Devotionals from my Bible app: Seeking and Finding God (Jeremiah 29:13) - Part 2

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13, NKJV

Seeking and Finding God

In the Old Testament, God’s presence and His relationship with His people was mediated through priests and the temple system. The people of God worshiped God and prayed to Him, but it was the priests who would enter a sacred space and speak with God on their behalf.

They revered God, but they were still separated from Him.

However, the prophet Jeremiah wrote about a time when God’s people would be able to experience a direct relationship with Him. God’s Spirit would dwell in them, and they could find Him anywhere at any time.

Through Jesus, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus sent the Spirit of God to dwell within us, to have access to God’s presence at any time.

This means that God is never far from you—just like it says in Jeremiah 29:13, He can be found when we seek Him. He is present and ready for a relationship with you.

Jeremiah also says that we must seek God with all of our heart. We don't just seek God, He seeks us as well. When you pursue a relationship with God, He wants access to every part of you. The way you think, the way you act, and even the way you feel.

He wants to transform your entire life.

At first, it may seem hard to give God access to our past, or the things we’re ashamed of. But, God is full of grace and mercy, and He wants us to be free from those things. Seeking God with all of your heart may feel risky at times, but we can trust He knows best and will love us regardless of what we’ve done.

Ask God to reveal within you any part of your life that you haven’t surrendered to God. Pray for the strength and courage to give all of your life to God. Continue to seek Him and follow Him each and every day.

https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.29.13.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: Seeking and Finding God (Jeremiah 29:13) - Part 1

I ended up splitting this into two posts. To go to the actual Bible devotional from my Bible app, please see tomorrow's post.

In my young-adult, seeking years (and even into the beginning of my "saved" years) I received several different verses of encouragement. One was from Joel 2:25 (So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. - NKJV); another was from Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. - NKJV). 

Now, I do love Jeremiah 29:11 because of its role as a chief piece of encouragement from Scripture. The thoughts that God thinks of you and me, His creation, who He rescued time and time again throughout the Bible, but especially once and for all when Jesus died upon the cross for our sins - wonderful! Sometimes a person's biggest wound is having been hurt by someone who didn't think good thoughts about them, and as such has not known that someone (or even Someone) would think such good thoughts of them! I've been there. My sin is I keep forgetting that God does love me in this way. That He knows all the things that happened to me, that happened to you, and that He cares. I also know the pain all too well of someone knowing what happened and appearing to do nothing (because someone else in fact did do nothing). But what separates God from humanity in this sense is that it is indeed enough that He knows what we go through, and it is indeed enough to remember that He is grieved when we get hurt (and when we hurt others). My new favorite verse/passage is actually highlighted in yesterday's post:

And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Job 42:10-11, NKJV

I shared more of my thoughts, reflections, and analyses in yesterday's post, but simply the knowing that God does eventually intervene and make things right even after the worst of circumstances, means we can also count on His thoughts of us, when He does say it, because what He says He will do, He will indeed do. For this reason, I love Jeremiah 29:11.

However, this truth doesn't seem complete without adding verses 12 and 13 as well:

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13, NKJV

After all, the Gospel, let alone the totality of all of God's thoughts about you and me, aren't about you or me. It's about Him! This is yet another area I still stumble. I am still prone to rationalizing that, because of the myriad of struggles I have endured all throughout my life, I am owed for the hardships I've endured. But that's not how it works. It's not how it works with God, and it's not even how it works with the world. Fairness is not a Biblical concept, and it's not even a successful worldly concept, either. (The world preaches fairness, but no one in the world ever practices it.) Job did get paid back double all that he had lost, but it's noteworthy that it came only after Job completely repented of every wrong thought He had against God, and only after he prayed for his three friends with whom he contended. The Biblical book may bear Job's name, but it was never about him to begin with. It's about God.

