Heavenhigh

Light!

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

# 7 2019. Dev. Psalm 56:12-13. The Light of Life! Read all of Ps. 56 The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ps 56:12-13 “I am under vows to you, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you. ¹³For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

The title of this Psalm indicates that David was seized at Gath, but it appears he escaped, you can read about the events in I Sam. 21. The issue here is that Saul was out to kill David in an attempt to save his kingdom that was slipping away from him. The people at Gath betrayed David to Saul. Even so David escaped from their grasp and from Saul’s grasp.

David appeals to God; “be merciful to me, my God. My adversaries pursue me all day long.” The Psalm is divided into two halves with a refrain; “In God I trust; I will not be afraid”, central in both halves. David describes a very real physical danger but when he speaks about God’s care he turns to the spiritual reality of his life.

That is where we are in our time. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with dark spiritual forces of this world (Eph.6:12). Do those of us who follow Jesus realize what we are up against and if so do we recognize the subtle attacks of Satan? Along with David we ask for mercy, we trust God and do not fear and we continue to pray for His grace and protection. We have the same results as David; we are delivered from spiritual death. We are able to walk in Jesus’ ways so “that I (we) may walk before God in the light of life”, or “in the land of the living”(NIV notes), meaning life evermore with Christ, not by power but with humble and simple faith. We praise you Lord Jesus!

Devotion!

# 6 2018. Dev. Col.4:2,3. Devotion! Read all of Ch. 4. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Colossians 4:2,3 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ,”

Colosse, a city in present day Turkey that Paul had not visited, there was a church started by converts who met Paul in Ephesus, Epaphras most likely planted this church. The Colossians were not Greeks or Romans but Europeans, Celts, who had migrated south. Paul wrote the Colossians to refute the growing heresy that came to be known as Gnosticism, privileged knowledge known by only a few people. Paul emphasized the superiority of Jesus as the Creator, the Head of the church, who upholds all things, reconciles all things to God, is above all things in heaven and earth and is the first resurrected from the dead.

Paul gives us great insight into Christ as the complete image of God in bodily form. Christ is beyond our human comprehension except for the power of the Holy Spirit who promotes Him in our hearts. It is no wonder that those who do not really know Jesus personally have lifestyles and ways of thinking that conflicts with all that is good about creation and God’s desire to reconcile every back to Himself. The latest example of which is allowing at birth abortions and murdering the child if still alive.

That is why Paul’s further instructions are so very important for us as well. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Pray “that God will open a door” for the message of the gospel. Pray that we may “proclaim it clearly, as I (we) should.” This was our prayer as a missionary family, I asked others to pray that prayer for us as well and I still pray that today. I will pray this prayer for you as well.

Paul goes on; “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders” (those who do not follow Jesus) “make the most of every opportunity”. Speak with grace, pleasant, “seasoned with salt”. Paul here gives us a lesson in evangelism. If those of us who follow Jesus would do as Paul suggests our churches would be growing, we would be happier and the world would be a better place. Our jobs give us a living but our work is to live for Jesus, promote the Gospel and do good things in Jesus’ name. May God bless us as we do our work today, amen and amen!

Trust

# 5 2019. Dev. Psalm 55:16,17. Trust! Read all of Ps. 55. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ps 55:16-17 “As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice.”

Ps. 55 is much like Ps. 54. David prays for God’s intervention into his life and into the lives of those opposing David. They not only oppose David, they oppose God!

The structure of this Ps. is similar but more detailed. Vs.1-3 is the introduction. Vs. 4-14 are 12 lines describing David’s anguish, his desire for peace, the confusion caused by evil in the city and his pain at being betrayed by a friend, a close companion. 15 is considered to be the center of the Ps. A call for a living death as the result of evil.

Vs.16-19 begin the next 12 lines where David praises God for His care for him. Vs. 20-21 describes the deception of his companion turned against.

Vs. 22-23 is a comparison of those who trust God and those who reject God. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you,.. But you God will bring down the wicked…” The last line along with the intro. brackets this prayer.

Distress, love lost, deception, rejection and violence happens to all of us at one time or another in our lives as well. Therefore, we need to look to what is spiritually central in this prayer, for our benefit in our time, in our situations and for our healing. Vs. 16-17 “As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous be shaken. But as for me, I trust you (Jesus)”.

This is the center and the bottom line for those who pray to God (Jesus): We call to God at all times, we cast our cares on Him, He saves, He hears our voice, He sustains us, we will not be shaken and we will not experience a living death but eternal life. Praise be to God!

With All Your Heart!

# 4 2018. Dev. Col.3:23. With all your Heart! Read verses 18-25. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”,

Paul ends his letter with instructions to households, further instructions and greetings from coworkers. This passage is one that is least understood and is the mostly abused. “Wives submit, husbands love, children obey and slaves obey your masters” This passage is directed to families following Jesus. To husbands and wives; they are to find completeness in each other, love one another, both submit to Christ and submit to one another.

