AFTERNOON DEVOTION

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Gift of Grace: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (v. 5)

Our thought-life is the where the real spiritual battleground is. It is in the mind that the enemy wages his strongest, dirtiest and bloodiest battles. If he can control our thinking, then he can take us captive and lead us away from Christ. When we give the enemy a piece of our mind, we give him a piece of our mind - and if he can get us to relinquish even a fragment of our thought-life to his purposes than he can easily lead us astray. If we entertain even a little doubt or a dirty thought, the walls of resistance come down and the enemy is able to lay claim to that sacred ground which belongs to God. This is why it is essential that we guard our minds. The Lord has placed in our spiritual arsenal the helmet of salvation which we take up to remind us that Jesus is our Savior and that He is always with us to save us from the enemy.

When our mind is left unguarded we become susceptible to all kinds of influences and persuasions. The helmet of salvation is necessary to guard our head, our brain, and our mind, so that we can keep as our foremost thought the saving grace of Jesus Christ - this is the foundation of our faith. He is the one who rescues us and delivers us from the evil of this world. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8). Our life is controlled by the Spirit and we have been given the mind of Christ; therefore our thought-life should be taken up with heavenly things and not be captivated by the pollution and carnality of the world. This afternoon let us take time to praise God for delivering us from the power of sin, and freeing our minds to rest on heavenly things, so that we are not weighed down by worry or held captive by the past. May we learn to yield to the holy influences of the Holy Spirit each day so that our every thought is taken captive and made holy to the Lord. "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2).

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[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: Hebrews 4:12-13

Gift of Grace: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (v. 12)

It's been well said that we can't lead others where we haven't first been ourselves. God has given us His Word and His Holy Spirit to accomplish His work within us first before we can become a useful vessel for His kingdom's purposes. "Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth" (John 17:17). The Lord uses His Word, much like a physician uses a scalpel, to penetrate and expose our hearts, and to cut out the tumors of sin and unbelief that are making us sick and weak and destroying our lives. The time we spend with the Lord in His Word is of utmost importance, for He uses it to do His transforming work in our lives. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).

The spiritual tools we have been given for the field work of the kingdom must first be applied to us before they can be useful for any other. All that is flesh, self, sin and the world must come under the precision knife of our Great Physician. His sword alone has the power to penetrate into the deepest places of our heart and find hidden and concealed secrets; and it is vital that we submit to God's sacred surgery and allow Him to turn us completely inside out and expose all that is not of Him. Just as Jesus turned over the tables in the temple declaring that His Father's house is to be a house of prayer, so also, our Lord wants to turn over the tables of worldliness and carnality in our hearts, so that we, as His temple, can become a house of prayer. He wants to fit us for the work that we have been called to, and there is no higher calling than that of intercessory prayer. The Holy Spirit of God has set up residence inside believers to make us holy and to equip us to lay hold of the blessings of heaven for the world through prayer; but He must first make us humble, holy and obedient so we can become a proper channel for His grace to flow through us to the earth. He cannot fill a vessel that is already full; we must first be emptied before the filling can begin. When we submit to the spiritual discipline of fasting we are opting for elective surgery and placing ourselves willingly under the knife for God to do His necessary cutting and exposing work in our life. May we be willing to honestly address those areas in our life that He has been bringing to the surface during our time with Him in His Word and in prayer. Let us not use His Word to point the finger at the weaknesses and failings of other people in our life, but rather allow Him to ***** our hearts and bring us to repentance and transform us more into the image of Christ. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:9b-11).

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Gift of Grace: "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." (v. 10)

