Heavenhigh

Judging Others!

# 27. 2017 Dev. Mt.7:1-2. Judging Others! Read vs 1-6. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Matthew 7:1-2

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

The Beatitudes is the introduction to the Kingdom of Jesus that include the gifts of the Kingdom (blessings). In the second section are the ethical expectations of the Kingdom, ending at the end of Ch. 5. Chapter 6 begins the comparison of Jewish legalism and the ways of the world to the Kingdom. Chapter 7 continues Jesus’ comparison of the ways of the world to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is concerned about judging, hypocritical judging. How easy it is for Christians to see people around us with the eyes of self-righteousness. This passage is important for today because while we may mean well, we often do not realize we judge hypocritically. Jesus is talking about God’s judgments when he says: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. In that case it may be better if we do not judge at all.

However, Scripture demands that we are discerning about people’s character and actions. Also, Jesus is talking about interaction between brothers and sisters who follow Jesus. We must not judge each other because we all have short comings when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

The pearls of the Kingdom are not for the secular, those who reject the Kingdom and those who oppose believers and reject any mention of the God’s love. Who are the dogs and pigs Jesus is talking about? He knows, but we are not sure because we know that Jesus loves all. Therefore, judgment and condemnation of them is God’s business. But we must discern character and actions and we see they do not belong to the Kingdom of God. God protect us from them and keep us close to Jesus even as we reach out to those who reject you. Thank you Lord Jesus!

The Lord is Good to Us!

# 26. 2017 Dev. Ps.13:6. The Lord is Good to Us! Read all of Ps.13. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 13:6

“I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.

Ps. 13 is an extreme lament brought on by mental and physical conditions in David’s life. He begins with: “How long Lord? We identify with him when struggling with illness or issues brought on by loss, or rejection. “Will you forget

me”? One thing is sure, God does not forget those who depend on Him! He is not far from us and He feels our pain and suffers along with us. Even as we suffer a terminal illness He walks with us on a daily basis and prepares us for our coming home. Our family prayed for my brother Clarence daily for five years and God healed him when He brought him home. Healing, relief, peace, and resolution is on God’s time and on His terms but our prayers are answered.

In verse 3 there is a switch, we identify with this as well, “Look on me, answer me. Give light to my (our) eyes” that we may see. Without the light of the Holy Spirit in us we we do not understand God’s ways and we die physically and mentally. Further, without Jesus’ light in our lives we are in danger to suffer the second death.

Verse 5 takes a radical turn to affirmation, rejoicing and singing praise. God’s love is confirmed, salvation is assured and God’s goodness is confessed. “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” I pray that we may all identify with experiencing God’s goodness in our own lives. Amen!

Worry and Faith.

# 25. 2017 Dev. Mt.6:31-32. Worry and Faith! Read vs 25-34. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Matthew 6:31-32

³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Apparently worrying about food and clothing was a big issue in Jesus’ day. Today, due to conflict in their areas, there are an increasing number of people struggling with the shortage of food and other basic needs.

Worry is part of modern life and there are many things to worry about.

Most of us are not very worried about eating or dressing except maybe for seeking out the latest cuisine or fashion. Jesus says do not worry! But we must take on the be responsibility of caring for our families. What Jesus is addressing here is our priorities in this life that bring on unhealthy anxiety. What are our priorities when it comes to not only eating, drinking and clothing but all the other stuff we want? What do we worry about?

Jesus rests his case on God’s care for His creation and His love for His people: speaking about God’s creatures, “Are you not much more valuable than they?” Jesus asks; isn’t your life and body more important than all these things? Further, for followers of Jesus, extreme anxiety indicates a small faith. The worldly “run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Jesus here gives us the priority in this life that gives us peace, His Peace:” ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. (php.4:7).

As we wrote before: “all these things will be given to you”; all that we need for a happy and productive life. Following Jesus and being like Him not only provides what we need in this life, generally speaking, but everything we need to prepare us for heaven. Praise be to God!

The Word of the Lord.

# 24. 2017 Dev. Ps.12:6. The Word of the Lord! Read all of Ps.12. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 12:6

“And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold^[^c^] refined seven times.”

This psalm is a prayer concerning the erosion of faith and moral practice in the world (“human race”). This prayer addresses David’s situation and continues to address the situation today. The Psalm begins with two words; “Help Lord”! Words very familiar to us, they are comforting words because we may follow those words with any and all situations that we may be struggling with!

