Deaf Devotion 5/30/2010

“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT)

It is Memorial Day 2010. Take a moment to remember those serving our country in military service. Remember their families. They give up so much so we can have so much. No matter how much we may disagree with something our government leaders do, our military and their families are the ones on the front line ready to sacrifice for you and me. Some of us have family in the military, but for the most part, we do not know the names of those serving now. We do not know all the names of those who died for our country. There are pictures and faces, but we can take comfort in knowing that God knows the hairs on their head. Take a moment now to thank God for them.

Grace is God's goodness and kindness toward us which we really do not deserve. It does not matter about our merit or worth. It is freely given as a gift to all who believe the good news that Jesus is the Son of God, and He died for their sins.

Grace is free, but it isn't cheap. There was a high price that was paid to obtain this blessing for us. Jesus left the wealth of heaven to come to earth so that He could redeem us and give us the riches of His celestial home.

Think of what that meant in terms of Jesus' earthly life:

The One who is Creator and Owner of all things lived on earth without possessions. He was born in a borrowed stable, had no place to lay His head during the years of His itinerant ministry, and borrowed not only a donkey for entering Jerusalem but also an upper room for the last supper. Even the tomb was not His own.

Christ also laid aside the glory He had with the Father. Although He never stopped being God while He was on the earth, His dazzling God-like glory was veiled with human flesh. Being born as a helpless baby, Jesus went through all the stages of human growth and development. The Son of God descended from reigning on the Father's throne to washing the dirty feet of His disciples.

Christ became poor but lost nothing. Jesus regained the glory of heaven and brought us along. In following Him, believers likewise lose nothing and gain everything. We die to self and gain our souls; give away riches and receive heavenly treasures; and humble ourselves to be exalted in God's time.

God is simply presented in all of creation. We should know, acknowledge, and appreciate Him.
God is supreme and all powerful. We should respect Him.
God is focused on using us in His plan and loves us more than we know. We should worship Him.
God is personal and interested in our salvation and redemption. We should receive Him.

All of that is in Genesis 1:1 which says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” We have responsibility to God. We are twice His. First, we are His because of creation, and secondly, we are His because of redemption. He made us and He bought us.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 5/26/2010

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT)

Last summer, a worker at the AT&T office in San Jose, California decided it was time to clean out an old refrigerator that was in a break room. It was stuffed with lunches, snacks, fruit, drinks, and leftovers that had been there so long nobody could remember what belonged to whom. People had avoided opening the door to this refrigerator due to the smell. But nobody was willing to take the lead to clean it out. Finally this one woman could not stand it anymore.

People were warned. The break room was scheduled to close for the time it would take to clean this refrigerator. Finally, she opened the refrigerator door. This woman couldn't smell the stench due to allergies, but the smell from the rotten food was so toxic that it spread quickly and caused someone to call 911. Ambulances came and firefighters evacuated the building. Seven coworkers were taken to the hospital, and it took a hazmat team to clear out the mess.

One might say, “Pastor John, That’s gross!” I agree. It is gross. It’s nasty. It’s not pleasant to think about. But think about our relationship with God. We try to keep secrets from God thinking that we can get away with something. We keep things locked away in our hearts and minds until they spoil. Nobody is willing to come near us. But it is only Jesus who can open the door to our heart and let out the smell of the sin that is inside that has spoiled and become useless.

Our lives, like refrigerators, can suffer spoilage if we don't keep them cleared out and cleaned up.

Things can go bad quickly when lukewarm. “But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:16 NLT)

Make sure the sincere milk of the Word is on a shelf we can reach every day, along with solid food for the soul. “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT) “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.” (Hebrews 5:12 NLT)

Treasure the words of His mouth more than our daily bread, and make sure the manna of daily Bible study doesn't become stale and wormy. “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food.” (Job 23:12 NLT)

Keep the oil of joy fresh. “You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” (Psalm 45:7 NLT)

We need to look inside our hearts and our lives to throw out anything that doesn't contribute to our overall spiritual well-being. We need to become aware of anything that is going stale or is already rotten. We need to stay plugged into the current of heaven through prayer, and then we will become a source of nourishment to others.

