Today's Scripture:
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." - James 5:16 NIV.
Thoughts for Today
We need to say "I did it!" to God and to ourselves when we've done something wrong. We also need to say "I did it!" to anyone we have offended or hurt through our sin. Today's scripture tells us if we confess our sins to each other and pray for each other we will be healed. Spiritual healing involves reconciliation with others.
When we confess our sin against someone, we need to accept responsibility for our actions. Our confession shouldn't sound like this: "I did this and I'm sorry. But I did it because you . . ." Instead, we should state what we've done without blaming anyone or anything else, without trying to justify or minimize it. We should ask the offended person's forgiveness. If the person is a Christian, we should pray together.
Consider this …
Confessing and forgiving works two ways. Jesus said if another believer sins against us, we should privately point out the offense. If that person listens and confesses it, "you have won that person back." He goes on to tell the next steps to take if the person won't confess (Matthew 18:15-17).
These scriptures leave no doubt about God's desire for us to confess our sins to each other. Is there someone you need to talk to?
Prayer : Our Loving Father in Heaven, I have confessed this sin to you and know you have forgiven me. But I know you don't want me to stop there. Give me the courage to confess to the one I've offended so our relationship can be healed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible reading: Psalm 32:1-6
"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, `I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' --and you forgave the guilt of my sin" - (Psalm 32:5, NIV).
What do all these phrases have in common?
"It wasn't my fault!"
"He hit me first!"
"I didn't mean anything by it."
"You would've done the same thing."
"It's none of your business!"
"She deserved it!"
"It was an accident!"
"You can't prove it!"
Each of those phrases is something people commonly say when they've done something wrong, right? You might even be able to think of some others. Maybe you've even created a few of your own.
But none of those phrases above is what God wants us to say when we make a mistake or do something wrong. Because none of those phrases contains the two necessary ingredients of repentance. Do you know what those two necessary ingredients of repentance are? Confession and apology.
In other words, if you do something wrong, you shouldn't try to defend yourself or excuse your actions by saying something like, "It wasn't my fault!" or "She deserved it!"Instead, the best way to respond to a mistake or a sin is to say two things:
"I was wrong," and "I'm sorry."
That's what David said in Psalm 32, when he told God, "I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, `I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'" (Psalm 32:5, NIV). He didn't try to explain or excuse what he'd done. He didn't try to cover it up. He admitted he was wrong, and confessed his
sin to God.
That's the path to forgiveness with God . . . and with anyone. After all, we all make mistakes. We have all sinned. But when you do make a wrong choice, the best way to respond to it is to say, "I was wrong," and "I'm sorry." When you do that, you open the door to forgiveness.
Reflect: Do you think any of the phrases listed above will work better than saying "I was wrong" and "I'm sorry?" Why or why not? Do you ever have trouble saying, "I was wrong," and "I'm sorry?" Why or why not? How do you plan to respond the next time you do something wrong?
Prayer:"Our Loving Heavenly Father, I admit that I don't always like to admit I'm wrong or apologize. But please help me to do right even after I've done wrong, by confessing and apologizing my wrong to you and to anyone I hurt." Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible reading: Genesis 3:1-6
"No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right" - (Psalm84:11, NLT).
The story of the first sin ever committed is recorded in today's Bible reading.It's the story of the serpent tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The story reports what the serpent said to Eve, and what Eve said to the serpent. But have you ever wondered what the Tempter and his victim were thinkingas they talked?
Maybe it went something like this:
"Really?" the serpent asked the woman. [Let me see; I think I'll start by getting her confused about what God has said!] "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"
"Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. [This serpent really bugs me; he acts like he knows so much. Well, I'll show him!] "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat." [Let's see; what did God say again? It seems so long ago, now that I think about it.] "God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die." [At least, it was something like that.]
[Okay, let's plant a little doubt in her mind.] "You won't die," the serpent hissed. [Come to think of it, a little jealousy wouldn't hurt, either.] "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it." [Yeah, that's the ticket; make her think that God's keeping something from her. . . that he's not the goody-goody God she thought he was!] "You will become just like God, knowing
everything, both good and evil."
The woman was convinced. [Maybe God istrying to hide something from me. Maybe he gave me that command to keep me from having fun!] The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit.
