Tag Archives: Jesus

Come on in, I’ve been expecting you, February 19, 2018

Today’s Podcast

Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 22; You Version Bible app Engaging God’s Story Reading Plan Days 148 through 154

The story of Jesus’ birth. Everyone knows it. Even those who have never darkened the door of a church. Even those who try their best to get rid of the nativities in public places and change Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. Mention “no room at the inn” and people’s first thought is that night in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

I think we often get the wrong picture of that night, though. I love the story Randy Frazee tells of an elementary school preparing a Christmas pageant for parents. It makes me think about how God would really like us to respond and how we too often respond instead. Here’s the story Randy tells in his book, “The Heart of the Story.”

“…All the important parts were given to the important parts were given to the brightest students. The smartest girl was chosen to be Mary; the smartest boy played Joseph. The next smartest group played the three kings, the angels, and the shepherds.

“There was only one part no one wanted: the innkeeper. Who wanted to be the bad guy who turned Mary and Joseph away? They gave the part to a boy who was a little slower than the others but had a big heart.

“As the day for the big pageant approached, the boy playing the innkeeper began to worry. He couldn’t imagine telling Mary and Joseph there was no room in the inn. What was he going to do?

“Finally, it was curtain time. Parents, relatives, and friends packed the auditorium. They proudly watched the story unfold as their children skillfully carried out their important roles. Meanwhile, the innkeeper grew more and more anxious. The pressure mounted as Mary and Joseph approached. He didn’t know what to do, but somehow he caught a brief glimpse of the Upper Story.

“When Mary and Joseph knocked, the scruffy little innkeeper threw open the door and shouted with a big smile, “Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.” With that the crowd cheered and clapped and the play came to an end.”

Don’t you think that’s really what God has in mind when He shows up? The wait is over. The prophecies are fulfilled. God bursts on the scene in a way no one expected. He used the lower story in some amazing ways to fulfill His upper story. Caesar demanding the census be conducted in each person’s town of their lineage. Bethlehem was just a little village. David left there to build Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom, remember? And born in poverty in what a family that would be shunned because of the circumstances of His birth. Who would believe Mary had been faithful to her husband Joseph when Jesus came early? She could have been stoned. All the bad things that a family could endure, that family endured. The fateful trip to Bethlehem. The escape to Egypt. Life in the gang filled town of Nazareth. The early death of Joseph, the family breadwinner.

God, by coming to earth in the form of a baby, experienced every single part of life we experience from birth to death. Most of His experiences came from the worst society had to offer. I think He did that on purpose. He didn’t want anyone to say He doesn’t know what we’re going through. He has experienced it all. But stayed true to His Father and His mission to redeem us.

The Jews were looking for a king, not a baby. God came to dwell with us. To live among us. To experience every part of life we experience. He felt all those joys and sorrows that come with living on the wrong side of the street. He knew the heartache that comes from the gossip and slander that launched toward Mary and her firstborn. He knew the grief that comes from the death of those closest to you. He knew the pain of misunderstanding from those around Him, even His own brothers and sisters.

Jesus lived among us, experiencing the life we live everyday. Until Jesus was thirty, he went to work in the carpenter shop every day. He paid excessive taxes to the Romans on the wages He earned. He probably carried some of the soldiers’ packs when He was pressed into service as He walked down the road.

His life was never an easy one. I expect the flowing white robes we see Him wearing in all those pictures and paintings on the walls were not part of His ensemble. I expect He really just had a couple of worn out rags from the local thrift store to wear. I expect the softest bed He ever slept in was that bed of straw in the manger in the cave where He was born. After that, maybe a blanket on the dirt floor or a straw mat on that dirt floor when he was older. Jesus’ life was a hard one that none of us would want to swap.

Yet, like the innkeeper in the elementary school pageant, God wants us to invite Him in when He knocks on the door. He has great things planned for us in His upper story if we will just trust Him and let Him lead the way. We don’t need to worry because He has already experienced this life from beginning to end and knows all about it. He can take us through it and give us peace and joy despite the circumstances we face each day.

