To understand the key verse in this devotion, it is important that you read the complete passage to get the context of the scripture. The key verse is John 7:17 which says... "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." Now, take a moment and read John 7:14-18 so this devotion will be clear.
There are those who stand in pulpits today and teach from their own motivation and, whether educated or uneducated, they are not doing the will of the Father (that is not to say that there is no Godly teaching taking place, for sure). Jesus was saying that the person who speaks from his own understanding is seeking his own glory (Jn 7:18); sort of like I said before, receiving his reward now instead of in heaven (the glory and amazement of mankind).
In this passage, the Jews marveled at the teaching of Jesus having never been educated. But Jesus said to them that a man will be discovered by his teaching whether speaking from himself or from the Spirit of God (thus the amazement of the Jews at Jesus' teaching).
Jesus let's them know right up front that His teaching is "not His own" (vs.16) but coming from the Father in Heaven. If your heart has a desire to teach from the Word of God, that is an admirable ambition but, by all means, make sure your motivation comes from God or you are simply another charlatan, teaching your own will in God's name. A very dangerous position to be in.
Given the implications within this devotion I believe it is important to quote verse 18... "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the one who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (by the way, in this verse, as you can see from the capital "H's" that His reference is to Himself). A very convincing argument for "bathing" yourself in God's Word.
Dave
Crazy Papa
I'll make 'um an offer
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Their Sin I Will Remember No More
There are always little snippets and jewels that help us gain better understanding into the Love of God in the Old testament and it would do us all good to go there from time to time and review some of them. I was reading in Jeremiah 31: 33 & 34 the following: "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
Reminds me of the time when Moses went up to the mountain and returned with the tablets of stone with God's Commandments written on them. Except here God promises to write His law in our hearts where it can never be broken or chipped or forgotten. This is an important covenant because with it, God literally invades our hearts with His promise when He says "I will be their God...and their sin I will remember no more." None of us could have brokered a better deal than that which God has given to us.
It also reminds me of a song I have long admired by Morgan Cryar called "What Sin" and if you click on the link below, it will take you to the song so you can listen to it yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqR2zlaDTs
When you are weighed down with the past sin in your life and cannot seem to get up off the floor, remember this promise that God gave to his people, hundreds of years before Christ would climb that hill to Calvary. I will remember their sins no more. Praise the Lord. Hope you can listen to the song. You'll enjoy it, I am sure.
Dave
Reminds me of the time when Moses went up to the mountain and returned with the tablets of stone with God's Commandments written on them. Except here God promises to write His law in our hearts where it can never be broken or chipped or forgotten. This is an important covenant because with it, God literally invades our hearts with His promise when He says "I will be their God...and their sin I will remember no more." None of us could have brokered a better deal than that which God has given to us.
It also reminds me of a song I have long admired by Morgan Cryar called "What Sin" and if you click on the link below, it will take you to the song so you can listen to it yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqR2zlaDTs
When you are weighed down with the past sin in your life and cannot seem to get up off the floor, remember this promise that God gave to his people, hundreds of years before Christ would climb that hill to Calvary. I will remember their sins no more. Praise the Lord. Hope you can listen to the song. You'll enjoy it, I am sure.
Dave
Monday, January 19, 2009
Eccles. 3:1-8
Click on the scripture verse above and it should take you to a very moving and emotional video. It is about 2 1/2 minutes long and worth every second.
Dave
Dave
The Helper, Holy Spirit, Comforter
There is a very small sentence in John 14:16 that says ..."I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper; that He may be with you forever."
John 14 has long been my favorite "comfort" in the Bible and it starts out by saying ..."Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going."
Now I promise you if you receive a diagnosis of cancer, one that the doctors will say is "treatable" but not curable, it will cause your mind to go off in a thousand different directions. So upon receiving that news, I immediately went back to this passage of scripture to be reminded, time and time again, that My God is greater than any diagnosis this doctor could possibly give me.
My Father, in Heaven, is preparing a place for me (and you, too). And when He has finished pounding the final nail, I will get to see it. Knowing that this 70 plus/minus years we are granted on earth is not the end, brings great joy to my heart. And it is the simple sentence in verse 16 where Jesus gives me the strength to continue day by day because He promised (even asking the Father) to send me a comforter, a helper, a Holy Spirit that would reside within me and give me strength and solitude for the days, weeks, months, and possibly, years to come.
I am truly grateful for my salvation and the promise that God has made to me. I have learned over the years that when you CANNOT trust anyone or anything else in life, YOU CAN TRUST GOD!
He continues in verse 17 to say that it ..."is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive..." You see, Jesus made that promise only to you and me. The world, short of salvation cannot receive this gift, it is reserved for those of us who have invited Christ to live in our hearts and lives.
Have you made that decision today? You can! And you can understand it. At the link www.nowwhut.org/4spiritual laws.htm there is a very easy to understand explanation of God's Plan for you. If you haven't read it, you might want to take a minute to do so.
Dave
John 14 has long been my favorite "comfort" in the Bible and it starts out by saying ..."Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going."
Now I promise you if you receive a diagnosis of cancer, one that the doctors will say is "treatable" but not curable, it will cause your mind to go off in a thousand different directions. So upon receiving that news, I immediately went back to this passage of scripture to be reminded, time and time again, that My God is greater than any diagnosis this doctor could possibly give me.
