True Faith

TRUE FAITH

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

             Twelve year old Cassie was anxious.  Biting the edge of the letter she held in her hand, she flipped open the mail drop door.  “Why are you waiting?” Cassie’s classmate Jeremy wondered.

            “Not sure.”  Cassie admitted, giggling.  Smiling she changed her mind.  “Yes.”  She dropped the letter inside the mail box.  “It’s done!”

            “What caused you such anxiety, Cassie?” Jeremy asked.

            (Anxiety [ang-SI-e-tee] brings wringing-hands, nervous, uneasy worry about someone or something).  

            “I had such fun as a camper, so I applied to lead the next group.  But my application must be received by June 10^th.”

            “Why are you worried about that?  You’re a natural!”  Jeremy sounded sure.

            “Because I’m not sure that I’m ready to give up two weeks of summer fun.  Selfish, I admit.”

            “Our summers are precious,” Jeremy agreed.  “And we have so few years left to be kids…But you’ll have loads of fun at camp, too!”

            Cassie has only ten days for her letter to arrive at camp headquarters.  But she isn’t concerned about that.  In fact, her letter was the last thing on her mind from then on.  Cassie has faith that her letter would definitely arrive on time for her application to be considered.   The post office is that dependable. 

 

            God is that dependable, too.  Yet, how many times do we pray for some want or need, then doubt God?  Where is our faith?  The opening Scripture says faith is sure and certain for receiving what we don’t see.  Faith is the future.  We’re only certain about today.  

But, Believers can be certain about more.  We know for sure that our future is with Jesus—either while we’re still alive, or should we die today.  

We know for sure that Jesus died for our sins, and we’re forgiven.  

See the lesson linked below to discover more things Jesus guarantees we can depend on God for BY TRUE FAITH. 

Take Home Nugget

            Faith hands its case to God, then walks away.  True faith never doubts that God is working.

            A woman was anxious about her son’s salvation.  Her friend cautioned her, “You worry too much about him!  Pray for him.  Commit him to Christ.  Then let go.  Any further worrying disrespects God!”

            God commands us in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything,” then advises, (knowing that humans just can’t let go of stuff), “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

            Then Philippians 4:7 promises, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God only works when we commit, then rest.  This is how true faith works!

           

Adapted from “True Faith.”  L. B. Cowman.  April 25, 2016.  Streams in the Desert. Christianity.com. Christianbooks.com.

J.D. Griffith

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Seek Ye First

SEEK YE FIRST

Matthew 6:31-33

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’, or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Emphasis mine. 

   

            It’s silly for people to worry.  Kids’ best welfare is adult’s main concern.  Whoever worries is an adult’s job.  Kids simply trust parents to provide everything they need.

            Parents are kid’s everything.  From the moment kids wake up until they go to sleep, mom and dad are kids’ focus.   

            That’s all Jesus is saying in the opening Scripture.

            When God has our focus, we lack nothing.

            Are Believers convinced that it’s God’s pleasure to meet all our needs?  From a parent’s perspective, I can answer positively, “YES!”  My kids never had to seek food, water or clothes.  It was enough that they loved and trusted me to provide for them.  It was my pleasure to cook, supply drink and watch their delight getting new clothes.

            I believe that is exactly how my heavenly Father wants to provide for me.  I believe that it is His pleasure to meet my needs.  All He wants is for me to focus on Him, love Him first.

            Isn’t that what kids automatically do?

            SEEK FIRST is our cue.  An earlier devotion was entitled, “Priority One.”  God wrote His royal law of love on our hearts.  Matthew 22:37states we’re to “love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.”

            Jesus says to seek first His kingdom and his righteousness.  Romans 14:17 says, “The kingdom of God is… righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”   God’s indwelling Spirit provides His kingdom inside every Believer!    

            God doesn’t want us to seek stuff first.  He’s to be first.  The word “fist” in verse 33 is the Greek word proton.  That word means “first in order or importance, holding the highest place in our lives.  In other words, Priority One!  Stuff will come after we get our priority right. 

Take Home Nugget

            The way “the pagans run after these things” in verse 32 uses the Greek word epizeteo.  That word means to seek with all our might, with much sweat and stress. 

