Thank you, Michael; Thank you, Martin!

THANK YOU, MICHAEL; THANK YOU, MARTIN! 

  

Revelation 12:7-9:  “And there was a war in heaven.  Michael and his angels fought hard against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he [the devil] was not strong enough, and they lost their pace in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.  He was hurled down to the earth and his angels with him.”

            Michael and his angels nailed it!  They won the awesome war that tossed Satan and his angels out of heaven.  What a show!

            500 years ago, 10/31/1517, Martin Luther nailed it.  Faulting false doctrine being taught in 1517, Martin nailed 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.  He found answers to his 95 questions in God’s Word, the Holy Bible.  God’s 95 answers confounded people in 1517 and still enlighten people today. 

            When Jesus was nailed to the cross, Martin proposed that Jesus’ death bought and paid for people’s sins.  That people are saved by grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone altered biblical theology.  Belief in Jesus—not good deeds—won the battle of reforming the Christian Church.  

            The great dragon that led the whole world astray was nailed again that first Reformation Day.  “Jesus got this, Satan!”  Believers-in-Christ found joyous freedom from sin through grace.  Now, through the Holy Spirit, Believers find abundant life living for Him.

            Our love for others nails who we follow.  Jesus says in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”                   

Take Home Nugget 

            It only appears that evil is triumphing on earth.  Actually, Satan suffers from a mortal wound he got at Calvary.  Papa predicted that His Son “will crush your head”.  Their one-sided battle was never a titanic struggle between good and evil.  Jesus had the upper hand, even as He died on the cross.  Satan jumped for joy and scattered His disciples for a short while.  This fulfilled Genesis 3:15b, “and you will strike His heel.”

            Good is NOT a fading force being spent to nothingness.  The devil and his minions are being held in check by endless patrols of angels.  Someday—maybe sooner than you think—believers will be able to see and interact with these wondrous creations. 

            Meanwhile, Papa gives His Word that we are safe.  Spiritual warfare is real but we have Jesus and God’s Word by our side.  Heaven is now free from evil and Believers have God’s grace and mercy to save us.

 

            Thank you, Michael!

            Thank you, Martin!

Holy LORD, thank You for Your promises.  May Your kingdom come SOON! In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!   

Adapted from “St. Michael and all his angels” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  September 29, 2017. 

Also adapted from “A Beautiful Message” by Mrs. Jan Brunette.  Portals of Prayer published by Concordia House, Missouri.  October 31, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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Jaded

JADED   

Matthew 18:3:  “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

            Twelve-year-old Jeremy felt grown up when he said, “I don’t believe you, Benjy!”

            His ten-year-old cousin whined, “Honest, Jerm.” Then Benjy had an idea and yelled, “I’ll show you!” and ran into the house. 

            Halloween is scheduled to be celebrated tonight, rather than next Tuesday, the 31^st of October.

            The wind blew Jeremy’s bangs straight back on his head and he wrapped his arms around his body.  Zipping up his jacket all the way, Jeremy watched his little cousin drag out a long thousand-legged costume.  “Danny and I are dressing up as an insect!  It’ll take both of us to wear this.  I’m supposed to be the back legs,” Benjy said proudly.  “See—a costume for twins!”

            Jeremy couldn’t help his giggle.  Relenting, he admitted, “You’re right, Benjy!  A costume made for two!”

            Jaded, [JAA-ded] means suspicious or distrusting.  Despite there being only two years between the boy’s ages, Jeremy already sneers at his cousin’s wide-eyed adventures.  It seemed like ages since he himself enjoyed clowning around and playing tricks on others.

             Wide-eyed innocence is exactly how Jesus wants His followers to remain.  Happy, peaceful, believing, awed by God’s gifts and provisions keep people thankful. 

  

            Yet, we’re encouraged to grow up.  People are admired when we become self-reliant—depending on ourselves, and self-sufficient—caring for ourselves.  There is a fine line that God draws for maturity [ma-TUR-i-tee] or responsible wisdom learned from experience.                     

Take Home Nugget 

            Apostle Paul scolds in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2:  “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.  Indeed, you still are not ready.”  Worldly means understanding what the flesh wants and yearns for. 

            Growing spiritually takes a lifetime.  Papa teaches us as fast as we’re ready to grow.  It starts with learning about Jesus.  “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  We trust Jesus.  See the lesson linked below why this helps us get to heaven.

            We can also trust Papa.  Trust is not confusing.  Grown-ups strive for getting better at the ‘self’-adjectives.  But no one has to work for God’s love.  That’s unconditional.  No one can earn His blessings.  His favor is granted freely to all who believe in His Son. 

            We can also trust God’s Spirit, who lives inside all who believe in Jesus as Savior and LORD.  Only He can break bad habits.  Only He can transform us into Christ-likeness. 

Holy Papa, empower me to strive for my second childhood in Jesus, the only reality that won’t let me get jaded.  Amen. 

Adapted from “Become Children Again” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  September 25, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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The Rawest Nerve

THE RAWEST NERVE  

James 4:8-10:  “Come near to God and He will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.”

