AFTERNOON DEVOTION

[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 29)

The Thorn: "They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off the path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, and relied on oppression and depended on deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant." (Isaiah 30:10-13)

God sent His prophets to Israel time and time again to warn them of the impending danger and destruction that was coming upon them as a result of their sin and rebellion towards holy God, but they refused to listen and reform their ways. They did not want to be shown their faults and their sin. They couldn't endure being confronted with the holiness of God. They had contempt for the word of God that was being delivered to them, and they rebelled against divine authority. As a result, they endured God's wrath and suffered unnecessary punishment, when they could have easily been saved from all their calamity by repenting of their evil ways and returning to God. "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it" (Isaiah 30:15).

God is absolute holy perfection - He is perfectly holy and cannot change for the better - He is immutable. While He does not change, He has given man the blessed ability to change and experience a higher level of life through His Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). Through His death, Jesus Christ rewrote the law of death, that was hanging over mankind, into a covenant of life. Jesus was not sent into the world to deliver men from their political troubles, but rather to address their greater spiritual needs by rescuing mankind out of captivity and bondage of sin. God has provided us the remedy for all our troubles, by calling us to returning to Him with all our hearts; sadly, like Israel, our wicked and wayward hearts are bent on seeking foreign aid which will never bring us the relief they truly need. Truly we need the power of God to bend our will to His. God waits patiently for His people to return to Him, so He can meet our needs with His mercy and grace. The first step toward revival is simply elevating our concept of the holiness of God in the church. When men begin to see their sinfulness in light of the awful holiness of God they will begin to cry out in repentance and seek God's forgiveness, and then we can experience the presence and power of God in our lives and in His church once again. The presence and growth of the church in the land is a blessing to all mankind and proof of God's divine power and promise for His gospel to spread throughout the world. "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:12-14). Let us repent of our lack of reverence and awe of the holiness of God and our tolerance for any sin in our lives which distorts His perfect image in our lives. Let us thank the Lord today that He has opened our eyes and our hearts to greater understanding of His holiness, and for giving us the power through His indwelling Holy Spirit to live a life of holiness, so we can honor and glorify Him with our lives. "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16).

"I will make known My holy name among My people Israel.
I will no longer let My holy name be profaned,
and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel.
It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD.
This is the day I have spoken of."
(Ezekiel 39:7-8)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 30)

The Thorn: "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Ephesians 2:14-18)

The "Shalom" of God is the name of His faithful, covenant relationship with His people. As Jehovah-Shalom, God provides perfect peace to His people, providing them with health, prosperity, and harmony with Himself and with others. The presence of God in our lives means the presence of peace. Apart from God we cannot know peace. God has provided, through the death of His Son, the pathway to His perfect peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Jesus made peace between sinful man and holy God through His death on the cross. He tore the veil which separated man from God, and provided free access into His presence where we could experience His wonderful peace. By His death, Jesus also tore down the dividing wall that once separated the Gentiles and kept them in the outer courts of the temple and prevented them from entering into the presence of God, which only the Jews had liberty to enter. Jesus made peace between Jew and Gentile, and through His body made a new body of believers, the one new man (Ephesians 2:15). This new body, His church, would be given the ministry of peace to reconcile the world to Himself. "And all this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). God took two opposing forces and brought them together to create a powerful force which all the forces of the world cannot oppose; and He has given us His peace within, through the indwelling presence and power of His Holy Spirit, to conquer the enemies which try to unsettle our minds and rob us of our peace. Our Jehovah Shalom has provided us all that we need to live at peace with God, and to continually walk in His peace and bring His message of peace and reconciliation to a world that is in rebellion and hostile towards Him. Let us confess today any anxious thoughts or worry that prevent us from experiencing His perfect peace, and any fear of man that keeps us from proclaiming the good news of His promise of peace to them. "Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
since as members of one body you were called to peace.
And be thankful."
(Colossians 3:15)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 31)

The Thorn: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19).

Just as a lamp provides light to fill the rooms of a house, so also Jesus provided the light of the gospel for all men to see when He came and set up His lamp in the world. The glorious light of His salvation pierced the darkness of sin and death and opened the eyes of the spiritually blind to see the light of His kingdom. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2). Those that could not see His light intentionally closed their eyes, so they could remain in the dark with the sin that they loved. "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:20). Men who run in the path of evil want their works concealed, for they are afraid of the punishment and shame which the light will reveal, instead of understanding the freedom from the bondage of sin and healing from this sickness the light will bring to them.

