Heavenhigh

Rejoice!

# 48 2017 Dev. Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice!

Paul wrote the Philippians to express his thankfulness to God and to the Philippians for the support they gave Paul partnering with him to promote the Gospel of Jesus. He also wanted to update his situation, he is in prison, yet he seeks to encourage them. Also, He is preparing them for the coming persecution and to warn them about the adulteration of the true gospel by the Judaizers

Today we are faced with the complete adulteration of Christian Holidays. Shopping on Thanksgiving day, Black Friday, it is all about stuff, the more the better and it is all about food and drink. We all like a sweet deal and good food but what is our emphasis for giving thanks? To be fair there are people and organizations giving food and support to the poor during this time of year. But the secular emphasis of Thanksgiving is being thankful for more stuff and that makes it difficult to be thankful at the lean times of life. If you are thankful when you have everything what are you when you have nothing?

Paul is giving us a different emphasis in our passage: ⁴“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. So far God’s Word.

Rejoice always! Always means we are to rejoice at all times and in all situations. How do we do that?

#1 be gentle and know that God is with us.

#2 Do not be anxious, be concerned but don’t go overboard with worry.

#3 “But in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.”.

There is a promise that goes along with being thankful: “The peace of God that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God gets us through the hard times and God’s peace is with us at the good times. God’s peace is for Christians, even in good times, non Christians do not have God’s peace. Like Paul says it is difficult to get our heads around God’s peace, we don’t understand it but it is a quietness inside that overwhelms the discord and uncertainty in our lives . We need to allow God’s peace to move from our minds and descend into our hearts. True thanksgiving is a function of the Holy Spirt in our hearts overflowing into our lives. Amen!

So what are we to be thankful for? I want to mention five thanksgivings, with #5 being the most important.

#1. We are thankful for creation, God’s glory and power is all around us,

# 2 we are thankful for good health and for family, God brings our families to us, children are God’s blessings to us, and friends are God’s gift,

#3 We are thankful for food there is so much of it here compared to other communities. We give thanks for good harvests and for all the stuff God blesses us with, education, jobs, housing, and transportation.

#4 We are thankful for God’s Word, proclaimed in His Church and proclaimed in our lives.

#5 We are thankful for God’s gift of love and the gift of salvation and that by God’s grace we are called to live out our salvation while in this life.

Therefore, Paul says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” May the peace of God dwell in us today and every day!

Faith or Works?

# 47. 2017 Dev. Gal. 3. Faith or Works? Read Verses 1-14. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Galatians. 3:6,11

6.“So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

11.“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”

Paul continues with the precepts of the true Gospel drawing on Old Testament quotes showing the Galatians and us that “belief, believing God” was and still is the basis for God’s grace to mankind then, as it is to us today.

The Galatians were being mislead by a very humanistic idea; that people have something good to offer up, something of value in and of ourselves to contribute to our own salvation. I remember a person, an expatriate also working in Africa, who wanted a relationship with Jesus but could not get past the idea that one needed to be saved from something: “I am not a bad person, I do good things, I don’t need to repent”. Apparently, the effects of sin in that person’s life was not yet obvious. That person is correct about one thing, People do good things, we see that every day but if those good things are not done in the name of Jesus, while doing good for many people, there is no personal salvation value.

V11 is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4. It is part of God’s answer to the question posed by the prophet: Since you are a Holy God why do you tolerate the wicked? God’s answer is punishment on the unrepentant, but those who believe in God/Jesus will live. They will live on this earth with the absolute assurance of forgiveness and salvation, blessing our earthly lives and blessing us with life forever after this life.

That is God’s goal. He wants to redeem all of His people, redemption comes to those who believe, who have faith. Paul makes that clear: “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^[^d^] ⁹So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18)

The answer to faith or works? Is not either /or, obviously we are saved by grace, by faith in Jesus, but we do good works, service, ministry because we are saved. That work is forever, follows us to heaven and become the building blocks for the New Heaven and Earth! Praise the Lord!

