Deaf Devotion 4/17/2010

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT)

God repeatedly calls to His children, but it is what is in each one’s heart that determines the result. Those with soft and tender hearts hear His voice and yield to Him in obedience, but those with hard hearts resist His warnings and instructions. They tend to think they are right and everyone else is wrong.

Surprisingly, when believers and non-believers sense the Holy Spirit moving, some are motivated to a deeper and more obedient relationship with God. They seek His plan and seek to be Christ-like in their daily life. The others will reject and refuse Him. They will use revenge and bad action to try to make themselves look better.

Who are we to compare ourselves to a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God?

Since hardening is a slow process that often comes with weak explanations and excuses, it may not be easy for us to see the danger signs. Often times other people see the signs first. We as individuals are usually the last to admit there is a problem. When other people are patient and try to help, do we puff up our chest and say, “I know I am right?” Or do we humbly accept what is being said and ask forgiveness and help in doing better to do what GOD expects and act how God expects us to act?

How does one respond when the Lord speaks through His Word, our conscience, or on messages which are based on the Word of God?

Carefully consider the following characteristics of a hardening heart:
- Insensitivity or resistance to what God says in HIS WORD.
- Refusal to put ourselves under God’s authority or the authority God has established on earth.
- Disobedience to what we know the Lord is telling us to do and what He says is right.
- Excuses for our own sinful conduct and then blaming others for our own actions.
- Resistance to the correction and constructive criticism of others
- Obsession with the things of this world (career, relationships, and possessions)
- Little interest in spiritual things, or using spiritual things in the wrong way to destroy others.
- Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
- Avoidance of public worship (joining a local church for fellowship with other believers)

A hard heart does not have to stay that way. Once anyone sees in their own daily life any of the above traits, today is the day to stop and ask, “are my actions glorifying or hurting the Name of Jesus Christ?’ His is the Name above all names.

Begin today to return to the Lord. Ask Him to change our hearts that we can know Him. “I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” (Jeremiah 24:7 NLT)

Remember, God specializes in making all things new. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

And then Paul ends Chapter 5 in 2 Corinthians this way: “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NLT)

We are “ambassadors.” God will use us to teach others the truth about Jesus Christ. Paul says that Jesus Christ Himself became sin for us. Yes we will answer for what good or evil we did on this earth, but the end result is that if Jesus Christ is our Savior, we will have eternal life.

Let me ask this. Would it be better to act as though the only thing we know is Jesus Christ? Or is it better to act as though we, as individuals, are the only ones worthy enough to judge each other and not care at all what God says?

Stay fixed on Jesus Christ. Do not use revenge or gossip to tear down what God has created and built up.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 4/13/2010

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1 KJV)

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

We have trusted many people and many things.
It is the way we are as humans. We often trust our families, we trust our friends.
It is our earthly habit. We trust cars, trains, planes, and other drivers. We trust politicians with our security and banks with our money.

What do all of these things have in common? Sometimes they fail our trust.

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

God wants us to trust only Him.
Moses trusted God to deliver the Israelites at the Red Sea.
Joseph trusted God while he suffered in the Pharaoh’s prison.
David trusted God for a victory when he was facing down Goliath.
Jonah trusted God to answer his prayer in the belly of the whale.
Peter and John trusted God as they stood before the Sanhedrin and gave their defense of the Christian faith.

What does it mean to trust?
Trust is to depend on someone or something. It is the belief that something will happen or someone will act a certain way.
Trust is found in our solid belief that the God of Heaven will indeed work for us and show us His perfect will for our lives.

Far too often in life we become completely focused on the times of trouble we have and we lose our focus on Christ. When Peter walked on the water with Jesus he was doing well until he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the waves. The same is true of us today. God can get us through any impossible situation but we must keep our focus and trust on Him. How can we ever expect to find help and healing when we are still focused on our difficulties and not our deliverance?

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

Jesus was calling the disciples to trust God through any and every circumstance of life. He was about to be crucified and they would be scattered. Jesus was telling them to trust even when they did not understand because God was still at work

Trusting God means we believe can and will do something when we cannot see Him working and sometimes we may not understand.

Trusting God means that we have to admit that we are not in control of our lives.

We need to place our trust in something or someone and we do it every day. We trust our cars to get us to where we are going. We trust our doctors to heal our medical problems. How much more should we trust God?

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

Trouble will happen in our lives. Life can indeed be hard. Life is beyond our control. In times like this, life is beyond our understanding. We are left with no answers to hard questions. Answers are beyond us as we struggle with the question of why.

