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The Heavens Speak, March 8, 2021

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Some scholars have built an entire vocation around Apologetics, the discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apologetics) It’s not just Christian Apologetics in religious debates today, either. You will find it in Buddhism, Judaism, Muslim, cults; almost anywhere you locate a religious gathering, you’ll discover apologists for their belief system.

In the early Christian church, apologists debated attempting to stem the growing persecution against the believers. Trumped up charges against Christians put them in grave danger by the state and their neighbors. Nero accused Christians of burning down Rome. Others charged them with cannibalism by misinterpreting the Eucharist. Still others accused the Christians of incest since they called each other brother and sister when greeting each other. So, the early apologists’ debate shared the gospel’s truth and the Christian practices that helped support those truths.

Later, apologists focused on the existence of a unique and personal God. Some, like Tertullian, formulated and described the trinitarian nature of the godhead in the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one God existing in three personifications. Others explained the means of atonement through the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; how the Eucharist acts as a remembrance of his covenant with believers; and other doctrinal issues within the church.

Today, apologists often work to share what early Christians believed. We have allowed doctrines and theology to stray so far to the right or left of what the early church held as truth; we have a hard time knowing what to believe anymore. Apologists debate the finer points of doctrine, often confusing the situation more than they should. Sometimes I think they hurt the faith as much as they help when debates internally get as rabid as debates external to the church.

But however heated debates might get, it’s necessary sometimes to stop and look at scripture, think about what it says to us, meditate on its meaning, and understand what God wants us to do because of its message. Such is the case with many of the Psalms, the Jewish nation’s songs, filled with emotion, but also filled with truth. We can see it in Psalms 19, one of the scriptures from this week’s lectionary readings.

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. (Psalms 19:1-6 NIV)

In these verses, we recognize nature will declare the creator God’s majesty and power if we won’t. When we consider the universe’s mechanics, we should stand in awe of God’s creative power. Some today scoff at his existence, but how can there exist such an intricate balance between the galaxies and stars and planets without a great designer. If only by chance, I would submit that takes a great deal more faith than believers exhibit. Producing the universe by chance would be like putting the parts of a watch in a bag and shaking it until a watch comes out. But indefinitely shaking that bag of parts doesn’t produce a watch, only dust in the end.

All we need do is look around us, and we see the evidence of God. The sun, moon, and stars do not need to speak for us to know God exists. We see his handiwork by their very existence and their precision movement in the sky. We hear creation around us in the voice of the animals, the babbling brook, the sound of raindrops falling, the breeze rustling the leaves in the trees, and myriad others surrounding us. We feel the heat of the sun, the cool of the night, the salt spray of the sea against our face. We innately know God is real because of our physical experiences every day.

Our observations of the natural world tell us something or someone set it in motion. Everything around us cannot be an accident. Things reproduce too perfectly, yet too uniquely to come from chance alone. Something or someone put all the laws in place to make this spot in the universe the perfect place for us to live and grow and multiply. Scripture tells us that someone is God. The apologists use scripture to argue and debate their logic. The non-apologists just look up to the sky and look around them and see the glory of God in all his creation.

When Jesus made his triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, the Pharisees and rulers told him to hush the crowds as they cried out, “Hosanna to the King.” The Pharisees feared what the Romans would do because of the praises lifted for this itinerate preacher and teacher. You probably remember Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees and rulers. “If these don’t praise me, the rocks and hills will cry out their praise.”

The psalmist saw creation crying out God’s praises whenever and wherever he took time to look. He could not escape the awe-inspiring visage of what God had done. But he also purposed to voice his declaration of God’s glory and majesty in the form of a psalm. It is time we, too, declare the glory of God as we look around and see what God has done. Nature will continue to speak on God’s behalf, but I don’t want nature to speak for me. I want to speak for myself as I share the goodness, the majesty, the incredible power, the glory of the creator God, who rescued us from this dark world and promised to one day restore earth and heaven to their former glory for those who believe in his son for salvation.

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 Bible-based teaching. 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.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan

Who gets the glory? (John 17:1-10), April 15, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever get confused about who should get the praise or reward for the work you do? We probably all feel that little twinge of jealousy sometimes when someone else gets the glory for our work, but should we?
Scripture
1. John 17:1-10
2. Jesus (lifting His face to the heavens): Father, My time has come. Glorify Your Son, and I will bring You great glory because You have given Me total authority over humanity. I have come bearing the plentiful gifts of God; and all who receive Me will experience everlasting life, a new intimate relationship with You (the one True God) and Jesus the Anointed (the One You have sent). I have glorified You on earth and fulfilled the mission You set before Me.

