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DAY 7 SEPTEMBER 19, 2015
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"I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST;
IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME;
AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH
I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD,
WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME."
(Galatians 2:20)
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RAISE UP THE STANDARD!
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1b, 2)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 7:25-36
If there is anything we have gleaned from our first week together on this 40 day journey it is this: Jesus is our life! He is our necessary food; for without Him we have no life in us. His work on the cross delivered us from death unto life; and His continued work in us through the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to experience the full and abundant life He has promised us (reference John 10:10). As we continue our journey let us ask the Lord to trust us with the choicest meat of His Word, and take the time necessary to digest every morsel He places on our plate. Our Father in heaven knows exactly what is necessary to nourish, satisfy, strengthen, and make us healthy. "Give me neither poverty nor riches but give me only my daily bread" (Proverbs 30:8b).
As we step into the pages of our reading this morning we find the people questioning Jesus' deity. They thought they knew God; because of their understanding of the scriptures they were sure the man before them could not be the promised Messiah. The people lacked true knowledge of God; they were ignorant of the scriptures which predicted the very place He would be born (see Micah 5:2). "Yes, you know Me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on My own, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him, but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent Me" (John 7:28-29).
Saul of Tarsus was a man who thought he knew God. He had been taught by the greatest teachers, and he was very zealous for God (reference Philippians 3:5-6). But it wasn't until the Lord revealed Himself to him personally that he realized he didn't really know God at all. "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting..." (Acts 9:4-5). All this time Saul thought he was doing the work of God, but his divine encounter with the living Lord proved that he was actually hurting God. There are some in the church even today who believe they are working for God and doing good for the kingdom while living personal lives that offend God. What they have to offer is poisonous fruit that is making the church sick; but the work is so subtle that many can't put a finger on where their lethargy and apathy are coming from. "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:22-23). Charles Spurgeon has said, "We slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him." If we really knew God we wouldn't stand in the pulpit, kneel at the prayer altar, or accept any position in the church without taking stock of our personal holiness. We are operating from a deficit of spiritual power in the church because we don't acknowledge the majesty and holiness of God. We have surrendered our high view of God. "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish" (Isaiah 29:13-14).
Saul of Tarsus was profaning the name of God by claiming to be working in God's name. He was killing the work of God, instead of contributing to God's Kingdom. When the scales finally fell of his eyes, Paul, saw clearly that the One he had been previously persecuting was indeed the promised and risen Christ (reference Acts 9:18-22). From that moment on he, "resolved to know nothing...except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). Before he came in contact with the resurrected Christ, Paul was unknowingly serving Satan's purposes to destroy the work of God. The Lord radically intercepted his life and called him out to be His "chosen instrument" to carry His name to those who are blind as he himself once was.
Saul yielded to Christ, and the Lord broke the chains of the religious spirit that bound him. Saul had been living as a slave to the religious system until Jesus entered His life and set him free; and from that moment on he was sold out for Christ. Jesus came to, "Preach good news to the poor...to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18). It is only the redeeming power of Christ's death and resurrection that sets us free. He came to break the chains that have us bound to the world, so that we can be sent out proclaiming the glorious name of Jesus Christ. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). We must be fully yielded to God ourselves before we can be of any use to His kingdom. Paul experienced the power of the cross, and it dramatically changed the course of his life. Let us lay everything down at the foot of the cross and declare with Paul, "what things were gain to me these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..."(Philippians 3:7-8a).
Heavenly Father,
I praise You that You are at work
in the lives of the ignorant as well as the
wicked, both of whom are in opposition
to the Truth of the gospel.
Though the people in Your day sought to take You,
they couldn't even lay a hand on You,
because "Your hour had not come."
What comfort it is to know that
You tie the hands of those who
seek to chain the gospel
until the appointed hour has come.
There is no greater knowledge than the knowledge of God.
Thank You that You are watching over
Your Word to see that it is fulfilled.
"...so is My Word that goes out from My mouth;
it will not return to Me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
(Isaiah 55:11)
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!
"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)
Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read John 7:37-39
Jesus showed up halfway through the Feast of Tabernacles to teach in the temple (reference John 7:14). His presence was divinely orchestrated as this Jewish celebration commemorated God's provision and goodness during the desert wanderings. There is no coincidence with God. He is Sovereign and His Son was sent at the appointed time. "In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins and build it as it used to be" (Amos 9:11). The Jews, at that time, were looking for a political Messiah to set them free from the oppression of Rome; Jesus came as a personal Messiah to set them free from a greater oppressor - sin and death.
Jesus had come, not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them (reference Matthew 5:17). His presence in the temple that week was meant to open their eyes to see the glorious new future that God had sent Him to provide for them. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Isaiah 43:18-19). On the final day of the Feast, Jesus shared the good news of the promised provision of the new covenant: "If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:38). The Jews were looking back on God's great provision when they had been set free from bondage in Egypt; now right before their eyes God was unveiling their future and telling them of an even far greater provision. "Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14b). The promise was before them, but many would remain deaf and blind. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them" (John 17:25-26).
Jesus' disciples would eventually gain full understanding of who He was and why He had come. As He prayed, Jesus expressed a desire for deep mutual understanding and knowledge between the Father, Himself, and His disciples. Our entire concept of God is completely distorted apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is vital that we know Him. He came to reveal the love of God, expressed through the Son, so that His love might abide in them. "No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27b).
Until we personally take the time to dig into God's Word and dig up the treasure that is waiting there for ourselves we will never truly know God as we should. The Lord wants a personal relationship with each of His children and has given us His Holy Spirit as a personal tutor to guide us into deeper knowledge of Who He is. May we tap into this well of living water and drink deeply so we will be refreshed as we grow in the greater knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,
becoming like Him in His death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
(Philippians 3:10-11)
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RESTORE PRAISE!
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)
Evening Devotion: Focused on His Praise - Read Psalm 150
The religious leaders of Jesus' day debated, questioned, and plotted against Jesus, when they should have been praising God for the One whom the Scriptures foretold would be sent to deliver them. This evening's Psalm is a song of praise. There is not a single word of complaint; no question is asked, no request is made; it is a psalm entirely filled with absolute praise acknowledging God's infinite greatness. As this day comes to a close let us fix our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith and give Him the praise that is due His name. He is worthy!
Let us praise God for His goodness and love which He has poured into our lives. We were once lost, but are now found. We were once bound, but are now set free. The chains of this world no longer bind us. The intrigues of evil men cannot harm us. We are pilgrims passing through on our way to a glorious new kingdom where our occupation will be eternal praise to our great King. Let us spend our time in practice now while we have breath in our lungs to praise His holy and awesome name!
"Praise the LORD.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament.
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!"
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