How about changing your view of the innkeeper and emulate the new role model when God knocks. Swing the door wide, smile big, and answer, “Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.”

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

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Anniversaries remind me of Advent, December 11, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com

We have been following “The Story” for the last 14 weeks, but for the next three, we will take a short recess and enjoy Advent, remembering Jesus’ first coming into the world in the flesh and also looking forward to His return one day soon. This three week break also puts our reading in the story such that our reading in The Story will coincide with the events of Easter as those dates roll around. So I hope you enjoy this short interlude as we enjoy the Christmas season together.

The term advent came into being in the 12th century. This Middle English word means the arrival or coming of something. The church soon adopted it as the description of the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, this year from December 3rd through December 24th. We use those four weeks to celebrate not just His coming, but to anticipate His return. That’s what Advent is all about. Something that arrives or comes.

As I prepare this podcast, I just celebrated my 41st anniversary. We spent the night as a “stay-cation” on the Riverwalk here in San Antonio. We enjoyed the lights, watched the people, ate great food, and reminisced about the last 41 years together. The time helped us remember our times together on other anniversaries. Gatlinburg, where we spent our honeymoon and several anniversaries, Germany, New York, and a host of other places. It made me remember a lot of anniversaries we spent apart because of deployments, field training, and travel at the Army’s demand.

We also thought about the future, though. The past helps lets us enjoy those fun times we’ve had together. We can live those good times over and over in our minds. But living in the past doesn’t help us much except to translate failures into lessons so that we don’t repeat mistakes and turn those lessons into more than knowledge. We can turn experience into wisdom as we mature and make the future better for ourselves and others as we share wisdom. So we talked about the future.

The younger crowd probably thinks in different ways about the future than those of us who are retiring and we who are retiring probably think differently than those who have been retired for awhile. Now Carole and I think about how we can live close to all of the grandkids. Of course, that would mean convincing our kids to live closer to each other in a mobile society. We think about health and downsizing and how much activity we can really do in a day before we launch out on one of those high adventure vacations. We talk about budgets and what will happen to pensions and Social Security and health insurance in the future now that we dip into it so much more than we did in the past.

But something we talk about so much more than we did a few years ago is just how close Jesus’ return feels to us. Earthquakes in Delaware? When did that become commonplace? Record numbers of hurricanes? Uncontrolled wildfires and flooding all around the world? You can blame it on global warming if you like, but you can also read about these things in Matthew 25 as Jesus warns of the catastrophic natural events that will occur before His return.

So as we read the papers and listen to the news and reporters seem so bumfuzzled about why things seem so crazy around the world, we just wonder how soon Jesus will return. We read the prophets and see the visions they saw happening all around us. I know, others have said the same thing for centuries, but as I read God’s word and recognize the earth is going through something like birth pangs to usher in a new heaven and new earth, It seems to me the labor pains are getting pretty intense. I’m not sure the labor can get much more intense before this new heaven and new earth come into existence.

So this Advent season we look at the future and recognize the earthquakes won’t diminish but will increase in the coming months or years. The floods will not stop, but rather the hurricanes will become more violent and more people along the coastal plains, major rivers, and 100, 500, and 1000 year flood plains will be at risk. Wildfires will continue to ravage areas plagued with continued drought. Violence from terrorism, racism, political divides, will only increase.

All of that sounds pretty bleak as we peek into the future and ask what it will be like. But it also means Jesus is coming soon. It means the end is near and we will join our Savior. We will be with Him forever when He comes to take His bride home. His desire has always been to live face to face with us in a personal, intimate relationship. The Story, His word, bares that out. As we look to the past and see His actions, His mercy and grace toward us, we recognize the love He has toward us and catch a glimpse of the plan He has for us in the future.

