Tag Archives: God’s word

God’s word and the Krebs Cycle (John 7:16-19), February 11, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
When I was in school, the Krebs Cycle was a lot more theory than fact. Things have changed over the years in science, but not in God’s word. So what does the Krebs Cycle have to do with God’s word? Stay and find out.
Scripture
1. John 7:16-19
2. Jesus: I do not claim ownership of My words; they are a gift from the One who sent Me. If anyone is willing to act according to His purposes and is open to hearing truth, he will know the source of My teaching. Does it come from God or from Me? If a man speaks his own words, constantly quoting himself, he is after adulation. But I chase only after glory for the One who sent Me. My intention is authentic and true. You’ll find no wrong motives in Me.

Moses gave you the law, didn’t he? Then how can you blatantly ignore the law and look for an opportunity to murder Me?

Devotional
1. When I took biology in Vanderbilt more than 40 years ago, scientists were just beginning to uncover the secrets of how cells transformed matter into energy to run the various processes of the body. They knew there was this thing called the mitochondrion that took in oxygen and released carbon dioxide and energy enriched adenosine triphosphate but didn’t understand how. My professor at the time had worked with Hans Krebs and would win his own Nobel Prize in Physiology Now, the mechanism has been changed from a theory to a fairly well accepted biochemical process fact among biologists worldwide.
  1. Many theories proposed previously
  2. All missed some important part in their explanation
  3. Brilliant people, but holes in their argument
  4. Krebs cycle explained the process and verified by improved electron microscopes
2. Why did the theory become accepted as fact when all the others failed
  1. Questions were answered
  2. Things fit into place
  3. Theory proven by independent sources
  4. Has stood the test of time for over 50 years now
3. Curious that we will accept Krebs Cycle as truth which we’ve only recognized for 50 years but don’t recognize God’s truth which has been here since time began
  1. Stories handed down since God created Adam and Eve
  2. Moses given the law on Mt Sinai and scholars believe gave the Israelites the five books of the law, Genesis through Deuteronomy
  3. Centuries of testimony from Israelites and Christian community
  4. Evidence all around us
  5. Still we won’t believe the truth
  6. We won’t listen to those sharing God’s word, but instead listen to those who tell us what we want to hear
4. Time to be convicted by God’s law. Time to hear what He has to say instead of what the world has to say. Time to let the truth guide our lives instead of the lies Satan lays before us. Time to follow the Son, the One God says is the only way to salvation, freedom, and life
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Does God’s word offend you or convict you? (John 6:61-64), February 8, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
There is an interesting test to see where you might be spiritually. In just a moment, I’ll share that test with you. Stick around.
Scripture
1. John 6:61-64
2. Jesus: Has My teaching offended you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to return to where He came from? The Spirit brings life. The flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have been teaching you are spirit and life, but some of you do not believe.
Devotional
1. I don’t think Jesus would have to even ask that question today. He would make headline news blasted through every media available. Jesus offends another group. They don’t like His message because He says they shouldn’t do something else they want to do.
  1. He says we should take care of orphans and widows and elderly and the infirm. How are we doing on that account? Not so well. They are the throwaways of society
  2. He says we should help the poor, not seek after great wealth just for the purpose of seeking wealth, we should use our assets to help others. How are we doing on those? Not so well. We believe in getting all we can get for ourselves
  3. He says love your neighbor as you love yourself. How are we doing on that? Not so well. We don’t tolerate anyone that doesn’t think, look, or act the way we do.
2. Has my teaching offended you?
  1. Difference between being offended and convicted
  2. To offend: cause to feel upset, annoyed, or resentful.
  3. To convict: to find or prove to be guilty; to convince of error or sinfulness
  4. Which do you feel when you hear God’s word?
  5. Says a lot about who you want to be in charge of your life, God or you
3. When we realize we can’t do anything about the guilt we carry around because of our disobedience and the depth of our depravity, we are convicted and ready to face the truth of our sinful condition before God. He can do something about it, we can use that conviction and come to Him repentantly and be cleansed from our sin and our guilt can melt away. We can enjoy real life eternally.
4. When we think we can live without God and make our own way through life, we feel upset by God’s word, annoyed that anyone would try to tell us we are wrong, resentful that someone, even God, would try to dictate our behavior or our thoughts. We remain aloof, snub our nose at God, remain unrepentant, and face death, eternal separation from the only one who can give us life.
5. So the question remains, when God speaks are you offended or convicted? You control your emotions. You decide what you will believe. You determine whether you will allow God into your life. Choose the right path. Choose the Spirit and life.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The games children play (John 5:22-23), January 28, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
I love to watch children play games. They seldom care about the rules that come in the box. They just make up the rules as they go along and change them to suit themselves if it looks like new rules will benefit them. We’re a lot like that as adults sometimes, too. Perhaps we should consider Jesus words when we apply those rules to life, though..
Scripture
1. John 5:22-23
2. Jesus: The Father does not exert His power to judge anyone. Instead, He has given the authority as Judge to the Son. So all of creation will honor and worship the Son as they do the Father. If you do not honor the Son, then you dishonor the Father who sent Him.
Devotional
1. Children have a tendency to make up their own rules when they play games. Have you ever noticed that?
  1. Board games with grandkids
  2. Discard the rules quickly
  3. Make up rules that will help them win
  4. Change the rules in the middle of the game to suit them
2. We try to do that in life
  1. Rules are given to us by God in His word
  2. We discard them quickly or don’t pay attention to them just like my grandkids with their board games
  3. Try to make up our own rules or change God’s rules to suit us
  4. Creates a problem
3. Imagine baseball or football game where there is no referee or the referee changes the rules at a whim
  1. Create chaos on the field
  2. Rules provide order and direction and guidance in games and life
  3. In sports the referee is the judge for obedience to the rules
  4. In life, we set up courts with judges and juries to determine obedience to our civil laws
4. God gives us some civil laws to live by, but His word is primarily focused on our spiritual well being
  1. Relationship with each other
  2. Relationship with Him
  3. We will be judged based on the spiritual rules He has established and given to us in His word
  4. Jesus, His Son, God in the flesh, has been appointed as our judge
  5. Since He is our judge, it pays to learn and obey His rules
  6. You wouldn’t play college football without reading and understanding the rules, why do we think it’s okay to go through life without doing the same in matters so much more important, things with eternal consequences
5. It’s time we pick up that spiritual manual God has given us. Read it again and again. Get familiar with the things He expects us to do as we journey through this game of life. Then practice those things daily. He is the referee and will be our judge at the end of time. Knowing that, don’t you think it’s time to live by His rules instead of making them up as we go along?
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