Everything that God has given His people is meant to be used in service to Him. All that we have in this life comes from His hands: our time, our talents, our gifts, our opportunities, our wealth, and our position. And just like the prophet's widow in Elisha's day found that her pot of oil was multiplied in the use of it, we too will find that when we apply what we have been given by God in all faithfulness and diligence, what little we may have been given is quickly multiplied (see 2 Kings 4:1-7). "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Every believer is an important member of the body of Christ, and it is vital to the proper functioning and health of the body that each part do its part; we cannot afford to be idle. We must never think that we have nothing to offer, or to measure our particular gifting or ability by others we may feel are spiritual giants in the kingdom. If the Lord saw fit to bless us with this important work of the kingdom, then it is our duty to "work at it with all our heart, as working for the Lord and not for men." And to remember that "it is the Lord Jesus Christ we are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24). We have all but one work to do; and what is required of us is that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind. We have no reason to worry when Jesus is our utmost pursuit and desire. If we seek His kingdom first, then we will never have to be anxious about the work, because He will provide not only what we need to be successful in abilities and resources, He will also bring to us those He wants us to minister to; we won't have to go looking for work. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (v. 8). Our Lord didn't leave us empty-handed or empty-hearted, He has entrusted to His church the work of His kingdom. Let us pray that will we invest our time, talents, gifts, and resources well, so that the Lord will receive the greatest return on His investment, and we can enter into the joy of the Lord (Psalm 16:11!

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: Galatians 6:1-10

Gift of Grace: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (v. 9)

The ten virgins all fell asleep on the job. They were given the responsibility of keeping their lamps burning, and to make sure their supply of oil would last them for the length of their waiting. The foolish five, however, became over-confident and cut corners; they took the path of comfort and ease, rather than disciplining themselves to be prepared to face the difficult trials and long seasons of waiting that were sure to come their way. They thought they had plenty of time to make up for lost time. Instead, they sowed to the wind and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7a). "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what He sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

We have been given a spiritual kingdom to steward, and it is vital that we be disciplined in spiritual matters so that we will have the spiritual energy and power we need to remain alert, watchful, and awake at all times. We are not able to accomplish much for the kingdom of God when we are sleeping. There is a great heaviness that pulls us down like gravity to this earth from all the burdens that we must bear for ourselves and for others; and that can lead us to become weary, and for some they may even leave the ministry. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (v.2). If we do not take the necessary time to prepare ourselves through the Word of God and prayer, we will be overcome by the weight of the burdens and ill-equipped to offer any real help to those who need it most. Let us pray for the unfailing love of the Lord to wash over all of us so we can minister through the power of the Spirit, in love and humility, and restore our weary, wounded and broken brothers and sisters to the place of deepening intimacy with Jesus Christ; so they can receive the blessings of the kingdom today, and the joy of receiving the Bridegroom when He comes to take us home. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (v. 10).

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: Matthew 9:35-38

Gift of Grace: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." (v.37-38)

Prayer is God's way of getting His work done in the world. All of His work will be done in answer to prayer. Jesus demonstrated His absolute dependence upon the Father with prayer and fasting. His example in prayer was so powerful that the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). Jesus had commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, and after a ten day prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost. The apostles regarded prayer as the most important business of their ministry and lives. "...and we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). Their faithfulness in their witness and service to the Lord led to their boldness in prayer. They prayed for power and God answered them. "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31).

Prayer is God's appointed way of our obtaining His mercy and grace. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Our faithful High Priest lives to make intercession for us and is ready and able to offer us immediate and compassionate help. His desire is that we would join Him in His intercession and lay hold of the blessings of heaven for the needs of men on earth. We have suffered tremendous losses in the church because of our lack of prayer. "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:2b, 3). Neglect of prayer halts God's work in the world, and when we do pray, much of our prayer is focused on our petition rather than on the presence of God. We are consumed with the gift rather than the Giver of all good gifts. We must to learn to wait upon God. We need to get into His presence and be taken up with Him and ask Him to share His heart with us. "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10). The work of God is accomplished when we take time to lay hold of Him. An when we come together in united prayer, and where there is real agreement, there is increased power. "For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20). Let us pray as a united body of believers for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 5th, asking the Lord of the harvest to send forth His workers into the harvest field, so we can have skillful, faithful, wise, industrious, and godly men and women in every area of industry who will boldly proclaim God's truth, and give boldness to all the saints to stand firm, take the ground, and advance God's kingdom in this world.

