Here are some past devotional blogs I’d like to repost for you at this time.
Courage to Witness: Those Scattered
Courage to Witness: Peter and John
Treasuring Christ Above all Things
These Last Days: Faithful to Christ
These Last Days: Preach Christ
These Last Days: Abide in Christ
Witnessing in the One World Religion Pt2
Witnessing in the One World Religion Pt1
The Holy Spirit is the Witness
Most importantly, are we in a close loving relationship with Jesus…..is our life laid at His feet, are we broken open for Him and pouring ourselves out to Him, anointing Him now with the fragrant ointment of our gratitude, love and entire being?
“But remember, we are dealing here with something which the Lord said was to go out with the Gospel, wherever that Gospel should be carried. Why? Because he intends that the preaching of the Gospel should issue something along the very lines of the action of Mary here, namely, that people should come to him and waste themselves on him. This is the result that he is seeking.”
Article: The Goal of the Gospel: Are You a Waste? “There was only one soul who succeeded in anointing the Lord, and that was Mary. A challenging exhortation that weighs out our perceptions of how much Jesus is really worth to us.”
But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me….”She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand.”….Mark14:6,8
Jesus spoke of the age to come. Are we preparing for this? Are we preparing for the judgment seat of Christ and living in light of eternity? Are we confessing our sin to Him? Are we living a life of continual and increasing repentance? Are we putting to death the deeds of the flesh, killing sin, taking up our cross and following Him? Are we putting to death SELF? Is our cry, “Not my will O Lord but THY will be done!”? We are exhorted to not sin willfully nor walk after the flesh. Are we devoted to Him, living for Him, suffering for Him? Are we listening to Him? Do we obey Him? Paul talked about pressing on toward the goal for the prize. Are we being sanctified through trials and suffering? Are we reproached at all for obeying and representing the Lord Jesus? Are we being tried and purified by His refining fire- now? Are we abiding in Him and bearing good fruit? Are we obeying His commandments and walking in the Spirit? Are we staying on the narrow road? Are we loving and serving the saints of God? Are we bringing people to Jesus and making disciples? Are we doing whatever He is telling us to do? Are we loving NOT the world? Are we separating ourselves unto Christ? Are we doing the deeds and will of our Father?
When He is done wiping the tears from our eyes, after the fire has burned through to judge the quality of our work, then whatever worthy part that remains, we shall lay that down at His feet. And then.. the age to come.
Audio: Have you heard this yet? The Judgment seat of Christ
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 2Cor5:9
God will strike”Egypt” again! The next time, it will be the entire world. At midnight, the judgment of death will pass over all, yet we shall be unhurt. We are safe under the blood of the Lamb. The blood has been applied to the doorposts of our heart; it has been applied to our forehead and our hands. The blood of the Lamb redeems us and protects us from the wrath of God. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! His blood was shed for us! Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. His blood is on us. We belong to Him; He owns us. We are marked by God!
And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. from Ex.12:13
Matthew 25:31-40. Though the words of Jesus (of course) also refer to those who are already our brothers now, these prayers refer to those who, through our Gospel labor and witness, will become our brothers when they are transferred by God the Father into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me feed them with the Bread of Your Life; Your Word.
I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me give them a cup of the rivers of Your living water to drink; Your Spirit.
I was a stranger and you invited Me in…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me invite those who are yet estranged and far from you, in to Your Kingdom, that You may draw them near to You to become Your intimate friends.
naked and you clothed Me…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me bring (speak of) the clean robe of Your Righteousness that they may be covered by You, and ashamed no more.
I was sick and you visited Me…
I love You Lord Jesus and I love Your little ones, my brothers. Let me visit them and bring them the healing balm of your love, hope, mercy and grace.
I was in prison, and you came to Me.
I love You Lord Jesus and I love your little ones, my brothers. Let me go to your little ones who are in the bondage of sin, death, guilt, shame and condemnation and bring them the Gospel of forgiveness, deliverance, freedom and Life in You.
Lord Jesus we love You and all Your other little ones, “the least of these”; all our brothers and sisters. Help us love them and care for them because we love You. Let us love them and care for them because You love them, and they love You. Thank You, our Shepherd and King, for your faithfulness to bring all of Your little ones, the least of these brothers of Yours, into Your safe and loving sheep fold.
The wedding approaches. The King will be so glorious, handsome, celebrated and blessed.
Grace is poured upon His lips. Mighty with sword on thigh, He is victorious in splendor and majesty, reigning forever in His Kingdom. He defeats His enemies, loving righteousness and hating wickedness. God anoints Him with the oil of joy and clothes Him in garments with beautiful fragrances. Music is playing and He is glad.
