Every Day with Jesus (25 page)

If I were to promise you that one year from today I would deposit one million dollars in your bank account, and you believed it, you would rejoice in that hope. Likewise, if you really believe the promises God gives you, you will rejoice in that hope. Those who don’t rejoice, don’t believe in what they are hoping for.

Expectant joy is a sure sign of hope. Just as you can distinguish real gold from other look-alike metals by its characteristics, you can distinguish real hope by its rejoicing. If rejoicing is not present, then real hope isn’t there either.

Our emotions are like the tail of a dog. The tail isn’t the dog itself, but you can sure tell what’s going on inside a dog by watching its tail. You can learn a lot about yourself by checking your emotions. Are you rejoicing? If you have true biblical hope today, you will be!

August 25: God Is a God of Hope

Romans 15:8-13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 15:13

God is a God of hope. With God nothing is impossible. This is foreign to our finite thinking, but there is no situation in which God doesn’t have an answer. Just picture the children of Israel at the Red Sea. It looks impossible, but only to those who fail to consider that God can do the unthinkable. Envision Daniel in the lions’ den. His accusers thought there was no way out for him, but they didn’t know God. Remember the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace? How much more impossible can you get than that? Yet God made a way for each one of them.

Look at the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus walking on the water, and thousands of other examples in Scripture with God doing the impossible. He is a miracle-working God! Therefore, there is always hope for those who trust in Him. Regardless of where you are now or what situation you find yourself in, God can chart a course for you back into the center of His perfect will. No one is too far gone, and no situation is too desperate for His miraculous intervention.

The first step out of a desperate situation is to hope. Before you can totally believe, you must hope. Faith only produces what you hope for. (Heb. 11:1.) Hope comes from the promises of God. Embrace the hope that God can turn your situation around, and be encouraged in your heart today. Find the miracle you need in the Word and recognize if He did that for them, He will do it for you!

August 26: Hope Produces Purity

Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Every time the apostle Paul preached grace, the question arose, “Are you saying that I can sin because I’m under grace?” Paul dealt with that question three times in his writings (Rom. 3:8; 6:1-2,15; Gal. 2:17) with the resounding answer, “God forbid!” Certainly that is not what Paul was communicating, and reading the Gospels will show you that although Jesus was compassionate and merciful to sinners, He always said, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

The Bible is clear that every born-again person who has the hope of the resurrection is seeking to purify themselves and be pure like Jesus. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are accomplishing that goal. There are many things that can make the grace of God have no effect in their lives and keep them in bondage to sin. But it is also an irrefutable fact of Scripture that those who are God’s children and are looking forward to that moment when Jesus comes to get them at the resurrection desire to live a life He will look upon with pleasure. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics of true Christians.

This is the same reasoning Jesus used when He said, “For ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matt. 24:42). Keeping the coming of the Lord in view affects our actions. Those Christians who aren’t living a pure life have forgotten the promise in God’s Word that the day is coming when they will stand before Jesus to give an account for their lives and receive His rewards. Today, remember that this world and everything that affects you is temporary and will fade into obscurity at the appearance of your Lord. You will be able to prioritize much easier.

August 27: Hope Overcomes Sorrow

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

The hope of being reunited with loved ones who have died puts the believer in a different situation than those who don’t have that hope. Death is final to the unbeliever. There’s no way to bridge the gap between the living and the dead, and those who die are lost forever. Forever is a long, long time…

For the believer, death is just a temporary separation from other loved ones who are believers also. We have the hope of seeing each other again in heaven and dwelling together in the glory of God forever. This hope disarms the ungodly sorrow of the unbeliever. A Christian may still miss someone who has died, but it’s not the same hopeless sorrow the unbeliever experiences. That type of sorrow produces death (2 Cor. 7:10), which is why the death of loved ones can tear the living apart.

Anyone can handle separation as long as they know it is not permanent. We see our children off to school, we go to work, and our friends leave for vacation. It would be illogical to grieve as if they had died because they are going to be gone for just a little while. Likewise, those who believe in the resurrection and are assured of eternal life with God in heaven know they will see their loved ones again.

