(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Spiritual Protection! – CLICK HERE)
Good morning devotions readers!
First an apology for not getting the readings posted for last week while we were on vacation.
Second, thank you to Pastor Dan Laitinen, missionary of the TELL Network which brings Jesus to the world through digital means, for filling in the last two weeks and continuing the series “Pray Like Jesus.”
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a powerful prayer which communicates what is on Jesus’ mind the night before he went to the cross. Fully understanding the impact of this moment in time, Jesus prays for those that would be carrying the importance of this message to the world.
Even in Jesus’ day there were those that would want to “cancel” the disciples and “censor” anything that spoke of Jesus as the Savior. In fact, behind the effort was Satan himself. If demise could come to the disciples, the movement and message would die. One of the twelve was already “doomed to destruction” because Satan had changed his heart from following Jesus to filling his pockets.
Jesus didn’t want to lose any more.
So he prays: (John 17:11-12)
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.
The name of the Lord is more powerful than any entity in heaven or on earth.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
Satan has to submit to the name of the Lord.
So the ultimate protection from spiritual demise is to stay connected to the Lord.
Attaching ourselves to anything but the Lord leaves us open to spiritual attack. Satan loves to tempt our loyalty. He puts threats in front of us because we are connected to Jesus. He loves to get us to think that friendships, relationships, or life itself is more important than connection to the Lord. The temptations can come in the form of a promotion at work that takes us away from gathering in worship with the Lord and other believers. Satan can put in front of us a fear that a relationship will fail if we fully live our calling as a follower of Christ. The material things of this world call for our time and attention to use or to collect. As a result our connection to the Lord is strained or disconnected.
If Satan can get us away from the Lord, he can diminish those that will witness to and follow the Lord.
That can be you and me.
Jesus knows this and so he prays for his disciples and at the same time prays for us.
We need spiritual protection.
So as Jesus prays, he invites us to pray for the very same thing:
Father, protect us by your name. Protect those we love by the power of your name.
Apply: What temptations does Satan use to separate you from your connection to the Lord?
Prayer: Holy Father, protect us by the power of your name, the name you gave us, so that they may be one as we are one. Keep us safe from the temptations Satan brings so we may never be separated from your love. AMEN.
The work’s not done…
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Divine Glorification! – CLICK HERE)
But the work’s not done.
We love to hear the words, “Mission Accomplished,” but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more work to do. Jesus’ mission to complete the work the Father sent him to do is accomplished. Yet his work continues on this earth through us.
Our world needs more divine glorification over self-glorification.
Starting with ourselves.
It’s hard to work for the glory of God, because our sinful nature continues to pull us to work for the glory of self. When we do a good job, especially if our love language is words of affirmation, we want the recognition. When we serve hard at church, we want someone to notice. When we do something to help our neighbor, we want others to notice.
How can we tell?
When no one notices, how do you react? Does it bother you? Or do you just keep moving on? Probably more often than not, we are bothered when no one recognizes what we do. (Certainly giving affirmation and encouragement to people is also part of our Christian duty and way to express love…let’s not forget that!).
When we stop giving our best, serving others, and making an impact because no one notices, it might be an indicator that our hearts are leaning more to self-glorification instead of divine glorification.
Jesus taught his disciples and those who were listening on the mountainside, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.”
The Apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”
The first step is to repent of the need for self-glorification.
Second is to ask the Spirit of God to keep our hearts and minds focused on divine glorification.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
The work of Christ is complete, yet the work to carry his message to the world continues. The world is full of self-glorification. People have sinful natures that seek self-promotion, attention, and accolades. Social media is full of attention seeking individuals who find their significance in how many people like or follow them. The glory of God in creation is overshadowed by the teaching of evolution. The glory of God in male and female, marriage and family is overshadowed by transgender ideology, easy divorce and exploitation of sex and making meaningful relationships a thing of the past.
Our world needs to once again see the glory of God. God has revealed his glory to us so that we can be his people to let the world see him!
Apply: How can you let the glory of God be seen and known today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the amazing, loving, kind, and powerful God you are. As we see and marvel at your glory, may we be used by you to bring the glory of God to the world around us! AMEN
NOTE: Because of family vacation, the next two weeks of devotions will be readings of the Passion History from Holy Week. Enjoy the journey to the cross this Lenten Season!
Mission Accomplished?
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Divine Glorification! – CLICK HERE)
There is no better report to receive than, “Mission Accomplished!”
Only when a task is completed 100% can there be complete celebration.
A war that ends with partial surrender, leaves an enemy to fight another day.
A project at work that is only 70% completed is not yet a reason to celebrate.
An assignment at school that is only 50% done doesn’t receive a very high grade.
Only when work is 100% completed can there be a true celebration.
When we pray for divine glorification, we are praying a prayer of thanks for work that was 100% completed.
What if Jesus went back into heaven and simply said, “Father, I was born, I lived a perfect life, but I just couldn’t do the cross thing. Sorry. I did most of the mission, hope that is good enough.”
Nope. That’s not good enough.
A mission incomplete is a salvation that is incomplete.
But that’s not what happened.
Consider Hebrews 10:11-13. “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.”
There was no need for another sacrifice, because Jesus went through with the ultimate sacrifice of himself. If it wasn’t enough or wasn’t complete, there is no way Jesus would have been welcomed back into heaven.