Therefore, looking at verses 12 and 13 from Jeremiah 29, yes, God shares His thoughts of giving us a hope and a future, but it also comes with the understanding that we who believe on Him and love Him will then call on His Name, pray to Him, and seek Him with the entirety of our hearts. His promise is that He will respond and He will bless us when we do these things. But, we must come to Him completely in order for us to then receive blessing... and we also must serve Him only:

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:10-11, NKJV

Just like Job's real friends and family came and ministered to him after he repented and prayed for his friends, angels came to minister to Jesus after He endured the devil (at the end of 40 days and nights of fasting). I don't know about you, but I think there's a bit of a parallel here.

Tomorrow: the devotional titled "Seeking and Finding God," with Jeremiah 29:13 as the focus verse.

Recapping unfinished business: Job 42:10-11

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Job 38:1-3, NKJV

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Job 40:6-8, NKJV

Every time I re-read the Book of Job, I always gain something new. Praise God. This year I’m going through it via the Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble (you can peruse it via their website here). The main new thing I learned is the possibility that, in the preceding chapters, Elihu’s rebuke of Job likely turned out to be just as bad and missed the point, just like Job’s “friends.” Up until this point, I had always believed that Elihu was on point, unlike the others, and that when God spoke afterwards, it was as if Elihu was preparing the way for the Lord to speak (kind of like John the Baptist before the start of Jesus’ ministry).

The bottom line is that while Elihu may have said some things that were right and true, even he was self-righteous. And recalling something else I heard in a sermon preached about five years ago now, even though, as the scripture says, God answered Job out of the whirlwind, the significance isn’t that God was angry (although He certainly was), nor that Job had to completely backtrack (although he certainly had to)… no, it was that, behind all the multitude of words, Job was crying out for God’s presence, even though he went about it sideways. God showed up.

I’m pausing to post because I’m recalling a moment from last month when I heard God say something similar to me: “Who are you to determine what is right?” (I recorded it in this post, in fact.) It brought back to mind a memory from sixth grade at my school in New York, at the beginning of the year. We had just gotten a new headmaster, and along with turnover of 2/3 of the faculty, suffice to say it was a regime change in terms of how things were done at school. This included sweeping changes to norms such as proper manners at the dining table. I forget what the issue precisely was, but I had repeatedly gotten irked at some of the new fifth graders (at the time still the youngest grade at the school) who weren’t, in my eyes, “following the rules” (i.e. the old rules that were in place from the previous year). Of course, I was saying these things within earshot of the new headmaster.

Finally, after a few instances of this, he spoke up to me directly and told me to stop: “Don’t go on about what you think we’re ‘allowed’ to or ‘not allowed’ to do! I’m the headmaster, and what I say goes!”

Suffice to say, I stopped.

Then, when it happened again last month, I stopped then as well.

Recently, I’ve been finding myself murmuring again about some of the same old aspects of the same old circumstances that have been getting under my skin. I say that as a confession, not as a boast.

Do all things without complaining and disputing, Philippians 2:14, NKJV

What I also really wanted to mention was something that I picked up from the Book of Job that was new two years ago, the last time I read through this book. I had glossed over Job 42:10-11 in previous readings, but it stood out to me, not only as a sign of God’s mercy, but also as an answer to prayer:

And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Job 42:10-11, NKJV

It’s important to note that this only happened after Job completely repented, and after Job prayed for his three friends who were brutal to him. I thought this was amazing. Often one of my prime complaints when I look back through the hard seasons in my life (especially childhood) is how I often felt like I never got a chance to recover after a given trial before the next one came along. That thankfully changed somewhat when I became an adult. Thankfully. Even though I still struggle with trials, seeing the above verse from Job 42 was a glimpse of how, even though Job had all sorts of bad things happen to him, and then he still was in trouble with God and was the one to have to admit wrongdoing, Job did in fact get a chance to recover from his many trials. And, going strictly off Scripture, Job appears to have never had another serious trial again after that. That gives me hope.

In each of the video recaps that Tara-Leigh Cobble posts after each day’s reading, she shares what she calls a “God Shot.” It’s almost always different for each day. Mine for this whole book could be contained in Job 42:10-11. God may (and does) allow affliction. But He will always offer comfort after.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28, NKJV

That’s my hope. And it’s the hope I’m going to offer to you today.