Make sure you view all your situations through hope today. Just as the sorrow of losing someone you love is diminished through the hope that you’ll see them again, so the pressures of everyday life are lessened through the hope that God’s promises are true. Every negative situation in your life is only temporary!

August 28: Vengeance Is God’s

Luke 17:2

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Luke 17:2

God takes the persecution of His children personally. In Acts 9:4 when Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and spoke to him about his persecution of the saints, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Saul was not directly persecuting Jesus, but he was persecuting His saints. Yet Jesus said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Judgment against those who persecute God’s children will not always come in time to prevent their harm, but as this warning makes very clear, God will avenge His own. (Rom. 12:19.)

Letting God be the one who defends us is a matter of faith. If there is no God who will hold people accountable for their actions, then turning the other cheek would be the worst thing we could do. But if there is a God who promises that vengeance is His and He will repay, then taking matters into our own hands shows a lack of faith in Him and His Word.

We are not to take matters into our own hands and defend ourselves. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Deut. 32:35,36; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30). Striving to vindicate self actually shows a lack of faith that God keeps His promises. It also indicates spiritual nearsightedness, which is only looking at the present moment instead of seeing things in view of eternity.

Jesus did not come to condemn the world, and He is not holding people’s sins against them. We should do the same. If someone has taken advantage of you, betrayed you, or slandered you, remember what Jesus told Saul: “Whatever you say and do to My followers you say and do to Me!” Your heavenly Father knows all, and He will defend you.

August 29: The Faith to Forgive

Luke 17:5

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

Luke 17:5

It is very interesting to note that the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith after He spoke of forgiveness. They observed all of the wonderful miracles He performed, and yet that never inspired them to ask for greater faith. Truly, walking in love and forgiveness toward others takes as much faith as any miracle we will ever believe for.

The basis of forgiveness is the love and mercy of God. It is only because God first loved and forgave us that we can love and forgive others. If we aren’t walking in the love and forgiveness of God for ourselves, we won’t minister them to others. He loved us when we were (and sometimes are still) unloveable, and He forgave us before we repented or asked for forgiveness.

The Scriptures admonish us to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. God offered His forgiveness toward us while we were yet sinners, so forgiveness was offered to us unconditionally. Likewise, we are to forgive others their trespasses, just as God has forgiven us our trespasses. We forgive whether the other person repents or wants our forgiveness.

Only God can bring a person to repentance, save them, and restore them. In the meantime, our part is to love them and forgive them the way He loves and forgives us. This takes great faith! At the same time, while we must always love and forgive, the Holy Spirit and the Word may not have us continue the relationship. For example, if our business partner steals from us, not once but several times, after we have forgiven them, we need to sever our partnerships with them. Forgiveness is unconditional, but restoration of a relationship has godly conditions like true repentance and regained trust.

Be wise in your relationships today. You can walk in love and forgiveness and at the same time make decisions about your relationships that will keep you from harm and emotional distress.

August 30: Correction or Condemnation?

John 11:5

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

John 11:5

It is interesting to note that special mention is made of Jesus loving Martha. This is after the incident recorded in Luke 10:38-42, where Martha was caught up with serving instead of worshipping Jesus. He did not rebuke her but rather exhorted her that her priorities were not in order. When the Lord deals with problem areas in our lives, it is always for our profit—not punishment—and we should not take it as rejection. This is one way to discern God’s correction from the devil’s accusation: Is it condemning?

God convicts us of sin, but He doesn’t condemn us. Conviction is solely for our good, while condemnation includes punishment. Satan condemns Christians, but he does it illegally because Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” If we feel condemned, we have received condemnation and shame from the devil. Those things are not from God.

The way the Lord convicts us is through the inner ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is always done in a positive manner that encourages us to turn from sin. The enemy’s negative way condemns us for sinning, which makes us feel trapped in it; but the Holy Spirit gently and firmly leads us away from sin and gives us hope and faith to overcome it completely.

