Human Vs. Angelic Holiness

 HUMAN VS. ANGELIC HOLINESS

Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives.

Exodus 22:31a: “You are to be My holy people.”

            Biblical scholars claim that when Moses climbed Mount Sinai to receive God’s Word, the angels protested.  They wondered why mere humans were receiving God’s Word.  God’s Word was hidden and angels never knew it!  The angels only knew that God’s Word is a great treasure and anyone who receives it shares His mission. 

            Angels are mission-oriented.  Although angels were created to be messengers, they have no self-esteem.  They simply do what God created them to do—nothing more and nothing less.

            But the angels were shocked when God chose Moses—a flawed human to carry out His special mission!  The angels cried out Psalm 8:4-5 to God: “What is mankind that You are mindful of him; the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

 

            God told Moses to respond to the angel’s complaints. 

            Moses addressed God in the angel’s presence, “What’s in Your Torah?”

            God answered, “I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt.”

            Moses asked the angels, “Where you in that place of darkness called Egypt? Why is the Torah important to you?”

            The angels grew silent.  Moses explained, “Yahweh gave me laws—commandments—which people must obey.  No commandment applies to angels since you never deal with temptation, jealousy, challenges, or conflicts.  You live in perpetual light!”

            Moses sighed before informing the angels, “People deal with darkness all the time—both inside AND outside of human hearts.  That’s why God gave His Word to people.  God created humans so He could invite us to play our parts in His kingdom.

 

            Side by side, people can overcome evil with God’s help.  People can bring light into the darkness by extending kindness where there’s hatred.  People can grow spiritually into Christ likeness!  With God’s help, nothing is too hard for humans to do!”

            Check out the lesson linked below for stewardship that God assigned to humans.  Angels have their place in God’s kingdom.  They sing God praises 24/7.  They care for and protect people.  While humans need angelic help, angels don’t need humans. 

Take Home Nugget

            Despite God creating people a little lower than the angels, we have the power to rise above our limitations.  People’s gift of free will allows us to choose light when faced with darkness.  We can always choose to act right .  People’s greatness can conquer our weakness.  We crave the challenge to overcome.    

            Menachem Mendel, an 18^th century rabbi comments, “You shall be holy, but as a people … The Lord of the universe has no lack of angels in heaven.”  

Adapted from “Greater Than Angels” by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.  February 10, 2015.  www.HolyLandMoments.org

J.D. Griffith

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Twelve-year-old Jeremy befriends “Aunt” Rita when lured up her front steps after football practice one fall day.  Her piano music isn’t the only thing that makes Rita especially different.  She is intrigued by Jeremy.  God uses Aunt Rita to transform Jeremy into a true follower of Christ.

 

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There May Be Only Hours Left

 THERE MAY BE ONLY HOURS LEFT

Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives.

Proverbs 3:9: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”

            Wealth is the Hebrew word “honecha.”  However, the Hebrew word “chonecha” means talent.  Talent can be confusing.  The lesson linked below teaches about money called talent, a coin worth more than a thousand dollars.  Jesus is the man who praises ones who gain more money.  Yet, Jesus criticizes another who buried money in a hole in the ground. 

   

            Honecha can be given to the LORD as firstfruits.  We think of our take-home pay as wealth today.  Before our take-home paycheck is spent, Christians are commanded to give a 10^th to the LORD.  God doesn’t NEED our money.  Our obeying and giving His kingdom a 10^th of our wealth shows that we trust Him to provide whatever we need. 

            A different meaning for talent is a person’s special ability, or gift.   This is what the Hebrew word chonecha means.  We’re called to serve our God with talents and treasures that He placed inside us before we’re born.  Each person has at least one talent.  This gift is what we’re especially good at doing.  We find that our lives are fun when we use our talents. 

              Serving God with our talents is not “showing off”.  Those who sing or dance well, or play a musical instrument MUST perform, or they’ll burst.  God never gifts people to serve where they’re not happy.  God’s gifts can be hidden and not obvious.  Those whose gift is organization can serve by arranging things, people, or straightening up clutter.  Some people are inspiring.  Their gifts lift up others to shine brightly. 

