Devotions (Page 12)

I John 2:27  (NLT)   But you have received the Holy Spirit and He lives within you…what He teaches is true.   The Holy Spirit gives us discernment to be able to identify spiritual seductions in our world.  “The anointing of the Holy Spirit, the knowledge of Spirit-taught truth, the personal relationship of union that we have with Jesus Christ—all of these enable us to identify the falsehoods and lies of our spiritual enemy”  who parades as an  “angel of…

Galatians 1:8  (MSG)   Let me be blunt: If one of us—even if an angel from heaven—were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed.  Paul wrote to the Galatians because local influencers were perverting the gospel by mixing faith in Christ with other religious beliefs.  It was a  “Jesus and”  sort of faith (adding Him into their current belief system).  We are called to the kind of faith that puts Jesus in the center…

I John 2:15  (MSG)   …Don’t love the world’s ways.  Don’t love the world’s goods.  Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.   Pay attention to your cravings!  Those who are carnally minded (I Peter 2:11) have cravings that war against the soul and lead to spiritual death.  But the yearnings of those who are spiritually minded find life and peace (Rom. 8:6).  How do you self-sooth?  What are your default tendencies when you are under stress,…

Isaiah 14:16  (MSG)   People will share and muse: “Can this be the one who terrorized earth and its kingdoms, turned earth to a moonscape, wasted its cities, shut up his prisoners to a living death?”  It is important for us to remember that Satan is a real personality; and  “the imprint of Satan’s character is on the entire world system for he dominates and inspires world rulers in their lust for position and power.  He is the organizer of…

Luke 9:36b (TPT)   Peter, James, and John were speechless and awestruck.  But they didn’t say a word to anyone about what they had seen.  Some things are not meant to be broadcast.  Some spiritual experiences are so profound that they must be carried in the heart, where they do their work of rearranging our priorities, illuminating our understanding, releasing us from misperceptions, realigning our hearts, and redrawing our futures.  Have you had an encounter with God that left you…

Luke 9:36a (TPT)   When the thunderous voice faded away and the cloud disappeared, Jesus was standing there alone.  When a supernatural moment passes, when the prophetic and the miraculous and the emotional all subside, the most important thing remains: Jesus Christ.  He stands there alone.  He stands there with us, ready to descend the mountain with us as we go to the masses of people in need, in despair.  He is with us as we leave that holy, transformative…

Luke 9:35 (TPT)   Then the voice of God thundered from within the cloud,  “This is my Son, my Beloved One.  Listen carefully to all He has to say.”   Twice God spoke this message over Jesus.  Once at His water baptism with John the Baptist at the beginning of His ministry (Luke 3:22), and here as His ministry was winding down and the crucifixion awaited Him.  Notice the three affirmations that empowered Jesus to fulfill His mission.  His IDENTITY…

Luke 9: 34   While Peter was still speaking, a radiant cloud of glory formed above them and overshadowed them.  As the glory cloud enveloped them, they were struck with fear.  Then the voice of God thundered from within the cloud… Peter was in mid-sentence with his foolish response when the  “overshadowing”  cloud enveloped them.  God interrupted.  Can you point to God’s  “interruptions”  in your own life?  You were headed one direction in thought and action, but God stepped in…

Luke 9:32b (TPT)   …but they (Peter, James, and John) became fully awake when they saw the glory and splendor of Jesus standing there and the two men with him.  God’s Kingdom realm exudes a glory and splendor that we will not fully comprehend on this side of the grave.  C.S. Lewis said our first word in Heaven will be, “OH!” (as in: oh, NOW I understand).  Has the American church lapsed into a “form of godliness that denies the…

Luke 9:27 (TPT)   (Jesus speaking) “…there are some of you standing here right now who will not die until you have witnessed the presence and the power of God’s kingdom realm.”   Just eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up a mountain to pray; and it was there that this prophecy was fulfilled (Luke 9:29-31).  The disciples were unprepared.  They had become  “very drowsy, but they became fully awake when they saw the glory…

John 2:8-11 (TPT) So how is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages?  We are northeastern Iranians, northwestern Iranians, Elamites and those from Mesopotamia, Judea, east central Turkey—the coastal areas of the Black Sea, Asia, north central Turkey, southern Turkey, Egypt, Libyans who are neighbors of Cyrene, visitors from all over the Roman Empire, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs.  Yet we hear them speaking of God’s mighty wonders in our own dialects!  The…