Jesus commands His followers to be His lights in the world (Matthew 5:14-16). Just as the moon has no light of its own but reflects the light of the sun, so also, believers are to reflect the light of Christ in the world, so that the spiritually blind can see His light in us and through us. It is not enough to just gaze upon the light of Christ, we are instructed to walk in His light - we must follow Him. "You are going to have the light just a little while longer Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light" (John 12:35-36). God has given us the light of the gospel to not only see the path before us, but to also be the lamp by which we walk. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:130). Let us thank the Lord for providing us the light of His salvation so that we no longer will abide or walk in darkness. Let us repent for having concealed His light or diminished it in anyway because of hidden or habitual sin in our lives. Take time today to confess those sins which hinder our prayers and have become a stumbling block to others who need His light to find their way out of the dark. May we be true candles for Christ in the world and burn for Him continually. May He not remove our lampstand because we failed in anyway to shine for Him (Revelation 2:5). "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12).


"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in
all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases
the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather expose them..."
(Ephesians 5:8-11)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 32)

The Thorn: "If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:6)

The branch of a vine has only one purpose, and that is to produce fruit. The only way a branch can produce fruit is to remain attached to the vine. If the branch does not produce fruit, it is useless to the vine and must be removed. Our heavenly Gardener has planted His vineyard in the world so that we, as His branches, would flourish and produce the fruit that will bring His saving life to men. We are to receive our life from the Vine, so that we can produce the divine fruit that the spiritual starved of the world can eat and live. "This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples" (John 15:8).

Our one desire as branches should be to be filled with the fullness of the spiritual life of the Vine, so that we can produce abundant fruit and glorify our heavenly Gardener. He accomplishes His perfect work in us the more we yield to Him. He also takes tender care to make sure His vineyard is in full production, so that He can satisfy the great need of the world. He uses the Word of God as His pruning shears to cleanse and purify our natures so that the sap of the Vine can flow through a clear channel and the fruit produced will be spiritual and pure. He will also cut away everything in our lives that does not help in producing fruit or that may prevent it from being the richest, choicest fruit that is necessary to feed the souls of dying men. The Master Gardener will trim our branch down to the tiniest stub, leaving little of us left, so that He will get all the glory in the fruit that is produced. Fruit is a silent, restful product of the Spirit's life working within us; it is nothing that we can produce in ourselves. We can do nothing in ourselves, it all must come from Him. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6b). Let us repent where we have attached ourselves more to the world and its' pleasures rather than fully abiding in Christ. May we lay our hearts bear before our heavenly Gardener and let Him do His necessary pruning work to expose in us all that is self-confidence and independent; so that we come to rely fully on Him and become a clear channel of His grace through which His divine sap can flow and fulfill in us the reason that He saved us and planted us in Him - the bearing of His fruit that will bring His life to other dying men. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

"He must become greater; I must become less."
(John 3:30)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 33)

The Thorn: "You do not know Me or My Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew Me, you would know My Father also." (John 8:19b)

Jesus' followers struggled to understand how He would accomplish their deliverance when He began to tell them He was going to leave them. "You heard Me say, "I am going away and I am coming back to you." If you loved Me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe" (John 14:28-29). They didn't understand that His death and resurrection would provide for them a greater, eternal deliverance over the sin and death that was keeping them in a spiritual prison, more than any temporary political deliverance ever could. "Just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father - and I lay down My life for the sheep...The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life - only to take it up again" (John 10:15, 17). It wasn't until after His resurrection, when Jesus visited His disciples over a period of 40 days that they began to understand the truth of all His words and were cured of their unbelief.

There is only one way to heaven. There is no other way to come to the Father except through Jesus Christ. He has provided for us the exclusive path of salvation. Jesus came from the Father, so He is the only one qualified to lead us back to Him. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Jesus is the true way to life; all other ways to God that exclude the work of Jesus Christ are counterfeit, and will only lead to death and eternal separation from the Father. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12). We live in a time much like Isaiah did, when he announced that "justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey" (Isaiah 59:14-15a). Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and "His own arm has worked salvation for Him," so that we might be saved from the bondage of this world and find freedom in Him. Let us repent today for falling prey to the error of this world, and for the times we have neglected to speak up for truth, or for uttering lies and falsehoods of any kind. May we take up our cross and follow Jesus; the only One who will always tell us the truth and never mislead or deceive us. Let us feed upon the truth of the Word of God each day and believe and obey His Word, and tell others the truth about sin and the judgment to come, so they can also find freedom and salvation in Christ, and enter into fellowship with the heavenly Father. "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:34-36).