Now, maybe that's how it happened with Eve, and maybe it's not. But that is how it happens a lot of times, because doubting the goodness of God is often the first step toward making the wrong choice.
A lot of times, people act like God gave his commands to us because he doesn't want us to have any fun. They think that the only way they can have fun or get what they want is by ignoring God's commands. But the Bible says, "No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right" (Psalm 84:11, NLT).
You see, God is good. And he wants to bless us. He wants to give us every good thing there is! The problem is, we often think that we can get good things through bad choices; like Eve, we think that God's withholding good things from us by commanding us to "do this" and "don't do that." But that's not true. He will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. If we truly believe
that, wrong choices won't be so tempting.
Reflect: Have you ever felt like God's commands keep you from getting what you want? Have you ever felt like God's commands keep you from having fun? Do you think it would be easier for you to obey God if you really believed Psalm 84:11 ("No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right")? Why or why not?
Prayer: "Almighty and Loving God, I know you are good, and that you won't withhold any good thing from those who do what is right. Help me, from now on, to really believe in your goodness, and to remember that I can't get good things through bad choices. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In
Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible reading: Matthew 5:10-16
"Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God". - (1 Peter 2:12a, NLT).
The story is told of a mysterious traveler who once visited an old, run-down monastery. At one time the monastery had thrived: it was known for the devotion of its monks, and young men came from far and wide to join the monastery.
At the time of the traveler's visit, however, all that had changed. Only a handful of monks remained, and they could hardly stand each other. The once spotless buildings had begun to fall down, and the worship of the monks was uninspired.
The monks told the traveler the dismal story of their monastery. They begged the traveler to stay and help them rebuild, for if something was not done, both monks and monastery would soon die. But he refused. "I cannot help you rebuild your monastery or restore hope to your order. All I can do is to tell you that one of you is a true apostle of God." And with that, the mysterious traveler left.
The monks were amazed at the traveler's words, and each one began to secretly ponder their meaning. Could it be? they thought. Could one of us actually be a true apostle of God? Could it be the abbot? If not the abbot, who? Perhaps Brother Phillip. Or Brother Thaddeus? Or perhaps. . . perhaps even--even me?
Little by little, that old monastery began to change. They began to treat each of the other brothers with new respect, not knowing which of them was a true apostle. In fact, each monk even began to treat himself differently, not knowing if he were the one of whom the traveler spoke. Over the course of time, the monks began to repair the monastery's decaying buildings, to make them suitable as a home of a true apostle of God. Their worship became charged with passion and praise; after all, they knew that a true apostle of God was worshiping among them.
As more time went by, people who passed by and visited the monastery noticed something that had not been there before. Though their number was small, these monks truly seemed to love and respect each other. Before long, people began to visit the monastery to worship with the monks. Younger men began to arrive at the monastery, asking questions. Many chose to stay and join the order. Within a few years, the monastery was thriving once more, and without even realizing it, each of the monks had himself become a true apostle of God.
Reflect: What did the traveler's words really change? What effect did his words have? How does the story relate to today's Bible reading? The story of the traveler and the monks is a nice story, but do you think treating others with respect can really change things that much? Why or why not? Do you think it can change you? Can it change your family? Your school? Your church?
Prayer: "Our Loving Heavenly Father God, help me make a conscious effort today to treat everyone--including myself--as if he or she were a true apostle of God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. - Luke 10:19.
We're a society who loves our trophies, plaques, awards, prizes and
titles. We have Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Opies, Cleos, Doves,
Pulitzers, Nobels, etc. It's nice to be recognized for excelling in
something, isn't it? How did you feel the last time you went to an
awards banquet and they called out your name to come up for some
special recognition? Or...they didn't?
Do you remember when the 70 disciples were sent out by Jesus to
preach and heal? When they all returned, they said, "Lord, even the
demons are subject to US in Your name!" And Jesus responded, "I saw
Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the
authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless, do NOT rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to
YOU, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven"
(Luke. 10:17-20).
I can just imagine how pumped those 70 were! They saw miracles and healings happen, at just the mention of Jesus' name! They began to feel the power. It was something they did. They began to look at their "works; ministry; service; performance; style; formula." They may have compared notes on the best way to heal sickness and deliver from demons. You know that, out of 70, there were some leaders who were trying to "franchise" the power of Jesus' name.