In this moment, Father, fuse Our collective glory and bring Us together as We were before creation existed. You have entrusted Me with these men who have come out of this corrupt world order. I have told them about Your nature and declared Your name to them, and they have held on to Your words and understood that these words, like everything else You have given Me, come from You. It is true that these men You gave Me have received the words that come from You and not only understood them but also believed that You sent Me. I am now making an appeal to You on their behalf. This request is not for the entire world; it is for those whom You have given to Me because they are Yours. Yours and Mine, Mine and Yours, for all that are Mine are Yours. Through them I have been glorified.

Devotional
1. As a new officer in the Army, it bothered me when my commander would praise me for the work my platoon did. I had some really good soldiers in my platoon and they provided really great support for the unit in which we served.
  1. Medical support for a battalion
  2. Dining facility officer with soldiers that won Army competitions for their excellence in foodservice and culinary excellence
  3. High scores on inspections and competitions
  4. Soldiers did the work, but I got the praise from the commander
2. I always tried to share the praise with my soldiers
  1. Shared what the commander said
  2. Tried to give them awards and decorations for the work they did
  3. Recognized their individual efforts whenever possible
  4. But I still often got credit for the team effort
3. Learned over time to accept the praise because I was the leader responsible for whatever success or failure happened
  1. I also took the blame for the failure of any soldier in my charge
    1. Answered to the commander for DWI, AWOL, other disciplinary problems
    2. Described in detail why any particular soldier didn’t mean the training standard and what I was doing to correct it
    3. I took and accepted responsibility for good and bad within my unit
  2. My leaders taught me to accept both, success and failure, for the actions within my unit because I was their leader, just as my actions and performance reflected on my commander
4. In some small way, I learned a little of what Jesus let His disciples hear as He prayed
  1. Their actions would give glory to Him, not them
  2. His actions would give glory to the Father
  3. We don’t need to seek glory for ourselves, we just need to do the work He gives us to the best of our abilities and let Him receive all the glory
  4. We are His soldiers and He is our leader, He deserves all the credit, all the recognition, all the glory we can give 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.”

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.

What will you do in heaven? (Luke 7:44-50) October 15, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 7-8

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:44-50
Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received.
(to the woman) Your sins are forgiven.
Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins?
Jesus (to the woman): Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever thought about what you will do when you get to heaven and have an eternity to spend with Jesus? What’s the first thing you’ll do when you see Him? What do you think it will be like?

Some have written books about near death experiences and what they have described as glimpses of heaven they were privileged to see. Some have talked about people they’ve met, loved ones who passed on before them and greeted them as they entered the world beyond this physical one in which we reside. Some have tried to describe the incredible music that touched their ears as they listened the celestial choirs singing their praises to the King of Kings. Others have tried to describe the array of colors that make our color palates seem dull.

Writers talk about the conversations they have with those around them and the knowledge they have of everyone. No strangers in heaven. There is a familiarity among everyone because we are all brothers and sisters together in Christ. They talk about the indescribable light that floods the place. Brighter than the noon-day sun, yet they are not blinded by it, but rather they are soothed by its warmth and comfort. Writers try to describe the peace and beauty of the place they glimpse in these near death experiences, their glimpse of heaven, but they all tell us they fall short in their ability to adequately tell us of what heaven is really like.

But have you thought about what you will do when you get to heaven? I don’t remember reading any of those authors talking about meeting Jesus or falling at His feet. I think it’s because they only get a glimpse of heaven, not entry into that place. I don’t think we’ll get to see it in full, in all of its glory until the end of time, but I’ve not read any of those authors talk about falling at Jesus feet for some reason.

But I really think that’s what we will all do when we get there. This woman Jesus describes in Luke chapter 7 recognized what Jesus had done for her. She was an outcast to society. Everyone looked down on her. She was a prostitute. She sold her body to survive in a territory that said she should be stoned for such a debasing action. God holds humans in such high esteem, He think treating His personal temple, our flesh, in such a way deserved the penalty of stoning. Or at least that’s what He told Moses to share with the Israelites, His chosen people.