My Father, in Heaven, is preparing a place for me (and you, too). And when He has finished pounding the final nail, I will get to see it. Knowing that this 70 plus/minus years we are granted on earth is not the end, brings great joy to my heart. And it is the simple sentence in verse 16 where Jesus gives me the strength to continue day by day because He promised (even asking the Father) to send me a comforter, a helper, a Holy Spirit that would reside within me and give me strength and solitude for the days, weeks, months, and possibly, years to come.
I am truly grateful for my salvation and the promise that God has made to me. I have learned over the years that when you CANNOT trust anyone or anything else in life, YOU CAN TRUST GOD!
He continues in verse 17 to say that it ..."is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive..." You see, Jesus made that promise only to you and me. The world, short of salvation cannot receive this gift, it is reserved for those of us who have invited Christ to live in our hearts and lives.
Have you made that decision today? You can! And you can understand it. At the link www.nowwhut.org/4spiritual laws.htm there is a very easy to understand explanation of God's Plan for you. If you haven't read it, you might want to take a minute to do so.
Dave
Where Has "Humility" Gone?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
In today's society, with things like the "Obama" phenomenon have really taken some of the humility out of today's world. "We are the one" we hear often, never giving way to humility in the eyes of God. We should be careful to consider 1 Peter 5:5 where it says..."You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting your cares upon Him, for He cares for you" (vss. 6 & 7). Remember this is where we find the classic passage of scripture warning in verse 8 that ..."Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
Of course, our reward in verse 4 ..."And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." Is your lack of humility "showing" today? Is your life exposed to the world yet protected by the Creator? I've heard it said "it's hard to be humble when your me!"
Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to learn about humility as I continue to grow closer and closer to God. Someday, and possibly very soon, we shall all stand before Him to give an account. Satan cannot touch me while I am humbled before the Lord.
Dave
In today's society, with things like the "Obama" phenomenon have really taken some of the humility out of today's world. "We are the one" we hear often, never giving way to humility in the eyes of God. We should be careful to consider 1 Peter 5:5 where it says..."You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting your cares upon Him, for He cares for you" (vss. 6 & 7). Remember this is where we find the classic passage of scripture warning in verse 8 that ..."Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
Of course, our reward in verse 4 ..."And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." Is your lack of humility "showing" today? Is your life exposed to the world yet protected by the Creator? I've heard it said "it's hard to be humble when your me!"
Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to learn about humility as I continue to grow closer and closer to God. Someday, and possibly very soon, we shall all stand before Him to give an account. Satan cannot touch me while I am humbled before the Lord.
Dave
What Should We Say?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
John 12:11,12 brings the following encouragement: "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." The more we spend time "bathing" in the Word of God, the more the Holy Spirit can teach us. Today's world is so dangerous and "ripe" for action from our Lord and we need to be ready to speak the Truth of God at the "drop of a hat."
In the passage preceding this one, Jesus has used the analogy of the the five sparrows being sold for two cents, yet the Father's love is greater for us than for those five sparrows. He says that "...everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God" (Jn. 12:8,9).
Thus His advise in verses 11 & 12. And we know that our knowledge of God comes from the Holy Spirit and He teaches us more and more as we engulf ourselves in His Word.
That "prompting" you feel when you know you should say something to the person you are having a conversation with about God; that is the Holy Spirit, giving you knowledge and courage to speak out in His Name for the witness of Christ Jesus. The next time you feel it, just "blurt" it out. You don't become good at sharing your faith by "NOT" sharing your faith.
I remember them saying in Acts 4:20, "for we cannot stop speaking of what we have seen and heard" even facing the threat of losing their lives.
Say something to someone about Christ. It will do your heart good, not to mention being obedient to God Himself.
Dave
John 12:11,12 brings the following encouragement: "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." The more we spend time "bathing" in the Word of God, the more the Holy Spirit can teach us. Today's world is so dangerous and "ripe" for action from our Lord and we need to be ready to speak the Truth of God at the "drop of a hat."
In the passage preceding this one, Jesus has used the analogy of the the five sparrows being sold for two cents, yet the Father's love is greater for us than for those five sparrows. He says that "...everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God" (Jn. 12:8,9).
Thus His advise in verses 11 & 12. And we know that our knowledge of God comes from the Holy Spirit and He teaches us more and more as we engulf ourselves in His Word.
That "prompting" you feel when you know you should say something to the person you are having a conversation with about God; that is the Holy Spirit, giving you knowledge and courage to speak out in His Name for the witness of Christ Jesus. The next time you feel it, just "blurt" it out. You don't become good at sharing your faith by "NOT" sharing your faith.
I remember them saying in Acts 4:20, "for we cannot stop speaking of what we have seen and heard" even facing the threat of losing their lives.
Say something to someone about Christ. It will do your heart good, not to mention being obedient to God Himself.
Dave
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Strength and Peace
Friday, January 16, 2009
"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29.11). Remember the trials we talked about a few days ago? Those are the things that God wants to give us the strength to survive. Some are difficult and some are ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! Don't forget that He promised you the "strength to survive." Think about it. Some of the ordeals in your life have been really "rough" but you have indeed survived.
And then once you have used that strength to survive, He grants you "peace" so that you understand His love and His desire to "hover" over you. I appreciate being "hovered" over, don't you?
Dave
"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29.11). Remember the trials we talked about a few days ago? Those are the things that God wants to give us the strength to survive. Some are difficult and some are ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE! Don't forget that He promised you the "strength to survive." Think about it. Some of the ordeals in your life have been really "rough" but you have indeed survived.
And then once you have used that strength to survive, He grants you "peace" so that you understand His love and His desire to "hover" over you. I appreciate being "hovered" over, don't you?
Dave
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