            Do you see the difference?  WORRY is the difference!

            Our indwelling Holy Spirit provides righteousness, peace and joy with no effort on our part!  Let’s do what pleases God most.  Let’s “seek first his kingdom” using the Greek word zeteo, that means a hungering desire to worship.  This isn’t work, or worry. 

Wake me Lord, conscious of my righteousness in Christ.  Remind me to seek Jesus throughout my day.  Amen.     

                                             

Adapted from “Seek First God’s Kingdom.”  Rev. Joseph Prince.  April 21, 2016.  Daily Grace Ministry devotions. josephprinceministries.com

J.D. Griffith

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Yes Jesus, Wash My Feet!

YES JESUS, WASH MY FEET!

John 13:6-8

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’

“Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’

“‘No,’ said Peter, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’

“Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.’”

            Does Peter sometimes remind you of yourself?  People absorb that Jesus was setting an example of service by washing His disciples’ feet.  (Serving others are what Believers are also to do).   What else is Jesus trying to teach Peter—and us—by extension? 

            Peter pressed his point, asking if Jesus would wash his hands and head.  We may imagine Jesus rolling His eyes before explaining, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.”  Speaking this, our omniscient Lord knew that Judas prepared to betray Him (John 13:10-11).

            Everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior is cleansed by His blood for all eternity.  His blood has perfected Believers forever (Hebrews 10:14).  We today, and Peter 2000 years ago, only need to wash our feet—that what is exposed to dust and dirt in the world.  

            But the grime of dirty feet is different from how Jesus is washing Believers from stumbling in the world.  Jesus wants us to know more about Him.

            Ephesians 5:25-26 contrasts how husbands are to love wives to how Christ loves the church.  Christ, “loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water from the word.”  Emphasis mine.  The church is people: every Believer in Christ.

            Believers are cleansed with the “washing of water”—from God’s Word.  The more that we immerse ourselves getting to know Christ through His Word, the deeper our cleansing.  Our “feet are washed”.  We will not stumble, like Judas.  

  

Take Home Nugget

            Just as Hebrews 10:14 paints a picture of Jesus at God’s right hand, let’s envision Him wearing a golden sash around His chest today—like it says in Revelation 1:13.  He secures His church daily: Believers are being cleansed every time we immerse ourselves in His Word.

            But Jesus still reaches out to the unsaved.  He cannot return until everyone has opportunity to receive Him as Lord.

            Jesus is a servant wearing a towel to serve Believers today interceding for us at the Father’s right hand.  Jesus wants us to sit down and allow Him to wash our feet with a deeper knowledge of Himself through His Word.  Beloved, let’s let Jesus be Jesus.  Let’s let Him give us victory in our daily walk.  

  

            Dearest Jesus, wash my feet today with a greater understanding of You!  Amen.  

 

Adapted from “Let Jesus Wash Your Feet.”  Rev. Joseph Prince.  April 24, 2016.  Daily Grace Ministry devotions. josephprinceministries.com

J.D. Griffith

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Spiritual Adulthood

SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD

Ephesians 4:13-14

“,…until we all reach unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by the cunning and craftiness of men and their deceitful scheming.”

            Did you feel badly for Peter when Jesus scolded him, “Get behind Me, Satan,” in the previous devotion?  Failure Teaches Obedience showed Peter’s embarrassment, his cheeks red.  I thanked Jesus for choosing Simon Peter as His disciple (Matthew 4:18).   

            Jesus saw me—and millions of other future disciples in Peter.  We have act-before-thinking personalities.  Lucky for us that we have our whole lives to grow into spiritual adulthood!

            When God saves whoever trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior—He equips us with everything necessary to grow into spiritual adulthood.  I confirm that it takes a whole lifetime to grow into spiritual adulthood!  Maybe this devotion will inspire you to beat me.  Maybe you will achieve spiritual adulthood early in life?

            Get ready...Get set…Go!

            Spiritual adulthood is a process of transforming Believers into Spirit thinkers.  Naturally, people are earthly flesh thinkers.  Our frame-of-mind, our point-of-view is based on the natural.  What else could it be?  When people speak, they talk in their native language.  That language is natural for them.  That language uses words they think before speaking. 