The Opposite of Suffering

# 46. 2017 Dev. Ps 23:6a. The Opposite of Suffering! Read all of Ps. 23. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ps. 23: 6a

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life”,

David in the midst of suffering writes this song of praise and comfort. It stands in juxtaposition of Ps 22. This concept of God’s comfort and care is a state of being, offsetting the suffering he is experiencing. As David in the Spirit describes Jesus’ suffering so he describes God’s care for himself, for Jesus and also for us. It is a pastoral scene, peaceful, comforting in an unpredictable world: green pastures and quite waters, a place set aside, away from it all, protected.

Yet, it is much more than a place, He guides us on the right paths of our lives and when we are in a dark place we will not fear evil for He walks with us. His rod and staff, His laws and precepts guide us and teach us the way of life.

He blesses us in the face of opposition and He anoints our heads with oil, God has chosen and He calls us to serve Him. His goodness and love is with us in every situation and beginning at believing in Christ we “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

This is the kind of comfort only Jesus is able to give us but only if you know the Lord of life. This state of being, mentally and physically, is only true for those with a complete commitment to living the Christian life. Not the halfway commitment we see too often but a deep self-sacrificing commitment to Jesus. May we all experience it, Amen!

Suffering!

# 44. 2017 Dev. Ps 22:1. Suffering! Read all of Psalm 22. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 22:1

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”

Ps. 22 is one of the Messianic Psalms. Immediately we recognize Jesus’ cry from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” David, in his suffering, by the power of the Holy Spirit identifies with Jesus’ suffering on the cross. Take note that this Psalm was written about 1050 yrs. before the crucifixion event.

Vs 1.a. is not the only thing that is Messianic in this Psalm, David moves back and forth describing his suffering and praising God. Praising God even as he suffers because it is the path of the righteous. Jesus walked that path and we as his followers walk that path as well.

Vs 1,2 describes suffering, vs. 3-5 praises God for his holiness and his trustworthiness.

Vs, 6-8 describes the rejection of the people that David felt but in the Spirit he also describes Jesus’ rejection at the end of His life. Vs. 9-10 describe God’s care for David and for Jesus and as followers of Jesus for us.

Vs. 12-18 describes the type suffering, rejection and humiliation of Jesus on the cross. The extreme suffering of the righteous, for those who follow Jesus is common place today in many countries. God, up to this point, has spared our country.

Vs. 19-31 declares God’s presence with His people and clearly lays out God’s intentions for Israel and for all other people of the earth. Further, David declares what he could not have known or anticipated but by the power of the Holy Spirit he claims the “ends of the earth and all the families of the nations” for God! Fulfilling God’s intentions for Abraham and predicting the work of Jesus Christ; redeeming all who turn to God over all of history, “people yet unborn: He has done it!” Praise be to God!

Faith or Works

# 43. 2017 Dev. Gal. 2:4,5. Faith or Works. Read verses 1-10. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Galatians 1:4,5

^“⁴This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”

We started the devotionals on Gal. with: “The True Gospel”. Paul now continues with that theme as well as with discerning our calling mentioned in Dev. 41.

To the best of our knowledge Paul had been in Tarsus, his home town, since his conversion years earlier. Now thirteen years later Barnabas asked Paul to come to Antioch to help him with the many converts there (Acts 11:19-30). It is unclear what Paul was doing in Tarsus but one thing is clear, he waited thirteen years before God put him to work in a significant way. Our calling and timing comes from God!

The matter Paul is referring to in verse 4 and 5 is the issue of Jewish practices, such as circumcision and feast days, that some Jewish Christians wanted to impose on Gentile Christians. Christianity was at a crossroad. Was salvation granted by faith in Jesus’ work alone or was it going to include our own efforts and contributions?

Paul was convinced that the works concept enslaves all those who follow Jesus and who receive salvation as a free gift. Some people wanted to contribute to their own righteousness by doing good works, that thinking is a human trait still effecting Christians and people in general today.

How often have I counseled people who feel that they are not good enough? Many times! The fact is, not a one of us measure up to God’s standards, “no not one”, only Jesus!

What about good works? James 2:18 “show me your faith with out deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” True faith demands work but not to attain salvation or righteousness; we do good deeds because we are already saved! We serve out of gratitude for the free gift of salvation. Amen? Whatever we do to make a living, serving Jesus with good deeds is our calling. We thank God!

Life Forever!

# 42. 2017 Dev. Ps.21:4 Life Forever. Read all of Ps. 21. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 21:4

“He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.”