And that's why, when they returned, the Lord shifted their focus from their "works" to God's glory. When was the last time Jesus told someone not to rejoice? But here it is. Don't pat yourself on the
back, because your works will not get you into heaven. It's all about
God's grace, mercy and forgiveness...that your name is even written
in the Book of Life!
Friend, if you really want to be used of God; to allow the power of
the Holy Spirit to flow through you; to walk in the authority of the
Word; to have victory over the enemy; and to bring glory to the
Son...forget about you. God will take care of you...as you obey His
Word. And their will be an awards banquet one day, but it just won't
be here.
Have a great day in the Lord, walking in the light of His Word, the
power of His name, and the joy of His salvation...which is a free
gift from Calvary..."not of works, lest any man should boast."
Prayer:- "Our Merciful and Loving Heavenly Father, Lord I commit
myself in to your mighty hand, hold me and guide me and use me
to glorify your Name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Mighty Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:19-25
"Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps". - (1 Peter 2:21b, NLT).
.In 1896, the pastor of a church in Topeka, Kansas, began writing a story which he read (a chapter at a time) to his church youth group every Sunday evening. The first chapter told the story of a tramp--a jobless, homeless man--who walked into a comfortable church one Sunday morning. The man spoke a few words and then collapsed. Three days later, the man died in the pastor's home. But before dying, he spoke to the minister.
"You have been good to me," he said. "Somehow I feel as if it was what Jesus would do."
That tramp's appearance--and his words--prompted a change in the pastor that soon spread through his congregation. That church started measuring everything they did or said by the question, "What would Jesus do?" Soon, the people of that church were doing amazing things. . . and seeing amazing results. All because they tried to do only what Jesus would do. In other words, they started following Jesus.
Pastor Charles M. Sheldon's famous book, In His Steps, is one of the most
successful books ever written. At one point, In His Steps had sold more copies than any other book except the Bible.
The Apostle Peter once wrote a brief letter that said much the same thing
Charles Sheldon's book said. Peter said that "Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps" - (1 Peter 2:21b, NLT).
Now, Peter wasn't saying that the way to become a Christian is to try to imitate Jesus; we can only become Christians by the grace of God and by believing in Jesus Christ. But Peter's letter told Christians that to live as a Christian means to follow in his steps. To make right choices means to follow Jesus' example. That is, to be like Jesus is to be right.
If we compare our actions to Jesus, we'll usually see clearly whether they are right or wrong. If we ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" we will usually know right away what is right. And if we follow in Jesus' steps, we can be sure we're going the right way.
Reflect: Today's reading says, "to be like Jesus is to be right." Why is that true? Do you think you would have done anything differently yesterday (or today) if you had first asked yourself, "What would Jesus do?" Why or why not?
Act: If you've never read In His Steps before, consider reading it now. If your family doesn't own a copy of In His Steps,copiesmay be available in your church or public library.
Prayer:"Almighty God, thank you for sending Jesus to live and die for my sins. Help me to follow his example in everything I do. Please make me more and more like him every day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
Bible Reading: Psalm 78:1-7
"Each generation can set its hope anew on God, remembering his glorious miracles and obeying his commands". - (Psalm 78:7, NLT).
Have you ever entered your family's living room and plopped down on the couch? Sure you have, right? But how did you know the couch would hold you?
Have you ever slapped a stamp on a letter or card and mailed it to someone who lived hundreds of miles away? Of course, you have. But what made you think the letter would actually reach its destination?
Have you ever picked up a telephone, dialed a friend's number, and expected someone at your friend's house to answer the phone? Well, why did you expect to be connected to the phone at your friend's house?
"Don't be dumb," you might say. "I knew the couch would hold me because I've sat on it lots of times before. And I figured the letter would go where I mailed it because I've done it before. And I've dialed the same phone number lots of times; why wouldn'tit ring at my friend's house, unless they moved or changed their phone number?"
You're absolutely right. You do the same kind of thing every day. You expect the couch to support you because you've sat in it many times, and it's never collapsed, right? The same is true of the letter and the phone call; you expect a certain thing to happen because it's always happened that way before, right? You might say you've learned to trustthose things, right?