What should we fear? (Luke 12:4-7) November 13, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Peter 4-5

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:4-7
Jesus: Listen, My friends, if people are trying to kill you, why be afraid? After you’re dead, what more can they do? Here’s whose opinion you should be concerned about: the One who can take your life and then throw you into hell! He’s the only One you should fear! But don’t misunderstand: you don’t really need to be afraid of God, because God cares for every little sparrow. How much is a sparrow worth—don’t five of them sell for a few cents? Since you are so much more precious to God than a thousand flocks of sparrows, and since God knows you in every detail—down to the number of hairs on your head at this moment—you can be secure and unafraid of any person, and you have nothing to fear from God either.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is so much unwarranted fear in our country right now. I’ve been amazed at what’s been coming across the media since the elections showing the fear in so many segments of our society. But what about? What are we so afraid of? Do we think that the sky will fall because we have a Republican president? Will the world stop spinning because the elections didn’t go the way CNN said they would last week? Will cows stop giving milk and chickens quit laying eggs?

The fear that runs across the country is really ridiculous if you ask my opinion. And the fear would be equally ridiculous if Hillary Clinton had won the election and Republicans claimed the world had come to an end. Neither of these two individuals or their staffs have that much influence. Some might think they do, but trust me, they don’t. God is still in charge of this world. He allows things to happen, but He is still in charge. His plans will come to fruition whoever sits in what we think is the seat of power in this country.