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: Revelation 14:14-20

Gift of Grace: "Take Your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. So He who was seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested." (v. 15)


When Jesus walked the earth He was rejected by the religious leaders and many of the people of His day, all who were expecting a political ruler to step on the scene, like Moses did, and deliver them from their present plight. What they didn't expect is that God Himself would show up and rescue them with His own righteous right hand. Tragically, the Jews refused His right hand of friendship, and instead drove a nail through the hands that had His people engraved upon them (Isaiah 49:16). Their rejection didn't hinder or alter God's great kingdom plan. The suffering of Christ on the cross provided the flow of holy oil which ignited the spread of the light of the gospel to the whole world. The people wanted Him to set up His kingdom, but they didn't understand that His kingdom is not of this earth, and that God has been on the throne and in control before the creation of the world, and His reign will never end!

The Lord has called all who believe in Him to be the priests of His kingdom, and to be His ambassadors of reconciliation and serve His purposes on the earth. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). While the seed of the gospel is spreading and growing across the globe, the seeds of iniquity are also spreading right alongside in the wilderness of the world. As His priesthood we have been given a harvest field that is ripe and ready to be gathered in, and we are to be busy about our Master's business; but there is a day coming when the worldly tares will be severed completely, when God begins to swing His sickle during the great harvest of the earth.

This season of fasting and prayer has been a season of preparation to refresh and strengthen the Body of Christ for the harvest season before us. Anyone who has ever gardened before knows how much work and effort it takes to keep the weeds from choking the produce in the soil; it is an endless toil. It requires diligence and determination to bring forth a bumper crop. It is the same with spiritual matters, and even mores so, because the forces we are up against are in the spiritual realm. The discipline our Lord has taught us these 40 days to depend upon Him for our spiritual nourishment day by day and meal by meal, is a necessary discipline for the course of our Christian walk and not just for certain seasons. The Israelites learned that manna looses its freshness the longer it is on the earth, that is why the Lord wouldn't let them gather any more than what they needed for the day, so they would learn to depend upon Him moment by moment (Deuteronomy 8:1-5). This is God's desire for us.

The Lord has been tenderly ministering to His Body during this season of prayer and fasting to rebuild His holy temple where His Holy Spirit dwells, and now He is inviting us to tarry with Him a little longer, just as He did with His disciples when He asked them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. He always has something special for His servants if we are willing wait on Him (it is in the waiting that we receive His very best. Don't forget that waiting is the highest form of worship!)). Thank you for taking this journey together as we have walked by our Savior's side and listened to His heart, and united our hearts in prayer for the kingdom of God. I pray that you have found this to be a season of insight and revelation, and of spiritual refreshment and strengthening for the season ahead.

[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: John 4:35-38

Gift of Grace: "Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (v.35)


The Lord appeared to His disciples those 40 days after His resurrection, and showed them He was alive and accessible. He removed all doubt and unbelief and planted within them a deep longing for His presence, so that when He was gone they would seek only Him. Jesus prepared them for the work of the harvest field. When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, His disciples were told to wait until they received power from on high to do the work of the kingdom. They were not told to wait until He returned; they were told to be watchful and work. "Be strong, all you people of the land...and work. For I am with you" (Haggai 2:4b).

The harvest field is a prepared field, there are people everywhere who need to hear the good news of the gospel and experience the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. God calls us to open our eyes and see the vast field before us, and recognize our absolute dependence upon Him for the power and provision we need for the work. While we work in the world our perspective should be from heaven's vantage point. We should at all times be seeking those things that will help us in our work. We need spiritual graces, not material goods. This afternoon, let us praise our Father for this season of preparation He has given us to strengthen us and fit us for the work that is before us. Let us recognize the urgency of the hour, but not forget to be aptly prepared for the work of the harvest field. The Lord of the harvest will supply all our needs as we wait upon Him for His perfect timing and provision, while still stepping out in faith to do the work we have been given. The Lord does not bless us because of need, but because of our faith. He provides all our needs, but rewards us for our faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Every step we take in obedience and trust in the Lord will become the catalyst for the next door of opportunity to open before us. If we are faithful in the little things, He will bless us with more. Let us make the spiritual benefits of the kingdom our priority pursuit as we use the time we have been given to seek the Lord. "Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always" (Psalm 105:4).

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[Godbetheglory]

AFTERNOON DEVOTION

Glean the Word: John 15:12-13

Gift of Grace: "A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:31-35).