            “Are you racist?” Ms. Busby asked her 3rd-grade class.

            “No!” Forrest answered.

            Ms. Busby said, “Please raise your hand first, Forrest.  Paula, how would you answer?”

            Paula looked up with her hand covering her mouth to hush giggling.  “What’s ‘racist?’” she asked.

            “Racist [RA-sist] means that you hate another who is a different color.” Ms. Busby answered.  “People’s skin color varies between very pale to inky black.  Often, a group of people with one skin color hate others with a different skin color.  That hate is called ‘racist’.  Diversity [di-VER-si-tee] represents people coming from lots of different races.  Skin color should never divide us.”  Ms. Busby stopped explaining when she saw the kids nodding their heads in understanding.

            Ms. Busby called Levi, who raised his hand.

            “Is this like girls and boys?  Everyone knows that girls have kooties.”

            Chuckling, Ms. Busby replied, “No,” shaking her head from side to side.  “That difference is called a different ‘sex’, not a different race, Levi.”  She continued with a   serious expression on her face.  “Hating people who wear a different skin color is racist.  No one is born hating others who look different.  That hate is learned behavior.”

            “Kooties are serious, Ms. Busby!” Levi insisted.  The rest of the class nodded their heads in agreement along with giggling and pointed fingers.

            Ms. Busby relented, “Kooties are learned behavior, too.  But Kootie hate isn’t deadly like race hate.  Let’s heal raw nerves from taking offence from other’s race.  Let’s look for ways we can all get along together instead of searching for reasons why we can’t live peaceably.”  (Check the lesson linked below).

Take Home Nugget 

            The devil is thrilled when people hate each other.  Only two out of a hundred people admit to being racist.  Yet, just as wanting what another has is a sneaky sin that nestles inside people’s hearts, racism could also find a cozy place to hide there. 

            Don’t our hearts bleed after hearing how our careless talk sounds to others?  Don’t our foreheads wrinkle after learning that our attitudes and actions hurt others?  That’s when Believers thank Jesus for forgiveness and follow His indwelling Spirit more closely.

            People feel important when acknowledging, “We’re not like them—they get on my last nerve!”  We enjoy pointing our fingers to others claiming they’re racist…or who have kooties.

Holy Father, humble me to respect others.  Enable me to accept and appreciate their differences, I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

   

Adapted from “It’s other People Who Are the Racists” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  September 23, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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Proclaim & Receive Help

PROCLAIM & RECEIVE HELP 

Daniel 10:12b:  “Since the first day that you have set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come to respond to them.” Angel Gabriel

            Daniel and three of his friends were deported to Babylon in Persia after Jerusalem was destroyed.  Let’s learn to proclaim God’s word aloud and receive supernatural help.  Daniel and his friends observed daily prayer.  In solitude, Daniel’s friends were found on their knees.

            Quoting Psalm 103:20, their prayers could be overheard, “‘Praise the LORD you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word’, a new decree forbids me to pray to my God!  Now I ask for your help.” 

            “Caught you!”  Provincial officials barged inside their rooms announcing, “Let’s see if you live in the fiery furnace!”

            Daniel, who was renamed Belshazzar, was sent to the royal court.  He returned this day to be with his friends.  His friends—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—ignored the king’s decree.  They were renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  

  

            They saw the king’s golden statue that was erected for the people to worship.  People could be seen standing and kneeling before a ninety-foot-high and nine-foot-wide statue.  “Weird-looking god!” Daniel—or Belshazzar—pointed out.  

            “You’re in big trouble,” Daniel whispered.  “Let’s pray for God to keep you safe.”

            “Okay,” they agreed. 

            Daniel began, “We dwell in the shelter of our Most High, rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  He is our refuge and fortress, our God, in whom we trust.  Surely, He will save us … Under His wings we find refuge.  Your faithfulness will be our shield and rampart, LORD Almighty!”  (Adapted from Psalm 91:1-4). 

            The provincial officials brought the men to the king charging, “These men ignored your decree that everyone must fall down and worship the statue.  They must be thrown into the fire!”

            King Nebuchadnezzar felt sorry for them.  He said, “May your God keep you safe from all harm!”

            The Jewish men responded as one, “We will never serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you set up!”

            King Nebuchadnezzar became so enraged that he ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times higher than usual.  “Tie them up and toss them inside!” he screamed.

Take Home Nugget  

The soldiers who threw the bound men into the furnace were killed themselves.  “That’s hot!” the king said, fanning his face.

            Peering into the furnace, he saw 4 men walking around, freed and unharmed. 

            Daniel teaches the spoken voice activates God’s angels.  This devotion is paraphrased from the book of Daniel 1:1, 4-6, 2:48-49, and 3:1-30.

Holy Father, we say aloud Your words when in trouble, confident that our lives are securely in Your hands.  Amen. 