              People who know their talent must serve God or others while they’re alive.  Some who’re embarrassed, hide their gifts.  They often get ill because they don’t use their gifts.  Some are like Jonah who tried running the opposite direction from where God calls them to serve. 

            Let’s choose to fulfill our destinies by using our gifts for God’s kingdom today. 

 

            Jesus has been “coming soon” since the Bible was written.  He never separates our choosing to live for Him by serving others and His rewards (Revelation 22:12, 20).  He’s never been closer to His second coming than now.  Only the foolish think that Jesus won’t return to earth soon.  Even Jesus says only the Father knows when (Matthew 24:36).

 

            Jesus may arrive in a blink of an eye. 

   

            What will you have to show Him when He comes?

Take Home Nugget

            Matthew 16:27 shows Jesus announcing, “For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done.” 

Adapted from “Honor God with Your Gifts” by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.  November 16, 2015.  Devotion@HolyLandMoments.org   

J.D. Griffith

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Written for www.Biblestudyforkids.com

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Latest Christmas eBook by J.D. Griffith:  

To purchase "Star Watchers" for only $0.99 USD, click here  

This eBook shows Mary’s adventure traveling to Bethlehem right before Jesus’ birth.   This Biblical fantasy weaves supernatural delight into facts surrounding His birth. 

Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith: 

 Twelve-year-old Jeremy befriends “Aunt” Rita when lured up her front steps after football practice one fall day.  Her piano music isn’t the only thing that makes Rita especially different.  She is intrigued by Jeremy.  God uses Aunt Rita to transform Jeremy into a true follower of Christ. 

Click here to purchase "Your Salvation is Jesus' Passion"     Only $2.99 means         

     

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Context

 CONTEXT

Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives.

Genesis 12-25:18

Sarah’s life

Genesis 23:1:  “Sarah lived to be 127 years old.”

  

            What Interceding Means devotion shows how Jesus “dresses up” our prayers so that they’re correctly framed to present to the Father.

 

            Context [KON-text] is the frame (setting or perspective) that shows the whole picture.

            Jewish scholars claim that all Sarah’s days were “good.”  That’s outrageous!  Did Sarah maintain a cheerful attitude every day?  Was Sarah never sad?  Was Sarah perfect?

            Context.  Sarah understood who she was and where she was headed.  Sarah learned from all her mistakes and grew spiritually after messing up.

            The lesson linked below shows the difficulties and heartaches that Sarah faced.  Life was anything but wonderful for Sarah.  The lesson also shows what her actions cost.  Each outcome was dreadful.  Yet Sarah always rose to the top because she grew spiritually after each mistake she made.

            If your life streamed live, would others judge it to be “good?”  

            Sarah was beautiful (Genesis 12:11).  Because she was unable to have kids, Sarah “lost it” when her handmaid (Hagar) rubbed her pregnancy in Sarah’s face (Genesis 16:4).  An angel showed that Sarah lied (Genesis 18:12-15).  

 

            We’d judge Sarah’s life as awful. 

            God boils down the word “good” to a single benchmark: what was learned?

         

Take Home Nugget

             God judges the context of our lives by growth.  If we most value what we gained—money, position, or fame—as life’s context, we’re worthless.  The frame chosen for our lives is straw!

            Life streaming shows how people change.  It shows learning.  Believers-in-Christ want our lives to show spiritual growth.  The streamed film is the context, or whole picture.  Sarah earned an “A” in life’s classroom and is why her life is judged “good.” 

            Sarah met the highest standard.  God measured each of Sarah’s spiritual growth higher than the one before. 

            A cigarette butt mounted on a black velvet stand enclosed in a golden frame won   the art contest.  Its owner wants to teach art students the value of a frame.  This is true about life.  How others judge our life’s context is determined by how it’s framed. 