However, we must choose to get on the path to which He directs us. We cannot expect to live with Him eternally by choosing our own way, our own path. We must follow Him to His garden of Eden. We must follow His precepts and principles. We must obey. What are His commands? They are easy to remember, love God and love people. That’s it. Do those two things and all the others fall into place.

Here we are. The second week of Advent. Looking back and celebrating the arrival of Jesus, the One who changed everything. In fact, He changed the world so much that almost every nation recognizes Christmas as a special day of celebration, whether or not they are a Christian nation. It is an international, global holiday. The calendar turned because of His birth. He was and is the God/Man who came to save us.

Advent is also a time to look forward to His arrival. He said He would come again. All the signs are coming together to indicate He might come pretty soon. All you need do is read the paper and listen to the news, compare it to what He said would happen just before He comes and you’ll see the time is right for His return. This Advent season, take time to celebrate. Remember Jesus came to bring life and light to a dead and dark world. He did that in a spectacular way. But we can also remember He will come again to finish the work He said He would do. He will come again to take us to the place He is preparing for us. A place where we can be with Him face to face forever.

How hard do you try? (Luke 19:1-5)

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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.
How hard do you try when problems seem insurmountable? (Luke 19:1-5)
Scripture
1. Luke 19:1-5
2. Jesus enters Jericho and seems only to be passing through. Living in Jericho is a man named Zaccheus. He’s the head tax collector and is very rich. He is also very short. He wants to see Jesus as He passes through the center of town, but he can’t get a glimpse because the crowd blocks his view. So he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree so he can see Jesus when He passes beneath him.

Jesus comes along and looks up into the tree, and there He sees Zaccheus.

Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight.

Devotional
1. For the last week, I’ve been assisting in the training of Army medical brigade headquarters. These units provide direction for the medical formations on the battlefield to provide treatment for the sick, injured, and wounded within the area the Army operates. They tell those medical units, like hospitals, evacuation units with helicopters and ambulances, dental units, behavioral health units, preventive medicine teams, and a host of other medical capability where and when to move within the battlespace to ensure our service men and women are afforded the best care possible in sometimes pretty horrible conditions.
2. Armies move pretty quickly on the battlefield. Hospitals can’t move so fast. It takes lots of people and trucks to tear down, move, and set up one of those 250 bed hospitals on the battlefield and their may be two or three or five of those that must be within range of the front line of troops to ensure trauma care is available in a timely manner.
3. I mention those simple parameters to address the problem these medical brigades must address in the training scenarios we give them. We ask them to support an army that will fight across six or seven hundred miles in two or three weeks. The helicopters can only fly 2 ½ hours, so that’s less than one hour each way to pick up and return casualties from the front. That’s about 100 miles. These commanders face what seems to be an insurmountable problem. How do you treat patients across a six hundred mile battlefield following a combat force when it takes days to move and set up a hospital?
4. So now we turn to the story of Zaccheus. He faced what seemed to be an insurmountable problem. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus. He had heard about this man from Nazareth who did no wrong. A man who challenged the authority of the temple leaders. A man who feared nothing and no one. A man who worked miracles. A man who was said to even control nature, calming storms with His words. Zaccheus wanted to see this man.
5. But Zaccheus was short in stature. He couldn’t see above the crowd. It was like a ten year old standing behind adults trying to see the parade. He wanted to see what was happening, but the crowd was too thick. Hundreds of others also wanted to get a view of this miracle worker and Zaccheus found himself pushed aside by the crowd. He was a tax collector. No one cared about giving him room. Everyone hated him. He worked for the Romans. He deserved to stand in the back.
6. But Zaccheus would not be stopped. He would not let the people’s dislike for him keep him from seeing Jesus. Zaccheus would not give up this opportunity to catch a glimpse of this man everyone was talking about. He would find a way to see the one who changed the life of everyone who met Him. Zaccheus would find a way.
7. So he ran ahead, climbed a tree, and waited anxiously for the Master to walk by.
8. Jesus did an amazing thing. He invited Himself to Zaccheus house for dinner. The onlookers were astounded. First, that Jesus was bold enough to break the rules of protocol and invite Himself for dinner. And second, and most egregious, He invited Himself to a tax collector’s house.
9. Zaccheus was creative, persistent, and would not accept defeat in doing something important for a future that would help others. Remember after meeting Jesus he promised to restore anything he took wrongly fourfold and to give half his wealth to the poor.
10. Back to my training sessions this week. The medical commands would find it easy to give up on this insurmountable problem. It’s hard to find solutions to this almost impossible scenario. But lives are at stake. They must find a solution or American soldiers will die because of their failure to find a solution.
11. They will be creative. They will be persistent. They will not accept defeat in doing something so important to the future of others.
12. How about you? What problem are you facing that seems insurmountable but makes a difference in the lives of those around you? What mountain looms before you that you need to climb, go around, tunnel through, or something to better the lives of someone? Zaccheus didn’t quit. These medical brigade will not quit. How about you? God can give you a creative mind to help you find solutions if you stick with it and keep at the task ensuring a better future for others.
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.”
Bible Reading Plan – http://www.Bible-Reading.com

