Tag: Light

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Sounds Strange

OCTOBER 14

MATTHEW 7:11_If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children…

Does Jesus say even the evil know how to treat their children well? No way! Actually, it sounds like He’s calling all of us evil! 

Jesus agrees with what we’ve already learned – we’re all evil and have those hard hearts. That’s why we need The Savior. That’s why we need The Great Transformer. That’s why we need The Great Healer. And this is another reason to stay away from judging. How can one sinner judge another? 

Those of us who made a decision to become salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus are saved sinners. We are not any better than unsaved sinners, because the only righteousness we have comes from Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself. We didn’t get it by being good. We got it by accepting a free (to us) gift from The Savior (who paid the ultimate price to give it to us).

I realize I’m putting myself out there by saying this, but I believe sometimes evil people can treat their children well. I believe God can use evil people to do good works for Him. I know that sounds strange, but King Solomon knew it. 

Proverbs 21:1(KJV), “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.”

PRAYER

King of Kings, Thank You for the miraculous ways You take care of me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                               

Christ can use anyone for my good—I praise Him for that!

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The Right Place

OCTOBER 4

MATTHEW 7:8_and he that seeketh, findeth…

Proverbs 20:27 says my spirit is God’s candle. We’ve talked a lot about candles in these devotionals. We’ve talked about the purpose of light—to dispel and overcome darkness. We’ve talked about candles set on candlesticks. We’ve talked about replacing the smaller candle and candlestick with larger ones as life moves on, and more light is needed. In this verse, a candle is used to in a different way – to gain insight into who I really am.

Now, the candle (my spirit) is used by God not to share light with others but—to search inside of me. God uses my spirit to shed light into my heart, and all that I am. He uses it to see what my heart seeks. Does it seek to know Him and make Him known, or does it seek to make me known?

Jesus told me to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Is that where He finds my spirit shedding light—on God’s righteousness? If God finds me seeking how to turn the other cheek, go the second mile, give to those who ask, and do good to those who hurt and use me, then He’s found me in the right place.

According to Jesus, if I’m seeking to live that kind of life—I’ll find it.

PRAYER

Almighty Father, I’m seeking the truth of Your kingdom. I’m seeking Your righteousness – to dwell in me. Thank You that I’ll find it. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                   

Christ knows if I seek righteousness—If so, I’ll find it!

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Knock!

MATTHEW 7:7_knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Before your knock is answered be sure to answer the ultimate knock!

Remember your heart has a door. Jesus knocks on it. Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door [of your heart], and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup [fellowship] with him, and he with me.”

It is impossible to become a disciple without answering the ultimate knock. And certainly if you desire to become a salty-lit-up disciple!

Jesus’ sermon, in Matthew chapters five, six, and seven is an instruction manual on how to live once you’ve opened that door. Don’t forget the Salvation Post on August 29. You printed a page to record your Door Opening event.

Now you become the knocker. The doors of life stand before you. The Holy Spirit dwells inside you, faithfully giving visions to accomplish and fulfill. All the visions fit according to the design and purpose God has for your life.

Knock on the doors which will bring fulfillment of your visions. Don’t give up. 

Knock!

PRAYER

King of Kings, I choose to answer Your knock—You choose to answer mine. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                             

Christ knows when I answer His knock—He hears mine!

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A Changed Man

SEPTEMBER 13

MATTHEW 7:3_And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Had the wicked servant dwelt on the unbelievable mercy rendered to him by the king, he would have bestowed mercy on his fellow-servant. However, non-believers can’t be expected to respond to life as believers. That’s why there is such a need for salty-lit-up disciples. Lifestyles that shine in such a way to draw captives to freedom, like a lighthouse to a ship lost in a raging storm. Light sends a ray of hope. Once the ship makes it to the safety of the harbor, it is time to preserve it with the salt of mercy – mercy that flows from unconditional love.

In the case of the apostle Paul the light shone on him, blinded him. When he was healed and his sight restored three days later, he was a changed man. The light blinded him to the hate that his hard heart had toward Jesus’ followers. It also blinded him to the lies (that Jesus was demonic and his followers would be the destruction of the Jewish religion) with which the devil deceived him.

The light set Paul free to become the Jesus follower who wrote the majority of the New Testament. 

He was salty and lit-up!

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I want Your kind of light—that blinds, but heals. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   

Christ’s light can blind me—It can also heal me!

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They Could Say the Same About You

SEPTEMBER 3

MATTHEW 7:1_Judge not…

Jesus says plainly not to judge. It is one of the Sermon on the Mount principles. All salty-lit-up disciples would call this a good principle and agree it is wrong to judge others. No one wants to be judged.  

More times than not when you say “Don’t judge me,” you judged the person you accused of being judgmental. You just judged someone by your standard of judgment when you called them judgmental. They could say the same about you.

Romans 2:1-3 (KJV), “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?”

There just isn’t any place for Christians to judge each other, or to judge unbelievers. God is the judge according to Psalm 75:7 (KJV), “But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

God judges according to what He sees inside a heart, and according to what He knows will bring freedom. 

PRAYER

Holy Father, Help me not to be judgmental of others. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                            

Christ does not want me to judge others—He helps me!