Sermons from Good News: this year, sow seeds of blessing

Church 1/13/2024

Offertory scripture:

God is faithful and we lean on Him (and not our own understanding). Anything besides God that you lean on WILL let you down.

Regardless of your circumstances, God’s word is still true. Trust Him anyway and lean on Him.

Bible verses:

Numbers 23:19

“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Sermon message:

Thesis: This year, sow seeds of blessing

Point #1: You can change your life by the seeds you sow.

You can change your attitude and the way you think.

Your seed is something you say or something you do.

This matters to God.

Everything you say and do has a potential of reaping a harvest.

Questions to ask ourselves:

1. What was I doing or saying last year?
2. And what am I saying and doing so far this year?

Point #2: God says what you sow is what you get.

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Of course Satan would have you sow evil seeds. But God would have you sow good seeds.

This applies to speaking, serving, forgiving, and more.

Galatians 6:8

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Reaping what we sow goes all the way back to Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:11

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.

Genesis 8:22

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Point #3: You can change to sowing seeds of blessing.

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Point #4: The size of your harvest is determined by the amount of seed you sow.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Sow, baby, sow!

Sow blessings and reap blessings.

Point #5: God’s Word is Spirit - sow it.

How about friendship?

Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

How about marriage?

Ephesians 5:32-33

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

How about worry?

1 Peter 5:7

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

How about an unbreakable habit?

Matthew 11:28

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Sow good seeds this year.

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Cling to God’s Promises (Isaiah 12:2)

Cling to God’s Promises

What do you think about?

The thoughts you fill your mind with are crucial because what you cling to influences your worldview.

If you choose to dwell on God’s promises, you start to recognize God’s blessings during uncertain times. Trusting that God will redeem your present pain equips you to walk forward in faith and keep on fighting.

Isaiah 12:2 reminds us that we belong to a God who is faithful to keep His promises. This God rescues us and fights for us. So when we belong to God, we have nothing to fear—all we need to do is cling to God and wait on Him to act.

So as you walk forward today, reflect on some of God’s promises, and let them transform the way you think:

• God will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22)
• God’s peace will guard your heart. (Philippians 4:7)
• God delights over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
• God will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. (Psalm 32:8)
• God is your refuge and strength, your help in times of need. (Psalm 46:1)
• In all things, you are more than a conqueror because God loves you. (Romans 8:37)
• God will never leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
• God’s perfect love casts out all your fear. (1 John 4:18)
• Nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:38-39)
• God’s not done with you. God’s not done with you. God’s not done with you. (Philippians 1:6)

https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.12.2.NKJV

Devotional from my Bible app: The Power of Words (Psalm 46:1)

Note before sharing the devotional: 4 years ago on this day, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, along with eight other people. On air on the ESPN channel either later that day or the next, one of the sportscasters pleaded with the public to let go of grudges (Bryant had been involved in a few over the course of his basketball career but mended most of them, I think). That spurred me to call one of my fellow group members with whom I had said some hurtful words. Normally, per group procedure, group members would wait until the next week's group to attempt to mend fences if any were ruptured. I decided this shouldn't wait, on the off-chance that either of us were to pass before the next group session. We made up over the phone. It was the right thing to do. Ironically, one of my issues that I was trying to express previously when I ended up making the hurtful comment was around sports. We were both sports fans, albeit of rival teams, but my original contention with this other person (which Bryant's death caused me to reconsider) was that sports wasn't that important and shouldn't be treated as such.

We made up, and that's that. It pleased God, and that's all that really matters.

The Power of Words

Words have power.

We use thousands of them every day to communicate. They help us share joy and sadness. They help us learn and grow. We use them to build each other up—or tear each other down…

And yet, we often underestimate the impact of our words.

Are you giving thought to the words you speak over yourself or about others daily? Are they words rooted in doubt, fear, and insecurity, or do they come from the truth, goodness, and security in God’s promises?