            We’re about to learn a new language.  A foreign language.  Spirit language is foreign to earthly flesh, our native language.  Every foreign-language teacher urges students to think in the language they’re studying.  After learning words and sentence structure of that language, students discover that it is possible to think in that language.  Then, students can speak in that language—and be understood by others who know that language.

            That is a challenge.  A good foreign language teacher names the classroom as that country.  Only that language is spoken inside the border of the classroom door.  

Take Home Nugget

            Spiritual adulthood represents thinking in God’s Spirit foreign language.  We learn to see life through Spirit eyes: God’s perspective of things.  His point-of-view.  His frame-of-mind.  Growing into Spiritual Adulthood takes practice…and time.   

            Apostle Peter was on God’s fast-track to grow into Spiritual adulthood.  After only three years in Jesus’ physical presence, he received the Holy Spirit.  Then Peter zoomed!  Rate X Time = Distance.  Peter spent all his time in Christ (indwelling Spirit) and grew at an extraordinary rate to Spiritual Adulthood (preaching and growing Christ’s church).

            With practice—like thinking in a foreign language—we CAN consistently respond and react to earthly things from a Spiritual perspective.  

 

            Speak to me in Your Spirit, Lord.  Let’s practice every day!  

   

Adapted from “Maturity is a Process.”  Dr. Tony Evans.  April 28, 2016.  The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com. 

J.D. Griffith

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Failure Teaches Obedience

FAILURE TEACHES OBEDIENCE

Luke 22:31-34

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

“But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You to prison, and to death.’”

“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.’”

            Peter sighed.  Why does Jesus always do that to me? he thought.  I am SURE about this!   Peter thought about the evening so far: This Passover feast was incredible!  Why did Jesus call bread and wine His body and blood tonight?   Why did He insist on washing my feet?

            Jesus was saying, “It is written: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in Me.  Yes, what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”

            Peter always lost track of the moment after Jesus corrected him.  He remembered Jesus saying earlier that the Father conferred on Him a kingdom—which He was presenting to His disciples.  Peter wanted to learn more about that.  But now, Peter’s brother disciple showed Jesus two swords.

            “‘That’s enough.’ Jesus replied.”

            What did I miss?  Peter frantically wondered. 

            My mind wanders too when I’m corrected—especially in public. 

            Peter always showed himself to be a man of action.  He acted first in situations, before considering other options.  Impetuous [im-PET-u-us] describes Apostle Peter.  It means rash, impulsive, hotheaded, unthinking, reckless or spontaneous. 

            When Jesus called-out his mistakes, Peter feels like a failure.  He fell short of expectations more often than rising to meet them.  It was humiliating [hu-MIL-i-a-ting]! 

 We all can relate to the embarrassment of failure.  But, Jesus also gave Peter hope.  “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  Jesus prophesied that Peter would fail again…Jesus would forgive him…and Peter would return to his brother-disciples.    

            Peter learned humility through failure by trial-and-error.  He learned that his ways are way lower than God’s ways.  That walking-on-water incident (Matthew 14:30) taught Peter to never take his eyes off Jesus.  See the lesson linked below for more of Peter’s failure lessons.   

            Obedience is not natural.  We learn to obey when believing correction is for our own good. 

   

Take Home Nugget

            Peter’s failures taught him obedience because he was eager to learn and serve God.

            Luke 22:59-61 says, “About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’

            “Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  Then Peter remembered…”

God blesses those who choose repentance and accept correction as a tool for growth.                 

Adapted from “Learning from Failure.”  Dr. Charles Stanley.  April 25, 2016.  www.intouch.org. 

J.D. Griffith

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Temptation Development

TEMPTATION DEVELOPMENT

James 1:13, 17

“When tempted no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’  For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; … Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

            “Aren’t we glad that God created people to figure out how to make doughnuts?” twelve year old Cassie mentioned walking through the cafeteria line. “I especially like glazed doughnuts,” she said, placing one on her tray. 

            “I prefer filled doughnuts,” Jeremy announced, grabbing one of those.

            “Filled doughnuts are good, but so messy!” Cassie exclaimed.  “I lose most of the yummy cream after just one bite!” 