Love is to be the governing principle of God's kingdom that controls all that God and His redeemed people are and do. Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross the love of God was expressed in a whole new way, and with new power: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends" (John 15:13). The power of God's love was demonstrated in Jesus laying down His life, not just for His friends, but also His enemies. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Love for Christ and for one another is evidence that we belong to Jesus. We express our love for God and others through our actions, not with our emotions. Love for Jesus fuels our desire to want to know Him more deeply and intimately. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to take us into all truth and to guide us into the deeper understanding of the love of God through His Holy Word, we open up our hearts to receive the fullness of Christ's love and experience deepening levels of intimacy with God. We have been given a wonderful privilege to have an intimate relationship with holy God and to be called His friends. He chose us! These seasons of prayer and fasting are divine appointments from God to nurture our wonderful relationship with Him, and experience new and deeper levels of intimacy with the Lord as we dig more deeply into His Word, and allow Him to transform our spiritual appetite to a real hunger and thirst for righteousness. He promises to fill us (Matthew 5:6)! In addition, we learn to cultivate the silence in which we can hear the voice of the Lord, as we spend time in His presence in prayer before the throne of grace. The more we obey His Word, and take on His heart to understand His will, the more beneficial and fulfilling our times of prayer will be. The greater our love for the Lord grows, the greater our love will be for the people He desires to reach, and the greater our obedience to be used of Him to reach the lost and needy of the world.

This afternoon, let us take time to praise the Lord for the privilege we have in prayer, and the access we have been given to the throne of Grace because of Christ's death and resurrection, and His present intercession before the throne. How blessed we are that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). May God fit us for the work of intercession in these coming days and weeks ahead so we can lay hold of His blessings for the world. Take some time each day to journal your prayers and revelations as you continue your journey. The Scriptures provided are a starting point for deeper study and meditation upon the Word of God.

[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Genesis 12:1-3

Gift of Grace: "And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:5)


God's great redemption story was written before the foundation of the earth was laid. Four hundred years after the flood the Lord's plan began to unfold. The world was full of wickedness, so God confused the languages of the people and scattered them over the earth (Genesis 11:5-9). Out from among the people, God called one man, Abram, to be the father of His great restoration program.

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (vv. 2-3)

In His sevenfold blessing to Abram, the Lord declared that His original blessing to all mankind would be restored through Abram and fulfilled through his offspring. All nations throughout the earth would be blessed because of this chosen man and his future offspring; a chosen nation who would bring forth the chosen Seed, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to His seed...God in His grace gave it to Abraham through a promise" (Galatians 3:16a, 18b). God's choice of the Jews was not based on their superiority as people, but simply because they were soil through which His seed would be planted and the Savior would be born. God had blessed Abraham to be a blessing to the world. "Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest" (Jeremiah 2:3a).

Through His promise to Abraham, God implemented His great redemption plan. He had set apart Israel for His service, that through them He would bring salvation to the world. God has a special relationship with the Jewish people; a love that has not changed for thousands of years. "...for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).
"Israel is My firstborn son..." (Exodus 4:22). "...the child in whom I delight"(Jeremiah 31:20). God's plan for Israel is not yet finished. The Lord has blinded their eyes for now while the light of the gospel is being spread throughout the world (see Romans 11:25). "As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:41-42).

While we wait for the full restoration of all things, let us be good stewards of the light that has been entrusted to our care. Let us seek the Lord in His Word each day so that the Word of God will be "a lamp to our feet and a light for our path" (Psalm 119:105). May we be a blessing to others, because of the treasure we have been given from God's chosen people, and "let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Acts 2:14-41

Gift of Grace: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38))


In the days that followed that divine appointment with the Lord, Peter would provide a beautiful witness of the restoration power of God. He would become an example to all believers of what God can do with a man who is willing to repent and yield himself fully to God. On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and boldly declared the new era that had been inaugurated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Peter's original declaration of Christ was now expanded and built upon as he proclaimed the evidence of the resurrection and called the people to believe.