Forget your people and your father’s house! The King will desire our beauty. Because He is our Lord, we bow down to Him. We will be glorious within and clothed in stunning beauty. We will be brought to Him. We will be led to the King with gladness and rejoicing! We will enter into the King’s palace! We will declare His name and give thanks and praise to Him forever.
Washer (in this 6 part Friday devotional video) discussed the imputation of our sin by God onto the sinless Christ who was crushed under the wrath of God, achieving our justification; our being declared righteous in Christ.
He spoke of how churches and ministers in the USA do not understand the Gospel; they are Gospel ignorant. He exhorts them to teach the knowledge of God and the Atonement, for “the Gospel is everything”.
Washer expounded on the event of the cross: the Atonement, with emphasis on the Love of God for men. He spoke of how this Atonement results in NO MORE guilt and condemnation for the justified, and that Jesus, in His great love, was willing, able and glad to take it for us.
This talk ended with a reminder of the beautiful meaning of Abraham and Isaac: how YHWH provided God’s only Son, the Lamb of God, as the sacrifice. “God, my God!, I know that You love me; You have not withheld Your Son, Your only Son from me.”
I’d like to share with you the three devotional teachings on “The Gospel” that we heard from Paul Washer at Legacy. Here are some notes and the first of five videos for the Thursday devotional (follow the videos through part 5). Highly recommended teaching for anyone in any kind of ministry, especially preaching and evangelism.
He began by speaking of how the Gospel has been compromised, changed and has lost it’s power. The real Gospel is power. He “attempted to begin” to expound on this text regarding how Jesus the sinless Holy One received all the curses, condemnation, shame, rejection and wrath that we, the sons of iniquity, may be set free and given all the spiritual blessings.
At the end of this talk he exhorted leaders not to seek “ministry success” or fame but to only press hard after His presence. “Success in ministry” means nothing. Being known and celebrated in “Christianity” (or the world!) is worthless. The only thing you come to desire is His presence.
Here are a few drops from the showers of blessings at the Legacy conference.
There are saints who are preaching the Biblical Gospel, teaching Biblical Theology, edifying the brethren and leading the congregation of God in worship- all using the medium of hip hop. I did not even know this until about a year ago. It was a blessing, and very humbling, to meet many of these brothers and see them being used of God to exalt Christ and minister to Jesus’ church.
I was overjoyed to see and meet hundreds of young people the Lord is raising up to represent and serve Christ in the next generation. The young people I met shared how God saved them called them into various ministries. God is preparing them to be missionaries, evangelists, teachers, street preachers, pastors and worship leaders. They are being trained in the deep things of God as well as being trained how to disciple and “teach others also”; 2Tim.2:2.
One thing I rejoiced in was the fact that this conference had nothing to do with the various unbiblical movements that are currently popular in American Christianity. I’m referring to the Emergent, church growth, and “signs-wonders-I-got- a-word from God” movements which are basically man centered. No, these young believers were studying Biblical Doctrine and Theology and the focus was JESUS: knowing, serving and worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth. I loved observing all these young urbanites reading “Biblical Theology” books and attending workshops such as, “The Attributes of God”. The core values of this conference consist of the “5 Solas”; this year’s theme was Sola Scriptura.
I chatted with Jerry who told me how God saved him in high school and called him to be a pastor. He is from the Bronx and before he even knew where the rest of his first semester tuition was going to come from, he already had his truck packed and ready to go to Bible college. By the time he arrived, the Lord had provided the last few thousand dollars he needed to start his freshman year. His father is a postman and his mother cleans rooms, and Jerry works in addition to starting Bible school this fall. This young man was on fire with love for Christ and the people of God. He is following Jesus. And there were hundreds more, just like him.
Finally, the most blessed thing at Legacy –besides the fellowship, corporate worship and theological unity — was the call to return to the preaching of the BIBLICAL GOSPEL.
In this sermon jam video someone is throwing “things of this life” into the trash can. I just wanted to add, “health” to that list! How about “reputation”, and “personal dreams, hopes and aspirations”? How many other things can we also count as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord, for whom we have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that we may gain Christ? How do we come to treasure Christ above all things, even life itself? He brings us with Him into the journey of our gradual sanctification. Often He does this through taking things away, or through suffering, or both. Finally, through His working in our life for our good (Rom.8:28), we come to treasure Christ above all, and all other things are as loss to us. What is left is Christ and joy in knowing Him.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy! Ps.43:4
For Thou dost make him most blessed forever; Thou dost make him joyful with gladness in Thy presence. Ps.21:6
Here is a related sermon/article: Called to suffer and rejoice; that we may gain Christ, by John Piper.
Yes, the Lord will help us endure, but it is not about our loss, our pain, our suffering, it is about HIM! It is about treasuring Jesus Christ above everything!
Worship song: shai linne (with John Piper) MY PORTION listen now and be encouraged in having Him and KNOWING HIM.
Witnessing Encouragement 