The reason so many marriages fail today, the institution of marriage as God ordained it is now disregarded in society. In our individualistic society, starter marriages are a reality, like a starter house, one moves on to bigger and better, one richer, to more status, and to one sexier, all foundations of sand for a good marriage. The husband is responsible to God for his wife and children (Eph. 5:20-28), but wives and children have responsibilities as well as we read it here. Husbands, wives and their children work together to love, to care, to encourage, and to please Jesus. I officiated at a wedding sometime ago and the couple chose the passage that includes; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves (Php.2:3)”. That is the foundation for a happy marriage and life!

In Paul’s time there were many slaves among those who followed Jesus. He addresses them as well. Today we apply this to all workers and to all leaders in business. Be sincere, diligent, and honest in the work we do. Our short comings do not condemn us and our good works won’t save us; only Jesus saves. But our actions have consequences, both good and bad. Therefore, in our families and in our work we look to our verse for today: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human (rewards) masters”. Praise God today!

God Hear Me!

# 3 2019. Dev. Ps. 54: God Hear Me! Read all of Ps. 54. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

Ps 54 is a short prayer by David after he had been betrayed by the people among whom David was hiding from Saul. Prayers like this are the most common type of prayer turned into songs in the Psalter, often used liturgically in the the Temple. Further, this is one of a series of prayers when Saul was seeking to end David’s life. The structure is typical; the main body is framed by an introduction and conclusion, the center of the Psalm is verse 4, David acknowledging God’s care for him.

Vs. 1,2 David begins with a request; “Save me, O God” David calls on His name, on God’s might and asks God to hear his prayer.

3 Ruthless and godless men are trying to kill David.

4 David confirms God’s care for him.

5 David asks for evil to be restrained and the perpetrators to reap the result of their actions.

Vs. 6,7 David ends his prayer with a promise to sacrifice and to praise God. He steps out in faith anticipating God’s salvation.

This prayer is a meaningful prayer for David’s time and place. How does this prayer apply to our time? Although we are not in danger of losing our lives like David, our time and place is not much different than David’s. Modern times give us many good and beneficial things but there is a dark side to much of it, evil and unrighteousness is all around us leading society astray and our souls are in extreme jeopardy. People not in Christ do not understand the danger they are subjected to every day. Followers of Jesus should know better but often the reality of Satan and his intention to kill off our second life (our souls) is minimized, ignored, or denied. Therefore, David’s prayer is relevant for today. We are blest with God’s Word, like David we trust God for our salvation, we have the Holy Spirit promoting Christ in us and through us to the world and the Holy Spirit restrains sin. Praise be to God!

Love Over All!

# 2 2018. Dev. Col.3:12-14. Love Over All! Read verses 1-17. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Colossians 3:12-14 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Paul ends chapter two with the freedom we have from religious practices and rules made by man that do not contribute to our salvation. In Christ our sins do not condemn us and our good works do not save us. But because we are in Christ and made alive by Him we are told to: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” We wait for Christ’s return when the salvation of our souls and bodies is complete and we “appear with him in glory.” This does not mean that we are now no earthly good, we live on earth temporarily, but the demands of the Gospel; proclaiming the Good News and living it is now even more urgent.

Therefore, in vs. 5-10 Paul lists for us practices that are incompatible with being in Christ and with living for Him now. We “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Being alive in Christ means that there is no tribe, no country, no human condition or situation, and no man made rules that separate us from Christ, “Christ is all and is in all.”

We turn to the the three verses, 12-14 which is the heart of the message of Jesus. Surround yourself and your life with; “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” always forgive and overflow with love. These are the practices of the new self, the new creation we are in Christ Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, (Gal.5:22,23) and has profound implication for how we live our lives on this earth.

We end with what could be a New Year resolution: “¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Amen and Amen!

The Unrighteous!

# 1 2019. Dev. Ps. 53: The unrighteous! Read all of Ps. 53. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 53:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.”

We start this New Year with hope but the reality of a broken world is always with us, Ps. 53 reminds us of that reality. This Psalm is the last prayer of this section of Psalms started at Ps.49. The Psalm is very much like Ps. 14. The title however is much different: “according to mahalath” the name of a tune but the Hebrew word means suffering or oppression. Further, it is also titled as a “maskil” meaning instruction or righteous understanding. The psalmist has suffered at the hands of godless men and he speaks out. Here the unrighteous are described in vivid terms: their actions, their lack of understanding, their refusal to seek God, and they do not know or do good works.