Acts 2:3 (TPT)  Then all at once a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes.  It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them.  A pillar of fire led Israel from bondage into the promised land.  Another pillar of fire initiated God’s people into the powerful life of the Spirit.  Each one got a flame–promised by Jesus and sent by the Father (John 14).  Each person became equipped and empowered for supernatural ministry.  “It came suddenly, so…

Acts 2:1 (TPT)  On the day Pentecost was being fulfilled, all the disciples were gathered in one place.  Pentecost was one of Israel’s main feasts.  The name is from pentekostos, which means  “fiftieth,” since it was held on the 50th day after the Passover Sabbath.  The  “Day of Fifty”  was the Jewish festival known as the Feast of Weeks, described in Lev. 23:15.  “It was the feast of ingathering and so was peculiarly fitting to be the day of the…

Acts 1:4b (TPT)  …Jesus instructed them, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait here until you receive the gift I told you about, the gift the Father has promised.”  Jesus had promised to send the  “Spirit of truth” (John 14:16).  The disciples could not carry out their commission without the fulness of the Spirit.  “He lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).  The disciples had seen this dynamic at work within Jesus.  Now they would need the Holy Spirit’s…

Acts 1:3 (TPT)  After the sufferings of his cross, Jesus appeared alive many times to those same apostles over a forty-day period.  Jesus proved to them with many convincing signs that he had been resurrected…  The book of Acts covers a period of about 30 years, and it provides us with historical accounts of those who were led by the Spirit in spreading the Gospel throughout the then-known world.  It demonstrates to all future believers  “the manner in which Lord…

Acts 1:6 (TPT)  Every time they were gathered together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is it the time now for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”   This is the question to which the disciples repeatedly defaulted:  Is it time yet?  Their limited paradigm focused on a political kingdom—the restoration of Israel as a world power;  but God was up to something greater—a spiritual kingdom.  How many times do we look at our circumstances and ask the Lord,  “Is…

John 5:44 (NIV) How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?   We must develop singleness of heart–“a heart which seeks only the commendation of God, even though the smile of God will cost the frowns of those who are out of touch with God.”*  In a country rife with  “cancel culture,”  how well are you seeking God’s approval above all else?  Does…

I Corinthians 2:10 (NLT)   But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit.  For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.  It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates the minds of men and women to enable them to comprehend spiritual truths.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. …

I Peter 2:1-2 (The Passion Translation)  In the same way that nursing infants cry for milk, you must intensely crave the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word.  For this “milk” will cause you to grow into maturity, fully nourished and strong for life…   Do you really want to gain Biblical knowledge and understand the Kingdom of God?  It all starts with a hunger for God’s Word.  This kind of hungering is essential for life, as evidenced in the illustration…

I Cor 1:25 NIV)   For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.  All the world’s best information and education falls short of spiritual transformation unless the learner is  “poor in spirit”—”unprejudiced toward the truth, unhindered by a negative attitude toward the truth, unbound by traditional denominational interpretations and who with meekness receives the engrafted word (James 1:21).  These are the candidates for a knowledge of God in…

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Spiritual hunger presupposes a spiritual capacity;  and such hunger originates with God (John 6:44).  It is the call of God echoing within us;  and when we pay attention to that sense of need, of desire, of craving, and turn it Godward, we can be assured that our hunger will be satisfied.  The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole…

I Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV) Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  “Those who thrive in life and work learn the power of gratitude, hope and faith in the midst of darkness and pain.  There is no doubt that if we do not develop the capacity to accept with grace the setbacks of life and work—whether from our own failures or through the actions of others, justified or not—we will become nothing but…

II Corinthians 4:12 (NIV)   So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.  Do you attribute every difficulty to some form of demonic opposition or attack?  Do not give more credit to evil than is due!  “Most of the difficulty we experience is part and parcel of what it means to live on planet earth–something clearly allowed by God.”  Lean into the discernment that the Holy Spirit provides.  He will give you wisdom.