            Sarah learned from everything and everyone who crossed her path.  She framed her life’s context in gold that withstood God’s fiery furnace (1 Corinthians 3:11-13). \

The day Jesus returns, our works will be revealed.  We can busily re frame our life’s context now and for the future to reveal how much we’ve learned.  For each remaining day we have on earth, we can continue to grow spiritually.

Will your life’s context framed in gold be revealed as a masterpiece!  

Holy Father, lay Jesus as our foundation and empower us to grow in Him through each problem, in His name we pray, Amen. 

Adapted from “Reframe Your Life” by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.  November 22, 2016.  www.HolyLandMoments.com    

J.D. Griffith

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Written for www.Biblestudyforkids.com

For FREE Online Bible Study Resources click here.

Latest Christmas eBook by J.D. Griffith:  

To purchase "Star Watchers" for only $0.99 USD, click here  

 This eBook shows Mary’s adventure traveling to Bethlehem right before Jesus’ birth.   This Biblical fantasy weaves supernatural delight into facts surrounding His birth. 

Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:   

Twelve-year-old Jeremy befriends “Aunt” Rita when lured up her front steps after football practice one fall day.  Her piano music isn’t the only thing that makes Rita especially different.  She is intrigued by Jeremy.  God uses Aunt Rita to transform Jeremy into a true follower of Christ. 

Click here to purchase "Your Salvation is Jesus' Passion"     Only $2.99

     

     Click here for inexpensive Christian eBook and app offers

What Interceding Means

 WHAT INTERCEDING MEANS

Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives.

Hebrews 7:25:  “Therefore [Jesus lives forever as our permanent high priest], He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He lives to intercede for them.”

            Interceding [in-ter-SEE-ding] is a fancy word that means dressing up our prayers before presenting them to our heavenly Father.  That’s Jesus’ job.  How does Jesus intercede for us? 

              1.)  Accepting Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for forgiveness of sins admits Believers-in-Christ directly to heaven’s throne room.  2.) We arrive dressed in Jesus’ righteousness because we believe that He is God’s Son.  Righteousness wafts a pleasant scent into the air.  3.) Our Father welcomes us.  

            4.) Jesus only asks for what agrees with our Father’s will.  

  

            1 Peter 5:7 confirms, “Cast all anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

            We thank God for listening and offering His help to resolve problems.  5.) Jesus assures Papa that we agree that His will is always best.  We bear-hug Papa, “Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory forever.”

            “Amen” declares that it shall be done! 

            Our heavenly Father ALWAYS hears Jesus’ prayers. 

            Before commanding Lazarus to come out from his tomb, Jesus prayed, from John 11:41-42: “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  I knew that You always hear Me, but I have said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Take Home Nugget

            High priests obeyed God’s commands from Leviticus 1:14-17:  “If the offering to the LORD us a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or young pigeon.

            “The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out of the side of the altar.

            “He is to remove the crop [gizzard] with its contents and throw it on the east side of the altar, where the ashes are.

            “He shall tear it open by the wings, not severing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is on the fire of the altar.  It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.”

            Birds symbolize our prayers as “flying” to the Father.  6.) Jesus removes feathers and whatever is unnecessary.  He deletes unbelief, selfishness, and whatever is unclean before presenting our prayers to the Father.  See the lesson linked below. 

            7.) Jesus’ intercession adds “sweet aroma” to our Father by His perfection, beauty, and excellence.

Heavenly Father, Accept my prayer which Lord Y’shua is lifting up to You because I don’t know how to pray correctly.  Thank You for hearing my prayer, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Adapted from “Jesus Your High Priest Intercedes For You” by Joseph Prince.  October 16, 2017.  www.josephprince.org.   

J.D. Griffith

Click here for an Interactive-Online-Lesson for WhatInterceding Means

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Written for www.Biblestudyforkids.com

For FREE Online Bible Study Resources click here.

Latest Christmas eBook by J.D. Griffith:  

To purchase "Star Watchers" for only $0.99 USD, click here 

  This eBook shows Mary’s adventure traveling to Bethlehem right before Jesus’ birth.   This Biblical fantasy weaves supernatural delight into facts surrounding His birth. 

Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:   

Twelve-year-old Jeremy befriends “Aunt” Rita when lured up her front steps after football practice one fall day.  Her piano music isn’t the only thing that makes Rita especially different.  She is intrigued by Jeremy.  God uses Aunt Rita to transform Jeremy into a true follower of Christ. 

Click here to purchase "Your Salvation is Jesus' Passion"     Only $2.99

     

     Click here for inexpensive Christian eBook and app offers

Hidden Secret Kingdom

 HIDDEN SECRET KINGDOM

Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives

John 10:10:  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they    may have life, and have it to the full[est].”

            Twelve-year-old Cassie mailed out invites to an end-of-summer party.  The invitation admits one person into the roller skating rink on July 31st.  Cassie’s mom wrapped gifts that Cassie chose for winners of several games that she hoped would delight her party friends.

            She chose the prizes carefully because she loves seeing her friends smile. 

 

            Cassie’s friends are sure to arrive at the skating rink wearing smiles, eager to have fun.  Christians are eager for heaven that’s promised to us one day, too.  We’re also sure to arrive in heaven wearing smiles.  We’re excited to see Jesus face-to-face.  Our heavenly Father’s presence is sure to bring us smiles.

            Meanwhile, for those who believe in Jesus as God’s Son, our heavenly Father is wrapping gifts.  While on earth waiting for our ultimate reward of eternal life in heaven, Believers-in-Christ “work out salvation with fear and trembling.”  (The lesson linked below wraps up what the opening Scripture teases.)

            “Working out salvation” is Believers’ job.  Jesus commands His followers to be baptized.  While underwater, Believers “die to self” (Luke 9:23).  Jesus is our Savior because He willingly died as a perfect sacrifice for the Father’s forgiveness of our sins.    Holding our breaths, we copy Jesus’ burial.  Rising out of the baptismal water represents Believers’ rising as a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

            God’s indwelling Spirit shapes us—transforming us into mini Christ-followers.  Salvation is not supposed to be Believers’ end game.  Salvation is the beginning of our new lives under the Lordship of Jesus. 

   

            Our Father wraps carefully-chosen gifts of abundant lives to reward us while we wait for heaven.   Having life to the fullest means that Jesus’ power, authority, and blessings come to whomever willingly obeys His Spirit’s transforming process.  God’s secret kingdom is revealed to Christians, yet is hidden from everyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus. 

            Receiving God’s-kingdom lives to the fullest of daily needs and transforming Believers into Christlikeness is extraordinary grace. 

            The extent of this grace is equal to the extent of our commitment and dedication to Him.

Take Home Nugget

            Commitment and dedication to God show up when Jesus rules our lives.  God’s hidden kingdom reigns secretly inside Believers’ hearts.  “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” prays billions of Christians worldwide urging God’s hidden kingdom to emerge from the shadows. 

Holy Father, as Lord and King, empower me to commit and dedicate myself to You 100%.  Bless me with Your abundant life which Jesus beckons me to accept.  I pray this in His name, Amen. 

Adapted from “Abundant Life” by Dr. Tony Evans.  October 27, 2017.  Christianity.com@Crossswalk.com     

J.D. Griffith

Click here for an Interactive-Online-Lesson for Hidden Secret Kingdom

 For a personal, private lesson experience with our staff

Written for www.Biblestudyforkids.com

For FREE Online Bible Study Resources click here.

Latest Christmas eBook by J.D. Griffith:  

To purchase "Star Watchers" for only $0.99 USD, click here  

 This eBook shows Mary’s adventure traveling to Bethlehem right before Jesus’ birth.   This Biblical fantasy weaves supernatural delight into facts surrounding His birth. 

Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:   

Twelve-year-old Jeremy befriends “Aunt” Rita when lured up her front steps after football practice one fall day.  Her piano music isn’t the only thing that makes Rita especially different.  She is intrigued by Jeremy.  God uses Aunt Rita to transform Jeremy into a true follower of Christ. 

Click here to purchase "Your Salvation is Jesus' Passion"     Only $2.99

     

     Click here for inexpensive Christian eBook and app offers