Ps. 21 seems to be the answer to the prayer for protection and victory of Ps 20.

Here as well it is a prayer of the people praising God. The prayer is framed with “Lord”. The King rejoices in the Lord’s strength and God is exalted in His strength vs.1,13. God is given the glory thought out the prayer.

God is praised for victory vs.1,5, for giving the desires of the king’s heart, v.2, for blessings vs.3,6, for life v.4 and for protection vv.8-12

The heart of the prayer is v.4. Here is where the prayer resonates for our time.

David practiced faith as he knew and understood it in his time. God chose him, and David is saved by faith, the same choosing and faith that is given us. The prayer speaks of the length of day, each day ordained by God and ordained for us. But the prayer also alludes to eternal life, perhaps not understood as we do but inspired by the Spirit of God just the same.

God’s intention is to bring every person into His Kingdom. Along with David we have “unending blessings and make glad with the joy of your presence”.

Jesus is so much present with us that He lives in our hearts now and when the days are ended, we live with Him forever! Along with David we rejoice in the strength of the Lord!

The True Gospel

# 41. 2017 Dev. Gal.1:11 The True Gospel. Read verses. 11-24. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Galatians 1:11

^“11I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.”

As we go through Galatians and Paul’s other writings, what comes out is the real gospel, the same gospel we celebrate with the 500^th year of the Reformation defined by: Sola Scriptura (“by Scripture alone”)

So la fide (“by faith alone”)

Sola gratia (“by grace alone”)

Solus Christus or Solo Christo (“Christ alone” or “through Christ alone”)

Soli Deo gloria (“glory to God alone”)

Paul was concerned that his calling and the gospel given him by Jesus was the same gospel given to the apostles who were taught by Jesus as he walked this earth. As Christians we all want to know that what we believe and our call to serve Jesus comes from God. Is our call real? How do we know?

Paul gives us a good understanding of God’s call. Paul writes: “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.” However, later Paul sought out Peter. We are chosen by God Himself the before the creation of the earth (Eph. 1:4)! Get your head around that! And Jesus Christ is revealed in us by grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Further, our calling, like Paul’s call, comes from the Holy Spirit and is confirmed by our peers in Christ. What are the implications of our call?

Paul, a Jew and former persecutor of Christ’s church, was called to preach to the Gentiles. This is our calling as well, along with worship, supporting our Christian families, living out our faith in this world and presenting the gospel to those who have not yet received and believed in Jesus. The fact is, Jesus places people he wants to influence in our path every day. We are not alone in this.

Paul expands on his and our call in the next couple of chapters. For now, suffice it to say: God’s Word confirms our call, supported by fellow Christians and we are empowered to carry it out every day. Praise be to God!

“The Lord Answers”.

# 40. 2017 Dev. Ps. 20:5b. “The Lord Answers”. Read all of Ps. 20. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 20:5b

“May the Lord grant all your requests.”

Ps. 20 is a prayer from the people for the king facing opposition perhaps facing a battle with overwhelming odds. He is facing uncertainty, he hopes for a good outcome and the people hope for victory. The Psalm starts out in a tentative way using: “May he, or ‘may the the Lord” six times. This section of the prayer makes no assumption of victory nor assumes an answer from God.

We can identify with the king, although not very obvious, we also face a battle of overwhelming odds. Satan is working hard to lead us astray and destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ. In verses 1-5 the king and the people are asking for a blessing. When we say “be blessed”, that is what we mean: may God strengthen and protect you. May God remember the good work done in Jesus’ name. May God listen to your requests. As in David’s times there is uncertainty in our lives as well.

But verses 6-9 moves the prayer in a different direction: here there is assurance, a witness to God’s faithfulness and to God’s care for his people. Here the psalmist speaks from what he knows, from what he has experienced as one who believes in God. Today, God still answers us from heaven, he forgives and saves us in Jesus. Praise Him! We are encouraged to trust in the Lord our God and not in the things of this of World. As a result, we who are followers of Jesus live in a different reality than those who do not know Jesus.

Therefore, we have assurance in Jesus whatever the distress of our immediate situation. We are always protected spiritual and physically according to God’s will, in overwhelming odds “we rise up and stand firm”. That is the reality of God’s love in David’s time and that is our reality in Jesus Christ today. Know Jesus, follow Him and experience His Love and salvation!