John 17:4 (KJV) (Jesus praying to the Father) “I have glorified Thee on the earth.  I have finished the work which You gave me to do.”   Our work on earth will include some form of difficulty or pain.  Jesus told his disciples to take up their crosses, and follow Him.  There is a cross to bear, because the pain of a broken world will certainly intersect our calling.  Can you  “accept with grace the fact that difficulty is part…

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.   How do you deal with losses and limitations?  They are a part of life;  and faith is intended to connect with the realities of life.  We will thrive in some roles and relationships but not in others.  Along the way, our limitations confront us and we have to come to terms with the reality that some things…

Matthew 26:75 (The Message)   Peter remembered what Jesus had said:  “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”  He went out and cried and cried and cried.  Regret.  We’ve all experienced it.  We all respond differently:  denial, excuses, withdrawal, overcompensation.  Satan is the accuser, (Rev. 12:10 ) so he focuses on amplifying our failures—to us, to God, to one another.  “Nothing is gained by living with regret.  Nothing.  Forgive yourself;  learn from what has happened and what…

Mark 11:25 (NLT) (Jesus said) “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against;  so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Forgiveness is such an essential foundational beam for a healthy life.  The Gospel is built on it.  Christ died to open a forgiveness pathway.  Throughout our lives, we face many opportunities for resentment—with parents, with people who have been violent or unjust.  “One of the givens of life is that…

Psalm 40:2 (NLT) He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. We live in a discouraging world  “but if we remain locked in discouragement, it becomes a cynicism that leaves our hearts in a perpetual state of gloom.  For those of us who are prone to become discouraged, the grave danger is that we would get lost in…

Luke 12:32 (NLT)   So don’t be afraid, little flock.  For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Only a person completely out of touch with life would say they never get anxious.  “But we walk the way of death when we allow anxieties to consume and overpower us.  Our only hope is to honestly confront our worries and fears, and accept with grace that all we can do is trust in the providential care of…

Ephesians 4:31-32 (The Passion Translation) Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults.  But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another.  Has God graciously forgiven you?  Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.  “We will be wronged;  nothing can stop this.  But we can decide if that wrong will fester in our hearts and ultimately destroy us, or whether we will let it go.  Emotional health comes through acknowledgment (of our anger),  but…

John 14:1 (The Passion Translation)  (Jesus said)  “Don’t worry or surrender to your fear.  For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also.”   Christ calls us to emotional health that persists in the face of setbacks and disappointments.  The Holy Spirit helps us channel our emotional energy toward worthy goals.  He enables us to enter into deep realms of prayer (Rom. 8:26), teaches us how to offload our weariness and heavy burdens (Matt. 11:28), and helps…

Ephesians 4:26 (The Passion Translation)   But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin!  Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day.  Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, and opportunity to manipulate you! Are you able to manage your emotional life so that you are not paralyzed by worry or swept away by anger?  Are you able to manage your emotions rather than be managed by your emotions? …

John 14:15 (The Message) “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.”   Obedience is the practical acceptance of the authority of God over your life.  It includes both submitting to Him in your heart and expressing your submission through actions and words.  “To be obedient is to be in agreement with God…to be in a position of power in Christ.”*  When we knowingly disobey what we know to be God’s will, we weaken our defenses…

Luke 19:13 (KJV) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, “Occupy till I come.”  The promise of Christ’s future Kingdom  “must not keep us from possessing the dimensions of victory that God has for us now.”  We must not neglect our prayer responsibilities but  “occupy” by drawing on the resources of God’s Kingdom and power and reach into the realm of the invisible through prayer and change one circumstance after another.  It…

I Kings 19:7 (NLT)   Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched (Elijah) and said,  “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”  The angel helped Elijah pay attention to the condition of his body as the vehicle that would enable him to take the journey that lay ahead.  If he did not care for his body, the journey into the presence of God would be too much for…

I Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)   Never stop praying.  All of life can be prayer because there are so many ways for us to connect with God.  Solitude and silence help us experience the more contemplative elements of prayer.  Lectio-Divina is a way to pray the scriptures.  The prayer of examine is our expression to God to search us and reveal to us the things we need to understand about ourselves.  “Discernment is the listening part of prayer:  sitting with a…

Psalm 139:23-24 (The Message)   Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.   The prayer for self-examination evokes a sense of dread.  We are inviting God to help US know ourselves better (He already knows us best and loves us most).  Only under God’s steady gaze of love are we able to find the healing…

Matthew 6:11(NIV)   Give us today our daily bread.  This supplication shows our need to learn an accountability for each day’s hours and events.  Jesus is teaching us to ask for the Father’s direction and provision in every event and during each hour of our day.  “Committing each day’s details to God in prayer—requesting today’s bread—can deliver us from pointless pursuits and wasted time.”  Such prayer paves the way to victorious days.  “Daily bread” prayer is a “daily victory”  and …

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)   Jesus answered, “It is written:  ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  When Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread,”  He was talking about more than having enough food or having our physical needs met.  He was inviting us to come to the Father daily for refreshing, renewal and nourishment for both soul and body.  We must recognize our dependency on the Lord…