Deaf Devotion 5/22/2010

“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself …” (Daniel 1:8a NLT)

Daniel had a problem. He was captive in a foreign land. He still wanted to worship God and live like God expected him to live. But in reality the King and his people had a lot of authority and wanted their own way. Daniel was expected to eat what they ate, learn what they learned, and even have a name they chose. All of this was so that Daniel and some others would be groomed for “service in the royal palace.” (Daniel 1: 4 NLT)

But Daniel already knew in his heart what is right. Daniel had “purposed” (KJV) “determined” (NLT) what he was going to do. He had already decided. The Hebrew word here is “suwm.” That may look like a strange word. It sounds like “zoom.” The definition is to “to put, place, set, appoint, make.” It means to be “focused” or “fixed” on something.

Daniel had unshakable faith. His belief in the Lord kept him going when everything around him seemed to be going wrong. Daniel was uprooted from his home, taken into captivity, and sent to a foreign country. It strengthened him as he served under the authority of four different kings and faced many challenges.

Knowing God and trusting Him are the two key elements of deep faith. Daniel, who was part of the Israelite nobility, apparently learned about the Lord from a young age. While he was in captivity, his words and actions demonstrated that he knew the Scriptures and wanted to obey God. When offered a meal that had been sacrificed to idols, he took a great risk by requesting other food. God caused Daniel’s enemies to show favor to him. Like Daniel, we are to stay focused on what God expects of us and spend our lives learning and carrying out what pleases our heavenly Father.

Not only did this young man know what the Scriptures said, but he also trusted God to do as He had promised. Every time Daniel took a stand for what God wanted, he was demonstrating his confidence in the Father. And his friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—had unwavering belief as well. They did not know for sure that the Lord would rescue them from the fiery furnace, but they trusted that He would do what was right.

There are things that block unshakable faith.
Pride – “I won't admit I need God's help.”
Arrogance – “I know a better way—I don't have to ask God.”
Self-sufficiency – “I can do it myself without God’s help.”

God is always with us. Jesus is alive. The Holy Spirit has made His home in our hearts. What is stopping us from becoming people of strong faith that God knows what He is doing? Confess it and turn toward the Lord.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 5/18/2010

“Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” (Isaiah 44:21-22 NLT)

Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after wrestling with the angel, was chosen by God for a specific reason. But it was not because he was sinless or above blame from man's point of view. The descendants of Jacob/Israel were just like us. They are real people with real problems making real mistakes. But God used this group of people to bring Jesus into the world and to give us a relationship back to God.

Even though we have been dealing with the same sin issues since creation, God does not separate Himself from us because of our sin. Jesus made a way for us to be united with God forever. We do not have the ability to become perfect while on earth but we can be shaped into God's image because of Jesus Christ.

It is because of the cross that all things are made new. We need to cling to the cross because it is there that we have been set free. We are forgiven, reconciled back to God and called out to spread the Gospel. We need to do nothing more than to accept that our sins have been cleansed and be willing to accept how the debt has been paid. It is because of Jesus Christ that we have been called. We are His witnesses established for His glory and set apart from the world for His purposes.

God says there is nothing we do can separate us from Him. But the same is not true of us. We tend to hang on to our sins, which lead us away from the Lord. Jesus has cleansed us from all sin—past, present and future. Our thoughts should not be on the Savior and not the sin. We need to be thanking Him for how good God is that He made a way for us to be with Him forever.

Relax.
Take in a deep breath.
Think about how much unlimited grace has freely given as a gift to us.
Talk to the Lord about the sin issues that keep pulling us away from Him.
Thank Him for never pulling away from us.

Now REJOICE!

God calls His people to remember who He is and what He has done for them. And then God calls His people to act in a way that will reflect His glory. The sin is forgiven once and for all. He proclaimed He would deliver us from our captivity. Because He is a God that can proclaim the future before it occurs.

Deaf Devotion 5/15/2010 A Day Late Read On

“O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Let me be blunt – Satan kicked my butt this week. He tested my faith. He tempted me to give up. He wanted to destroy all the work God has for me to do. In fact, Satan did not want me to finish this Devotion. But God, in His wisdom and truth led me to the Prayer of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles.

Jehoshaphat, a king whose name means "Jehovah is judge," was one of only a few godly kings in Judah. He tore down the pagan worship sites and dispatched priests and Levites throughout the nation to teach people the laws of God.

Jehoshaphat is best known, however, for how he handled a crisis that could have destroyed the country he ruled. When several surrounding nations gathered against Judah to destroy it, Jehoshaphat knew he was no match militarily. So he called the people and leaders of Judah together to pray. The last sentence of his prayer summarizes his heart. He prayed, “We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” God answered his prayer for help and gave Judah the victory. The armies that rose up against him and Israel turned on each other and destroyed themselves.