So, why are so many people afraid? I doubt if next week or next month or next year there will be any squads sweeping through the streets dragging people out of their homes and taking them to the gas chambers. We don’t live in that kind of country. Neither candidate, neither party, none of the leaders we elected in the last few days would condone or put up with any such behavior. Both love our country too much to allow any such nonsense to take place here.

But there is something we should fear. We should fear the lies that Satan keeps planting in our brain. We should fear the division that keeps creeping in between us. We should fear the hatred that spews from the mouths of those that call themselves Christians in this time. We should fear the One who set the rules in place as to how we should behave in any culture, not just a republic or a democracy or a dictatorship or a theocracy. We need to read God’s rule book and obey the things He laid out for us.

The thing to fear are those who would tell us that God’s word doesn’t need to be followed. The thing to fear are those who lead us to certain destruction by lulling us into thinking God doesn’t care about what we believe or that a God of love would not let anyone be doomed to an eternity without Him. The problem with that thinking is that God isn’t the one doing the dooming. He isn’t the one sending us there. God isn’t the one who make the choice about our eternal destiny.

God takes His hands off of that decision. He lifts His omnipotence in that one area and gives that choice to each of us. We decide if we will spend eternity in heaven or hell. We decide if we will follow Him or not. We decide if we will face eternal reward or eternal punishment. God is love. That’s why He made a way for us to be with Him forever. But He also expects us to choose His way. If we choose not to follow Him, He has told us the consequences. There is no doubt about the outcome. We are empowered to choose the path.

So now what do we do? Should we fear the paltry issues the media seems to throw in our faces to raise their ratings and get us to watch their newscasts? Should we shed crocodile tears over the meaningless headline that won’t last another week before something else hits the news and takes its place? Should we fear these false Armageddons that society tells are happening all around us that might disrupt our personal comfort and pleasures?

I think it’s time we pull out the rule book of the One who will be our final judge, the One who checks our actions against our stated beliefs and looks into our hearts to see how it all matches up. I think it’s time we figure out He’s the One we need to start paying attention to and live up to His expectations. If we choose not to, then it’s time to really be in fear. Then it’s time to check the sky and see if this is the day He comes to take out His vengeance on those who fail to follow Him.

What should we fear in these days? Only God.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s word, proof enough (Luke 11:29-32) November 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 10-12

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:29-32
Jesus: This generation is evil. These people are seeking signs and spectacles, but I’m not going to play their game. The only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
The queen of Ethiopia will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. She, an outsider, came from so far away to hear the wisdom given to Solomon, but now, something greater than Solomon is here: how are the people of this generation responding?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Why is it that people inside the church are often the hardest to convince of their need for salvation? So many just assume because their name is on the role as a member of the church, their name is in God’s book of life. But that’s not necessarily true. Think about the conflicts Jesus had with all those leaders in the temple and synagogues while He traveling among us. The scribes and Pharisees were among His most vicious opponents, yet should have been His most ardent supporters. After all, He came to fulfill the Law they kept preaching to the people that came to their institutions every week.

Jesus pointed to all those prophecies that said the Messiah was about to burst upon the scene and save men and women from their sins and He showed evidence that He was able to do just that. But when He rocked the boat of their neat little religious empire, they opposed Him at every turn. They couldn’t accept that this backwoods carpenter was the Son of God and Savior of humankind.

There are some today that rock the boat of the institutional church. I hope I’m counted as one. When we allow some of the perversion of God’s word to take place and say it’s okay, something is terribly wrong. When we hide blatant sin as just cultural change and accept the sin in our society and civil progress, something is terribly wrong. Satan has crept into our institutions and blinded us to the truth. We allow him to twist and turn and water down the scriptures and accept his lies because we don’t want to hear the truth and worship God for who He is. It means we would have to change our ways and we just don’t want to let God be in charge. We want our way.

So when someone begins to speak the truth, we yell out, “Prove it! Show us some sign that what you say is true and not the man or woman that stands in our pulpit.”