How much do you want to know Jesus? (Philippians 3:7-11), July 2, 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.
How much do you want to know Jesus? Enough to give up everything to find Him?
Scripture
1. Philippians 3:7-11
2. But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him. When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith. I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead.
Devotional
1. Some people want to be anonymous, but I’m not sure there are few who want absolutely nothing left behind. We all would like to have someone remember at least something we have done. We don’t want to go off into obscurity never leaving any mark at all on the world.
2. Paul recognizes the best mark we can leave, though.
  1. Whatever we accomplish write off as a loss.
  2. All gain and all accomplishments are like garbage compared to knowing Jesus
  3. Throw everything aside to know Him
  4. How much do you want to know Him?
  5. Is He worth everything to you?
  6. Are you willing to give up everything for Him?
3. It’s when we want to know Jesus the way Paul wanted to know Him that we can experience Him the way Paul experienced Him.
  1. Inside and out
  2. Transformed in our thinking
  3. Experiencing daily the resurrection power of that first Easter morning
4. Problem with most of us
  1. We hold to tightly to the things in this present age
  2. World blinds us to what is important
  3. That accomplishment we want others to remember
  4. The money or material possessions we accumulate
  5. The fame we get so our name is put into some history book
  6. We want to become a legend rather than letting God use us as His instrument to do whatever He wants
5. Get to know Him inside and out seeing everything else as garbage in comparison
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.”
Bible Reading Plan – Philippians 3-4

Anointed One (Psalms 2:2), June 16, 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.
Scripture
1. Psalms 2:2

Why do the nations conspire

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

“Let us break their chains

and throw off their shackles.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord scoffs at them.

He rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

“I have installed my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.”

Devotional
1. The Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ
2. In Old Testament times, people were subject to anointing when they were called to the offices of prophet, priest, and king. For example, when Saul became the first king of Israel, Samuel the prophet anointed his head with oil in a ceremonial fashion (1 Sam. 10:1). This religious rite was performed to show that the king of Israel was chosen and endowed by God for the kingship. Likewise, the priests (Ex. 28:41) and prophets (1 Kings 19:16) were anointed at God’s command. In a sense, anyone in the Old Testament who was set apart and consecrated for a servant task was a messiah, for he was one who received an anointing.
3. But the people of Israel looked forward to that promised individual who was to be not merely a messiah but the Messiah, the One who would be supremely set apart and consecrated by God to be their Prophet, Priest, and King. So, at the time Jesus was born, there was a strong sense of anticipation among the Jews, who had been waiting for their Messiah for centuries.
4. In the psalm we read, the psalmist talked about an anointed king, but also talked about the coming Messiah, the One all Israel waited for to act as prophet, priest, and king. The God/Man.
5. Jesus fit the bill
  1. Anointed, not with oil by a priest, but set aside and proclaimed by testimony of the Father and the prophets and the miracles He performed to the be long awaited Messiah
  2. He didn’t fit the mold many were looking for
    1. Political ruler
    2. Military victor
    3. Someone of wealth and fame
  3. He was the One they needed
    1. Savior
    2. Redeemer
    3. God, the Anointed One
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.”