"If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
(John 8:21b, 32))
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 34)

The Thorn: "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep...But while they were on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut." (Matthew 25:1-5, 10)

Our beloved Bridegroom proved His love for His bride by giving up His life for her. If we love Him we will prove our love for Him by living lives of obedience. "If you love Me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). It should be our joy, like it was for John the Baptist, to lead others into this perfect union with Jesus Christ so His kingdom can advance in this world; and like Paul who ministered tirelessly so that others could experience the heights of faith and the deepening love of God. "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him" (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Our Bridegroom is going to return soon to take His bride home to be with Him; and while we are waiting we are to be spiritually awake and diligent in the work He has given us to do. All that our Bridegroom gave to us when He left is to be used to prepare for His return (John 14:26). While scoffers mock His coming, we who believe are to be busy about making ourselves ready for our wedding day (2 Peter 3:3-15). "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming" (v. 11b, 12a). Let us not be like the foolish virgins who made light of their holy calling and let the light go out in their lamps. They represent those who have a form of religion - who boast of their position in Christ, but have no inner passion or power. "...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:4b, 5a). They are empty of spiritual life inside; lamps without oil that produce no light. They neglected their calling and wasted their lives, and were unprepared when the Bridegroom returned. From external appearances they looked alive, but God saw their heart was empty, and the door was closed to them. Let us repent of sleeping while it is still day and for using our gifts for anything other than living for and loving Christ and sharing His love with others. Let us wake up from our slumber and return to our First Love, and begin to live our lives with all faithfulness and obedience, making sure our lamps are full of oil, so our light will be shining brilliantly when our Bridegroom returns. He is coming soon! "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come. Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20b).

"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?
The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;
then they will fast."
(Matthew 9:15)
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[Godbetheglory]

Day 35: Hope of Israel

The Thorn: "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" ...remember that at a time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:11-13)

To be without Jesus Christ is to be without hope. There is no sadder condition in all the world then to live alienated from God, in a state of hopelessness and despair. There are many people in the world that worship and follow after many gods, but who have no hope because they do not know the one, true, living God. Hope placed in any other object other than Jesus Christ will be accompanied by pain and anxiety. God sent His Son to died for man so that we would not have to live in this miserable condition separated from Him. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 42:5).

Hope for the believer does not depend on circumstances, but rather it is rooted in our relationship with God. We have been grafted into the Vine, which is Jesus Christ, and we rest secure in Him. It is in this deep, abiding relationship, where we draw strength from Him through His Word, in prayer, and obeying His will, that hope grows and we experience the confidence and assurance we need to withstand the storms of life. "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5:2b-5). No illness, hardship, crisis, loss, or even death will lead us to despair when our hope rests secure in Jesus Christ. "But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7). Let us repent of placing our hope in anything less than "Jesus' love and righteousness." When the winds and waves of life come upon us, and they surely will, only those who are anchored to Christ can have the firm expectation that they will not be overcome. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him to the one who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:21-25).

"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him."
(Job 13:15a)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 36)

The Thorn: "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (Matthew 13:15; Isaiah 6:10)

We live in a culture that is obsessed with taking care of the physical body, but we give little attention to our spiritual health. Personal health and physical fitness alone is a multi-billion dollar industry. Yet we invest little in the care of the inner man, which is vitally important to the life and health of the whole body. "Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean' " (Mark 7:14b-16). We make our physical well-being our first priority, while our spiritual life is of less importance, or neglected all-together. God revealed to His people, Israel, that there is a direct link between our physical and spiritual health when He required strict obedience to His commands. God provided His people with the Ten Commandments and a set of rules and regulations regarding their dietary and sanitary needs to protect them and to prevent them from becoming ill in the first place. Their obedience and strict observance to God's instructions kept them healthy and enabled them to avoid the diseases that brought destruction on other nations of people.