Jesus recognized the potential in her when her sins were washed away, though. He saw who she could be and when she came to Him in repentance, He forgave. He looked beyond her sin and saw who God made her to be. He saw the beautiful creation God intended and lifted the guilt from her shoulders. What could she do but fall to her feet in gratitude and cry those crocodile tears of joy on His feet?

Simon, who thought himself better than the sinner cleaned by the power of Jesus’ forgiveness, still looked down on the woman because he couldn’t see what Jesus saw. Simon was repulsed by the woman, Jesus loved her as one of God’s children. Simon was disgusted with her presence, Jesus welcomed her. Simon chastised Jesus for letting this prostitute come near Him, Jesus elevated her action into the annals of history. What a difference in the way God sees us and the way others see us! Aren’t you glad God doesn’t pass judgment on us the way the rest of humanity does?

But maybe we should be taking lessons from Jesus, too. Maybe we should take care when we are quick to judge those around us and label them with all sorts of names. Usually those labels are given just so we can justify our own less than honorable actions. We look down on others so we can help ourselves think we are somehow better than those around us. We are not. We still far so short of God’s standard and need His forgiveness.

What will I do when I get to heaven? I think I will probably fall face down at Jesus feet and sob like a baby, thanking Him for His forgiveness for the first few millennia. After that, I might find enough voice to begin singing His praises.

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.

Give God the praise (Mark 39-42) August 15, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 1-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 9:39-42
Jesus: You shouldn’t have said that. Anyone using My name to do a miracle cannot turn quickly to speak evil of Me. Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. The truth of the matter is this: anyone who gives you a cup of cool water to drink because you carry the name of your Anointed One will be rewarded.
But if anyone turns even the smallest of My followers away from Me, it would be better for him if someone had hung a millstone around his neck and flung him into the deepest part of the sea.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

John tries to stop others from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus gives this reply. Don’t stop them. They’re doing something good. If the demons depart because they are using my name, then don’t stop them. Someone is being freed from the power of the demons. Let hem get on with the work they are doing. My name is being lifted up and glorified by their actions so let it go.

How much do we get caught up in the jealousy John displayed that day as He tried to stop this other group from doing good? Well, that church on the corner isn’t part of my denomination, so they shouldn’t be inviting my people to their meeting. That church over there doesn’t do things the way we do, so they can’t be part of the kingdom. That denomination doesn’t sing the way we do, so they obviously must not be Christian. That group doesn’t emphasize the same things we do, so we are obviously more holy than they are, right?

It’s so easy to get caught up in the petty discord Jesus saw with His disciples as He addressed John that day. Let them use My name to do My work! Let them see the things that happens when people hear My name and exercise their faith in Me. Even if you don’t agree with the person doing the work, recognize that when they do miracles in My name, they can’t turn around and contribute that work to someone or something else, because they invoked My name to accomplish it. My name is glorified before the people.

So what if those people are making a profit by using Jesus’ name? What if they are charletons and are just trying to exploit the power of His name to line their own pockets with gold? Does that make a difference in how we should treat them?

Jesus says if they are healing and performing miracles “using His name” leave them alone. Why would He say that? I think there are a couple of reasons we can consider.

First, we do not have the ability to judge someone else’s heart. How can we really determine if the person is doing what they do for personal reasons or for God if the outcome praises Jesus? If Jesus’ name is lifted, who are we to determine the motive behind the act? We are not God and cannot judge men’s hearts. What may look like personal gain to us, may not be. We can see some outward appearances, but sometimes those outward appearances can be deceiving. Remember, the Pharisees thought Jesus and evil person because He ate at the homes of tax collectors and prostitutes. What was His answer to them? “Those that are well, don’t need a doctor, but those that are sick.” He went to those who needed His touch.

Second, if God doesn’t want someone to perform miracles in His name, the miracle won’t happen. It’s not the one using Jesus’ name that determines the outcome, it’s Jesus. God is the one who performs the miracle, we humans only act as His instruments. So if we wish to complain that someone is doing miracles in God’s name, you better tell God to stop, not the person doing it. We have no power to do God-like things. Only God does. He lets His name be used as He wills.