Alpha (Revelation 22:13), June 13, 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.
Alpha, the name that puts God first in everything.
Scripture
1. Revelation 22:13
2. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Devotional
1. God calls himself the Alpha and Omega
2. Wikipedia information
  1. Alpha (uppercase Α, lowercase α; Greek: Άλφα Álpha) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 1.
  2. It was derived from the Phoenician and Hebrew letter aleph – an ox or leader.
  3. Letters that arose from alpha include the Latin A and the Cyrillic letter А.
  4. In English, the noun “alpha” is used as a synonym for “beginning”, or “first” (in a series), reflecting its Greek roots.
  5. The letter alpha represents various concepts in physics and chemistry, including alpha radiation, angular acceleration, alpha particles, alpha carbon and strength of electromagnetic interaction (as Fine-structure constant). Alpha also stands for thermal expansion coefficient of a compound in physical chemistry. It is also commonly used in mathematics in algebraic solutions representing quantities such as angles. Furthermore, in mathematics, the letter alpha is used to denote the area underneath a normal curve in statistics to denote significance level when proving null and alternative hypotheses. In zoology, it is used to name the dominant individual in a wolf or dog pack.
3. Why bring up the information from Wikipedia?
  1. It gives us more insight into the name of God
  2. Think about the name and how the earliest writers described Him and understood Him
  3. The letter meant ox or leader, the strongest of their animals, which could plow their toughest fields, pull their heaviest loads, yet came alongside them to help them with those tasks when asked
  4. Leader – the one who provides the resources to get tasks done. The one who provides the guidance for which tasks need to be completed in the first place. The one who protects, provides, cares for, and guides those in His charge.
  5. First, preeminent, not just the first in a series of events or a line of objects, but first in everything
  6. Even as the term has been co-opted in math and science, you see the power and prominence of the name, alpha radiation, the first particles released; the thermal expansion coefficient of a compound, how much energy it releases, the dominant individual in a pack.
  7. Alpha – first in all things
4. The God we serve is first.
  1. He will accept no other place in our lives
  2. Worship Him today
  3. Remember to keep Him as Alpha in your 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.”

There’s only one door (John 6-7), March 27, 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.
Why do we argue about the simplest things? If we believe God’s word, then how can we miss the fact that Jesus is the only way to heaven?
Scripture
1. John 14:6-7
2. Jesus: I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him.
Devotional
1. So I think I’ll take a vacation this summer. I’ve always enjoyed Disneyland in California
  1. Disneyworld is fun, too, but hot and a lot more walking than in Disneyland
  2. Travel plans
    1. Train from San Antonio to New York City
    2. Hop on a ship and sail to Iceland
    3. Catch a plane and fly to London, England
  3. Then enjoy Disneyland
  4. That should work, right?
  5. Doesn’t matter how you get there as long as I’m sincere about going, right?
2. Maybe a little far fetched so let’s try again
  1. I really will go to California this time, but I decide that I’m going to go by way of a commercial plane, but I don’t have the money to buy a ticket.
  2. Sneak onto the tarmac
  3. Climb into the wheel housing
  4. Fly non-stop in the wheel housing to California on a 757
  5. Only 3 hour flight from here
  6. At 35,000 feet: frozen, no oxygen, dead
3. If I want to see the original Disneyland, I can only go to one place and I must go through the entrance to that magic kingdom in Anaheim, California to see it.
  1. No other way to see it
  2. No matter how sincere
  3. No matter how else I might try
  4. I need a ticket and entrance through that front gate or I’ll be thrown out of the park as an intruder
4. If the Bible is true, then Jesus’ words are true also
  1. Every time someone tries to disprove something, they find themselves stuck with circular arguments or proofs of scripture on their hands
  2. If what God’s word says is true
  3. Then Jesus is the only way to the Father
  4. He is the entrance and the only entrance
  5. Any other way is unacceptable, all other means make you an intruder and like the parable of the master of the wedding feast, those not in the proper garments are thrown into the street
5. We can argue the point all we want
  1. We can argue the sun is not really the source of heat for the earth
  2. We can argue the earth is really flat instead of round
  3. We can argue God is not the creator of life
  4. We can argue Jesus is not the only way to heaven
  5. Just because we argue those things, does not mean we are right
6. God’s word is true, I want to be on the right side of the argument when He returns
7. Easy as believing in Him
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.”