While Jesus Himself said that a person's sickness is not necessarily caused by sin on the part of the person who is ill, it is part of living in this fallen world (John 9:3). He used the example of the physically blind man to teach the spiritually blind a lesson on how important it is to take care of the spiritual life. The Pharisees' hearts were hard and cold towards the needs of man, and they were piling up burdens upon the people making it difficult for them to come to God and find the healing that they needed. When the Levitical priesthood was established, the priests were required to live godly and holy lives so they could be sensitive to the needs of the people and intercede for them before God (Leviticus 8-10). They were to perform the long schedule of daily sacrifices to assist the people in receiving forgiveness and healing and being restored to fellowship with God. God was the healer of the people, but the priests were to intercede for them so they could receive their healing. "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up" (James 5:14-15). When Jesus came, He provided the final blood sacrifice necessary to atone for man's sin. Through the shed blood of Christ we receive healing from the cancer of sin that was killing us, and we are given a whole new life. "But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing on its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall" (Malachi 4:2). We may not always receive physical healing when we come to Christ, but He always offers spiritual healing to those who come to Him with a sincere and repentant heart. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God has provided us His Word as the surgical tool which does the necessary cutting, healing and restorative work in our hearts, so we can remain spiritually healthy. Let us allow our Great Physician access to our hearts today so He can use the Sword of His Word as the pruning shears to cut away any area in our lives that may be making us spiritually weak and manifesting itself in our physical health. "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." (Hebrews 12:12-13).

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
by His wounds you have been healed."
(1 Peter 2:24)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 37)

The Thorn: "...you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us' - even though the LORD your God was your king. Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you." (1 Samuel 12:12b, 13)

Jesus Christ is the Desire of All Nations. Though they may not acknowledge Him now He is the peace that all nations are looking for, and one day they will bow before Him. The time will come when all nations will know Him. For now, He is the glory of His church; He is our King, our Head, and the crown we wear. He is our foundation and the center and source of all our power. "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress...Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:4-7, 10).

The desire of Israel was to be like all the other nations and have a king reign over them. They had forgotten that they were not like other nations, but were a chosen people who had the King of kings as their ruler. How easily we can become enticed and influenced by the world around us that we forget from the very beginning that God came to set up His kingdom in the world. Out of His Sovereign will and good pleasure, God has chosen to build up His church in this world. He has separated us from the world and has set us part for His special service. We have been chosen as His treasured jewels to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, to add flavor to a tasteless society and light where there is only darkness. The purity of His church is vital to God's work in the world. It is important that we not allow ourselves to be contaminated by the filth world. Our hands and our hearts are to remain pure for the sacred work we have been employed for. The world is drawn to Christ when the church presents an undiminished and non-distorted image of Him. We are His messengers of peace and ambassadors through which He reconciles the world to Himself. May our lives be empty of all that is putrid and impure, so we can spread the fragrance of Christ in the world. Let us repent of not esteeming our Lord as we should. May we repent if He has not been the one desire of our hearts, because we have too many other competing affections in our lives. Let us repent for neglecting the care of His house, because we have been so busy with our own; and for neglecting spiritual things that have weakened ourselves and the greater body of Christ. May God bring the necessary shaking to remove everything unworthy of Him, so that we will be settled and established in Him, and the advancement of His Kingdom will become the priority of our lives. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9b, 10).

" 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear My name, says the Lord,
who does these things' that have been known for ages."
(Acts 15:16-18)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 38)

The Thorn: "You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:8-9)

Jesus is the Judge of all the earth. His divine timetable has an appointed time when He will judge the whole earth. Until then, we as believers, are to patiently endure hardship until He returns. Our present life will not necessarily be without its share of trial, but while we wait we are to be about our Father's business and work towards the spiritual harvest that is to come. We, who have believed, have been saved from the wrath to come so that we can help others find their way to Christ as Judge and Savior today, so they won't have to face the great white throne of judgment later where they stand to be cast away from the presence of God for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15). "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and doe not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day" (John 12:48).