Adapted from “Speak God’s Word and Activate His Angels” by Rev. Joseph Prince.  www.josephprince.org.  September 22, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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Perfect--Feast of Trumpets

PERFECT—FEAST OF TRUMPETS  

1 Thessalonians 4:16:  “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

Hebrews 10:12,14:  “But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. … ,because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

            People often defend human flaws with, “No one’s perfect!”

            “Excuse me,” someone objects with a raised hand. 

            “While normally a modest person, I stand on Jesus’ finished work.  Seated at the Father’s right hand, Jesus claims His rightful place.  His job on earth was finished AFTER completely wiping out sin for His brothers and sisters who’re being made holy.”  (John 17:4).

            Sanctification [sank-tif-i-KA-shon] means to be made holy. 

            This work belongs to the Holy Spirit—who takes up residence inside everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  His success depends on cooperation with His important work transforming Believers into Christ-likeness. 

  

            Because Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, they don’t stop altering Believers at only “holy”.  Did you catch the ending of the passage from Hebrews?  He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 

            “I never think of myself as a sinner—although I still sin, living in a fallen world.  My sins have all been forgiven.”

            Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”  Jesus has also made His Believers perfect.  When the Father looks at His kids, He sees Jesus: holy, righteous, and perfect. 

 

            The first Scripture passage is the bomb.  Death is hard for people to understand.  Because of sin, all things—including people—die.  Those who believe in Jesus as Savior will live again after death, just as Jesus rose from the dead. 

            This sounds like a celebration.  Sound the trumpet…or Shofar, the ram’s horn!

            The exception is those who are still alive at Jesus’ second coming.  They will meet Jesus in the clouds! 

                                                          

Take Home Nugget 

            Our father commanded 7 feasts for the Jews to celebrate each year.  Check out the lesson linked below for the first four, which have already been fulfilled by Jesus.  The next one is called “Feast of Trumpets”.

            This exciting feast is what Believers have been waiting for!  Those who rise to meet Jesus will be instantly changed like Jesus’ glorious body!  Crying, sickness or death will end in heaven!  

No one knows Your kingdom calendar, Father.  But we eagerly await watching Jesus’ return to earth from heaven soon!  Amen.

Adapted from “You Are Perfect in God’s Eyes” and “A Brand New Body at the Blast of a Trumpet” by Rev. Joseph Prince.  www.josephprince.org.  September 17, and 20, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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Hate to Bother You

HATE TO BOTHER YOU  

John 2:1-11

            Jesus arrived with his disciples to a wedding reception overflowing with celebrating friends and family.

            The lively music enticed Peter to the dancefloor.  Laughing, he teased Andrew, James, and John to join in the fun.  As the bride and groom greeted people, Mary approached Jesus.

            “Hi Jesus!  Isn’t this reception fabulous” Mary began. 

            “Yes Mom, it IS fabulous!”  Jesus agreed.

            Mary hesitated, biting her lip.

            “What is it?” Jesus asked.

            “Well…I hate to bother you…” Mary said.

            Jesus offered, “Mom, I always want to be ‘bothered’ when you’re unhappy.”

            Mary cupped her hand behind her mouth to Jesus’ ear.  She whispered, “The hosts just discovered that the wine is gone!  I feel so badly for them to be embarrassed like this.”

            Jesus listened before responding, “Dear woman, why involve Me in this?”

            Mary’s worry lines formed.  “I hate that this awful oversight will ruin their daughter’s wedding reception.  What can be done, Jesus?”

            Jesus sighed, admitting, “You’re pushing me, Mom…”

            Mary acknowledged, “You ALWAYS fixed what was broken at home. … I just figured … well … running out of wine is very embarrassing to the hosts!

            “Very well,” Jesus said. 

            Mary said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you!”

            Jesus pointed to six jars and said, “Fill those jars with water.”

            One servant said, “Each jar holds between twenty to thirty gallons!”

            Jesus nodded His head, “I know they hold water for ceremonial washing.  Fill each to the brim!”

            The servants did as they were told.

            Jesus said, “Now draw out some and present it to the ‘Master of Ceremonies’.”

            “Yum!” the Master of Ceremonies said, “I congratulate the host!  Most people pour the best wine at first, and after the guests have had their fill, bring out cheap wine.  But you sir, have saved the best wine until now!”   

                                                

Take Home Nugget 

            Do you hate to ‘bother’ God with trivial details of your life?

 

            God doesn’t care what I want, people often think.  What do the balance in my bank account or sports’ scores have anything to do with God’s ultimate plan for the universe? 

            Jesus had just begun His ministry.  He never cared to ‘show off’ for the crowd.  Performing miracles amounts to bringing God’s will from heaven to earth.  What was important to Mary (sparing the hosts’ embarrassment), was central to Jesus and vital to the Father.  ‘Now’ was the moment Jesus humbled Himself before the Father to please Mary,—the host, the bridal couple, and the wedding guests—with fabulous wine.

Thank You for being an awesome God, Father.  You’re not human.  You have infinite interest in our lives, infinite power and love for Your kids.  Thank You for infinite care!  Amen, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

   

Adapted from “Small Prayers” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  August 16, 2017. 

J.D. Griffith

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