“Grace and Peace.”

# 38. 2017 Dev. Gal.1:3. “Grace and Peace.” Read verses 1-10. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Galatians 1:3

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We just finished Jesus’ Sermon Mt.5-7 laying out for us the blessings and the tenants of the Kingdom of God. Now we move to areas where the Kingdom of God is in action. Paul writes to the Roman province of Galatia, an area he visited on his first missionary journey (46-48 AD). Galatians was probably written before the Council of Jerusalem Acts 15. There are differing options on the date but what is clear is that Paul wrote to them about “Judaizers” trying to put Jewish legal restrictions on the Gentile converts, the very issue discussed at the Jerusalem Council. Paul visited this area on three of his four missionary journeys.

First, in Paul’s introduction he validates his call as an apostle given him by God, the Father and by God, Jesus Christ. Further, he validates the brothers and sisters who are with him; those who understand the true gospel of Jesus. This is an important issue for all who desire to follow Jesus today. It is God who calls us, not man; Jesus calls, Jesus forgives, Jesus redeems, Jesus empowers us, and Jesus sends us to those He chooses to impact. Amen!

Paul continues by defining grace and peace: Grace is Jesus’ love, giving His life according to God the Father’s will in order to negate our sins and rescue us from the evil around us. That is how it was then and how it is now! Glorifying God in our salvation. Wow!

Second, Paul is clear about what he sees as the adulterated view of the free Gospel of Jesus Christ. “I am astonished” Paul says that you traded your free grace for enslavement of legalism. Paul is talking about Jews demanding from Gentiles legal rituals of Jewish practice, like circumcision, the Law and ceremonial practices. What does that have to do with today? I am astonished as well that in our work as Church Planters accusations such as, “you are minimizing sin and cheapening God’s gift of grace” came to us on a regular basis. As well as converts being told that their sins will limits their reward in heaven. Really???? We are all in the same boot! Free grace does not get any cheaper because there is nothing anyone can do to earn it. Grace not only minimizes sin; it eliminates it all together for those in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:1). Praise be to God!

The voice of Nature, the Voice of God, the voice of Man!

# 38. 2017 Dev. Ps 19:7. The voice of Nature, the Voice of God, the voice of Man! Read all of Ps 19. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 19:7

^7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

The section of Palms we are looking at are Ps. 15-24. These 10 Psalms glorifies God and lays out what it means to practice “Moral Purity” for those who claim to worship God. Ps. 19 is central, picking up both themes of this series.

Verses 1-6 of Ps.19 represents the voice of nature; we know it as Natural Revelation: creation glorifies God in every aspect, the beauty and the power. Created perfect, the Garden of Eden is corrupted by human actions: the fall (Ge. 3), greed, pollution and global warming. Genesis 3 also gives us a way out of corruption v.15, Jesus: expecting us to practice humility, un-selfishness, love, compassion and forgiveness. Even in brokenness Nature speaks: “Yet their voice^[^b^] goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Nature still displays God’s glory and God’s power!

Verses 7-9 is the voice of God we know as Special Revelation. This section depicts the benefits of obeying as well as a way to live. The law: perfection heals the soul, we are perfect in Christ, wisdom is learned and lived, obeying brings joy to the heart leading to a life of joy even in adversity, obeying brings light to the eye giving our lives special insight into the light of Jesus, obeying brings a sense of purity into our lives, obeying brings the knowledge of righteousness into our lives. Take note the song includes: The law, the statues, the precepts, the commands, the fear of the Lord and the decrees. This takes in all of Scripture!

Verses 9-14 presents the human voice we know as the human spiritual response to God. They praise God’s law (God’s will) and understand that obedience leads to God’s blessings in their lives. V.12 asks a rhetorical question about our own inability to recognize our short comings. God is asked for forgiveness and for guidance, recognizing our own inability to deal with sin in our lives; we need the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Ps. ends with a prayer entreating God for acceptance and for a solid foundation (Jesus) for our lives in a constantly changing world. “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer”. Meditate on God’s Word on a daily basis to find a deeper relationship with Jesus and may this prayer become a daily prayer!