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

There is nothing and I mean nothing that we go through in life that is a surprise to God. The truth is that we can and must rely on God in every situation in life. The more that life does not make sense, the greater our need to trust in God.

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

God wants us to trust even when we don’t understand. It is only when we completely trust God that He gives us the power of His direction and the power of His presence.

When we feel weak, God is our strength.
When we are pressured by life, God is our relief.
When we need security, God is our shelter.
All of God’s power, presence, wisdom, grace, and love are there for us when we place our trust in Him.

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

God has made a promise that He will never forsake those who seek Him. The promise that God made so long ago is still valid today because God has never broken a promise yet. He is true and faithful to His people.

Our treasure is love from the God who created love.
Our treasure is grace and peace from the God of all comfort.
Our treasure is security from the God who never changes.
Our treasure is protection and provision from the God who is all powerful.
Our treasure is acceptance from the God who knows everything.
Our treasure is eternal life from the God who sacrificed His own Son that we could gain it.

Today, God is asking only one question.

God asks the question: Do you trust me?

Deaf Devotion from Quebec Canada 4/9/2010

“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

Where does Paul get his quote? Of Course he gets it from Scripture. “Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! (Psalm 14:1-3 NLT)

Why Does Paul quote from Psalms? Because it’s true! It is so true that when the Psalms were written it is repeated twice! Check it out! Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3 are the same focus and the same emphasis.

Did anyone ever play the board game Monopoly? Outside of having houses on Park Place and Boardwalk, the most prized possession was the “Get out of jail free” card. When we have that card we can do many things. It is freedom in a time of capture. It is something we can bargain with to gain advantage in making a deal with someone else. That card is like cash in the bank. And we are most willing to use it when it is necessary.

Some people believe that good works are like a "get out of hell free" card. What they do not realize is that an individual isn't separated from God because of the things they do. A person is separated from God because of what they are—a person with a spirit that thinks they are better than God and do not need God in order to survive. We choose to sin because it is our nature to do so.

Our sinful human desires lead us to decide for impurity over purity, selfishness over service or lust over agape love.

To find proof that mankind does not naturally obey, all one has to do is observe any two-year-old child. Why does a toddler tug on the lamp cord after his mom says, "Don't touch!"? His impulse to do what he wants is greater than his desire to please Mother.

Obeying authority is a choice that we learn to make. In the meantime, we may not even realize it, but we rebel against God. Not one single person is good enough or wise enough on their own to remain sinless and pleasing before the Lord. Therefore, we have all sinned and are under a death sentence.

The Word of God says that until the moment of salvation, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. This means that although the body has not yet undergone physical death, the spirit is lifeless apart from the Lord. We are helpless to save ourselves.

We are a people in need of rescue. That rescue happened at the Cross. It happened once and does not need to be repeated. It promises eternal life to those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior. The heart of the Savior was transplanted into each and every believer to replace an old, weak, and sinful heart.

The instant we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, our spirit is brought to life and our heart undergoes transformation. In the moment that God saves us, He makes us into a new person—His plan becomes our plan. His heart becomes our heart.

We all can claim victory over sin. There are no works we do that can do this. Only God and His love for us can do this. Only Jesus dying on the cross can do this. Only the resurrected Savior can do this.

There is abundant grace and mercy for all. Obey, believe, trust, have faith, follow, tell. We can only replace ourselves with God’s wonderful amazing grace. Through Jesus we are now children of God.

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2 NLT)

Our “Boardwalk” and our “Park Place” will be in heaven because we have been saved from eternal hell by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And Jesus did it freely for everyone.

Praise His most Holy name.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 4/6/2010

“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17 KJV)

A sad group of women walked to Jesus' tomb on the Sunday morning after His death. Their Savior—the Lord of Lords and King of Kings—had been brutally beaten and then crucified. The women's hearts must have been heavy with disappointment and grief.

Yet in an instant, mourning was turned to joy. An angel greeted them to offer comfort. He said, "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said."

So many of the confusing things Jesus had said now suddenly made sense. Not only had He spoken about His own death and resurrection, but He had also explained His relationship with God as a "oneness." The grave could not and cannot hold the Almighty. The resurrection put to rest any doubt Christ's followers may have harbored about exactly who He is.

At what seemed to be the end, Jesus was buried in a rich man's tomb. However, Jesus did not stay in the grave.