Basically Ps. 12 has four main themes: The Psalmist complains about lies and deception in vs. 1-2, he complains about the arrogant boosting in vs. 3-4, (compare them with the Word of the Lord), he gives us God’s answer in vs, 5-6, and he assures us of God’s protection for the faithful and the humble who follow God vs.7-8. The whole Psalm is bracketed with: “no one is faithful” and “when what is vile is honored”, the result of unfaithfulness.

We return to the Word of the Lord, “I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them (the needy, the down trodden the persecuted) from those who malign them.” The Word of God is what we depend on, it is our guide, our inspiration, our God speaks to us. By His Word we know God’s purpose for His creation and for us, we experience and know God’s Son’s love by it, and by the power of the Spirit in his Word we know and experience His salvation.

Truly the Word of the Lord is flawless, purer than refined silver and gold. There is nothing like it on this earth; it is a book written by man under the inspiration of

the Holy Spirit, the thoughts of God in the words of man and we understand it by the same Spirit. Therefore, God’s Word is alive, the Living Book of God! Hear His Words and “Praise Him!

Treaseres In Heaven!

2017 Dev. Mt. 6: 24. Treasures in Heaven! Read vs. 19-24 of Mt. 6. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Matthew 6: 24

²⁴“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Jesus here is addressing our goals and motivation: is it goods – material things, money, degrees, spouses, praise and status or is it a relationship with God that we want? There is a fine line between wanting and coveting.

What Jesus is saying is that earthly treasure is tentative, not only is it subject to corrosion, and loss by theft, it does not last, we can’t take it with us when God calls us to himself. What then is treasure in heaven? Scripture is very clear: “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt. 6:33). Jesus wants us to concentrate on the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. He is telling us that “all these things will be given to you”; all that we need for a happy and productive life. Following Jesus and being like him not only provides what we need in this life, generally speaking, but everything we will need in heaven.

These verses beg the question of treasure; it is not gold or silver or possessions but righteousness, God’s righteousness. This is a high bar for followers of Jesus to attain but we are not on our own. By the power of the Holy Spirit we can know and practice righteousness.

Jesus not only addresses treasure but also coveting, the down side of wanting possessions. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

To covet what God has not given us is a darkness that shuts out the light of Jesus in our lives and shuts off what light we may give to others. In verse 24 Jesus puts possessions and our desire for stuff into perspective: “you cannot serve God and money”; possessions, we live in a capitalistic society, how do we address this problem in our lives? How? “Seek God’s Kingdom first”!

Our Refuge!

# 22. 2017 Dev. Ps.11:1. Our Refuge! Read all of Ps.11. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 11:1

“In the Lord I take refuge”.

David here, after this proclamations (v1), asks rhetorical questions. How is it you tell me to flee, should I pay attention to the wicked and when it looks like the foundations are giving way, what can we do?

Given the situation in the world verses 1-3 could have been written today! The foundation is destroyed in places of the world. An example from graffiti written on a destroyed church in Mosul, Iraq: “You love life, we love death, we come to drink your blood” (Decision Mag). Never the less Christians take refuge in God but there are no guarantees on our physical life, only on our eternal life. Praise Him!

In the next section (v.4-6) we are reminded that God is on the throne, He observes everyone, “his eyes examines them”. We are also reminded that God judges the righteous who love what is good and the wicked, “those who love violence”. God “hates them with a passion, fiery coals and burning sulfur” awaits them!

If we think this section (v 4-6) does not apply today we would be wrong. We all know wickedness but let us not look too far beyond ourselves or our own country. Wickedness is close to home and in places far away, but there is no paradise awaiting the wicked.

We take refuge in God: “for the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face” Only by the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to follow Jesus and strive to be like him! Praise be to God!

Fasting.

# 21. 2017 Dev. Mt. 6: 17-18. Fasting. Read verses 16-18. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Matthew 6:17-18

¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus here make a comparison of how to fast; what is acceptable to God and what is not. In the west fasting is not talked about much today and does not seems to be practiced by many Jesus followers. It was common practice in the Old Testament (mentioned 25 times) and was practiced by the early Christian church (mentioned 9 times in the New Testament).