In Psalm 46:1, the Psalter makes a powerful declaration of God's truth and promise: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

And this declaration leads to action in the next verse: “Therefore we will not fear” (verse 2).

Our declarations have the power to guide our actions. So what is it that you are declaring? Maybe today, you need the reminder to speak the truth of the words that come from God—your refuge, strength, and ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

As God's child, you have been given freedom in Christ to choose and use words wisely (Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29).

So today, choose words of life. May your tongue be an instrument of blessing, as you declare what is true, pure, admirable, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.46.1.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: The Presence of God (Psalm 27:4)

The Presence of God

The writer of Psalm 27 is intentionally focusing on one of the most important aspects of our spiritual life. Throughout Scripture, we learn about the importance of the presence of God.

It is in the presence of God that we find strength and hope (Psalm 27:1). It’s also in God’s presence that our enemies lose their power over us (Psalm 27:2-3).

In Psalm 27:4 the writer of the Psalm expresses his desire to dwell within the house of the Lord, to gaze upon God’s beauty and be in His presence in the temple. In the Old Testament, the presence of God was primarily within the temple. But through spending time with God, the Psalmist found hope and restoration for his soul.

Thanks to Jesus, God’s presence is no longer confined to the temple. His presence is now available to us through the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers. We now have access to God’s presence at any time.

Just like the writer of the Psalm desired to dwell within God’s presence, we also should desire to be with God as much as possible. It is in God’s presence that we find hope, joy, beauty, and the restoration of our weary souls.

It is important that we spend time with God each and every day. We can do this through regularly reading Scripture and reflecting on what we read. We can also spend time in prayer, talking to God about what is happening in our life. Another way to spend time in God’s presence is to simply be aware that He is with you through your daily tasks each day.

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.27.4.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: Don’t Lose Heart (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Don’t Lose Heart

As we start getting older, our bodies begin to change.

Muscles might ache. Hair might gradually turn gray. Vision and hearing might eventually get less sharp. And we, or someone we love, might even struggle with significant or devastating health challenges.

The apostle Paul once offered some ageless wisdom to the believers in Corinth, Greece, which can still be helpful for us today:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

Paul knew what it was like to face hard things; he’d been beaten, shipwrecked, snake bitten, and imprisoned.

Earlier in the letter, he’d said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV)

The ripple effects of sin’s existence in the world might frustrate us physically, but it cannot touch us spiritually.

Whether you’re dealing with a serious diagnosis, physical shame, or are simply exhausted by the weight of everyday responsibilities, don’t give up. Your body might be aching, but God can still renew your spirit—day after day after day.

https://bible.com/bible/114/2co.4.16.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: The Value of Each Other (Proverbs 17:17)

The Value of Each Other

As much as the world around us tries to lure us into self-dependency, God created us for each other. For community. For a life that’s not alone.

The author of Proverbs said it like this:

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
Proverbs 17:17 NIV

We’ll all face hard times—sometimes when we least expect it. But a friend’s genuine care can mean the world, a sibling’s unconditional love can’t be replaced, and a neighbor’s practical help is priceless.

We need each other more than we realize: emotionally, practically, and spiritually.

If you’ve found yourself in a busy season where you’ve unintentionally neglected your true friends or been too busy for your real family, now is the time to reprioritize.

If there’s unresolved conflict with a friend or family member, and it’s slowly deteriorating the relationship, now is the time to set aside your pride and choose to make things right.

If you’re silently struggling on your own, now is the moment to let someone in. Give them a call, send them a text, or show up on their doorstep. If you can’t be honest and vulnerable, it will be difficult to get help.

Not only do you need people, but those same people need you.

You have strengths, gifts, talents, and a personality that’s unique to you and beneficial to them—and vice versa. Why bury them in the ground, in the name of autonomy, when they can benefit others?

Sometimes we need to ask for help and sometimes we need to be the help.

Do you need help, or can you offer it? Could you use a hand, or do you have some extra time, money, advice, or expertise to give?