On that day, the first-fruits of the Spirit were realized as "about three thousand were added to their number" (v. 41). The seed of Christ's resurrection and ascension brought forth the fruit of salvation, and the church was born. The Holy Spirit enabled Peter to speak the Word of God with boldness, and used it to convict the hearts of those who had ears to hear. It was not his own words that he spoke with confidence and authority, they were the very words of God. The plain, simple Word of God *****ed the heart of the listeners, and the people were "cut to the heart," and they were moved by the Spirit to ask, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (v.37). The answer to the affect on the heart to the proclamation of the Word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit is: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (v. 38a).

Peter wept bitterly when he failed his Lord, but the tears of sorrow for his sin - those tears of repentance - won for him the great reward of restoration with his Lord and a harvest of joy. "Let us therefore not weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). May the hardened soil of the hearts of future believers be won with our fervent tears and faithful prayers, and let us praise the Lord for the promise of the harvest that is to come!
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Isaiah 6:1-13

Gift of Grace: "But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land." (Isaiah 6:13b)


Jesus left no room for any mistake to be made about His resurrection, or the events surrounding it. He personally made sure the truth about Himself was revealed and explained in its' entirety. Jesus explained all that was foretold about Himself in the Old Testament Scriptures, and pointed out how they were fulfilled in Him through the new covenant of His grace. As we open up the Word of God (the Holy Bible), we must open up our eyes and our hearts to see Jesus on every page. Jesus makes Himself known through His Word. And it is His Word we are to share. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

The prophet Isaiah was another man who needed some divine encouragement. His heart was discouraged because the king was dead, but God revealed to him that the true King of Israel was seated on the throne. Like the travelers on the road to Emmaus, Isaiah thought there was no hope for his people. But God revealed that, while the nation would indeed fall, a stump would remain and the Messiah would come. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). The stump was a promised remnant whom God would restore, and through them bring forth the tender shoot, the Messiah, and then His righteous kingdom would be established. Augustine said, "In the Old Testament the New is concealed, in the New Testament the Old is revealed." Many people today are still blind to the total message of the Bible, because they are neither being taught, nor trusting in, the full counsel of the Word of God. Let us pray this afternoon for the light of Christ, which has come into the world, to draw men out of the darkness and into His glorious presence, and that we would be found faithful holding up the light of the Word of God, and allowing it to be "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105).
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Acts 9:1-19

Gift of Grace: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service." (1 Timothy 1:12)

Later, after the church was birthed and growing, the Lord would appear to another man who would become God's "chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" (v. 15). Saul of Tarsus was a very zealous persecutor of the early church. He believed that those who walked in the Way and proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah and is alive, to be a very dangerous faction that needed to be eliminated. In one glorious encounter with the risen Lord Saul's life was dramatically changed, and his transformation would be used to change the entire landscape of the world for the glory of God!

A bright flash of light engulfed him, Saul fell to the ground, and then the voice of heaven questioned him: "Saul, Saul,why do you persecute Me?" (v. 4). The proud man who thought he was on mission for God to arrest those detestable believers who were destroying everything he had believed in, was arrested by God and humbled in His presence, and given a divine mission. The greatest evidence of the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead is the transformed lives of the sinful and unbelieving of the world (which we all were at one time or another) who have been taken captive by the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Saul's spiritual eyes were opened as his physical eyes were closed, and his physical appetite was completely transformed into a deep hunger for the righteousness of God as he fasted and prayed for three days. God chose Saul of Tarsus, the "worst of sinners," to become the apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist the world has ever seen (see 1 Timothy 1:15-16).

Saul's great conversion experience shows us that when God calls us to Himself He is not confined to the walls of the church. As the disciples experienced in the upper room, Jesus is not restricted in His coming by walls - of a room or around our hearts! Jesus Christ is with us and He desires to show Himself to us. He is the Light of the world, and He wants to fill the darkened spaces of our hearts with the light of His love and life. Just as Jesus showed Himself to Thomas and to Saul, and He also spoke to each of them, calling them out for their unbelief and treachery against His name, the Lord will show Himself to us and speak to us through His Word today. May we allow our faithful Mediator the opportunity to minister to us as He sees fit, whether He chooses to speak a word of encouragement or allow us to be brought to our knees, so that He can prepare us, by His hand of grace, to become a noble vessel for His purposes and to live a life of victory in His name.