Third, it’s God’s business to sort out the charletons from the real Christians. He’s the one who can look into our hearts and know why we do the things we do. There will be an accounting for our actions one day and He will be the judge, not us. He will determine if we used His name appropriately or not. He will know if we glorified Him through actions we took in His name or tried to build our own ego and reputation by using His name. You and I can’t figure that out about other people, but God will with His perfect knowledge.

So with all that said, when someone is doing good things in Jesus name, regardless of what you think their motive, regardless if you think they are doing it for their personal gain or God’s glory, if good is being done. Jesus says if His name is being lifted up, leave them alone. Be glad His name is being praised for the work being accomplished. Get rid of the jealous streak and instead, give God the praise for the work He is doing through someone else.

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 need the Sabbath (Mark 2:25-28) July 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 81-83

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 2:25-28
Jesus (turning toward the Pharisees): Do you remember the story about what King David and his followers did when they were hungry and had nothing to eat?
They said nothing, so He continued.
Jesus: David went into the house of God, when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the bread that was consecrated to God. Now our laws say no one but the priests can eat that holy bread; but when David was hungry, he ate and also shared the bread with those who followed him.
The Sabbath was made for the needs of human beings, and not the other way around. So the Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I wonder how many of our religious rules and regulations we get wrong. The Pharisees, the priests, the scribes, those in positions of authority within the constructs of the religious order of the day built their whole existence on upholding and enforcing their understanding of those rules. If people didn’t believe in those rules or live by them at least most of the time, then their livelihood disappeared.

The Mosaic law described how the priests and the tribe of Levi would gain its wealth. They would get a portion of most of the sacrifices the people made to God. That was their pay as the intermediaries for God. It was their wages for caring for the tabernacle and then the temple and the synagogues after the desporia. If those rules and regulations fell apart, how would the priests and scribes make a living? They might have to figure out some other kind of work to feed their families.

It wasn’t that the work of the priesthood was easy. They often started their day at two or three in the morning to begin preparing the fires for the altar, sharpening the knives, cleaning the utinsels used for the various rituals of the day. The traffic in and out of the temple every day was pretty significant. It was much more than the town hall or the city court house or even the nation’s supreme court. This place was the center of everything for the Jews. So things were busy and the priests and their families were responsible for keeping it running smoothly.

So we might understand a little about why the Pharisees came down so hard on Jesus and His disciples. They were breaking the rules. God said not to work on the Sabbath and they grabbed a handful of grain as they walked through the field because they were hungry. The Pharisees considered taking that handful of grain off the stalk harvesting so they were breaking the Sabbath.

But the Pharisees forgot why the Sabbath came about in the first place. God didn’t get tired and need rest after He brought everything into creation on those first six days. He set aside the seventh day for humankind to rest. God has infinite energy and power. He doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t rest. He doesn’t take a day off. But He knows that we need to stop from our labors and remember who brought all of this into being in the first place.

Part of our problem today is we somehow forgot about taking time off to remember God and His goodness to us. I don’t think it really matters what day of the week it is, we just need to stop and spend time remembering Him. And that hour and a half on Sunday morning doesn’t cut it if that’s all the time we give to Him. We need to stop, slow down, quit our busy-ness, set aside time to meditate on God and the blessings He gives us. We need to remember the Sabbath, not as a day on which we must follow a bunch of dos and don’ts, but as a time to worship and praise our Redeemer.

I wonder what would happen if we started remembering the Sabbath again? I’m not too sure we know how anymore. What if we spent one whoe day in worship and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ relaxing in the company of each other, hopefully safe from the evils of the world as we share in that one day together each week? What if we stopped doing all our household chores and our shopping and our sports and other activities we didn’t have time for during the other six days of the week and spent that whole day on things related to our salvation instead of on things related to ourselves? Would that make a difference in our spiritual lives? Would it change the dynamics of our families? Would it change our churches?

The Sabbath isn’t about making or breaking rules and regulations. Jesus made that clear when He spoke to the Pharisees that day. But have we gone too far by just forgetting it all together? Maybe it’s time we pull out that Exodus verse and see what it’s all about again. Maybe it’s time we remember God set aside a day for us to focus on Him instead of doing the things we usually do every day. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for the needs of human beings. It’s about time we start realizing just how much we need to use that day.

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.