If you’re tempted to self-isolate, don’t forget: we were meant to live life together.

https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.17.17.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: God Is With You (Isaiah 41:10)

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NLT

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ Isaiah 41:10 AMP

Note before sharing the devotional: I decided for today's verse, I wanted to share multiple translations of this verse. I used to do this a lot more when I was much earlier in my walk with God / attempts to walk with God when I was still completely in darkness. At the time, my rationale was two-fold: 1.) I wanted to understand more fully what various passages of Scripture said, particularly those that were confusing to me; 2.) I didn't always trust one translation vs. another. To be fair, since the Old Testament's original language was in Hebrew, and the New Testament was first written in Greek, the current English translations sometimes don't fully capture the God-breathed words when they were first being written down. Also, as I was first being exposed to other denominations within Christianity and realizing how small the Episcopal Church's footprint was within the full scope of the Christian faith, I realized that other translations were much more popular and widely considered vs. the translations my churches used when I was growing up. I also had a greater curiosity to discover what was "out there," considered that prior to college I tended to stay close to home, in terms of my mentality.

I've heard this verse a fair number of times since a friend of mine first shared it with me about a decade ago, as an encouragement for me during times when I wrestled with intense fear. Like many things, it has taken me quite a while to get this to sink in, and I cannot say that this has fully sunk in yet. But what I do is try to apply it to my life as best as I can, even if by means of sheer will. And God has indeed shown up in my life at different times.

Just do the best you can, and seek Him diligently, and He will show up for you as well.

God Is With You

Have you ever asked God, “Where are you?”

Some days it can feel like you’re walking alone through life. It can seem like God is not present or with you. Or maybe it feels like He has deserted you in a difficult time.

The nation of Israel experienced many moments like this. They cried out to God in the midst of pain and exile. They were honest in their prayers to God—they told Him exactly how they felt in the midst of hardship.

In turn, God spoke to them through the prophets. He spoke words of comfort and hope. He reminded them of His promises, and that His character never changes.

While it can sometimes seem like God deserts us, we know from His promises that He is always with us. Through life’s loneliest times or most difficult seasons, God is right next to us. He walks through every season of life by our side.

Not only is He with us, but He also promises to strengthen us and help us in times of difficulty. When we feel like we’ve run out of strength to continue, God will provide His strength for us.

God will provide the help we need to keep living in His will. He doesn’t promise to give us strength to do whatever we want, but rather—He gives us courage and empowerment to continue walking according to His plans for our life.

So, in seasons of hardship when we feel like we’ve run empty, we should lean in to God’s promises and trust Him. We should trust that He will empower us and strengthen us for whatever we’re facing.

Take some time today to pray to God. If He feels distant, ask Him to be close to you. If you feel weak, ask Him to strengthen you. He promises to uphold you, so trust in His promises. Continue to build a relationship with God and seek His presence. As you do, you’ll find a renewed strength as you walk through life with Him.

https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.41.10.NKJV

Sermons from Good News: Confession releases faith

Note before sharing the sermon: below is a picture from my water baptism as an adult. As per the below sermon notes, Water baptism doesn’t save you. But it is important. Likewise, while being dunked in the tub by two of my best friends at the time (who also were mature believers) is important, what happened about 10 (?) minutes prior that was of far greater importance was me stating for the entire congregation to hear (via a prerecorded video): "Hey everybody, Jesus is Lord!"

Church 1/10/2024

Sermon message:

Thesis: Confession releases faith.

A pastor’s job is to equip the saints for ministry. And part of that is to teach the word of God.

Confession releases faith.

Romans 10:9-10

that 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Faith is believing in your heart.

Believe it and say it. What you believe you say.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Confessing your faith is releasing your faith.

Confessing is not only about confessing your sins, faults, and mistakes. It’s important to do but don’t obsess on this.

Confessing is also about acknowledging what is true—that Jesus is God, His blood cleanses you, and God raised Him from the dead, that you are forgiven, that God supplies all your needs through Jesus.

Tonight: two forms of confessions from the New Testament to go into detail tonight. Two more later.

