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DAY 28 OCTOBER 10, 2015 _____________________________________________________________
"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!
"To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious Presence without fault and with great joy - to the Only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 24)
Morning Devotion: Feasting in His Presence - Read John 10:28-30
Our good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, laid down His life for the sheep. He gave up everything that we might gain everything. There are times in our walk, however, that we waiver in our devotion towards our loving Lord and we wander from His tender loving care. Sheep are prone to wander (after all, they are defenseless animals that are inclined to get into trouble - it is no wonder we are compared to and called sheep!). A responsible shepherd will take whatever measures are necessary to retrieve that lost sheep; not only because of their worth to him and the master who has entrusted them to his care, but also for the sake of the shepherd's name and reputation, who does not want to appear negligent in his care. "If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of the wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?...In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost" (Matthew 18:12, 14). How dearly beloved we are of the heavenly Father. Once we have entered the flock of our good Shepherd we are secure in Him; He will not let us out of His sight or out of the grasp of His tender care. "I have them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:28-29). What comfort this should bring to us today and everyday as we travel in a world that is growing more and more hostile towards Christianity. Let us rest in His faithful promise dear believer, for nothing and no one can snatch us out of His powerful hand! We are His for all eternity!
Jesus Christ came into the world to "seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). His purpose in coming was to bring salvation ("eternal life") to lost sinners; to reconcile sinful man to holy God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). His divine purpose was to provide all who would believe in Him an eternal, lasting life of living fellowship with Himself and the Father. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (John 17:3). This blessed life of fellowship with God is given as a gift to all who will believe, and it is meant to be enjoyed both now and forevermore. "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11).
God's will and intention for mankind is life; after all, He is the author and perfecter of life. One saint has said well that "life is the only cure for death." As His followers, we hold the key and the cure to what ails the world. "...I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). May God breathe upon His Church today and give life to these dry, dead bones so that we will awaken to our calling and rise up to become a mighty army in the Lord. May we take our positions on the front line of the spiritual battlefield in prayer and advance the kingdom of God in this world with courage and boldness. It has been said that "prayer is to the spiritual life what breathing is to the physical life - if you stop breathing you will die." This morning let us use the spiritual breath we have been given to pray fervently and without ceasing for believers to begin to walk in the fullness and authority of the life of Christ we have been given. May we make the most of every opportunity to share the good news of the gospel of grace, allowing the Holy Spirit to breathe through us to resuscitate another spiritually dead soul!
"How great You are, O Sovereign LORD!
There is no one like You, and there is no God but You.
O Sovereign LORD, You are God!
Your words are trustworthy, and You have promised
these good things to Your servant.
Now be pleased to bless the house of Your servant,
that it may continue forever in Your sight;
for You, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken,
and with Your blessing the house of Your
servant will be blessed forever."
(2 Samuel 7:22, 28-29)
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations."
(Psalm 100:4-5)
"The LORD is good to all;
He has compassion on all He has made.
All You have made will praise You, O LORD;
Your saints will extol You.
They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might,
so that all men may know of Your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures through all generations.
the LORD is faithful to all His promises
and loving toward all He has made."
(Psalm 145:9-13)
"To [You] belongs eternal praise"
(Psalm 111;10)
"I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify Your name forever."
(Psalm 86:12)
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 Matthew 25:31-46 How blessed we are to follow a loving Shepherd who protects us and guides us through this life with all its trials and difficulties. Those who have trusted Him as Savior and follow Him as Shepherd are safe and secure for all eternity; there is nothing that can separate us from His love. One day soon, however, our sacrificial Lamb will return as the righteous Judge and He will separate us one from another, "as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats" (v. 32b). While we, as believers, walk this earth we are to live separated from the world and set apart to Christ. Sadly, there seems to be more divisions within the church rather than outside its' walls; and the world has been so welcomed into the church that the distinction between the sheep and the goats can be difficult to recognize. But the Lord knows who are His, and one day "He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left" (v. 33). Sheep are not only good wanderers and extremely dependent upon their shepherd to protect and care for them, they are also serviceable to their shepherd; they provide food and clothing. We will one day be judged by our service to our King. "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me..." (vv. 34-36). The closer we walk with our Shepherd the more we grow to understand His heart and the way He cares for His people, and the greater our desire will be to do those things which please Him. May our desire be to take on His heart and grow to deeper levels of intimacy and understanding of our good shepherd. This afternoon let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit to expand our hearts to be filled with more of His love so we can love others the way He loves. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8).
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from His love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to
your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
(Philippians 2:1-4)
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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 23:6
If there is anything we have learned as we have walked these past seven days with our "good Shepherd," it is this: He is good! We know and worship the God of "unfailing love, kindness, and mercy." The final verse of the beloved "Shepherd Psalm" declares that His "goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life." The word "follow" in this verse, literally means to "pursue". Our good Shepherd pursues us with a Jealous love. He is a jealous God who wants our complete devotion, and He will not allow any competing affections in our life. We were made for His pleasure; and His love knows no end. He longs to shower His children with every good and perfect gift as any loving earthly father would; however, because He is God His goodness far exceeds anything we could ever hope or imagine (reference Ephesians 3:20). "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). Even His discipline in our lives is good: "...God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). Everything our heavenly Father pours out into our lives is for our benefit - to bring us His goodness and to bring Himself glory! Let us rest in our Shepherds' tender embrace this evening, and offer Him our worship and adoration for His constant protection and provision in our lives. "In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13).
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
love and faithfulness go before You.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You,
who walk in the light of Your presence, O LORD.
They rejoice in Your name all day long;
they exult in Your righteousness.
For You are their glory and strength,
and by Your favor You exalt our horn."
(Psalm 89:14-17)
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