If we are facing similar situations today that seem hopeless, something for which we have no answers, pray Jehoshaphat's prayer: "Lord, we have no clue what to do, but our eyes are on You." Stay focused on Him until the answer comes.

Are we experiencing some type of problem today? Is today the day Satan decided to kick our butt? Maybe today is the day he chooses to throw his best temptation our way. Does this describe what we are experiencing? Yes? Well there is one word for us: “Congratulations!”

I don’t want to make it sound like a joke, but the comment is a serious one. You see, problems really are an opportunity in disguise. If we have no problems we are doing something wrong. We need to learn that God wants us to see our problems and enemies as opportunities. A Christian is not someone who sees a problem in every opportunity. God wants us to think differently. God says that His children are the ones who see an opportunity in every situation.

Think of a problem we are struggling through today. Notice that the sentence says “WE ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH.” There is no “maybe struggling” in that sentence. Problems are a fact of life. Now, we need to get on our knees. Ask God to show us the opportunity that is hidden away in the struggle that will bring Him glory.

Jehoshaphat prayed, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
That is exactly where God wants us to be.
The encouragement of worshipful heart is important in the midst of problems.
Worship is our response to God’s presence.
Worship is our response as we return to Him in our helplessness.

Jehoshaphat and His people worshipped before the battle during the battle and after the battle.
Worship is a way of life. Worship of God makes God bigger than any problem we have. Let God kick Satan’s butt for a while.

Thank you to Pastor Paul Arnold for His ministry. We will miss you.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 5/11/2010

“Jesus said unto them, "Come and dine." And none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who art Thou?" knowing that it was the Lord.” (John 21:12 NKJV)

Is Satan whispering that God is not for us in our daily battles? Is he whispering lies that God is going to erase our name from the Book of Life for something we’ve done, yet repented over?

Satan never had it so wrong! And Jesus never had it so right!

Salvation in Christ is not a funeral, but a feast! It is not an ending, but a beginning.

The Bible is a continual feast from Genesis right through to Revelation. Covenant meals and meals of fellowship are frequent occurrences in Scripture. Our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, has given many examples of His open invitation to be replenished and restored, to remember, and to rejoice at His table.

Spend just a few moments to think about the setting of today’s verse. God has become flesh and dwelt among His creation. He has temporarily laid aside the glory of heaven to become human like us, and become totally dependent upon and obedient to the Father, in all things.

He taught His apostles and the people of Galilee, Judea and other regions, even across the Jordan, about the Kingdom of God. He has performed miracles. There were healings, driving out demons, and demonstrations of authority over time and nature. He had caught the religious leaders in their own hypocrisy. He confronted every one of their challenges and came out on top in every case. In humility and obedience He went to Calvary’s cross, poured out His blood and died to pay the penalty for our sin, and He did it for all. Now He has risen from the tomb where He defeated death and the grave, and one by one, two by two, appeared to those who have loved Him. He gave them promise that not many days later they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So now what do we expect from this Man Jesus Christ? This One who is declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead? I mean, how can anyone do more than that?

Now here we are at John chapter 21. Peter (the coward), Thomas (the doubter), Nathaniel, and the two boys who had thought they could drink the cup with Him, James and John; and two unnamed disciples, have gone back to their fishing.

And the risen, glorified, Lord of the universe, appears on the shore to cook them breakfast.

Doesn’t that just say it all? Whatever is our concept of God; however we tend to respond to Him, hold it up to the light of what we see happening in the verse. Let this picture shape our thinking of Jesus Christ, Lord, Savior, Messiah. He cooked them breakfast!

Have we sinned? Have we missed the mark in our obedience to God’s plan? Does our past come back to haunt us? Are we confused with the pains of guilt, rejection, failure and personal shame? Do Satan’s lies leave us beaten, abused, weak and tired? Have we lost our focus and are we left longing and lonely?

Look toward the shore.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah; the One who went down into death and conquered it; the One whose voice the wind and the waves still obey; the glorious, risen, Lord of all wants to serve us breakfast. He’ll feed and strengthen us, assure us, accept us, and give us focus and a purpose. Jesus goes one step further by then promising to be with us forever. He died to pay the price for our sin. He rose to give us life.