Jesus was asked why He and his disciples did not fast? “Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

Fasting and prayer go together. It is a way to focus on an important issue you want to bring to God. You don’t take time to eat (most people do drink water) you separate yourself from intimacy, entertainment or other things you may like to do. You concentrate on God and on what you are praying about. Fasting and prayer are powered by the Holy Spirit and there is a glow around a person fasting in that power.

In Jesus’ time on earth fasting was much abused, it was done for show and to impress people, an attempt to raise ones’ status in the religious community. Today fasting is all but ignored. If you are one of those who fast, v.17 tells us how to fast in a way that is pleasing to God. God will hear your prayer and your future is assured! Praise be to God!

Trust God!

# 20. 2017 Dev. Ps. 10:1-2 Trust God! Read all of Ps.10. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 10:17-18

¹⁷You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,¹⁸defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

While Ps. 9 deals with evil nations Ps.10 speaks to individuals. David begins with a question that we may have asked on occasion: “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” This question is based on vs. 2-11 describing the wickedness of mankind. However, this question is not based in reality when we read the next verse.

12 brings us back; “Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.” This is a prayer that we know our God hears and will answer. Our God is the defender of the weak, those denied justice, the disenfranchised, the oppressed, those overwhelmed with illness and those persecuted. Praise Him!

The last two verses 17 and 18 is a prayer we must pray not only for ourselves but for the hundreds of thousand caught in the evil lies and acts of people like Assad, the leaders of Al Qaeda, the Taliban and the leader of Isis. Can prayer really make a difference? Pray! Stand back and wait on the Lord God, He is the King forever!

Praying!

# 19. 2017 Dev. Mt. 6: 9-13. Praying. Read verses 5-14. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Matthew 6:5-14 ⁹“This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
¹⁰your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Jesus here has the same attitude as he has for when we give to the poor, don’t pray to impress others with fancy or with many words, pray to God alone. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This then, is how you should pray:”

“Our Father in heaven,” Jesus makes it personal “our Father in heaven” Generally speaking, fathers love their children, care for them, and sets the ground work for them to live long and happy lives.

“Hallowed be your name:” Jesus praises His father and He wants us to praise Him as we pray.

“Your Kingdom Come”: When we pray this prayer we are asking Jesus to return to complete the coming of the Kingdom with the New Heaven and New Earth.

“Give us this day our daily bread”: When we pray this what do we think about; our jobs, our pay checks, the money we have invested, the money we have in the bank? Do we depend on God everyday? Or are simply giving lip service that we depend on God for our daily bread?

“and forgive us our debts, (sins) as we as also forgiven our debtors” (those who sin against us). Jesus elaborates on forgiveness in verse 14, Jesus says: If we forgive others God will forgive us but if we don’t neither will God forgive us. Strong words.

“Lead us not into temptation” (In other words protect us and guide us in this broken world) “but deliver us from the evil one.” Many people no longer believe that Satan is real but believe me he is active in this world.

All of our praying should include: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication (ACTS). The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Praise God!

Give Thanks!

# 18. 2017 Dev. Ps.9:1-2 Give Thanks! Read all of Ps. 9. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God by memorizing selected passages of Scripture. Further, to view the passage in context and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living with family, friends and others. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Psalm 9: 1-2

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. ²I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Ps. 9 is a Psalm of David and is liturgical, used in temple worship. There is some indication that Ps. 9 and 10 are one composition. NIV Note: Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm. Further, Ps. 10 is not titled.

But now they are separate so we read them separately. David begins with thanking and praising God with all of his heart. In v.3-6 he tells of the works of God on his behalf. He makes a switch in v.7-10. “Our God reigns”: he praises God for His righteous judgments, for being a refuge, a stronghold. Those who look to Him trust God and God does not reject those who seek Him!

Again in v. 11-12 David sings God’s praise. Vs.13-14 is a personal request for mercy and to be able to enjoy God’s salvation. In vs. 15-20 David alternates between God’s acts in the nations and God’s attributes.

Let us return to vs 1-2 Make it your own: Give thanks to the Lord with all your heart. I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. What has God/Jesus/Holy Spirit done for you? I will be glad and rejoice in you: As followers of Jesus do we rejoice, are we glad/happy people? I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Read these two verses and take the time to fill in (write it and articulate it) your own Christian experience

Take the time to do these two verses this week!