Are you under condemnation in some area or maybe several areas of your life? If so, you have allowed yourself to be manipulated and put down by the devil. Today you can be free of all condemnation by simply telling the enemy to go in Jesus’ name and declaring you are righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ. Then continue to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are about to sin or have sinned, He will let you know about it! Just stick with Him, and He will correct you and keep you out from under the devil’s condemnation.

August 31: Walk in the Light

John 11:9-10

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

John 11:9

Jesus compares His decision to return to Judaea to a man traveling during the day. Daytime travel doesn’t guarantee a hazard-free trip, but the light allows him to see the hazards. It is inevitable that we will stumble in the dark at night. Likewise, walking in the light of God’s direction doesn’t mean that there won’t be problems, but the alternative of doing our own thing (walking in darkness) is guaranteed to get us into trouble.

Jesus was obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit to return to Judaea. He could see exactly what was going to take place, and He was going to walk in the light that His Father had given Him. Our decisions should not be based on whether we will be hurt in some way as a result of our actions, but we must discern God’s will and do it regardless of the cost.

The misconception that, “If God is in it, there will be no problems,” is not only wrong but dangerous. This kind of thinking has caused many people to back off from what God has told them to do because things didn’t go the way they expected. The Bible tells us we should not be shocked when trials come (1 Peter 4:12), and we should continue to walk in the light that we have from the Lord, which is His will.

Today you can walk in the light and see clearly as long as you are in God’s will. If you are doing what He has called you to do, even when problems arise, you will see clearly how to deal with them in a godly way.

September

September 1: Your Resurrected Body

John 11:11-14

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

John 11:13

Jesus’ friend Lazarus had died. There are many Scriptures where death is referred to as sleep; however, here the disciples thought Jesus was saying Lazarus was only resting. He eventually corrected their misunderstanding by using the word death, but that was not His first choice because God’s perspective on the death of the human body is different than ours. Physical death is final to people but not to God. There will be a resurrection.

In the same way that a seed is different than the plant that it produces, our resurrected bodies will be different from our physical bodies here on earth. Our glorified bodies will be similar to our physical bodies in appearance. We know this because of what the Scriptures reveal about Jesus’ glorified body. He still looked human. He ate food. He retained the scars of the crucifixion nails in His hands, side, and feet. He said He had flesh and bones. Yet He could appear and disappear. Our resurrected bodies will be immortal (not subject to death) and will be like Jesus’ resurrected body.

In the same way that your physical body is a miraculous creation, your glorified resurrected body will be even more amazing. It will no longer be subject to disease or death, and it will easily move from heaven to earth and from place to place just like Jesus. You can rest assured that God never serves dessert first! If your physical body is wonderful—or even if you have had chronic problems that you have not been able to fully overcome—you have this great blessing to look forward to. Your resurrected body will be perfect in every way.

September 2: Confess God’s Truth

John 11:14

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

John 11:14

At first Jesus spoke of Lazarus being asleep, but now He speaks plainly that Lazarus is dead. He did this because to their carnal minds death was final, but sleep was not. When He said, “Lazarus is dead,” it looked like a contrary statement to what He was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead), but He went on to say in verse fifteen, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.” He was referring to raising Lazarus from the dead, which turned His statement of a negative fact (his death) into a positive confession of faith (being raised from the dead).

Many people have been confused over this issue. They will refuse to speak of or acknowledge any situation that is contrary to a promise God has given them. It is certainly desirable to avoid talking about our problems, and there is scriptural precedent for this. (2 Kings 4:20,26.) In this instance, Jesus avoided using a word to describe Lazarus’ situation that would have instilled fear into His disciples’ hearts, but when they didn’t understand, He stated the natural facts.