Give some praise (Matthew 13:57) April 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 7-8

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 13:57
Jesus: Prophets are respected—except in their hometowns and in their own households. There the prophet is dishonored.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What do you think about your siblings? Do you honor the members of your family? I remember growing up as the second child, I always felt I had to be as good as my older brother. I knew in my head my parents didn’t expect that. I think they recognized, like all parents that every kid is different. We all have our unique personalities, talents, and skills, but there was always that one upsmanship between us when growing up.

And it was really hard for me following my older brother in school. You see, my brother is really smart. I mean bordering on genius smart, well not really. I mean genius smart. He never opened a book in school, but made A’s in every class. He could look at a page of material and in about a minute he could tell you everything on the page. If you called him right now, he could probably tell you the license plate number of the first car he ever owned and maybe the VIN number of that car.

I mean the guy is brilliant with numbers and science and facts. So I had to follow two grades behind him and got a lot of his former teachers. Not fun! I had to work a lot harder than he did to make those A’s. I had to study a lot more, spend a lot more time in the book, figure out ways to keep the information in my brain and organized so I could retrieve it.

The funny thing was, he didn’t care about any of that stuff. He ended up as salutatorian of his high school class because he goofed off all the time and ended up about two point below the valedictorian. I worked hard to beat him in school and was valedictorian. But now, I don’t care. So what. What does it get me. Nothing really. But my genius brother? Wow! Dropped out of college because he was bored. He finished later, but out of high school his professors couldn’t challenge him and he just quit.

So I could tell all kinds of stories about my siblings. I picked on my brother, because he is probably the one most off the scale on all the intelligence tests. But we all picked at each other, called each other names, knew none of us would amount to anything. Told tales on each other. But let me tell you where they are today.

My older brother, retired from the navy and is an independent consultant after spending several years in quality assurance in the manufacture of medications for infants with respiratory problems. He’s called on by companies all over the US and Europe to problem solve issues in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially for medical gases.

My oldest sister owns her own business with her husband providing care to individuals in the midwest. Their appointment books are full enough that they have a six month waiting list to get in. My youngest sister is vice president in one of the large banks near the town where she grew up. I say she grew up, because we’re eleven years apart and since my dad was a pastor, I moved a lot growing up, but when I went into the Army he took a church where he stayed for 26 years. So my youngest brother and sister spent most of their growing up years in the same place, unlike the rest of us.

My youngest brother? He spent time in the Navy and has done several things after that, working to finish a degree in psychology to help veterans with PTSD. I’d say they all did pretty well for themselves.

But when we all get together, we’re just brothers and sisters again. Nothing special about any of us. We have a hard time seeing past our family relationships to see the successes each have accomplished to be able to listen to what each says in their own field of expertise. It’s funny that way isn’t it. But with every family I’ve counseled through the years, it seems to be the same. We have a hard time seeing past family to see the accomplishments of the person buried inside that mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter.

Maybe today is a good time to just stop and think about what your siblings have accomplished in life. Maybe it’s time to give some praise to those who love you best even when things are tough. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of good that comes from your family and share it with the people outside your family circle and give some praise for the family that surrounds you. Maybe it’s also time to let your family know how much you admire them and the accomplishment, the successes they have.

Jesus couldn’t do much in his home town because his relatives, those who grew up around Him, couldn’t see past their family relationships to see what He had done. What a difference He could have made in their lives if they had just given Him a little credit for what He had done! How about giving some credit and some praise in your family?

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.

Erupt in praise (Psalm 149), November 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 149

Set – Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15

Go! – Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16

Psalms 149
¹ Praise the Eternal!
Write new songs; sing them to Him with all your might!
Gather with His faithful followers in joyful praise;
² Let all of Israel celebrate their Maker, their God, their friend;
let the children of Zion find great joy in their true King.
³ So let the music begin; praise His name—dance and sing
to the rhythm of the tambourine, and to the tune of the harp.
⁴ For the Eternal is listening, and nothing pleases Him more than His people;
He raises up the poor and endows them with His salvation.
⁵ Let His faithful followers erupt in praise,
singing triumphantly wherever they are, even as they lie down for sleep in the evening.
⁶ With the name of God and praise in their mouths,
with a two-edged sword in their hands,
⁷ Let them take revenge on all nations who deny God.
Let them punish the peoples.
⁸ Kings and nobles will be locked up,
and their freedom will be bound in iron shackles.
⁹ This judgment against them, decreed by a holy God, will be carried out.
It’s an honor for all His faithful followers to serve Him.
Praise the Eternal!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Sing a new song to the Lord. Let My faithful followers erupt in praise wherever they are… . I like that. I’m listening for that kind of response to My grace and mercy on your behalf. Do you ever stop to think about what I’ve done for you in the middle of the day or when you go to bed at night? Does it make you want to erupt in praise?

