December 28 – Real Positive Help

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. ” – 1 John 4:4 (NASB)

If there is anything that is certain it is positively certain that we can do nothing on our own to overcome the onslaught of the devil in our lives. We believe by faith and confess Jesus the Son of God as our Savior and Lord, so we have a target on us. The devil is a committed enemy and hates us. His only goal is to destroy us and makes us ineffective. Like the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, some end up shipwrecked. The third implication of the double truth that Christ came to destroy our sinning and to forgive our sins is this: Christ will really help us in our fight. He really will help us. He is on our side. He didn’t come to destroy sin because sin is fun. He came to destroy sin because sin is fatal. It is a deceptive work of the devil, and it will destroy us if we don’t fight it. Jesus is alive, Jesus is almighty, Jesus lives in us by faith. And Jesus is for us, not against us. He will help you in your fight with sin in the new year. Trust him.

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In part sourced from John Piper's podcast, "Solid Joys." https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/three-christmas-presents 

October 28 – Following the Light out of Darkness

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12 (ESV)

In the Old Testament the coming age of Messiah was prophesied to be a time when the Lord God would be a light for His people (Isaiah 60:19–22) as well as for the whole earth (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). This is the second “I am” statement. Previously Jesus declared Himself “I am the Bread of Life.” John used the “light” metaphor for Jesus in John 1:4; “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” The promise is for those who will follow the Light of the World. Follow Jesus and we will not walk in darkness. Follow Jesus and we will have the Light of Life because that is what Jesus is. Follow Jesus and have Jesus himself as our light in this life. We follow by knowing and understanding the Bible and what it teaches us about life. The promises of God come to life in the light of the world, Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. Some choose to ignore this lite and remain in darkness because in truth, without Christ in our lives, there is only spiritual darkness. Let’s walk in the Light by choosing in faith to follow the Light of Life, Jesus our Savior. 

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January 27 – A Gift Left For Us

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”  John 14:27  (NASB)

Jesus, when he was nearing the time of His arrest, illegal trials and Roman crucifixion demanded by the mob, spent some hours with the twelve who He appointed as Apostles. He promised them (and us) many things and taught them (and us) even more. He knew they did not yet comprehend and that soon they would flee in terror confused and deeply saddened.  So he says, I have something I am leaving with you.  It is my peace to settle your heart. It is like no peace you have ever found on this earth.  Peace is the third of the first three fruit of the spirit. Love, Joy and now Peace. Jesus is the source for all of those. When our lives demonstrate Love and Joy and Peace because of our obedience to His teaching we are producing the fruit of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit of God within us that gives us the desire and the ability and the power to overcome the most difficult times and respond with Peace in our hearts.  Why? Because Jesus has left it there for us. He faced some very difficult moments soon after so He knew what He said. 

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November 3 – No Reason for Early Departure

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15  (ESV)

The context of these words is the prayer Jesus offered on behalf of His disciples but not only for them, for us as well. His requests were for all “who will believe in me through their word,” (John 17:20). We do not find in Scripture encouragement to ask God to let us die. Christians may say and look forward to getting out of this world, but isn't it when we are in the middle of struggling with trouble or trials. We might even claim that it is “Because we would be with the Lord.” But mostly we want to be with the Lord, to avoid the difficulties and temptations in our daily lives. There is likely no true yearning to be with the Lord, it is because we desire to escape trouble. We want to get home, not so much for the Savior’s company, as to get out of the little hard work. Jesus’ prayer here is for God to NOT take us out of the world because of trouble but promise to protect us and keep us from the enemy of our soul while we continue the work of proclaiming the glory of God.

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July 2 – Faith to Overcome

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? - 1 John 5:4–5  (ESV)

The pressures and circumstances of the world in which we live are challenging us in ways many have never experienced before. At every turn in the road one can find something that will rob him of their victory and peace of mind – if they permit it. Our enemy Satan is a long way from having retired from the business of misleading and ruining God’s children if he can. Faith can change any situation and give us the strength to overcome the fears, worries, and panic that might fill our hearts and minds.  No matter how dark it is, no matter what the trouble may be, taking a quick moment to turn to God in a moment of real, actual faith in Him, will alter our situation in a moment. We are promised in our verse today that we who by faith believe that Jesus is the Son of God will overcome the world. God is still on His throne, and He can turn defeat into victory in a second of time, if we really trust Him. A trustworthy statement by Marshal Foch* is, “When one has faith, one does not retire; one stops the enemy where he finds him”

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*Marshal Ferdinand Jean Marie Foch (2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and Marshal of France, Great Britain and Poland, a military theorist and the Supreme Allied Commander during the final year of the First World War.

