? Because we do not always know what service to Christ will require of us. All the apostles except John were probably put to death by the Roman authorities. Living in obedience to Jesus is not always an easy task. Those who reject God and despise the Gospel will work against you. Jesus urges us to count the cost before jumping into the Christian life. Paul certainly knew that following Jesus was a costly business. However, don’t reject the faith because of the possible cost.

There is good news in verse 12. We do not work alone. God is also at work in us to accomplish His purpose. As we live by faith, God takes our imperfect efforts and causes them to work to achieve His will. He overcomes our fears as we obey Him even when obedience is painful. Always remember that God loves You and plans to shower His love upon you for all eternity. That reality should calm our fears.

Father, thank you for the many Christian martyrs who have given their lives because their love for You was greater than their fear of man. So help me also to be a faithful servant of Jesus whatever the cost. Thank You for the assurance that You are with me, working out Your purposes in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

DAILY DEVOTION, March 11, 2022

We all know John 3:16. Let’s think about the first part of that verse: “God so loved the world.” If you are living in this world, you are loved by God. Do you ever feel unloveable? I do. Sometimes I find myself thinking, “How can God love me. I have failed Him more times than I can remember.” Why does God love us? That’s a difficult question. It has to do with His nature (God is love) rather than our behavior. Our performance is definitely substandard. Still, God loves us. He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to redeem us. This is love beyond anything we can imagine. We often love others if they behave in harmony with how we think they should. Our attitude is “I will love you if….” God’s attitude is, “I love you, period, no strings attached.”

God’s love is truly amazing. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”(Romans 5:8). Did you hear that? God loves you despite your sins. Christ died for us while we were sinners. God did not say to us, “Get your spiritual act together, and then I will  love you.” So how can we not trust and obey a God who loves us so much?

Father God, Your love truly amazes me. Thank You for loving me when I was in rebellion against You. Thank You for saving me despite my disobedient behavior. Help me to respond to Your love with faithful service. I pray in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

PS, Happy Birthday, Marie, and Happy Birthday to my Dad who passed away in 1981.

DAILY DEVOTION, March 9, 2022

 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me (John 15:26).

I liked this story I read recently. A woman bought cod liver oil to feed her dog. She thought the oil would make for a healthier, shiny coat. Every morning she pried open the dog’s mouth to make him drink some of the oil. The pooch resisted. One morning she accidentally spilled some of the bottle, and fido lapped it up! He loved the stuff. He just didn’t like to have it forced down his throat!

In the above verse, one of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is to testify about Jesus. Our job is to share the message, step back, and allow the Holy Spirit to do His job. You can’t ram Jesus down the throat of another. We should be kind and gentle when we share the Gospel. The more we try to “force” another to believe, the more resistance we encounter. I remember an elder telling me he had won about 100 souls to Christ. In truth, neither he nor we can win anyone to Christ. We simply share the message, and the Holy Spirit draws them in once they say “Yes” to Jesus. It is true, we have a role to play, but the Holy Spirit completes the process.

Father, help me to be a kind and faithful witness to Jesus. As I share the good news that Jesus is the Savior, I pray the Holy Spirit will touch hearts and draw others into Your kingdom. I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. 

DAILY DEVOTION, March 8, 2022

The Lord bless you and keep you: ²⁵ The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: ²⁶ The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26, RSV).

This is a beautiful prayer. It is a wonderful prayer to repeat when you pray for your family. It is also a fine prayer to speak over your enemies! When we pray this prayer, we are seeking God’s blessings upon those for whom we pray. We want the loving face of God to shine upon them. We are asking God to be gracious to those for whom we pray. We pray that the presence of God will be real to them. And we want the peace of God to fill their hearts.

You can put someone’s name into the prayer to make it personal. For example, I can use it as a prayer for my wife. “Marie, I pray that God will bless and keep you in His grace. I pray that God will be so real to you that it is like His face shining upon you. May God treat you with His gracious, unmerited favor. May His presence be with you today and always. And as you receive these blessings, may you feel divine peace in your heart.” I can insert the names of my five children, or some friend in need, or even an enemy. This is an excellent prayer to commit to memory and use it often as you pray.

Father, thank You for this inspired prayer. I often do not know what words to use when I pray. However, I know that if I faithfully pray using words that You have inspired, You will hear and answer my prayers. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.