I love to the hear the praises of those who acknowledg Me as their Lord. I love to hear the music they make in their heart. I love to see them lift their eyes and their hands to heaven and sound the uncontained joy they feel as they remember the blessings I give them each day, the rescue from the penalty of sin, the new life they have because of the life I gave for them. I love to hear their praise.

So many times, though, the people I died for just go about their lives doing the things they’ve always done. They just live and die without acknowledging the blessings they receive. They never give thanks for the miracles I perform in their lives. They never stop to think about the life I give them each day, the food I provide, the air I give them, the water they drink that comes from Me. They just muddle through each day without thought of the God of creation.

David wasn’t special in any particular way except he worshiped Me. And so I honored him for it. Paul wasn’t special in any particular way except he often erupted in praise. So I honored him for it. Job didn’t have any special traits except he praised Me often and I reciprocated. Those you call heroes in My word didn’t have exceptional traits. They didn’t stand out in the crowd.

The thing all of those Bible heroes had in common, though, they erupted in praise…often. They lifted their hearts to Me in praise. They sang new songs to Me rejoicing in the freedom they enjoyed in their life with Me. They honored Me with their voice.

Don’t be afraid to lift your voice to Me. Don’t be afraid to erupt in praise. Don’t worry about what others might think about you. Don’t worry about the world’s thoughts. Just erupt in praise to Me because of what I’ve done for you. I like it…a lot. I’ll honor you for doing so.

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.

Who gets the credit? (Acts 14:8-28), October 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 14: 8-28

Set – Job 8; Acts 14

Go! – Job 8; Acts 13-14

Acts 14: 8-28
⁸ In Lystra they met a man who had been crippled since birth; his feet were completely useless. ⁹ He listened to Paul speak, and Paul could see in this man’s face that he had faith to be healed.
Paul (shouting): ¹⁰ Stand up on your own two feet, man!
The man jumped up and walked! ¹¹ When the crowds saw this, they started shouting in Lycaonian.
Crowd: The gods have come down to us! They’ve come in human form!
¹² They decided that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes (since he was the main speaker). ¹³ Before they knew it, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was prominent in that city, came to the city gates with oxen and garlands of flowers so the Lycaonians could offer sacrifices in worship to Paul and Barnabas! ¹⁴ When they heard of this, Paul and Barnabas were beside themselves with frustration—they ripped their tunics as an expression of disapproval and rushed out into the crowd.
Paul and Barnabas (shouting): ¹⁵ Friends! No! No! Don’t do this! We’re just humans like all of you! We’re not here to be worshiped! We’re here to bring you good news—good news that you should turn from these worthless forms of worship and instead serve the living God, the God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that they contain. ¹⁶ Through all previous generations, God has allowed all the nations to follow their own customs and religions, ¹⁷ but even then God revealed Himself by doing good to you—giving you rain for your crops and fruitful harvests season after season, filling your stomachs with food and your hearts with joy.
¹⁸ In spite of these words, they were barely able to keep the crowds from making sacrifices to them.
¹⁹ Then unbelieving Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and incited the crowds against the Lord’s emissaries. The crowds turned on Paul, stoned him, dragged him out of the city, and left him there, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ As the disciples gathered around him, he suddenly rose to his feet and returned to the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. ²¹ After they proclaimed the good news there and taught many disciples, they returned to some of the cities they had recently visited—Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia. ²² In each place, they brought strength to the disciples, encouraging them to remain true to the faith.
Paul and Barnabas: We must go through many persecutions as we enter the kingdom of God.
²³ In each church, they would appoint leaders, pray and fast together, and entrust them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
²⁴ They then passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ They preached their message in Perga and then went to the port of Attalia. ²⁶ There they set sail for Antioch, where they were first entrusted to the grace of God for the mission they had now completed. ²⁷ They called the church together when they arrived and reported all God had done with and through them, how God had welcomed outsiders through the doorway of faith. ²⁸ They stayed with the disciples in Antioch for quite a while.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Today’s story brings up a couple of questions I want to ask you. What do you do when you see something out of the ordinary happen? Who gets the credit? Do you give it to Me or the people involved? Do you praise Me for the healing that happens around you or does the credit go to the doctors and nurses? Yes, I gave them the knowledge and skills to apply the right treatments, but without the miracle of the human body in the first place, you would never find healing. I put all those things in place. I want you to give thanks to the people who aided and cared for you. They were My instruments, but I also want you to remember I had a part in your healing.