            “Don’t get me started on frosted doughnuts!” Jeremy said. 

            “I hear that, Jeremy!” Cassie agreed.  “Ones with chocolate frosting!”

            “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” makes me smile heavenward whenever I eat a doughnut.  But doughnuts aren’t on my diet.  They have too many calories for me to gobble down as freely as I wish.  

            Have you ever eaten just one doughnut?

            Just seeing things we like tempt us to eat them.  Our eyes focus on the food, and our mouths begin salivating; [SAL-i-vate-ing] means watering.  We can taste the item before it’s on our plates.  Interestingly, people can actually gain weight just by seeing foods.  The digestive process begins in the mouth.  Looking at foods, mouths begin producing enzymes that start digestion. 

            Even before chewing foods, our body absorbs calories that the enzymes send to the stomach.   

            But no one can ever say that God tempted him—or her—to eat a doughnut!

Take Home Nugget

            Any test, trial or temptation people face must first filter through God’s fingers.  He has divine authority to approve or nix every temptation.  Not every temptation is evil, coming from the devil.  Some are innocent glazed, filled or frosted doughnuts. 

             God allows temptations to come, but He is never their source.  People give into temptation all on our own.  The lesson linked below teaches how temptation develops into sin.  God allows temptation for our development, not our destruction.

            Sin is the evil that destroys.  Sin breaks our fellowship with God.  Temptation tests Believers to develop faith—temptation that God allows—so we do not give into evil.  Apostle Paul confesses that he does that which he doesn’t want to do, and does not do what he wants to do (Romans 7:19).  We understand totally.  So does Jesus.  Instead of concentrating on the sin, Believers can choose differently.  Temptation develops shifting focus from the sin to the cure—Jesus Himself! 

 “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings to see what God has done.”  Doughnuts! 

                            

Adapted from “Transformed by Temptation,” and “Overcoming Temptation.”  Dr. Tony Evans.  April 20 and 23, 2016.  The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com or OnePlace.com. 

J.D. Griffith

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Trials Mature Believers

TRIALS MATURE BELIEVERS

Third of three devotions in Crown of Life series

1 Peter 1:6-7: “In this, [who by faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of salvation] you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to have suffered grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proven genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

              The last devotion, Joy in Trials, taught that we had better learn from trials, or else they keep coming.  Trials are God’s method of testing our faith.  When done, Believers will be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4).  That’s why the Father made Jesus endure trials.  Jesus suffered so much:

              Satan tempted Jesus in the desert.  Jesus was mocked in His home town, and plotted against by religious leaders as he preached about the kingdom of God.  He was betrayed by a close friend, and was also denied by another close friend.  Jesus was arrested, unfairly tried, deserted by disciples, sentenced to death and THEN beaten to within one inch of His life.  His eyes strained heavenward— thankful that He’d be with the Father soon—as He was nailed to a cross! 

              He persevered. 

              He proved that His faith is genuine.

              He said truthfully, “It is finished.”

That’s Believer’s goal, too—our bottom line of spiritual growth into Christ likeness.  Whine all we want about our sufferings during trials.  There is simply no way our sufferings compete with what Jesus endured!  To top it off, Jesus died for our sins. 

              Believers are comforted to know that God only allows trials specific to our good—our growth.  No other way could we be made “mature and complete—lacking nothing.”  That’s where joy comes in.  Knowing that God is making us mature and complete puffs up Believers with contented satisfaction, feeling His love deep within.

Take Home Nugget

              Every time Believers pass one trial, another opportunity pops up to spiritually grow us to a higher level.  James 1:12 congratulates Believers, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”  Emphasis mine.

              That was the point of this devotional series.  Everyone likes to strive toward something.  Something concrete.  To be blessed after persevering yields satisfaction with results.  We know that we used to yell and scream—angry and throwing tantrums—rather than praying for God’s guidance when facing another life trial. 

Empower me not to give into circumstances that defeat me.  Help me to endure trials that develop me, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

                            

Adapted from “Matured by Trials.”  Dr. Tony Evans.  April 19, 2016.  The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com or OnePlace.com. 

J.D. Griffith

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