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A Spiritual Encounter

DECEMBER 24

MATTHEW 7:28_when Jesus had ended these sayings…

What has come to pass at this time is Jesus has ended His sermon. God gathered exactly who He wanted to hear this sermon—just as He gathers exactly who He wants to read this blog. You are not reading these devotionals by some kind of random happenstance—it is a divine encounter planned and orchestrated by God.

God has a spiritual encounter for you from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Even those who came with wrong motives were a part of God’s gathering. He had a message for them.  

Mark 2:16-17(KJV), “And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him [Jesus] eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, ‘How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?’ 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, ‘They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’”    

As religious leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees should have had love and concern for the publicans and sinners. Yet, they condemned Jesus for ministering to them.

Jesus’ interest in sinners is to set them free.  

 PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I hear Your words and know You want me to live free. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ taught me to live free—He will help me live it!

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Egg on Their Face

DECEMBER 23

MATTHEW 7:28_And it came to pass…

Something which came to pass as a part of Jesus’ ministry was: multitudes followed Him. We’ve mentioned the multitudes before, but let’s review these categories.

Definitely among the multitude were the spiritually hungry. Hopefully that is the category you fill. You have not spent a year studying Jesus’ teachings because you are spiritually full. These are people who want their lives to count for good before they leave the earth. 

There were the physically sick. These are people who believe Jesus can heal the incurable. They hope to experience His power.

There were the desperate, held in demonic bondage by the father of lies. They were searching for freedom. Had they found it? 

There were the curious who just wanted to see what all the hoop-la was about.

There were the jealous who sought to destroy the One who had stolen their thunder. And it came to pass that these left with egg on their face.

For those who don’t know what that means, it is to be made to look foolish or embarrassed.  

 PRAYER

Wonderful Counselor, I am spiritually hungry for Your truth. Please feed me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ can keep me spiritually full—He feeds me!

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God Events

DECEMBER 22

MATTHEW 7:28_And it came to pass…

Many God events occur in life from birth to death. Some give joy and some pain, but each is designed to strengthen your walk on the narrow path.

With time, it will come to pass that you recognize God’s hand in these events. The good and the bad, the joy and the sorrow, are tools in the hands of The Great Deliverer. He uses them to defeat the circumstances of life which can keep you in a pit. I know you want God to just reach in and pull you up without all these God events, but time is how God works. Your life of freedom will come to pass.

Reading this devotional blog is a God designed event.

Designed to bring you to Jesus.

To obey His creation principles taught in this sermon.

To develop a transformed heart able to truly love. 

As you read these devotionals you become part of the people who gathered on a mountain and listened to Jesus teach. They were a combination of different personalities with a variety of different needs, hopes, and dreams.

I don’t know if Jesus taught this sermon in a day or a week, but time came to pass for everyone listening.     

 PRAYER

Prince of Peace, Help me see Your designed events in my life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ events help me stay on the path—I will!

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A Dilapidated House

DECEMBER 21

MATTHEW 7:27_and great was the fall of it.

The longer life is lived on sandy soil the harder that life falls apart. There are people in their senior years who lived a lifetime of poor choices. Suddenly the day of reckoning appears and they have to face the music. It is heartbreaking. These people will tell you not to build your life on sandy soil.

They can still call on the name of the Lord. He will come and save them. This does not restore the years lost to foolishness. But there can be some restoration. Mercy is a welcomed guest in a dilapidated house.

Psalm 41:11(KJV), “By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.” God does not want your adversary, the devil, to have control over your life. God wants you to live as salty-lit-up disciples. A rock-solid life!

What kind of power does the devil have in your life?

Does he attack you with fear? Yes.

Does he accuse you of unworthiness? Absolutely!

Does he throw road blocks as you travel the narrow path? Yes.

Do these road blocks cause frustrations and delays in your kingdom projects? Yes.

Can he triumph over your life and control your future, current and eternal? Not a chance!!!!

 PRAYER

Everlasting Father, Help me not to live a life I will regret. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ does not want me to grow old and regret my life – I don’t want to!

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Fall to Pieces

DECEMBER 20

MATTHEW 7:27_and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell…

It is a sad thing to see a life fall apart. There are many ways a life can break. It is not always from hardship. Sometimes success can break a life.  Sometimes, the greater the success the harder the brokenness. The truth is, very often success destroys. 

If you find it hard to believe success can lead to destruction open your eyes. Pay attention to people who are in the limelight. Have you been a fan of a celebrity and watched them fall off the porch? This is especially true for those who are an overnight sensation. 

Building character requires time, lots of time.  When you try to rush through life by skipping over your God-designed waiting period, you often develop the talent, but not the character. Character is the rock-solid foundation of life. Talents are like houses, they need to be squarely set on firm foundations. Brilliant talents and abilities built on sandy soil, then beat upon by the floods of success and popularity, can fall to pieces.

Psalm 27:14 (KJV), “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

You may be destined for global greatness, but give God time to prepare you.

 PRAYER

Savior of the World, Help me wait on You to develop character in me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ prepares me for my purpose – I will wait!