Worthy is the Lamb

​S-Revelations 5:9-10 NIV

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchasedfor God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign[b] on the earth.”

O- In this vision John see's God on his throne with a scroll that has seven seals and no one who is worthy to open the seals in heaven.  That is with exception of the lamb of God who sacrificed himself to restore His people.  He did it for every tribe and language, to all people and nations and those who believe he made them priests to serve God.   That is all of us who follow Jesus on earth, who have His spirit in them he gave the right to be priests in the world.  

A -  The application for me is to follow the one true priest who interceded for my sins and reigns now in heaven,  who is Jesus Christ.  I am to rember that Jesus is the one true lamb of God who is worthy to open the seals.   He has his rightful place in heaven and intercedes for those of us on earth. 

P - Dear heavenly father thank you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.   Lord help me to be a priest here on earth by following you and your direction.  I pray you would  make your way known to me for my life.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Riding myself of deceit

​S-1 Peter 2:1-3 Niv

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

O- The process of changing as a Christian from ways of the flesh to ways of the Lord is outlined here by Peter.  We are to rid ourselves of malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander in order to live as Christ had freed us to do. Born again like new born babies we are to crave spiritual milk to grow and develop ourselves as Christ' embassodors in this world. 

A -  The application for me is to take the time to contemplate my own behaviors that have malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy or slander and get rid of them in my head and heart.   I especially resonate with the need to get rid of all deceipt in my life and living a life of Truth.  I must rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal in me my deceipt and guide me a way to walk in the truth.  

P -  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you help me rid myself of all these negative character traits, especially that of deceit.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

The Lord's discipline

​s-Heb 12:5-6 niv

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]

O - Paul here exhorts the people to take the Lord's discipline seriously but to not be down during a season of discipline.   The Lord disciplines us because He loves us to much to allow us to wander far from Him.  Just like us as parents we desire our children to behave for their own good.  It brings sadness to our hearts when they don't and we love them too much to let them stay in their disobedient ways.  God loves us too, beyond our sinful selves he looks and loves us.

A - The application for me is to take my season of discipline and correction with a positive outlook that God still loves me and pursues me even in my disobedience.  My job is to have a teachable and correctable spirit and follow the promptings of His Holy Spirt in me.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for your discipline and correction.  I am so sorry that I have wandered away from your ways and have sinned in my life.  I pray you will help me correct my ways and be your son once again.  I pray for those I have sinned against that you would give them comfort, peace and healing.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Walking in the Freedom of Christ

 S- John 8:12-20 (NASB)

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not [b]true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I am testifying about Myself, My testimony is [c]true, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge [d]according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your Law it has been written that the testimony of two people is [e]true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 These words He spoke [f]in the treasury, as He taught in the temple area; and no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come.

O -  Jesus is the light of the world, yesterday, today, and in the future.  He see's all of our actions and motives, and does not judge us but rather shines a light on our sin so we may turn away from it.   For we cannot escape what sin Jesus exposes.  But at the same time he does not condemn, but rather comes into our lives to set us free.    He comes and reveals His truth by shining a light on our sin, and gives us the ability to resist and turn away from our sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.  In the Law it is written that two or more believers coming together to reveal God's truth and show us this truth in our lives.   Those that don't know the Law know not the way of freedom from sin.   They may be free in the flesh, but that way does not lead to eternal life.  God's way leads to eternal life, and those that are seeking the light will find it's way better than their own, and leads to the path of righteousness.

A -   The application for me is to seek the Lord and His righteousness.   I am to seek His light, and have it reveal every sin in me.   I am to seek His ways in my life so that I might reflect His light and His love for everyone.  I am to avoid the temptation of those things on earth that attempt to inprison me, and seek Jesus and the Way that leads to freedom. 

P- Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for today's scripture,  I pray that you would show me your ways and lead me on the righteous path and away from the temptations of the world, especially those temptations of the flesh.  I pray for wisdom in my actions and clarity of my thoughts that I may know and walk in your righteousness.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Be Imitators of God

S - Ephesians 5:1-5 (NASB)

Be Imitators of God

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved [a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God [b]as a fragrant aroma.

3 But sexual immorality [c]or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among [d]saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness [e]or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or [f]impure or greedy person, which [g]amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 

O - God loves and pursues all His children so that they might come home and live in His abundant mercy.  Christ came to die for our sins and draw us back to the Father,  He is the Way , the Truth, and the Life.  All who confess their sins, and follow Him are called according to the purpose He has laid out before them.   But it is sexual immorality, greed, and vulgarity that corrupt me, and therefore I must stop this idolatry in my life, it does not come from God but from a childhood scar that I have tried to cover up.

A- The application for me is to repent and turn away from my sinful ways and run to the Father who is waiting for me to confess, repent and worship Him alone.   My wife who has already forgiven me has exhorted me through the Holy Spirit in her.    I need to heed here warning to repent and turn away from my sin. 

P - Dear heavenly Father, help me not to grow numb from my sin that I might be uncomfortable with impure thoughts and words so that I might despise the seed that Satan has planted in me.   Help me to resist the Devil's temptation and seek your Holy Spirit who will guide and comfort me until I come home to receive my inheritance in Heaven.

Christ alone is the WAY

 S - Eph 2:1-10   (NASB)

2 And [a]you [b]were dead [c]in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you previously walked according to the [d]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the [e]sons of disobedience. 3 Among them [f]we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, [g]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [h]mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead [i]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together [j]with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the [k]boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [l]this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

O - In the beginning I was dead and walked in my offenses and sins against God.  I walk alongside the devil in disobedience of God.    My flesh led me astray and I did not deny it any fleshly indulgences,  which transformed my mind to one that no longer sought the Lord's righteous ways.    God, however throughout all time has had a plan to show us his boundless unwarranted forgiveness through His Son ,  Jesus, who died for our transgressions.   It is by Faith that I have received this gift from God, through His Son.   For God created us in Christ Jesus, for good works,  which He had prepared in advance for us so we would know the Way.

A -  The application for me is to reject the tempation of my flesh, and transform my mind and heart through Christ's redemptive power, through the Holy Spirits wise guidance, and through the fullness of God's grace, which is set apart for those who know and submit to His plan for their lives.   Redemption is here now,  tranformation into the likeness of Christ is an eternal process.  The world has not overcome me even though I had succumb to it, but Christ in me has overcome the Kingdom of Satan, who rules the hearts and minds on earth through temptation and trickery.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson.  I receive your Truth and ask that it would set me free from the bondage of season, and that I would seek your spirits guidance from here on forward.  Jesus you are in me and are greater than He who is in the world. For I haven't nothing to fear,  only Christ alone saves, and I will follow Him.

Righteous through faith in Christ

 S-Romans 9:   (NASB)

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is [y]by faith; 31 however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it [z]by faith, but as though they could [aa]by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,

And the one who believes in Him will not be [ab]put to shame.”

O -    Even for the Israelites,  faith is much more important than good works.   God gave the Israelites the law, and generation after generation they pursued righteousness through good works.   Each was even given a role in fulfilling the law,  the Priests, the Levites, the warriors, some were prophets, others Kings.   All of this was their effort to live up to the law, while still not truely following the law; this was due to their lack of faith and not their lack of effort.   Jesus came to fulfill the Law and through faith in Him we are given the tools to live righteously.  So it is faith in Christ that we are able to live a righteous life.   

A - The application for me is to recognize that as a child of God I have a choice to live by faith or to live by works.   I am a man of action who loves checking things off of a to do list.  That is not what Christ is looking for.  He is looking for a relationship, which can only be developed through faith in the reality of who Christ is in me.   

P - Thank you Lord for today's word,  may it be sealed to my heart and grow my faith in You so that each day I might walk in righteousness.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.