Tag: Truth

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You’re Not the Only One

FEBRUARY 6

MATTHEW 5:12 _for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one? Everything that has to do with sufferings, trials, and persecutions comes to you. Everybody else has it made. Even if they do suffer for their Christian values, it’s short lived. You’re the only one for whom it goes on and on. Whenever something bad or hard comes around, it falls on you. If someone gets the blame (for something they didn’t do), it’s always you. And, you’re the one who was doing right. The ones spouting the blame are the ones in the wrong.

According to Jesus, not only are you not the only one—but it has been going on since long before you were born. Jesus goes back to the Old Testament prophets and points out they, too, were persecuted for standing up for God’s truths. It is not something new. It is something that has been and always will be a part of a disciple’s life. 

Go ahead and rejoice. You’re in good company!

 PRAYER

God of comfort, I’m sorry for the times I whine, when I should praise. Help me thank You when I am persecuted for Your sake. Help me know the difference when I am persecuted for my own sake, and help me change my path. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.              

Christ knows who is persecuted—I’m not the only one!

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The Mysterious Keeper

DECEMBER 5

MATTHEW 7:24_Therefore, whosoever…

Remember, the word therefore has an important purpose. Go back to Jesus’ previous principle. He is about to give more clarification and new insight. In this verse, He returns to the beginning of the sermon. He will apply this final teaching to the entire sermon.

My sister in Jesus, Joan Morris, sent me an email. In it she made a statement which fits so well the therefore and the whosoever. She said, “The mind is a mysterious keeper of our past, both good and bad.” I really like that and fully agree. God created the mysterious keeper. Like everything, He wants it to be used for your good. If God created something for good, the devil will do all he can to use it for destruction. He knows the bad of the past in your keeper. He whispers the bad into your mind for as long as you allow yourself to listen. 

Therefore, Jesus has given you the greatest sermon ever preached by anyone at any time in history. He preached it for everyone—whosoever. He wants this sermon seared into your mysterious keeper. He wants it to be available throughout your life. One time through this sermon will not get it.

Commit to reading these devotionals next year.

PRAYER

Almighty God, Praise You for teaching me so much truth! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ’s sermon teaches the truths of life—I will study!

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But the Power of Jesus

NOVEMBER 29

MATTHEW 7:22_and in Thy name cast out devils…

Can these people actually cast out demons? Or do they think they can just convince Jesus they can? I don’t claim to know a lot about demonic possession, but I don’t believe there is any power to exhort them but the power of Jesus. 

Because life is spiritual as well as physical, we need to have knowledge of both. We primarily focus on the physical until we have had an encounter with Jesus and answer that knock. John 15:16 (KJV), “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

You didn’t become a Christian because it was your idea. You answered the call, the knock, the pursuing of Jesus. You responded, and now you are doing the asking, seeking, knocking, pursuing. You enter a strait gate and a narrow way to gain wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of truth. And why do you want truth? By now you’ve got this—to live free!

We must face the reality that the spiritual world consists of darkness as well as light. Jesus calls us to be light and light must be free.

Any encumbrances to light keep it from overcoming darkness.                   

PRAYER

God of Heaven, Please keep my light free to serve You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen. 

Christ’s light is free from encumbrances—He frees mine!

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Can They Persuade Jesus?

NOVEMBER 28

MATTHEW 7:22_have we not prophesied in Thy name…

Jesus refers to people who profess to be Christian. These people believe they have the right to call upon the Lord when He sits on the judgment throne. Do they  believe they are clever enough to persuade Jesus to accept them on their terms, not His?

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 (KJV), “And for this cause God shall send them [the unrighteous] strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Good grief! This is more of that stuff I’d just as soon the Bible would leave out! Because the unrighteous will not believe the truth, then it is only natural they enjoy being unrighteous. God does not stand in the way of them believing lies. Perhaps one of the lies they believe is their good works will allow them to enter the kingdom of heaven.

These people did not get into this kind of shape because God did not care enough to pursue them: 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV), “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 

Unfortunately, not everyone will repent.

Some of the unrepentant may go around prophesying in God’s name.                   

PRAYER

Everlasting Father, I do not want to find joy in unrighteousness, but in You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                    

Christ knows all the hearts that repent—He sees mine!

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Not Everyone

NOVEMBER 23

MATTHEW 7:21_Not everyone…

Since Jesus begins this teaching by saying not everyone, there must be some exclusiveness. Can mercy be exclusive? If so, who decides who is excluded? Would it be Jesus? How does He decide it?

Mercy is a God-like attribute.

Mercy is a Jesus quality.

Mercy covers sins.

Mercy covers shortcomings.

Mercy covers failures.

Mercy rescues the undeserving. 

Mercy brings the lost to shelter and safety.

Mercy does this by its very nature of being merciful.

However, one of those hard realities of life we prefer to avoid is, mercy is not limitless.

That is hard truth! 

Mercy has no limit for askers, seekers, and knockers. But arrogant pretenders, aka hypocrites, will experience hard truth.

Personally, I don’t think mercy had limits in the Garden of Eden. But free will caused it to pull in the reins, put on the brakes, and turn off the power.

That’s when a phrase like, not everyone, came into play. Mercy is for everyone, just as life without death was for Adam and Eve, but everyone has the freedom to reject it. 

PRAYER

King of Kings, Please help me never to reject Your mercy. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                                       

Christ offers mercy to those who will receive it—I will receive!