Jesus conquered death and is now seated at the Father's right hand, acting as a mediator for believers. He knows each of our names, where we are, and what we need and desire. The comfort of the empty tomb is that our Savior is alive and watching over us—just as He said He would.

It is an unthinkable question: what if there had been no Resurrection Day?

Suppose Jesus had not risen from the dead? Our faith would be pointless, death would hold power over us, sin would take over control, and the future would be hopeless.

His death without His resurrection cannot save anybody. Our faith is worthless if He is still on the cross or still in the grave.

How do we know that Jesus Christ was not just a religious fanatic, someone with a martyr complex who happened to get crucified? How do we know He is the Son of God, God incarnate? Romans 1:4 says He Is “shown to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.”

How do we know that God accepted the sacrifice of Calvary? It is because of the resurrection. The Bible says He was delivered for our sin and raised again for our pardon.

One woman arrived at the tomb at a loss for words and tears. Her Savior was dead. What was she to do? Then He called her by name and told her to go and tell her friends.

Sorrow became joy. Tears became excitement. Death became life. Death for ever became life forever. Separation became presence. Silence became Good News.

No resurrection, no Savior. No Savior, no forgiveness.

But Jesus went into the tomb and three days later walked out like a butterfly bursting from a cocoon.

He is a risen Savior. He is Lord. He is God.

Worship and Praise the Living Savior.

Deaf Devotion 4/2/2010 - Good Friday

Matthew 26:36-46

“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

“Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42 NLT)

“So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.” (Matthew 26:44 NLT)

Go back with me. As I am writing this it is about 2:00pm Friday, April 2, 2010. It is Good Friday. The Savior, The Son of God has been hanging on a cross for over an hour. The sacrifice has begun. Why doesn’t he come down? Why doesn’t He call on God to send armies of Angels to save Him? Why are they killing Him?

Nobody killed Jesus. Nobody on earth took His life. Jesus is on the cross because He loves us and chose to die for us. He gave everything so you and me could have eternal life.

The tomb is empty only because of the victorious power of God’s grace and mercy over sin and eternal death. Jesus Christ died one time for all people. Jesus’ life is the final sacrifice for your and my sin. Jesus Himself said, “It is finished.”

The tomb is empty because the Redeemer is alive. The tomb is empty because sin has no power over us. There is only grace and forgiveness with Jesus Christ.

Jesus journeyed into the deepest pit of grief hours before His crucifixion. Not grief for Himself, His situation, or what He was going to face the next day. It was grief for those who still would reject God’s offer of mercy, grace, and eternal life.

Here is Jesus approaching the betrayal and the cross as he enters this garden to pray. One cannot help but sense the anxiety in His words. What is that would cause the very Son of God to sweat as it were great drops of blood? What is it that would cause the Son of God to return to that spot in the garden three times to pray the same words? Five Words come to mind: “Sin,” “Suffering,” “Sacrifice,” “Separation,” and Salvation.”

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus repeatedly prayed that "the cup" would pass away. His grief was for the wrath and judgment of God that we all were facing as a result of our rejection of Him. “Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.” (Isaiah 51:17 NLT)

Mankind heaped the grief on Jesus' shoulders with the most wicked and evil deeds and thoughts they could think of. According to Scripture, Jesus Christ did not just die for our sins; He became our sin. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT) The holy, perfect Lamb took on Himself all that was evil and dark in mankind.

Furthermore, Jesus knew the cost of accepting mankind's evil. God's holiness prevented Him from being in the presence of sin. Therefore, the Father would have to separate Himself from the Son. Jesus had always enjoyed perfect oneness and relationship with God. For Jesus, the thought of God turning His back on Him and separation that would follow must have been terrifying.

There was no question that Jesus would do God's will. He would become sin and be separated from the Father, if that's what was required to save mankind. For a while in the garden, He pleaded for another route to our redemption. However, when it was clear that the Father's answer was "No, this is the only way," Jesus freely, willingly, and obediently sacrificed Himself.

Jesus Christ sacrificed more than His life. He exchanged perfection for wickedness and holy union for separation. The Savior did this so we could be transformed into righteous men and women with an eternal future.

Is it no wonder, then, that all of heaven exalts Him?

“Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered - to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.” (Revelation 5:11-14 NLT)

We must do the same.

In about another hour Jesus Christ, the Son of God will stop breathing. He will cease to live. People will take down His lifeless body and place it in a borrowed tomb. People will walk away wondering, “Why?” The answer lies in His love for you and me and for God’s love for His creation.

But Glory Be to God, Resurrection Sunday is coming!!!!