A true, positive confession doesn’t deny natural circumstances. We just refuse to let the natural realm have the last word! We speak the greater spiritual truth, which is what Jesus did, and we should follow His example. Therefore, it is not wrong to acknowledge a physical problem such as sickness, just as long as we acknowledge to an equal or greater degree the spiritual truth, “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Don’t deny any problems that exist in your life today, but deny those problems the right to continue to exist in your life by confessing your faith in God and His Word.

September 3: Live Forever in Him

John 11:26

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

John 11:26

Some people have interpreted this to mean it is possible to never die physically. Therefore, there are people today who believe they will live until the Second Coming of Jesus, even if that is thousands of years away. Although it is understandable how someone could interpret this verse in that manner, it is doubtful that is what Jesus meant.

First, a doctrine as profound as this would certainly be well documented in other Scriptures. There are some Scriptures that might support this claim, but they do not state it outright themselves. To interpret them to mean that a believer might live until the Second Coming of Christ would be prejudicial, and that is not a sound method of Bible interpretation. Secondly, there is not a single scriptural example of anyone who obtained this. That should make anyone suspect of this teaching. Enoch or Elijah might be cited as examples, but they were translated and taken to heaven. They are not still in their physical bodies on this earth.

Finally, some truths have been lost and then revived throughout church history, but living until Jesus returns is not one of them. No believer has ever done this. Therefore, this Scripture about never dying is generally accepted as referring to our spirits. When we are born again, we receive God’s eternal life, and we will never die spiritually again. This promise is made many times in Scripture to every believer.

Because you believe Jesus was raised from the dead and have confessed Him as your Lord, you are saved (Rom. 10:9,10); and that also means your spirit will never die or be eternally separated from God. Your spirit will be communing with His Spirit now and forever! As you face the difficulties of your day, remind yourself that this, too, shall pass; and your future is eternal life, love, and blessing.

September 4: Groaning in the Spirit

John 11:33

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

John 11:33

The Greek word translated groaned expresses that Jesus was deeply moved, but not necessarily with sorrow. It was more a groan of anger at Satan who had caused all the grief He was seeing around Him. Jesus came to “destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14), and He was grieved to see the pain His enemy had inflicted on those He loved.

This is the type of groaning the Holy Spirit does for us. (Rom. 8:26.) It is not just the Holy Spirit sympathizing with us, but it is the Holy Spirit doing battle for us when we don’t know how to pray. In this case, the Holy Spirit used Jesus to do battle against death and the doubt of those present, which would keep Lazarus in the grave.

Everyone who has the Holy Spirit in them has or will have this experience. The groaning of the Holy Spirit is not just grief but righteous anger and resistance against Satan’s devices in our lives. Many times Christians don’t discern this because they think they are just grieved over their situation, but the Holy Spirit is moving them to get into intercession with Him against their enemy.

Although the groaning of the Holy Spirit inside you is not uttered, you can react to it with audible groans or physical movement of some kind, like someone who is grieving. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you don’t confuse your reaction with the Holy Spirit’s action. Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit is not uttering anything; you are responding to His silent groanings inside you.

The genuine groaning in the Spirit is priceless and always produces good fruit in your life, so when it happens, just flow with the Holy Spirit. Today you can be grateful that you have Him as your Comforter and Teacher in all situations.

September 5: Be Loosed!

John 11:44

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

John 11:44

Symbolically Lazarus is like many Christians. The Bible speaks of us passing from death unto new life when we get born again, but we bring our grave clothes (bad habits, negative attitudes, and wrong ideas) from our old life and need to be “loosed” from them in order to fully enjoy our new life in Christ. We do this by changing what we think about.

Our emotions, attitudes, and actions follow what we think. When we focus our attention on our problems, they are magnified; when we think on God’s provision for our problems, our answer is magnified. Whatever we think upon is going to dominate us. We will either be bound by negative thoughts or loosed by godly thoughts. If we think on depressing things, we will be depressed. If we think on uplifting things, we will be uplifted. If we think on sickness, we will be sick. If we think, By His stripes I am healed, we will be healed.