The problem most of us have is that we just fail to read God’s word. If we would sit down with the book He gives us, we would see the truth. We would figure out the false teachings in many of our progressive churches quickly. It’s not okay to pick and choose your favorite verses and forget the rest. It’s not okay to ignore those things you don’t like and only live by the scriptures that support the life you want to live. It’s not okay to twist God’s words to make them say what you want them to say.

There are dozens of translations. Pick one or two or three. Read them all. If you don’t like the way one translates the Hebrew and Greek language, read another. What you’ll find is that they all say about the same thing. Unless you can find one that has perverted the language, you’ll see that dozens carry the same message, the same language, the same warnings and admonitions. The truth hasn’t changed, no matter how much people want it to.

Yes, there are some things that we know are cultural in God’s word. But the flavor of God’s word speaks to us through the ages despite the culture or time or political theories you hold. God’s truth is still viable for every generation and if we follow His word, we find peace with Him now and throughout eternity. He will be the one to judge us at the end of time. We should read His instruction manual and do what it says. We will be judged by that book.

Regardless of whether we want to set up some other method of measurement, He gave us the rules to follow. Don’t you think it makes sense to follow the manual He gives instead of something someone else made up? It certainly does to me. Moses told the Israelites to meditate on God’s law day and night. When you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. When you sit down and when you stand up. Meditate on it all the time. We don’t do that. Apparently neither did most of them or they wouldn’t have fallen as far from the path as they did.

Everybody wants a sign. Everybody wants proof. What we really need is to read God’s word. When you do, that will be proof enough. Trust me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

We have more than crumbs (Mark 7:27-29) August 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Kings 21-25

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 7:27-29
Jesus (shaking His head): I must feed the children first. It would do no good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.
Syrophoenician Woman: Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table may eat of the children’s crumbs.
Jesus (smiling and nodding): This is a wise saying. Go back home. Your daughter is free of the spirit that troubled her.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Syrophoencian woman knew what she was talking about. My dogs love it when my grandkids visit. You see we make it a point not to feed the dogs from the table. They get dog food in their bowls and occasionally they get dog treats from us. We never feed them people food, though. Well, almost never. On rare occasion, we might slip them a piece of cheese if we’re fixing something in the kitchen, but it’s always separate from when and where we are eating.

It’s important to us to keep that habit with our dogs because we never wanted them to think they could eat our food or get into the habit of begging while we eat. We want them to know they will get plenty to eat, but it won’t be the same as our cuisine nor at the same time and place. That is unless the grandkids are visiting. Then all bets are off.

Why does that change things? Because my grandkids are still pretty messy when they eat. Food doesn’t always stay on the table. The dogs stay under the table when the grandkids eat because they know something will hit the floor and they will get there before my wife or I can get there. Then the dogs are not very discriminating either. Whatever falls goes into their bellies. And it’s not always pleasant later. Often, since they’re not use to eating our seasoned food, it upsets their stomach and I get to clean up after them from one or both ends. Needless to say, I’ll be much happier when the grandkids learn to eat with fewer crumbs hitting the floor.

But the Syrophoenician woman knew what she was talking about. Dogs will snap up whatever falls from the table with little or no discretion. If it was on the table they will eat it. We don’t give the children’s food to the dogs, but they get the crumbs that fall under the table, just like she says.

So what does that have to do with us today?

As I thought about her observation and Jesus’ words and how fortunate we are to have the volume of information we have today it made me stop and ask, how many of us refuse to even gather crumbs even though we have so much available to us? Most of us probably have not just one, but several Bibles in our homes, but do we read them consistently? Are the pages worn or do they sit pristine on the shelves gathering dust? Do we let God’s word speak to us, underline those special passages, and make notes in the margins? Or do we just let it sit on the table unread?