Point #1: Confessions of sins of the Jews.

Testament = covenant = agreement / contract between God and humanity (His people).

John the Baptist baptized people via water, confession of sins. A cleansing baptism.

Matthew 3:5-6

Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

This was the Old Testament baptism, because Jesus hadn’t died for our sins or risen from the dead yet.

John the Baptist baptized in the name of the Father only.

Point #2: Confession of sinners today.

John 16:7-9

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

Verse 9 is the focus verse here (cross reference back to Romans 10:9-10)

of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

that 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The number 1 sin in the world is not believing in Jesus Christ.

Question: should we get people to confess all their sins? Or to confess that they believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

John 16:9-11

of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Verse 9 again for emphasis.

of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

• Our number 1 thing should be to get people to confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We are under the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant.

Romans 10:9-10

that 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Jesus sends His disciples to preach the Gospel.

Mark 16:15-16

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The point is to tell people how to get saved. To give people hope. That upon receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will head straight to heaven upon passing away out of the flesh.

Focus on Mark 16:16

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Water baptism doesn’t save you. But it is important. What it is is an outward expression of what the Holy Spirit has done in baptizing you to Jesus Christ. When you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are baptized by the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Just believe on Jesus. Truly believe on Jesus in your heart.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The Bible says not to put the cart before the horse.

Get saved and receive Jesus Christ first, then He will help you get free of sin, and get sanctified and cleansed. Not the other way around.

Acts 19:18-19

And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

They believed, and then they got rid of their sins or junk related to their sins.

Moral: don’t demand that someone be perfect before they can come to church and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Let your feelings catch up with your faith. Don’t let your faith be interrupted by your feelings.

Point #3: Confession should be public.

Matthew 10:32-33

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all know more than King Solomon who was the wisest king in Israel’s history.

Devotionals from my Bible app: Hope in the Wilderness (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Hope in the Wilderness

Can you imagine getting lost on a hike in the mountains or an excursion through the desert … while simultaneously running out of water?

After hours or even days of parched wandering, stumbling across a road or rushing river would bring a massive sigh of relief. In extreme cases, it could even mean the difference between life and death.

In Isaiah 43, God is reminding His people who He is—the one and only God—and also what He has done. But then He goes on to say ...

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God wasn’t just flashing signposts toward the Messiah’s coming—the ultimate pathway through the wilderness and thirst-quencher in the desert (though He was certainly doing that). His words are also a promise to us, because He still continues to restore—right here and right now.

Even when you’re lost in your own wilderness, God knows exactly where you are.

Have you ever messed up? Made a bad decision? Hurt someone you love? He can do something new.

Are you weary or exhausted? Burdened or burned out? Overwhelmed or overworked? He can do something new.

Do you feel trapped, stuck, hopeless, or held captive by something you can’t seem to escape? He can do something new.

The same God who made a way for the Israelites escaping Egyptian slavery when they were cornered against the Red Sea with no backup plan—can also make a way for you.

Paying attention to God’s provision is vital for recognizing His presence.

God loved the world so much that He refused to leave us to ourselves. Instead, He sent His Son, Jesus, to make a way. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the way. Jesus Christ is the pathway in the wilderness and a river in the desert.

Do you not see it?

Let us look for Him, watch for Him, and expect for Him to do something new.

https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.43.18-19.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: Live on Purpose (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Note before sharing the devotional: something I've found in my walk with God is that one of the questions He likes answering is when I ask Him: "OK, Lord, now what?" (Important context: I've found this to be the case right after I took a step (or leap) of faith in which He provided the way and it paid off (because of course it did!).)

Ask: "OK, Lord, now what?"

Live on Purpose

Without intentionality, people tend to drift—becoming complacent instead of motivated, lacking vision instead of leveraging purpose.

But for those of us in Christ, we’re called to something more than drifting our way through life.

The author of the book of Hebrews said it this way…

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

Earlier in the chapter, we’re told that the old system of sacrifices couldn’t cut it. But Jesus—the ultimate sacrifice—made a way once and for all.