Sometimes I work instantaneously and still I don’t get credit for the work I do. Instead, some of the people standing around are seen as extra special or as those in Lystra saw them, as gods of a sort. I assure you, they are not gods. I use individuals, but without Me, they can do nothing. So be sure to give credit where credit is due.

The other question I have for you today is what do you do with those who are My instruments in working miracles? Do you treat them like the unbelieving Jews treated Paul and try to kill them either with stones or with words? Do you disregard the work I do through some of those that call on Me and lay hands on some for healing and I actually heal? I know some charlatans exist just making money on the emotions of crowds, but there are also those I use as instruments of healing and sometimes the healing is instantaneous because I want to show My power to a disbelieving world. What do you do with those?

Be careful to give Me credit when credit is due. And be careful how you treat those that work miracles in My name. You don’t need to worry about those that dupe the ignorant. I will take care of them in due time. Just keep praying. Keep believing. Keep living for Me. You’ll know the phonies when you see them if you spend time with Me, the real thing.

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.

Where do you focus, vengance or praise? (Revelation 19), September 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 19

Set – Ezekiel 36; Revelation 19

Go! – Ezekiel 36-37; Psalms 110; Revelation 19

Revelation 19
¹ The scene changed. After this, I heard the great sound of a multitude echoing in heaven.
Multitude: Praise the Lord!
Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God,
² for true and just are His judgments.
He has judged the great whore
who polluted the entire earth with her sexual immorality,
And He has vindicated the blood of His servants, which she shed.
³ Again praise spilled from heaven.
Multitude: Praise the Lord!
The smoke rises up from her ruins forever and ever.
⁴ And the twenty-four elders and four living creatures fell on their faces and worshiped God who reigns on the throne.
Four Living Creatures and 24 Elders: Amen, Praise the Lord!
⁵ A Voice from the Throne: Give praise to our God,
all of you, God’s servants,
All who reverence Him,
small and great.
⁶ And I heard what seemed to be an immense crowd speaking with one voice—it was like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like the sound of clashing thunder.
Multitude (in unison): Praise the Lord!
For the Lord our God,
the All Powerful, reigns supreme.
⁷ Now is the time for joy and happiness.
He deserves all the glory we can give Him.
For the wedding feast has begun; the marriage of the Lamb to His bride has commenced,
and His bride has prepared herself for this glorious day.
⁸ She had been given the finest linens to wear,
linens bright and pure,
woven from the righteous deeds of the saints.
Guide:⁹ Write this down: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb.” What I am telling you are the true words of God.
¹⁰ At that, I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he refused my praise.
Guide: Stop it. Don’t you see? I am a servant like you and your brothers and sisters, all who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. Address your worship to God, not to me! For the testimony about Jesus is essentially the prophetic spirit.
¹¹ I looked up and saw that heaven had opened. Suddenly, a white horse appeared. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with righteousness He exercises judgment and wages war. ¹² His eyes burn like a flaming fire, and on His head are many crowns. His name was written before the creation of the world, and no one knew it except He Himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name He was known by is The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, outfitted in fine linen, white and pure, were following behind Him on white steeds. ¹⁵ From His mouth darts a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule over them with a scepter made of iron. He will trample the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the All Powerful. ¹⁶ And there on His robe and on His thigh was written His name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
¹⁷ Then I looked up and saw a messenger standing in the sun; and with a loud voice, he called to all the birds that fly through midheaven.
Heavenly Messenger: Come. Gather for the great feast God is preparing for you ¹⁸ where you will feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the rich and powerful, the flesh of horses and their riders—all flesh—both free and slave, both small and great.
¹⁹ I looked down, and I saw the beast I had seen earlier and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered together to wage war against the One riding the white horse and His heavenly army. ²⁰ The beast was soon captured along with the false prophet, the earth-beast I had seen earlier who performed signs to deceive those who had agreed to receive the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its detestable image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ And all who remained met death at the blade of the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One riding on the white horse. All the birds feasted fully on their flesh.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Which part of what you just heard did you focus on? Was the first thing that came to your mind the rider on the white horse that would come to slay the beast and the kings of the earth? Did you focus on the blade that proceeded from his mouth and the blood that runs in the street at his coming? Or did you focus on the multitude singing praises to Me in heaven? Did you think first about “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God.”? Did you remember the praise or the in My throne room or the slaughter on the earth? Does that say anything about your focus? Do you want to praise Me more than you want to see Me avenge those who wrong you? Do you want to see salvation for the worst people you can think of? Do you really love your enemies?