December 29 – Peace For Whom?

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  -Luke 2:14   (ESV)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  John 14:27 (ESV) 

We can reliably say that Christ’s mission on earth was to bring peace.  But, not the peace of the world which is little more than a brief cease fire.  Our first verse is most often heard and sung from the King James Version – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14 (KJV)  The world has long embraced this as if God was promising peace on earth out of His good will toward all people.  But, the angel’s message to the shepherds promised Peace among those with whom He is pleased. "Without faith it is impossible to please God " Hebrews 11:6 (ESV).  So, the angel did not promise to bring peace to all on the earth.  It is offered to all but what brings us God’s peace is faith in God.  Jesus does not offer the peace of the world, as our second verse informs us, but the peace that came with Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem.  So Paul prays, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” Romans 15:13  (ESV). Rejoice today that God has given us peace with Him.

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December 18 – Joy From Serving Right

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ”  - Acts 17:24-25  (ESV)

It may be common to think it is our duty to serve God by providing His needs. No, for we glorify God by praying that He would provide our needs and then, trusting Him to answer.  That results in living in the joy of God providing and caring for us as we serve others with our lives and love.  We learn from our verse that God is not served by our human hands as if He needs anything.  If we think God is needy of our service, we are actually taking Him down from His rightful place in our heart – we belittle Him in that way. Pagan religions live in fear by that rule.  The mighty grace of God, which brought us into His family, should not be preempted by our thinking God needs us to serve his needs.  “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45  By faith, God is glorified in our dependence on Him and our trusting Him to do what He came to do – providing us with what we need to serve others. A joyful life is the promise.

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November 11 – One and Only From Eternity

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  - John 3:16  (NASB)

This verse is probably one that is most familiar to many people.  It is used to attract people to consider what God has done for us.  God gave us what was most precious and closest to Him – even part of Him. That is the “so loved” part.  The familiar word “begotten” means the Son was/is God's one and only. He was/is one of a kind.  We who believe are children of God, He has adopted into His forever family, but Jesus, our Savior was with the Father from eternity past,  “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”John 1:3 This is who God gave to the world, out of love for the world, in order that we in the world would have the chance to believe and not perish.  In place of our sentence of death we are given new life, eternal life. In this family of faith, Jesus is the first fruits of the new life.  It was created in Him for Him and given by Him to us.  That's a packed promise. 

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August 17 – Being Prepared

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17 – (ESV)

We have believed in  Jesus as our Savior and God has given us eternal life.  Our verse today reminds us that we are promised that we will live forever and that our mission, our purpose is to be doing the will of God.  All though our lives here on earth, what we do matters – each thing we do, say and think should be in the will of God.  God watches over us and has done so since the day we were born physically as one of His human creatures, and if we have believed we have also been born into His family, our second birth which is spiritual.  He knew when we heard the good news and He knew when each of us accepted His offer.  He has been working in each of our lives to make His will known to us.  He wants to help each of us to obey His will and live according to what He has taught us.  He is making us ready to live with Him forever.

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July 3 – Loved From Before Time

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”   John 17:24  (ESV)

Jesus prayed this way for His followers on the night he was arrested and eventually crucified.  These words express His desire for those who had followed him during his ministry and had walked with Him.  We believe that He intended to and did include all who would follow Him from then on.  Yes, we believe this prayer includes us all and that Jesus is planning for us to be with him in heaven.  Our promise today is that one day, we will be with our Lord and Savior in heaven able to worship God and see Him in His full glory.  Jesus is in heaven now and He wants us to see it and to experience it.  He is also with us here and is helping us to prepare us for that experience.  If we all trust in Jesus as our Savior now, we can look forward to a glorious eternity.  All this was provided from before time, before the foundation of the world. 

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December 10 – Children of God by Right

“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” John 1:10 (ESV)
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”  John 1:12 (ESV) 

After Jesus was born and then, after He lived here on earth His disciple John wrote much about Him.  In the Gospel of John, in the first chapter are these two selected verses for today.  These verses reveal two very different attitudes toward the child who was born in Bethlehem and whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season.  For some, the events of the Christmas story are not really very important.  Why is this?  Because they do not yet know Him.  They reject and do not recognize Jesus as the One sent from God and who was also the One through whom our world was created.  But for us who know Jesus as the One who came personally into our world to live as a human and have accepted through faith and belief in His Word, we have received adoption with the right to be a child of God.  Fully understanding how great God is may be difficult but we can thank Him for what He has done for us.  The more we embrace this truth, the more precious it is for us to know we are children of God by rights He has given to us.    

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