We have dozens of translations available to us today to help us understand His word better. We have commentaries and studies to help us dig deep into His word. We have sermons from a variety of great preachers both audio and written to give us insights into God’s word. We have books, video, audio, websites, incredible assets at our disposal to learn more about what God wants of us. But how much of it do we really use? If we are honest, probably not much. And as a society, we don’t use it at all. When most adults read less than one book a year after graduating, it’s no wonder we don’t know much about God’s word. We never read it.

Maybe you think it’s enough to just listen to a few scriptures the pastor reads when he begins his sermon on the Sundays you attend. It’s not. You see, most people go to worship services expecting to be fed, but never take a fork with them. Unless we are prepared to be fed by really getting into God’s word throughout the week, praying consistently, learning from Him, the worship service is just a time for entertainment. We won’t get much out of it spiritually. We might get a good feeling. Our emotions might be stirred by the music. But that’s not what God wants from us. He wants us to eat from His table. He wants us to devour His word. He wants us to go to His house of worship prepared for something spectacular to happen, but that only happens when we come prepared and expecting it.

Crumbs. That’s all the woman expected. That’s all she asked for. That’s all she wanted. She knew it would be enough. But Jesus gives us so much more when we put a little faith in Him. She used a wise saying to help us today understand just how much is available to us. We have much more than crumbs to help us know who Jesus is. All we have to do is believe it. He does the rest from there.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Learn more than a first grader (Mark 4:24-25)

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Kings 11-15

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 4:24-25
Jesus: So consider carefully the things you’re hearing. If you put it to use, you’ll be given more to wrestle with—much more. Those who have listened will receive more, but those who don’t hear will forget even the little they’ve failed to understand.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I always enjoyed science and math in high school and so made chemistry my major in college. I admit, by the time I finished college, I wasn’t so enamored with chemistry anymore and knew I didn’t want to be a chemist the rest of my life, but during those school years, I really did enjoy the classes. I enjoyed learning about the fundamentals of how atoms and molecules were put together and why one compound interacted with another to make something entirely different. I enjoyed learning about the different orbitals electrons occupy and how you could manipulate those electrons to do some incredible things with a variety of substances by adding or subtracting energy or by using some other catalyst to nudge those electrons toward another element’s orbital structure to make those atomic bonds do what you want them to do.

Each year, as I progressed further into the science, I learned more about the intricacies of how elements and molecules and energy worked together to create new compounds that can be either useful to us or detrimental to us. Each year the science built on the year before. I could never have understood pharmaceutical chemistry if I hadn’t taken and understood organic chemistry first. After getting into pharmaceutical chemistry, I understood why all the prerequisites were necessary. I needed everyone of them to understand what was going on when you introduced a chemical into the bloodstream and how it might affect the blood/brain barrier, the cell walls, how it attached to some particular receptacle in the body and so forth. Every time I learned some new piece of knowledge, two or three more pieces of knowledge became available, but not before.

The same thing happens in math if you think about it. Before you can multiple, you need to know how to add. Before you can do algebra, you need to have multiplication mastered. Before you tackle calculus, algebra, trigonometry, and geometry should be in your repertoire. And as you begin to master each of those skills, new horizons of learning open up for you so that you can solve problems with ever increasing difficulty that as a grade schooler learning to add, you would never have a clue how to begin to solve if your life depended on it.

That’s the way it is with spiritual things. Too many times, people think they should be able to open the Bible and know all the answers about life by reading the book. It doesn’t work that way. We forget that regardless of our physical age, when we are born again, by the Spirit of God, we are spiritual infants. We know just enough about spiritual things to have our sins forgiven and begin to follow God’s leading.

As we continue to read His word, pray about it, follow the teaching He gives us, we begin to learn more each day. We figure out what it really means to let Jesus be Lord of our life. But we can’t learn that until after we’ve had our sins forgiven and committed ourselves to Him. Only then do we begin to gain the additional knowledge about His guidance and leadership in our life, because until then, it’s like that second grader reading a calculus book.

By the same token, God doesn’t expect us to stay infants or toddlers or first graders forever. He expects us to learn and grow in Him. He expects us to read and study His word. He expects us to ask Him about it. He wants to teach us and guide us through life. But until we decide we will expend some effort and learn from Him, we will stay stuck in first grade, content with just knowing how to add and nothing else. We will miss so much of what He has available for us.