Betrayal always carries bad consequences (John 13:12-20), March 22, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever been the victim of betrayal? Have you ever betrayed someone? There are always consequences, you know.
Scripture
1. John 13:12-20
2. Jesus: Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and truly, that is who I am. So if your Lord and Teacher washes your feet, then you should wash one another’s feet. I am your example; keep doing what I do. I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master. Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them. If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness. I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but let the Hebrew Scripture be fulfilled that says, “The very same man who eats My bread with Me will stab Me in the back.” Assuredly, I tell you these truths before they happen so that when it all transpires, you will believe that I am. I tell you the truth: anyone who accepts the ones I send accepts Me. In turn, the ones who accept Me also accept the One who sent Me.
Devotional
1. It’s been a lot of years and I won’t mention any names, but a fellow officer in one of the units to which I was assigned was a good friend…I thought.
  1. We often ate lunch together.
  2. We shared techniques in leading our units that worked and those that didn’t work so well so we helped each other.
  3. Families spent time together after work during our leisure hours.
  4. Thought we were good friends
2. One day things changed
  1. Had an inspection and some things were missing from his unit
  2. Accountable, but consumable
  3. Used up in training, but had to account for their use and replace because of alert status
  4. His soldiers got lazy and didn’t do the proper paperwork to account for the consumables after one training event and so there was a shortage
  5. I was accused of stealing
  6. Took less than an hour to show the paper trail to prove no one in my unit took any of his consumables. All mine were accounted for and a trail for when and where each came from
3. Pain came from the betrayal
  1. We were friends
  2. He knew my character
  3. He knew I wouldn’t tolerate such behavior from anyone under my authority
  4. Still he accused me to try to cover his soldiers’ failure
  5. “The one who ate bread with me, stabbed me in the back.”
  6. My friend left the service very soon after that event
4. Nothing of what Jesus felt
  1. Judas sat as His feet continually
  2. Listened to His teaching
  3. Said he believed what the Master taught
  4. Said he believed Jesus to be the Son of God
  5. Would soon betray Him to the high priest and the Sanhedrin
  6. He would die because Judas decided to betray his friend
5. You just don’t know the consequences that will come as a result of betrayal
  1. My friend ended his career
  2. Judas hung himself
  3. Jesus died on a cross
  4. Be careful of betraying your friends
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.”

Everything will change (John 12:30-32), March 18, 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.
Have you ever thought about the key events in history that really changed the world. Stop and see if you can name a few.
Scripture
1. John 12:30-32
2. Jesus: The voice you hear has not spoken for My benefit, but for yours. Now judgment comes upon this world, and everything will change. The tyrant of this world, Satan, will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, then all of humanity will be drawn to Me.
Devotional
1. There are some key events in history that change everything. Think about it
  1. The Renaissance
  2. Pax Romana
  3. Life of Muhammad
  4. Reformation
  5. World War I
  6. World War II
  7. Printing Press
  8. Berlin Wall
  9. American Revolution
2. None compare to what Jesus did for us
  1. God spoke to the crowd
  2. God gave us a means of escape from the punishment for our sins
  3. God gave His life that we might have eternal life
3. Everything changed; we can be changed, too, if we will let Him change us
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.”