Well, if you can trust a couch because it's never let you down, you should reallybe able to trust God. A couch might get old; it might fall apart. But God never gets old. He never breaks down. He never fails. He is always loving, and strong, and trustworthy.
And if you can trust God, you can also trust his commands. You can believe that when God says to do something (or not to do something), his command is good, because he is good. When God says, "Honor your mother and your father," you can believe that it won't hurt you to honor your mother and your father; since you can trust God, you can trust his command. When he says, "Do not lie," you can believe that telling the truth is going to help you, not hurt you; since you can trust God, you can trust his command.
You don't ever have to wonder if this command or that command is worth obeying; you don't ever have to guess as to which of God's commands is good for you. If you can trust God (and you can), you can also trust his commands.
Reflect: Today's Bible reading mentions several reasons we should know we can trust God. What are they? (Unscramble the words and rewrite them on the blanks below for the answers)
sonless;___________________from the past
urigsloo; the_______________ deeds of the Lord
erowp; his_________________.
carmiles; the mighty _________he did
.
Prayer:"Our Heavenly Lord God, I know I can trust your commands because I know I can trust you. Help me to remember your glorious miracles and obey your commands every day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
"Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain." - Philippians 2:16.
Brett Blair reports how Henry P. Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn't go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, "I can't be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, I will use it in your service."
Under the doctor's advice Crowell worked outdoors for seven years and regained his health. He then bought the little run-down Quaker Mill at Ravanna, Ohio. Within ten years Quaker Oats was a household word to millions. Henry P. Crowell faithfully gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to God's causes, having advanced from an initial 10 percent.
One of the recipients of Crowell's support was the Moody Bible Institute—the school that D. L. Moody founded in Chicago. And by way of interest, that is the school where I did most of my Bible and theological training. So, I too, benefited by the commitment to God that Henry Crowell made so many years ago.
What you and I do today for God can also have a ripple effect and touch many other lives for years to come—and many for all eternity. So let's invest our time, our talents, and our life wisely, keeping eternal values in mind.
Prayer: "Our Loving Father in Heaven, thank you that no matter what my gifts and talents are—be they many or few—I can use them to serve you and help others. Please help me to do this and influence many for time and eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (NKJV)
Have you ever gone to the grocery store, only to forget what it was you came for? How about this one; you get out into your car and remember you forgot something (Oxymoron). So you end up going back into the house - there you stand with that deer in the headlights look on your face - unable to remember what it was you were coming to retrieve.
The mind is a complex and funny thing. As we get older, we begin to have brain cells die off slowly, thereby causing some of our memory loss. Another recent study in Japan, found that 1out of every10 people between the ages of 20-35 interviewed suffered from significant memory loss.1This was linked to their dependence on computers and electronic devices that discouraged the use of the human brain and recalling memory.
It is the same for all of us who are being bombarded with technology - we are getting lazy to do any real searching for answers. Unfortunately, many of the alleged facts available online are not authenticated or remotely true. And this is especially true with respect to false religions. So what happens? We can get discouraged from even studying, and end up believing some of these things and inevitably stray from the faith (1Tim. 4:1).
Q: What does this mean to us as Christians?
A: It means we must guard ourselves against those things causing us to be distracted.
The enemy will forever distract us; it is his goal to get our eyes off of God, and His Word. He will entice us to look to the left or to the right - anywhere but on God.
Q: Why does Satan attempt to distract us?
A: So we forget why we are here, and where we are going.
We don't need to know everything there is about God to know His desire for us. We are to live our lives in a selfless way, sharing the message of the Gospel with others. We are to be eagerly expecting the return of Christ and living each day as it were our last (Heb. 9:28).
- Satan knows if he can keep us from walking with the Lord, then we will be less apt to be a threat to his plan of deceiving people into hell.
- Satan knows if he can get us to take our eyes off of Christ, we will stumble and be ineffective Christian witnesses.
- Satan knows if he can get us to look at our past we will be paralyzed in guilt - again useless in Kingdom building ministry.
- Satan knows if he can get us to feel as though we have accomplished everything we need to by simply accepting Christ as our Savior, we will be content in our Christian walk - apathetic to those lost.