Don’t look down. Don’t look back. Look up Jesus is coming back. Don’t look down. Don’t look back. Look at the shore. Bread and fish are on the fire being prepared by a nail-scarred hand.

The Disciples knew it was Him. This time they knew for sure.

Some are so caught up in other stuff in life and expect Jesus just to keep waiting on them. They wonder why others are getting blessed while they are still struggling. It’s because those who know Jesus are swimming toward Him and the others are afraid to get their feet wet.

Knowing Jesus means we can’t wait to get to Him. Knowing Jesus means we will forget what we used to do. Knowing Jesus means leaving behind our old life. Knowing Jesus means we love Him more than anything.

Satan wants us to think we are failures and unlovable. The Master of the universe is making a meal for us. What more can He do? Nothing. His Grace is sufficient for all we need.

Deaf Devotion 5/8/2010

“Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.” (Matthew 20:20 NLT)

Mothers are teachers. Mothers give out correction. Mothers are cleaning ladies. Some mothers are gardeners and some will mow the lawn. And most mothers understand that baking cookies is more important than washing windows, too.

Mothers are nurses, doctors, psychologists, counselors, drivers, and coaches. Mothers are developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies, and shapers of attitudes. Mothers are soft voices saying, "I love you." And mothers are a link to God, a child’s first impression of God’s love.

Mothers are all of these things & much, much more.

We might very well criticize the mother of James and John for her pride. But since this is Mother’s Day weekend, maybe we ought to think for a few moments concerning some positive things. We need also to recognize that when she came to Jesus, while Jesus did not grant her request, neither did he deny it. He simply reminded her of the cost of being seated on the right or left and then told her that only God decides who will be seated there.

Now, what are some of the good things about James and John’s mother? First of all, she came to the Lord, praying that her sons might be a part of His Kingdom. This really is the most important task of motherhood. That is to seek to make sure that children are a part of the Kingdom of God.

Many mothers pray. We would hope that most mothers pray. Sometimes they pray out of need. Sometimes they pray because motherhood is not easy, but extremely difficult.

Being a parent is not easy. Sometimes it is filled with joy and sometimes with sadness. Sometimes children make a mom so proud she can’t stop talking about her children. At other times she can’t find enough Kleenex to dry her tears.

What good is it if our children are successful in making money, driving fine automobiles, and living in good neighborhoods, but they don’t know God? What does it matter if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls?

Secondly, not only did their mother pray that her children would be a part of Jesus’ kingdom, but she prayed that they would be actively involved in the work of His kingdom.

Maybe it is not enough just to be saved. Churches are full of people content just to fill a pew on Sunday mornings. There are plenty of people willing to sit back & receive the blessings, but seldom do they get involved in doing any of the real work of the church.

But where does the spirit of service begin? It begins at home, with mothers & fathers setting the example & praying that their sons and daughters might be involved in the work of the kingdom as teachers and leaders. That they might be the ones going out into the world, finding the lost, and to seeing that the church continues on until Jesus comes again.

Thirdly, Mom had had big expectations for her two sons. She didn’t just pray. She didn’t just pray that her boys would be involved in the work of the Kingdom. She also wanted them on the right hand and left hand of Jesus.

When working in a kingdom, there are no higher positions than those on the right and left of the King himself. That’s what she wanted for her sons.

We may consider this mother to be thoughtless and rude think only about this for her own children. But we also want to admire her boldness. Too often we have settled for something less than the best in the church. For too long we have been content with just barely making it through the door. For too long we have been content to sit back and let things happen.

It is time for some of us to take our positions of leadership molding and fashioning the outreach of the church, encouraging others to make sure the message of Christ goes into the entire world.

It is time to strive for excellence and to reach for the very best there is. There is nothing better than Jesus Christ.

That is why Mother’s Day is always very special. It is because we recognize that a mother’s love is probably the closest example we have to God’s love. It is a love that goes through the valley of the shadow of death to bring life into being. It is a love that sacrifices itself over and over again and would even dare to lay down its life.

Mothers, God Bless You. This is your day. If you have felt that you have had to walk through that valley alone so many times, that you will recognize that there is a hand reaching out to you, saying, "There is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll go with you." You will recognize that that one has already gone through the valley of the shadow for you, and made it possible for you to live forever.

God extends His loving invitation in much the same way that a mother opens the doors of home and invites her children to come back again. God invites all His kids to come home by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. But sometimes we need to humble ourselves, bow before Jesus and ask a favor.