I commanded you to love your enemies and do good to those who wrong you, remember? Love like I love, then you’ll focus on the praise instead of the avenger. It’s much more fun and much more productive.

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.

What kind of book is Revelation (Revelation 14:6-20), September 9, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 14:6-20

Set – Lamentations 2; Revelation 14

Go! – Lamentations 1-2; Obadiah; Revelation 14

Revelation 14:6-20
⁶ I saw another messenger flying through midheaven. He carried an eternal gospel, bringing good news to all the citizens of the earth—every ethnicity, nation, language, and people.
Heavenly Messenger (with a loud voice): ⁷ Fear God. Give Him glory, for the time of judgment has arrived. Worship the One who fashioned heaven and earth and created the seas and the springs.
⁸ Another messenger, a second, came along.
Second Messenger: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great city! She has intoxicated all the nations with the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversion.
⁹ Another messenger, a third, followed.
Third Messenger (with a loud voice): Those who worship the beast and its image, and all who receive its mark on their foreheads or on their hands, ¹⁰ will be forced to drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured out undiluted into the cup of God’s anger. And they will face the torment of fire and the agony of sulfurous flames before the holy messengers and the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment will rise throughout the ages for eternity. Day and night will come and go without pause or cessation. There will be no end to the torture experienced by those who worship the beast and its image and by those who receive the mark of its name.
¹² Here is the patient endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesus.
¹³ Then I heard a voice call out from heaven.
A Voice: Record this: “Blessed are the dead who have died in the Lord from now until the end.”
Spirit: Yes, they will rest from their labors because their deeds remain with them.
¹⁴ Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, a golden wreath atop His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵ Another messenger proceeded from the temple and called with a loud voice to the One who sat on the cloud.
Heavenly Messenger: Take Your sickle and reap the harvest, because the harvest of the earth is full and ripe and because the time to harvest has come.
¹⁶ Then the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth gave up its harvest.
¹⁷ Just then another messenger proceeded out of the heavenly temple. He also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Then another messenger (the one with authority over fire) came out from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle.
Messenger of Fire: Take your sharp sickle and gather together the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for the grapes are ripe and ready for harvest.
¹⁹ So the heavenly messenger swung his sickle over the earth, gathered the fruit of the vine from the earth, and threw it into the great winepress, which is the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trampled outside of the city, and blood flowed from the winepress. The blood ran deep. It reached as high as the bridle on a horse and ran for the distance of about 185 miles.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

For centuries men have tried to unravel the mysteries of the end times. When will I return to take My children to be with Me through eternity? When will I finally pour out My wrath and avenge the evil prosecuted against those who bear My name? How long will I stand by and watch the evil in this world continue before I call an end to it all and call My faithful home? You read Revelation and see the punishments and the wrath and want it to come to join Me soon.

Many see Revelation as a vision of My wrath and fury, of final judgment against the evil of the world. They recite the judgments, the plagues, the battles that John relates in the visions I should him during his exile on the Isle of Patmos. But the book is so much more than a recitation of My judgments. Look deep into its verses.

Even in what you heard today, the book is filled with recognition of who I am. John acknowledges Me as the one True God, worthy of blessings and honor and glory. The Holy One who will provide rest for those who labor justly and rightly in this world. I am the One who avenges those abused by evil men. John’s Revelation has much to say about My wrath, vengance, and the devastation that will lay waste the world at the end of time. It also has much to say about the glory I will receive, the praises I you will sing, and the wonders of heaven you will enjoy. It is a book of mystery and worship.

Read it with the praise of My people in mind the next time you pick it up.

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.