Heart Searcher

Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Revelation 2:23

Jesus is looking for those who will endure and follow Him to the end. He is looking for ‘overcomers.’ He is the Living One and the King of kings… and He will repay each one according to their deeds.

All the churches need to know that Jesus is the One who searches hearts and minds. This is where deeds come from. Deeds are done in the heart and mind before they are done outwardly in the body. Jesus looks at the heart. He is the One able to do this – and He does! Our motivations are as important to the Lord as our deeds. He looks at both and will judge both.

It is not enough for me to do the right things externally and have the wrong heart. A mind that dwells in evil thoughts cannot continue to do good deeds. Our thinking comes first!

And so I say ‘Lord, rule over my mind and heart today.’ If my thinking reflects the Lordship of Jesus, my actions will naturally follow. He is Lord! And He is One who searches hearts and minds. He is One who will repay me according to my deeds.

Lord Jesus, rule over my mind and heart today. May my thoughts, not just my actions, bring glory to You! Search my heart… know my mind… make me more like You today.

Read more...

I Am A ******** Sinner

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

1 John 1:6-10

God is no liar! And when I am honest with myself and with others I agree with what He has said about me – I am a sinner.

Why would I ever think differently? Actually, I don’t believe I ever think differently… I know I’m a sinner… I just can live in such a way to make sure you don’t think so! Best foot forward, you know. You play the same game, don’t you? Sure.

Those closest to me see my sinfulness, however. You can only keep up the façade of sinlessness for so long! Eventually my true self, the person God has said is a sinner, comes to the surface. It’s not pretty. Being honest about my sin doesn’t feel so good, but it is the pathway out of its life-stealing grasp. John writes here that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just and will forgive those sins. If we walk in this light, the blood of Jesus purifies me from ALL sin.

The truth that I am a sinner is not all that God has said about me! (Here comes the Good News!) I need to add an adjective to the description. I am a PURIFIED sinner. My sin is not held against me… I’ve been cleansed or purified from it all through the blood of Christ. Wah HOO! Read the New Testament – this truth of the Gospel is all over the place.

Honesty about who I am (and remembering who I am in Christ) will keep me in this sweet fellowship with God through Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me. Thank You that my sins are not held against me. In this place of grace and freedom would you fill my heart with Your Presence that I might follow close to You this day.

Read more...

Follow Me, Again

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

John 21:19-22

In this chapter Jesus ‘reinstates’ Peter by asking him three times if he loved Him – alluding, or so it seems, to Peter’s three denials of Jesus on the night that He was betrayed. Jesus tells Peter to ‘Feed My Sheep.’ Peter now has the job of shepherding Jesus’ people. What’s interesting here is Jesus’ encouragement (maybe even a command) beginning in verse 19 to follow Him. These words take us back to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry when He first called His disciples with these same words, “Follow Me.” When the first invitation was extended, men left everything to follow Jesus. Here the invitation is extended again… and just like the first time, Peter had been fishing. He had gone back to what he knew… what was familiar. Jesus had provided this miraculous catch of fish (153 large ones!), which He had done before. Would Peter leave the security of what he knew and once again follow Jesus?

There are times I think I hear Jesus saying to me: “Follow Me, again.” Even though I made that decision years ago, the gentle chiding of the Master is… “follow Me.” There are years of ‘water under the bridge’ and it is not difficult to slip into what is more comfortable; even what might be more familiar and certainly less precarious than where Christ is leading me. He says, “follow Me.” I need to not wimp out because of the unknown or when difficult days come. When it is not sunny and breezy in following Jesus, but rather uphill in the driving rain, cold and lonely – I must keep following Christ.

Peter asked, “But what about him?” referencing John. Jesus told Peter that John was none of his concern. Peter was to follow Jesus, even to death. It’s all too easy to look at other disciples and say, “But what about him!?” This is not the conversation and it is none of my business. The charge is to me to follow regardless.

Paul wrote in Romans (14:4), “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” So my concern is me and my following Christ. I must not deny Christ by my words or actions but I must follow Him.

Lord Jesus, I hear Your shepherd’s heart calling for me to follow… and I choose to! I trust You and where You are leading me. Help me this day to fix my eyes firmly on You! For my good and Your glory… amen!

Read more...

Stewarding Authority

Blogger's Note: I love the Olympics!! I'm sure you do too! I love the Olympics but they have messed up my daily devotions. I cannot say up to Midnight or 1am and then get up for my time with the Lord (5:30amish)... For me devos start the night before. I heard Wayne say yesterday that you must CHOOSE the better part (Luke 10:38-42). Jesus is the best of all, for sure... but I still like the Olympics! Can anyone relate?

Here's what I got this morning...

"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

John 19:10-12

Power and authority is pretty interesting. There is a great amount of façade with it… and yet many who have such position wrestle with pride. They come to view themselves in the light of their position and consider themselves more highly than they really are.

Pilate had position and authority, and he said that he had the power to crucify or free Jesus. This proved false because of two things: Where his power ultimately came from and due to those whom he led.

1. Jesus said that Pilate’s power over Him came from God. Pilate would not trump God.
2. The Jews under Pilate’s rule applied such intense political pressure that although Pilate tried to free Jesus (vs. 12), he wan unable to.
   

With power and authority must come humility and good leadership. Position cannot sustain a person’s influence alone. There must be humility in understanding that positions of authority and influence are a stewardship from the Ultimate Authority, God Almighty. There’s a problem when people try to take His glory! Along with humility there must be good leadership. Some people may not have position, but they do have influence, especially collectively! A person who has been given the stewardship of authority and influence must do well to lead the people lovingly, showing them honest concern for their well being.

As for me, I have room to grow in both of these aspects. God has called me to lead and He has blessed me with some influence in His Kingdom – but it’s all from Him. I must also lead and love well, never taking for granted the love and loyalty of those I am leading.

Lord Jesus, grant me the calmness you had while standing before Pilate. Give to me the assurance that you clearly had in the moment, knowing who You are and what You were doing. May You lead others through me today is my prayer.

Read more...

@Winema

Devos will be at Week of Missions for the next week. (no Internet = no posts!)

Keep reading... keep seeking!

Read more...