God wants us to imitate His justice by caring for "the afflicted who have no one to help" (Psalm 72:12b). The kind of true fasting that God has chosen is not just to bring us to the awareness of our sins and lead us to repentance so we can be restored to a right relationship with God, but He has also purposed that fasting prepare us to turn around and, in the power of God, actively love people all around us with His holy love. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter..." (Isaiah 58:6-7). Jesus said the greatest law in His government is to " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Matthew 22:37-39). The religion our heavenly Father accepts is that we care for the widows and orphans and keep ourselves unpolluted by the world (James 1:27). With thanksgiving let us go before our Judge today, grateful that He convicts us of our sin and shows us the error of our ways, and repent of anything that may be standing in the way of our perfect fellowship with Him. Let us confess any critical and judgmental attitudes we may have towards others, and pray for His perfect justice to come through the establishment of His kingdom in the world, and for His judgment to fall on those who rule with oppression.

"However, if you suffer as a Christian,
do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God;
and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be
for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"
(1 Peter 4:16-17)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 39)

The Thorn: "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth." (Revelation 3:14-16).

The apostle Paul, while in prison, sent seven letters to the churches, and John, who was exiled on the island of Patmos, sent this one book of prophecy to the seven churches. During a time of great persecution the people needed a word of hope to encourage them to persevere (and He used His servants who were in chains to remind the church that the Word of God is not chained!). "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's Word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:8-10). The number seven represents completeness and perfection; and throughout the book of Revelation we see the number seven again and again, with the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven lampstands as God unfolds His perfect plan for His coming Kingdom. "He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 21:6a).

The One who walked among the seven candlesticks of His churches, to make sure they the oil in their lamps were full and their light was shining brightly in the dark world, has come to call His church to greater obedience and consecration in these last days. May we not grow weary and fearful, or despise the day of small beginnings. "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerrubabel "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth)" (Zechariah 4:10). Our Faithful and True Witness continues to send His Word of promise to His church to encourage His people to continue the work (Haggai 2:4). May we trust that He is with us and will be faithful to strengthen us to do the work He has called us to do. "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure we will also reign with Him. If we disown Him, He will also disown us; if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself" (2 Timothy 2:11-13). May we realize that He has not called us to some great work, He has called us to Himself, and that "prayer is the greater work." If we don't pray we leave God out of His work, and we won't have the power we need to do the work. "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen whose whose hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). Let us repent for the church in America, that we have lost our zeal for spiritual things. We have gotten to comfortable, we have grown complacent, and our hearts have begun to cool. We are blind to how needful we are of God, and how depleted we are of spiritual power. Like the church of Laodicea, we need to fix our eyes on God again, so we, like Isaiah, can see Him in all His majesty and beauty, and fall on our faces and worship Him in reverence and awe and be willing to go wherever He may lead us. May we return to our Faithful and True Lord with all our hearts, so He will return to us. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

"I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top
and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights.
Also there are two olive trees by it, on on the right of the bowl
and the other on its left..."This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'
says the LORD Almighty."
(Zechariah 4:2-3, 6)
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[Godbetheglory]

CROWNED 40 Days (Day 40)

The Thorn: "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For "He has put all things under His feet"...Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:26-27a, 28)

When the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., national worship for the Jews was radically changed. Their worship had revolved around the temple and the Law, but now they had to completely rethink the importance of Jerusalem and its institutions*. Political change often leads to a change of perspective. Stephen became the first martyr of the church because the views that he and the first Christians held challenged the religious authorities belief that the world revolved around Israel. The first believers saw the city not for what it was, but for what it represented; to them it was a symbol of a higher ideal. Their highest allegiance was to Jesus Christ; and ours should be as well. "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? says the Lord. Or where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things?' " (Acts 7:48-50). For the first believers, the framing, walls, windows, doors and roof of their spiritual house was built on the solid rock foundation of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing else was needed, for Christ was all in all. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). When the foundations are being destroyed in our day, let us remember that "the LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne" (Psalm 11:4); and let us remember to exercise our privileged position in Christ, to lay hold of our heavenly riches by coming boldly to the throne of grace in prayer.