Whenever you may be reading this stop and thank God for Jesus Christ freely giving His life as the final sacrifice our sin. Lift up the Name of Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, Son of God an promised Messiah. He is THE Way, THE truth, and THE Life. There is no other Name under heaven by which we are saved.

Amen and Amen.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 3/31/2010

“Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant. “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!” (2 Samuel 7:21-22 NLT)

Whom do you trust?

These days, it's not easy to find many people who are true to their word. At some point, we all learn the hard way that anyone other than almighty God can disappoint us. God will never ever disappoint us. Let's look at the Lord's character to discover why He can be trusted.

First, He is the one true God. Back in Old Testament times, it was common for people to actually carve and worship a false god. Today, people will make a false god out of something we cannot see or touch, such as wealth, power, fame, or relationships. These can consume our passion, money, and time—and in the end leave us fruitless and empty. Jehovah – God Almighty, on the other hand, is alive and real, ready to be personally involved in our lives.

Second, God is truth, and He is always faithful (John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Unlike sinful man who we cannot trust, we can trust God—and everything that He says will happen is already done. Our sovereign God has all power and is in control of every situation.

Third, Christ loves us without limits. How can we ever doubt His love when He willingly gave His life in our place? And His love is based not on our behavior or importance, but rather on His Name alone.

Fourth, the heavenly Father is unchanging. All of the above are timeless qualities that will forever be true.

God can be trusted. So don't give Him just the easy concerns or things that do not seem that important. Nothing is too big or too small for God. We can confidently and boldly call on our Creator for everything. He desires a personal relationship with His beloved and is able to guide each believer through life victoriously.

Worship is not about what we have done for God, what we can do for Him or what He can do for us.

Worship is experiencing what God can do in us, through us and with us. God wants to do something in us, make something of us and pour Himself into us. Who we are means much more to Him than what we have. How we repay Him with what we do is of more value than how much we could ever repay Him with our checkbook, and how we can honor Him seven days a week is far superior to how we honor him only one day a week. It’s been said, “If you do not live it, you do not believe it.”

What place does God have in our lives today?

In a changing, doubting world, we have a Friend who is 100 percent reliable.

Believe it?
Live it.

Deaf devotion 3/27/2010

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10 NLT)

Abraham is one of the people in the Old Testament who have has a great impact on our spiritual life. In Abraham’s life, we see the necessity of obeying God and living by faith.

Separation is often times a part of our development as Christians. Before we can take on something new, God may ask us to let go of something we already have.

In Genesis 12:1-3, God told Abraham he was going on a journey that would require leaving his country, his people, and his father's household. Obedience meant saying goodbye to relationships and things dear to him. The only family that traveled with him was his wife and nephew. The life he knew in his homeland was left behind. But this godly man did not hesitate. His strong faith enabled him to say yes.
Moving ahead in the midst of uncertainty is an aspect of obeying God.

Abraham was told to travel without knowing his destination. Try to imagine explaining to friends that you're moving away but have no idea where you are going. This lack of detail did not stop Abraham. Unwavering obedience and trust in his heavenly Father enabled him to answer the divine call wholeheartedly. This is in spite of the fact that Abraham did not have specific details of what God wanted him to do. Abraham was spiritually ready to say “yes” when God called.

We don’t know where God will bring us next. We don’t know what else God has in store for us. Probably in another five or ten years, we will look back and be amazed at from where we have come. But like Abraham, we must be willing we must be willing to follow God wherever it is he leads us. We must commit to follow his plan for us, no matter what.

When we look at the story of Abraham leaving his home in Genesis we notice something. Wherever Abraham goes, God meets with him. This was a big part of the reason that Abraham was able to venture into the unknown. He wasn’t going alone, but God was going with him. It wasn’t just Abraham who followed God without seeing the fulfillment of the promise. His son Isaac and his grandson Jacob also followed. And when God repeats the covenant with Jacob that he had made with Abraham, God concludes by saying: “What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15 NLT)

That is a promise that Has God’s Word behind it and still holds true for us today.

Obeying God requires living by faith, which means:

Trusting the Holy Spirit to guide us when we don't see how all the pieces fit together; “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13 NLT)

Believing that God always works for our good and His glory; “And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

This really means our obedience becomes an act of worship to God. One crucial question demands an answer. “If obedience and faith are so great why do so few people live it?” The reason is that most people would rather do anything than take a risk.

If we cannot trust God to work out the details, who can we trust?

Will we be ready when He calls?