We see and we hear about the unrighteous today, in the Middle East evil actions have risen to an unbelievable level destroying whole cities and decimating people groups. Evil is at work everywhere as well as here where we live. Let us call evil for what it is, and where evil comes from; unrighteous people are controlled by Satan. We hear them say: “we love death but you love life”! They say that because they are confronted with life! The righteous have nothing to loose! How? As the Psalmist tells us: “There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous” and “the Lord is their refuge.” Ps 14: 5,6.

God in Christ is always with us in every situation and through every trial. Truly we have everything to gain and nothing to loose! Thank you Lord Jesus.

Man’s Regulations!

# 52 2018. Dev. Col.2:16. Man’s Regulations! Read verses 16-23. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Colossians 2: 16 “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”

This time of the year is a time to celebrate; we celebrate The birth of the Christ Child and anticipate His coming for the second time, we are thankful for the year now past and we anticipate the blessings of the year ahead. This is a time to celebrate and we often over indulge with food, drink and gifts. Moderation in all things is always a good thing but that is not what this passage is about.

Paul points back to what he wrote before: We are set free from our “indebtedness.” Our sins “nailed to the cross” and freed from the “powers” and the “authorities” of this world. The issue here is perceived obligations that have nothing to do with salvation and that our own efforts are useless, salvation is only by the Grace of God. I remember when people started to skip the evening service, even church leaders were starting to be absent, yet the pastor had to be there. When we moved to a church plant we decided to have only a late morning service spending much time before and after the service in fellowship. That gave all of us a new sense of freedom. The bottom line is our personal relationship with Jesus, He is the head of the body, the church held together, “as God causes it to grow.”

“Since you died with Christ, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch’? ²²These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.” There are churches that expect attendance twice always, sing only certain traditional songs, have organ music of course, no Christmas tree anywhere near the church and offer communion only to the righteous. All that flies in the face of the freedom Jesus offers us. Praise God for your religious freedom, not only politically but also spiritually which is rooted in our personally relationship to Christ! Thank you Lord Jesus for coming to set us free, we praise You!

Unfailing Love!

# 51 2018. Dev. Ps. 52: God’s unfailing love! Read all of Ps. 52. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 52:8 “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

Ps. 52 is a song and a prayer of condemnation on the one hand and a praise song and prayer on the the other. It is closely related to the first Psalm of this series, Ps 49- 53. Verses 1-7 is a condemnation in the first person. V. 1. David addresses Doeg directly or is it King Saul he is addressing; they add up the same; “you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God.” The statements are formulated as a question, demanding why? Vs. 2-4 without a legitimate answer, David shows him his failures: “you love evil, you love every harmful word.” He had plotted against David by giving Saul his location. In vs.5-7 David tells him what God will do to him, repeating it three times for emphasis. The righteous will learn from your downfall because you trusted in your own strength and wealth.

Vs. 8-9 David draws a comparison between good and evil. Those who trust in their own efforts, who trust in their own words, wealth and strength do not recognize the evil they do. David’s world and life view: “I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” In contrast of life styles; “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of the God.” He is alive and useful in the presence of God. David praises God among his people and even under the opposition of Saul he puts his hope in God for He is good!

During the Christmas season the contrast cannot be more radical: we celebrate the birth of a baby, weak, dependent, unwanted by many. “When I am weak I am strong” Paul says. Then there are those striving for more things, for gifts, for more power and for more status. This is the contrast we live in among those who reject God. Along with David may we also trust God for our strength and may God empower us with his Spirit to live that contrast as a witness to God’s goodness to all who come in contact with us! Praise Him!

Spiritual fullness

# 50 2018 Dev. Col. 2:6. Spiritual fullness! Read verses 1-15. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Paul begins chapter two with an introduction; stating his purpose and his desire for all to have a full life in Christ. Paul had not met the people of this church personally nor had he met the the people of the church at Laodicea. Paul is contending hard for both of these groups “and for all who have not met me (him) personally.” Paul is in a spiritual battle with those who would lead them astray, contending in prayer for all who were being led astray. He prays for unity, for love, for understanding “the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Other self proclaimed leaders were promoting a gospel that included human effort to be saved; secret knowledge, circumcision, refraining from certain foods, participating in religious festivals. Paul draws a comparison in vs. 6-7 with vs. 8; pointing to what he said before, he encourages believers to live their lives in Christ as they did when they first believed. “Rooted and built up in him”, Christ living in our hearts by faith and overflowing to others in thankfulness.

Verse 8 paints a picture of emptiness, an unfulfilled life chained by evil forces of this world. People, often blessed with worldly goods, who have nothing to live for and nothing to look forward to.

I ask, how do I fit into this comparison? How do you?

Paul continues, pointing out Christ’s fullness of God and by Him we are also filled to complete fullness in the Holy Spirit. “Your whole self ruled by the flesh as put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” That puts an end to any human philosophy, and baptism replaces circumcision. Further, our debt and condemnation is removed, “nailed to the cross”, only by the power of God are we saved and by faith we are filled in the Spirit. Amen!