We live in a world of many false religions and falsehoods, and we are repeatedly warned in the Scripture to watch out for false teachers who will come in and malign the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is only one true religion, one gospel, one truth, and it is found in the One, true and living God - Jesus Christ! Our Savior has done everything for us. His crowning work was the work of redemption. It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin, and causes Satan to run from us - "he cannot bear the sight of the Savior's blood." By the blood of Christ our sins are washed away and the image of Christ, which sin had stolen from us, is being restored in us. "and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Colossians 3:10). If we have Jesus, we have all that we need - both now and for all eternity. Let us all become imitators of Christ and repent for the lack of unity in the body of Christ, because as one we provide the world a clear picture of who Christ truly is. May others see in us, both individually and corporately, the perfect model of humility - the person of Jesus Christ - so they too can come to salvation and be built up in Him (Philippians 2:1-11). "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders build in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Let us rejoice for all that our Lord has shown us about Himself these past 40 days, and be thankful for the work He is doing in us through His Word and in prayer. May we continue to yield to the presence of His Holy Spirit indwelling in us to complete His perfect work, as we await the glorious day of His return. "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:4-6).

"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities,
but it is the same God who works all in all."
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
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[Godbetheglory]

[Godbetheglory]

[Godbetheglory]

MERRY CHRITMAS

As we come to the end of this year, it seems fitting that we crown this season of prayer and fasting with the Name through whom our heavenly Father has spoken to us in these last days, and through whom the glory and superiority of the new covenant is revealed to us: Son (Feast on Hebrews 1). "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6a). God spoke to man through the prophets in the old covenant, introducing the One who would come and be the final Word to mankind (John 1:1-18). It is the full knowledge of the Son and the acceptance of His work of salvation that is the power of the Christian life and the health and influence of the Church in the world. As we celebrate Christmas, let us come away from all the hustle, bustle and noise that distracts us from basking in the majesty of that holy night the Christ Child was born, and instead, take time to be still and listen - listen to the Word that God has spoken to us through His Son, who has been given to us, and with the angels and saints around the throne, cast our crowns at His feet, and worship and adore Him with our whole heart as the great gift of the Father for the salvation of the world. "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
(2 Corinthians 9:15).

For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son as a humble baby to bring us into living contact with the Divine Being and to provide a way back to fellowship with Himself. As the Father looked upon His Son wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, He saw us - helpless, fragile, needy mankind; exposed to the elements and unable to take care of ourselves. All wrapped up in that precious gift from heaven came the hope of mankind to be released from the chains of sin that kept our human flesh in bondage to the world. Where once the heavenly Father looked upon us through His Son as helpless and needy, He now looks at us through the finished work of His Son, who stands before the throne in that same garment of human flesh, all battle worn, beaten and scarred, but victorious! (Ephesians 1:19-23). "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12).

It is the heavenly Father's highest goal for the life of His children that we know His Son, Jesus Christ, better. As we come to the end of the year and consider all that we have experienced, the one thing we as believers should consider is whether or not our trials and/or blessings this past year have drawn us closer to, or led us further away from, a life of intimacy with the Lord. If there is one thing we gleaned from this past 40-day season in the sanctuary, it is this: that our Mediator wants to take us higher up and deeper in to the heavenly sanctuary where we can come in contact with the Father and experience the power of the heavenly life today and bring the atmosphere of heaven to the world we live in, so the people in our circle of influence can encounter the Living God. God came down and entered into the skin of mankind so He could take complete possession of us. The Son came and experienced our utter helplessness and wretchedness, and gave His life, from the first cry of birth to the last breath of death, to provide the way for man to experience His power and glory. This is the one gift we all need! May we let Him speak to us through His Son into the deepest places of our heart and set our hearts on fire with holy love for God and for the souls of mankind.

I pray that our times of prayer and fasting this year have awakened your heart to expect better things to come and the fulfillment of all that is promised as we await our long-expected Bridegroom. I invite you to continue your time of preparation and expectation with some of our past Christmas devotional journeys from over the years (click on the devotional journey links at the bottom of the email). Please begin to prepare your heart now for 2017 - The Year of the Sabbath - as we set aside the first 21 days of the New Year with prayer and fasting, and look to our Builder, "for whom and through whom everything exists" (Hebrews 2:10a), to lead us to enter into the rest of God, as we follow the pattern He has given to the church as the source of our strength and power. "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

Thank you for joining with us in prayer as we feasted on the deep things of God in His Word during this extraordinary Year of Restoration - the rebuilding has just begun. Let us keep going deeper in and higher up as we seek to draw nearer to God, tuning our ears to the One who longs to speak to us through His Son. May His every Word enter the deep recesses of our being and fill us with the fullness of Christ. He is all that we need! "While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him" (Luke 9:34-35).