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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Matthew 13:1-23

Gift of Grace: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sow and bread for the eater, 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 55:10-11)

Jesus walked with His disciples and taught them about the Kingdom of God, speaking to them in parables prior to His crucifixion, and them opening their minds to greater understanding of His eternal and internal kingdom as He appeared to them for forty days following His resurrection. Early on, when He shared the story of the parable of the sower, He described to them how the kingdom begins - with the seed of the Word of God planted in the fertile soil of men's hearts. "A farmer went out to sow his seed...seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown...the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it." (v. 3, 8a, 23a). "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

From the miracles He performed to the parables that He told, Jesus shared the secrets of His kingdom with His friends - He revealed to them that the kingdom that He was establishing would be an eternal and internal kingdom - where He would reign as King within the hearts of men. "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance..." (v. 11). At the wedding in Cana, not everyone knew where the wine had come from - it was a secret revealed only to a select few. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). As His children, we are in a privileged position to be entrusted with the secret things of God. The more we are willing to spend time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, the more of Himself He will gladly reveal to us - if we are willing to cultivate the silence in which He can be heard, and the soil in our hearts where He can plant His Word! May our prayer each day be to know the deep things of God's heart, and may we keep our hearts open and be willing to wait on Him until He shares them with us. "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Gift of Grace: "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3)

Jesus went about His work planting the seeds of faith in the hearts of the people, as He preached the truth and did miraculous signs. Many of the people came just to see Jesus perform miracles, but there were some who saw His works through eyes of faith and came to believe in Christ and not just the works that He did. It is the Lord's desire that His words don't just fall on hearing ears, but take root within our hearts.

In the parable of the weeds, Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven as being like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping the enemy came in and sowed tares among the wheat, and then went on his way (vv. 24-25). Jesus explained to those who had ears to hear, that the field is the world, and He is the sower of the good seed, which are the true saints of His kingdom; while the tares are the children of the devil, who do evil and cause harm. At the end of the age, when the harvest is come, each man's work will be shown for what it is, and those who have sown evil deeds will be sifted out and thrown into the fire. "...his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work" (1 Corinthians 3:13). At the present time it can be difficult to discern those who are counterfeits, who have been planted to carry on the enemy's deception in the world, and cause division in the church; therefore it is important that we stay awake and vigilant, for it is when we are sleeping that the enemy does his most mischievous work.

As we pray for the church this afternoon, let us be aware that while the enemy may be at work sowing his evil tares, the Lord is still at work raising up godly saints and maturing us in our faith; and both will continue to grow until the harvest arrives. While we wait, it is vital that we are diligent in our study of God's Word, and vigilant in our prayers. The best way to recognize a counterfeit is by knowing what is true! While it is important to expose Satan's lies, it is even more important to be diligent about speaking and sharing the truth of the gospel of grace. "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:43)
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[Godbetheglory]

Glean the Word: Matthew 13:44-46

Gift of Grace: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." (Philippians 3:8a).

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field"...and "like a merchant looking for fine pearls." In the great field of this world, God has planted the treasure of His kingdom in the hearts of His people. We cannot purchase this great and costly treasure, but we must be willing to be empty of everything else, so that His treasure can have full possession and priority in our lives. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Jesus gave up everything to purchase us and plant His kingdom within us; it cost Him His life. May we acknowledge His worth and be faithful stewards of this precious and powerful treasure within. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power if from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The church was birthed through the suffering of Christ Jesus on the cross. Today His kingdom continues to advance, but it is through suffering and persecution that the work of God is carried on in this world. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it" (Matthew 11:12). Jesus was a man of sorrows and was acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3); and Moses was a man who chose to identify with the sufferings of his people rather than remain in the palace in Egypt. The cross of trouble is the sacred mark which distinguishes God's people in this world. We should not be surprised at the trials that we are suffering; it is a privilege and a joy to share in the sufferings of Christ (James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13-14). "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). As we continue to carry on the kingdom work of God and wait patiently for His return may we not grow weary or discouraged, but have confidence that His apparent delay will mean an even greater display of His power when he arrives to take us home. "Let us not throw away our confidence; it will be richly rewarded" (Hebrews 10:35).
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