How to pass the test (Revelation 22:7-21) December 31, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 22:7-21

Set – Revelation 21-22

Go! – Revelation 19-22

Revelation 22:7-21
The Anointed One: ⁷ Look now, I am coming soon! The one who remains true to the prophetic words contained in this book will truly be blessed.
⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and witnessed these visions. And when I heard and witnessed them, I fell prostrate at the feet of the heavenly guide who showed them to me. ⁹ But he refused.
Guide: You must not do that! I am a servant with you, with your brothers and sisters the prophets, and with those who keep the words contained in this book. Worship God instead!
¹⁰ (continuing) Do not seal up the prophetic words contained in this book for another day, for the finale is near. ¹¹ Let the one given to evil continue down evil’s path and the one addicted to filth continue to be its servant. But let the one who is righteous journey along the righteous road, and let the holy continue in holy ways.
The Anointed One: ¹² See, I am coming soon, and I will bring My reward with Me. I will pay back every person according to the deeds he has done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and Omega, the First One and the Last One, the beginning and the end.
¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their garments. In the end, they have rightful access to the tree of life and will enter the city through its gates. ¹⁵ The dogs, the sorcerers, those who commit immoral acts, the murderers, the idolaters, and all who love and practice deception must remain outside the gates for all eternity.
Jesus: ¹⁶ I, Jesus, have sent My messenger to show you and guide you so that you in turn would share this testimony with the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star.
The Spirit and the Bride: ¹⁷ Come.
And let everyone who hears these words say, “Come.”
And let those who thirst come.
All who desire to drink, let them take and drink freely from the water of life.
¹⁸ Beware, everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book. Know this for certain: if anyone adds to these words, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone subtracts from the prophetic words of this book, God will remove that person’s access to the tree of life and to the holy city which are described in this book.
²⁰ The One who testifies to these realities makes this promise:
The Anointed One: Yes. I am coming soon.
To which we say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
²¹ May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with all the saints. Amen.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The visions I showed John about the end-times neared their end. John fell at the feet of the guide I had sent to help him see the visions of the things to come. But the guide did exactly what I expected of him. John’s guide told him to get up, only I am worthy of worship, all the angels in heaven, the prophets, those redeemed by My blood are brothers and sisters around the throne and all will worship Me together.

John’s guide reminded him that those who are righteous should remain righteous. The question you should then ask is, How? John’s guide hinted at the answer as he talked about remaining faithful to the prophecies in the book John saw. Remember, John’s Revelation talks about judgment, an accounting, rewards, and punishments. It also talks a lot about worship, praise, prayer, blessings, community, righteousness, and a lot of other things about heaven and what awaits you there.

Before you enter, though, the accounting of your life will happen. As this year comes to a close, perhaps it’s a good time to take inventory. Let Me examine your life before I do it at the finale when the stakes are eternal. You have the criteria. I’ve given you the answers to the exam. I didn’t even hide the questions you must answer. Do you believe in Me for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you confessed your sins and asked for My forgiveness? Do you obey the commands I give you?

These are the fundamental questions I will ask you. How do you know what My commands are? Read the textbook I left with you. Make My words a part of your life every day. Absorb them like a sponge soaks up water. Then don’t just read or hear My words, but do them. As you read and hear My word, ask yourself what you will do because of what you’ve heard. As James tells you, “Be doers of the word, not just hearers only.”

A new year starts tomorrow. How about beginning with Me, then every day begin with Me again, and again, and again. You’ll face Me at the finale John talks about in the vision I gave him. Why not get ready for it by walking with Me every day until then. You’ll pass the test if you do.

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