Preface
What is fresh is not always what is new. There is certainly nothing new about the enmity between satan and mankind—it has been around since the Genesis. However I see the Holy Spirit issuing a fresh inspiration today for believers to embrace this hostility with His current call for militant prayer. Hence, this devotional is to encourage and equip all those sensing in their spirit to join this force. And I know there are already many who have responded.
Devotion for June 23, 2010
Text: Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 3:20-22
On Monday, in seeking to love the Father as unconditionally as He loves us, we were to “look around” from the heavenly place from where we sit. What did your gaze reveal to you? I saw tranquility, peace and love as everything moved according to His perfect will, motivated by His perfect love. I saw worship in its purest form; and no darkness at all, only the light and life of our Lord.
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Devotion for June 21, 2010
Text: Malachi 1:2, 3; Ephesians 2:4-9
Today’s text is the initial argumentative dialogue of eight in Malachi’s writing where the Lord first states a truth, Israel responds with a snide question, and the Lord answers with examples that support His stated reality.
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Devotion for June 18, 2010
The Watch—Embracing the Enmity
As we prepare for The Watch this evening, pray as the Lord instructed in Matthew 6:6-13 and focus on verse 12. It is so very necessary in doing spiritual warfare that there is no unconfessed sin in our lives; believe 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
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Devotion for June 17, 2010
Text: Genesis 3:15; Ephesians 6:12-18
Tomorrow night is our monthly Watch service with the prayer focus Embracing the Enmity. What does embracing the enmity mean?
Following the fall it was the Lord who said to satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV). Enmity means hostility or hatred; thus, the Lord, by His spoken word, put hostility between the adversary and mankind.
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Devotion for June 16, 2010
Text: Malachi 1:2; Hebrews 12:5-11
A third error in Israel’s doubt of God’s love was their failure to recognize His love given them through chastisement. [1]
I remember growing up with the “this will hurt me more than it will hurt you” parent speech prior to being spanked and thought, “Yeah, right!” However, as a parent of seven, I must confess using the very same speech before administering the necessary discipline—only I truly felt the emotion behind those words. The writer of Hebrews brings to remembrance the blessing of chastening for the believer, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6 ESV). And I can’t help but think there are times the Father shares in that parental pain so easily dismissed by sons and daughters.
Devotion for June 15, 2010
Text: Malachi 1:2; Ephesians 2:11-22
Yesterday we spoke about Israel’s false understanding of material possession being a gauge for God’s blessing. A second area of error in questioning God’s love was their inability to remember Jehovah’s past love for them.[1]
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Devotion for June 14, 2010
Text: Malachi 1:2; Luke 12:13-21
“God had loved Israel from the day that He chose her to be His people and brought her out of Egypt (cf. Deuteronomy 10:15), although more often then not, He, because of her sins, had been forced by His righteousness to express His love to her in blasting (chastening) rather then blessings. The Israelites of Malachi’s day, because of the absence of material prosperity, had begun to doubt and question God’s love.”[1]
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Seminary Week
Devotions will return Monday, June 14, 2010 when Pastor completes his seminary class.
Devotion for June 7, 2010
Text: Malachi 1:1
“The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC had lacerated to rawness the spirits of the people of God. They asked themselves, what’s happening? What have we done? How can we get out of this awful mess? Then they were painfully, dreadfully awake.