We live in a society that really doesn’t think much about learning when you consider that most Americans read less than one book a year after graduating from high school. By our behavior, we demonstrate we don’t have much desire to learn more. I cringe when I compare the literacy skills of a Civil War private with those of our college graduates. The privates 150 years ago conveyed their thoughts much more articulately than our graduates today.

That means we must break the mold to study God’s word. We must be different from the crowd in two distinct ways if we expect to learn about spiritual things. First, we must actually be willing to study. That in itself is a rarity in today’s society, but a necessity if we are to learn what God wants. Second, we must let God into our life as Savior and Lord. Until we give Him mastery of our life, we will only see the words in His book with as much understanding as that first grader trying to read.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Listen to the truth (2 Corinthians 4), Apr 4, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Corinthians 4
Set – Judges 21; 2 Corinthians 4
Go! – Judges 19-21; 2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4
¹ Since we are joined together in this ministry as a result of the mercy shown to all of us by God, we do not become discouraged. ² Instead, we have renounced all the things that hide in shame; we refuse to live deceptively or use trickery; we do not pollute God’s Word with any other agenda. Instead, we aim to tell the truth plainly, appealing to the conscience of every person under God’s watchful eye. ³ Now if our gospel remains veiled, it is only veiled from those who are lost and dying, ⁴ because the evil god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. As a result the light of the good news, the radiant glory of the Anointed—who is the very image of God—cannot shine down on them. ⁵ We do not preach about ourselves. The subject of all our sermons is Jesus, the Anointed One. He is Lord and Master of all. For Jesus’ sake we are here to serve you. ⁶ The God who spoke light into existence, saying, “Let light shine from the darkness,” is the very One who sets our hearts ablaze to shed light on the knowledge of God’s glory revealed in the face of Jesus, the Anointed One.

⁷ But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. ⁸ We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. ⁹ We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well. ¹¹ For while we live, we are constantly handed over to death on account of Jesus so that His life may be revealed even in our mortal bodies of flesh. ¹² So death is constantly at work in us, but life is working in you.

¹³ We share the same spirit of faith as the one who wrote the psalm, “I believed; therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and that belief leads us to acknowledge ¹⁴ that the same God who resurrected the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus and will usher us all together into His presence. ¹⁵ All of this is happening for your good. As grace is spread to the multitudes, there is a growing sound of thanks being uttered by those relishing in the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we have no reason to despair. Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day. ¹⁷ You see, the short-lived pains of this life are creating for us an eternal glory that does not compare to anything we know here. ¹⁸ So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I appreciate the words Paul penned in this section of his letter to the church at Corinth. It applied to them, but applies so much more to many of the pulpits today. I hear far too many sermons about today’s politics, crime rates, or even television programs. What I want to hear are sermons about the truth, My word.

Preaching about anything else allows twists and turns of opinion, deceit, and deception that My enemies use to blind people’s eyes to the truth and keep them from Me. My desire is that all would come to a saving knowledge of Me. But as long as the truth remains hidden from them, people will not hear the truth of My salvation. They will hear only the drivel the world spouts from the multitude of voices it shouts at you from everywhere.

What Paul tells his readers is what I want from every church. “Renounce all the things that hide in shame; refuse to live deceptively or use trickery; do not pollute My Word with any other agenda. Instead, aim to tell the truth plainly, appealing to the conscience of every person under My watchful eye.”

I’m tired of shades of truth. I’m tired of things that almost sound like My word. I’m tired of your agenda instead of Mine in worship. I’m tired of the thousands around the world that wear My name playing church without knowing My truth or understanding what it cost Me or what it costs you to follow Me. Engage the word and hear the truth. If you sit under a preacher who bends the truth to suit the politics of the day or the trend of the times, find a new preacher. My word doesn’t change. I’m the same past, present, and future. So is My word.

Hear the truth. Know the truth. Live the truth. My truth.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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