Now, we have access to God’s presence, provision, and power forever.

And so the author encourages the reader to inspire their fellow believers. Let’s break down what they say:

- “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works…” It’s easy to slip into routines and patterns that, at the end of the day, don’t have eternal value. It’s easy to become numb, idle, and indifferent. But that’s not the way of Jesus! Let us use our God-given ingenuity to point each other back to Him. Let us be expectant for the opportunities—and even interruptions—that He places in our paths.

- “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do…” Gathering together as the body of Christ is a privilege—a privilege that not everyone around the world can do safely. We shouldn't take community for granted. Life isn’t just about what we need, but also about being there for each other—to meet practical needs, to help each other grow spiritually, to pray and worship together, and to collectively invite God’s presence.

- “...but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Just as hundreds of prophecies were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the rest will come to fruition on the day of His return. Rest assured, He is coming back! So let’s encourage one another to stay focused. Let’s encourage one another to be ready.

With a little thought and intentionality, we can live on purpose.

https://bible.com/bible/114/heb.10.24-25.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: The Greater Light (Isaiah 60:1)

The Greater Light

From the gentle morning sun rays that break through your window in the morning to the headlights that guide you on your way home at night, light is a constant presence.

Yet, there is a greater Light than any physical light we know…

In Isaiah 60:1, the prophet speaks of this greater Light. And his words are more than pretty poetry and a prophecy; they are a call to action, an encouragement for God's people to find hope—Light, in the midst of darkness (Isaiah 59:9-10):

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."

Isaiah 60:1

This Light is a beacon of hope, the picture of salvation and spiritual awakening. This Light is the true Light, the Messiah—Jesus Christ. He is the light God’s people needed then (Isaiah 59:9-10), and He is the light our hearts desperately need today.

In a world that sometimes can feel like it’s drowning in darkness—disasters, wars, injustice, and suffering—Isaiah's message is an invitation to embrace God’s true Light of salvation, revealed in the New Testament to be Jesus Christ. Let this light shine brightly within you, driving out the shadows of darkness and illuminating the path for those who don’t know this Light.

Pause for a moment. Imagine a world filled with the light of God's love and truth. Can you imagine a world where the light of Christ shines from the windows of every home and down every street…

God wants to use you—yes, you—to shine His light.

https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.60.1.NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: Anchored (Romans 12:2)

Today's devotional reminded me of this song, Faithful One by Brian Doerksen:

Faithful one, so unchanging
Ageless one, You're my rock of peace
Lord of all I depend on You
I call out to You
Again and again
I call out to You
Again and again

You are my rock in times of trouble
You lift me up when I fall down
All through the storm, Your love is
The anchor, My hope is in You alone

Anchored

If you’ve spent any time on a boat in the ocean, you know what it feels like to look up from the water, and suddenly realize you’ve drifted off course.

Without an anchor, there’s nothing to hold you in place.

Likewise, the ever-shifting waves of the world’s opinions can feel just as fluid and unsteady as the sea. When a storm rages, it can feel impossible to discern what’s up from what’s down—much less recognize God’s will.

In his letter to believers in Rome, where cultural trends were just as wobbly as ours are today, the apostle Paul wrote this:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 NIV

So how can you renew your mind with the right stuff? How can you test and approve God’s will? Here are a few ideas:

Keep listening. You can know the story of God and understand the heart of God by reading or listening to His Word. You’re more susceptible to lies when you do not know the truth. But when you’re anchored to Truth, lies lose their power.

Keep talking. As honest and raw as possible, keep talking to God throughout your day. Ask Him your hard questions, come to Him with your burdens, and worship Him for His goodness, as well as the goodness you see around you. Communication with your Creator keeps you anchored to your Creator.

Keep learning. You can stay curious while also filtering what kind of information you put into your mind. You can pay attention to what you’re watching, what you’re listening to, and who you’re allowing to speak into your life.

You can resist drifting by anchoring yourself to the Truth—the words that come from God Himself.

https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.12.2.NKJV