The Apostle Paul spoke of this very thing as recorded in the Book of Philippians.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,Philippians 3:13 (NKJV)
Paul is identifying his need to forget the past. This isn't speaking of wiping out his memory of his past - it was a conscious decision by him to not allow it to consume his attention or hinder his progress for sharing his faith with others. There was no way Paul was going to allow any current achievement to sucker him into thinking he had somehow reached the finish line or experienced everything Christ had called him to do.
It is the same with us today as Christian men and women. We must, like Paul, press forward to those things ahead. We must ask ourself these questions.
Q: Am I content with accepting Christ as my Savior?
Q: Am I willing to be used to help others to be saved?
Q: Do I have a burden for the lost?
Hey Christian, I want to encourage you to guard yourself against forgetting why we are here. It is to glorify God and to share the message of the Cross - Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day (1Cor 15:3-4). If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10).
STUDY QUESTION: What was Paul's philosophy about living once he had accepted Jesus as Lord according to the Scriptures in this devotional?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to say as Paul did, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain?"
APPLICATION: Make it a point to make a bullet list of priorities to do daily. These will keep you focused. This should include praying to God for His leading. Don't be legalistic - be loving and Spirit led.
...you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23 (NKJV)
We have all seen and heard those commercials promoting tourism for the city of Las Vegas - AKA Sin City. Their catch line became, "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas!" I guess the concept being, you can do whatever you want here, and it will be our little secret. The very essence of this sales pitch being you can do things here you might not otherwise do, and no one will no about it. But this couldn't be farther from the truth.
We can see in the Book of Numbers Moses warning the tribes of Gad and Benjamin to obey the Lord in what He had instructed them to do - if they chose not to, their sin would find them out. All too often, people think they have gotten away with their sinful actions, only to have them resurface later.
We can see an example of this in the Book of Genesis. We read of the story of Joseph and of how his brothers had sinned by throwing him into a pit and eventually selling him into slavery. They thought their actions would solve their problem of jealousy and anger, and yet their sin found them out many years later (Gen. 37-50).
When you think about it, this is what sin always does - it entices us into believing it is the answer for something, and into it being able to fulfill a need in our life. It can be the temptation to gamble in an effort to win some money to handle a financial problem, or to buy the things they are coveting as well - the car, or lifestyle your neighbor has. It can be the temptation to have an affair, or to go and get drunk and seek to forget ones problems.
The fact is, it can be just about any type of temptation to sin, and we don't have to go to Las Vegas to be tempted or to act upon our temptations either.
As tempting as sin may present itself, it never truly satisfies in the way we perceive it will - it always leaves the sinner longing for more. The more a person sins, the more they desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh. The fire of sin burns hotter and hotter, never having enough to fuel it completely. In the end a person will find himself or herself still wanting something more to bring true lasting satisfaction and fulfillment - and it will never be found in stoking the coals of sin. Only Jesus can truly meet the need we have deep within our lives for fulfillment.
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
As Christians, we must deal with any and all sin within our life by confessing it, repenting of it, and allowing God to use it to help others by sharing what we have learned from it. All too often, people attempt to cover up the things they have done wrong, thinking they can hide it. We see Adam doing this very thing in the Garden of Eden once he sinned by eating the forbidden fruit - it was only then that he knew the difference between good and evil and immediately he became ashamed of being naked.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:6-7 (NKJV)
It is always the same pattern of Satan tempting, man partaking in what is forbidden, the damaged caused by the sinful action, including the consequences of the sin finding them out.
I want to encourage you today to bring any unconfessed sin before the Lord and lay it at His feet in prayer. Ask for His forgiveness, repent of any ongoing actions you may have in your life - those actions not in the will of God. Seek His forgiveness and cleansing today. Jesus' blood was shed for your sin, and it is ample payment for any sin one confesses with a truly repentive heart. Walk in the Spirit by abiding in God's will and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Remember, once you do this, you are forgiven, so don't allow the enemy to come back into your life and attempt to condemn you for these sinful actions which have been paid for by Christ.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from Numbers 32:23 with regard to our unrepented, unconfessed sin?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Is there any sin you have not confessed to God and repented of (turned from)?
APPLICATION: Seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal any sin in your life in which you have not confessed and turned from. Now ask Him to strengthen you to walk in freedom from this sinful action. Believe in His healing hand for any strongholds the enemy may have developed - those bad habits you're fighting to quit.