But it was. It was complete…100%!
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When we pray for divine glorification, we are praying for the implementation of the work of God. What brings Jesus glory is the fact that he could return to the Father with the message, “Mission Accomplished!” The work of God and the purpose for which he sent Jesus to this earth was accomplished…in full! There is nothing else that could add to the work of Jesus and make it more complete…it was complete.
What does that mean for you? We can have full confidence that all that was necessary to secure our eternity in heaven was completed by Jesus Christ. Everything. No exceptions. You can have complete peace that your salvation is secure. Why?
Because Jesus’ report to his Father was this, “Mission Accomplished!”
Apply: What tasks do you struggle to finish 100%? What would be different for you if Jesus did not accomplish his mission 100%?
Prayer: Jesus thank you for not stopping short of 100% and doing all the work necessary to secure our salvation! AMEN.
Are all gods the same?
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Divine Glorification!)
“We all believe in the same God and just call him by different names.”
“All gods are essentially the same.”
This phrase is often put forward to essentially end discussion about the differences in religions and to conclude, “It doesn’t matter what you believe.” The statement attempts to shut down what some would perceive as petty arguments or spiritual arrogance to claim that there is only one God or one way to heaven.
Yet that is exactly what one God claims.
Perhaps Allah, Brahma, Ra, Jupiter, or Buddha might agree to the statement that all gods are the same, yet one would disagree and would be insulted if he was lumped together with everything else that is called “god.”
How do we know?
The Lord God gave the direction, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command in Exodus 20:11 acknowledges that there will be other things that will be called “god” or we will make them to be god in our lives. The Lord says, “Nope, I’m not going to be lumped with all that.”
When Elijah met the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, the challenge was to determine who the true God was. When Baal failed to send fire from heaven after much calling, cajoling and cutting of oneself, Elijah prayed to the LORD and HE sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the altar, and the water which had been poured on it.
Not all gods are the same.
There is only one true God, and that God is passionate for us to know him as the true God.
Why?
Because the true God is the only God who not only promises eternal life, but did the work to secure eternal life.
That’s why knowing Jesus Christ the one God sent is also unique to Christianity. Sure, others acknowledge Jesus Christ. For the Muslim, he’s a great prophet. For the Mormon he is a man who became a god and sets the pattern to follow. For the Buddhist, he’s a great moral teacher. Only for the Christian is Jesus what HE claimed to be, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
You won’t get to God through meditation. You won’t get to God through pilgrimages. You won’t get to God through high performance. You won’t get to God through five pillars. You only get to God through Jesus Christ.
Why does it matter? As Jesus prayed, he said, (John 17:3) “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Eternal life is at stake. That’s why we pray for divine glorification.
We want to see the glory of the true God, because when we do we obtain eternal life.
Sure, there may be a similarity here or there in different gods. However the key question is, “Do they give eternal life or demand you earn it?” On the surface people may never take time to support or discredit their claim that all gods are the same. However, it wouldn’t take long to compare the main attributes of god and realize, “Not all gods are the same.”
I’m thankful all gods are not the same. For the gods that man invents leave us working hard to miss out on eternal life, because they give no solution for sin than ‘work harder.’
Jesus on the other hand gives eternal life as a free gift of his grace.
Now that’s a God worth believing in!
Apply: Make a chart and list as many gods as you can think of in the first column. List in the second column key as much as you know about their character and their demands (the gods)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to us that we might know you with confidence as the only true God. AMEN.
Gross or Glorious?
(Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Pray Like Jesus! Pray for Divine Glorification!)
That’s gross!
What would you put in this category?
A banana slug (we had quite a few on our property in California)?
Cleaning out a septic tank? (Wouldn’t want that job!)
A dead fish on the shore of a lake or ocean? (Whoa…that stinks!)
The list could go on and the purpose of this devotion isn’t to sink into a “What’s grosser than gross” game.
The point is when we react to something as “gross” we wouldn’t in the same breath say “That’s glorious!”
Things that are glorious are a brilliant sunset, a completely still reflection off a lake, a last minute victory for your favorite team.
A snake…
Gross? Or glorious?
A cross…
Gross? Or glorious?
I would say “Gross” to both. I hate snakes and crucifixion was not a pretty sight. I don’t think in either setting my initial reaction would be, “Glorious!”
Yet, when God is at work, both take on a glory that we would miss if he didn’t reveal to us what he was doing.
Look at John 3 and a portion of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was curious about Jesus and his ministry and was very hesitant to let his fellow Pharisees know that he was forming an interest in and eventual allegiance to Jesus. To connect his ministry to the reality of the Old Testament, Jesus said this:
John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Here’s what happened that led to Moses lifting up a snake:
Numbers 21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[c] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
The glory of God wasn’t the snake itself, but the fact that God would provide deliverance from the consequence of the people’s sin. The snake, as gross as it was, was lifted up on the pole so that all who looked on it, trusting in the promise attached to it, would live.
The same with the crucifixion of Jesus. As gross as crucifixion was, God allowed him to be lifted up on a cross so that all who would look on him, trusting the promises attached to the work of Jesus, would live.
And when people live eternally, this is the glory of God!
16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Now that’s glorious!
Apply: What is so glorious about the cross for you?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus and working through his gross crucifixion to bring us the glorious resurrection to eternal life! AMEN.