Godly contentment is not dependent upon circumstances, but that is what the world believes. They think contentment will come when their situation is right. That’s why so many are depressed. They don’t believe they can maintain positive emotions of peace and joy in the midst of any negative circumstances. But the Bible tells us that emotions follow the way we think, and we can be loosed from our old grave clothes by choosing to think on things that are lovely, true, of good report, and so forth. (Phil 4:8.) We respond emotionally to what we think.

You can turn your day around by simply focusing your attention on the blessings and truths of God that are eternal, instead of the circumstances of your physical world that will pass away.

September 6: Like Lightning

Luke 17:24-31

For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

Luke 17:24

This verse and the parallel verse in Matthew 24:27 make it very clear that the second return of Jesus will be no secret to anyone. In Matthew’s account it is especially clear that Jesus uses the example of lightning so that we would not be deceived by false Christs. Just as lightning is visible to everyone, so the second return of Jesus will be witnessed by the whole world.

We do not have to be afraid of missing His return, anxiously following every report that He has come, and these verses completely destroy claims like that of the Bahài religion that Jesus has secretly come back already. We know this is false because Jesus told us His second coming would be visible to everyone.

Jesus also explained that until the very day of His coming, the world would continue on its present course. People would not discern the signs of His coming just as the people during Noah’s day did not realize their impending judgment. (Luke 17:27.) This corresponds to the New Testament prophecies about His coming as a thief in the night. (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10.) The world will see the “lightning” when He strikes the earth, but by then it will be too late. Jesus stressed that His coming will take unbelievers by surprise.

Jesus pointed out the urgent need to be ready for His return. In the same way a thief comes when people are the least prepared, He will return in a time when people are not looking for Him. There will be a condition of apathy in the latter days that will tend to lull even the faithful to sleep if they don’t take heed to His words.

Don’t fall asleep! Keep yourself stirred up with the things of God and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is saying and doing today. Jesus urged you to be spiritually alert so you will be prepared for Him when He comes.

September 7: God Answers Prayer

Luke 18:1-8

Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man.

Luke 18:2

In Jesus’ story about the widow and the unjust judge, He did not say that our Father is unjust, nor did He tell us to badger God until we wear Him out and He grants our requests just to get rid of us! Jesus was simply contrasting God’s willingness to answer our prayers with the unjust judge’s unwillingness to grant this woman’s request.

Not only do we have a God who is a just Judge and who will avenge His elect speedily, but also we have Jesus as our Advocate or Attorney. He is always making intercession for us. Our adversary (the devil) is constantly accusing us and misrepresenting God (the Judge) to us. This can cause us to give up and not even plead our case with God because we doubt He will answer us.

To teach that we must pester God until He does what we want Him to do is not good theology. Jesus declared that our Father is not an unjust judge that we have to pressure into doing what is right. Satan has deceived us into thinking God is not willing to answer our prayers, and Jesus countered that deception with this parable. He encouraged us to pray and petition God in the knowledge that He loves us and desires to bless us and grant our requests.

This widow’s actions were commendable. She knew what was rightfully hers, and she refused to take no for an answer. If you can be that confident and determined when dealing with unjust people, you can be much more confident when dealing with your faithful Father. You can trust Him to always come through for you today.

September 8: Righteousness Is a Gift

Luke 18:9-14

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised other.

Luke 18:9

People who are self-righteous often despise others. They cannot compare themselves to Jesus and feel good about themselves, so in order to trust in themselves, they have to constantly compare themselves to other fallible people. This breeds a critical attitude that exalts themselves by debasing others.

No one can ever be righteous in the sight of God through their own righteousness. Our actions benefit us in relationships with people and prevent Satan from having an opportunity against us, but they cannot make us right with God. We must receive His gift of righteousness completely on the basis of faith in what Jesus did for us. This is the truth that this parable is presenting.

Most people are unaware that there are two kinds of righteousness, and only one type of righteousness is acceptable to God. There is our own righteousness, which is based on our own performance; and there is God’s righteousness, which is based on Jesus’ performance.