The Prophets

Everyone who asks for God’s help gets it

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:17:14 +0000

With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this-heart and soul-will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.” (Romans 10:10-13 MSG)

The veil is torn

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:56:17 +0000

January 29

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
Mark 15:38

In rending the massive veil in the Temple which kept everyone but the high priest from going into the Holy of Holies where the shekinah — the visible presence of God — dwelt, the Father declared, ‘Open House! You can come boldly into My presence anytime you want because the price has been paid once and for all.’

This grace is free, but it’s not cheap. It cost Jesus everything to open the way to the Father. Therefore, don’t sew the veil back up, gang, with legalism, rules, regulations, or expectations. Don’t feel as though you must prove something to God before you can come into His presence to present your petitions or to enjoy His fellowship.

Believers do this in subtle ways, like saying, ‘Before we can enter into the glory of God, we must spend time praising Him.’ Not true. The way is open. Nothing else remains to be done. Am I discounting the importance of praise? Of course not. Praise allows us to be refreshed in our knowledge of Who the Lord is and what He’s done. While the Lord is indeed enthroned upon the praises of His people, praise is not a prerequisite to fellowship. Neither is confession.

As valid as both of these elements are, we can come boldly into the presence of God not because of our ability to articulate confession or express praise, but solely because of what Jesus did on Calvary.

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book “A Days Journey” by Pastor Jon. “A Days Journey” is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testament. If you would like your own copy of “A Days Journey” you may click here to go to the SearchLight Store

Trust God to do it

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:38:53 +0000

Say the welcoming word to God-”Jesus is my Master”-embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. (Romans 10:9 MSG)

The intended way of change is when we let the messiah do it- Jesus

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:31:02 +0000

I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God-but they are doing everything exactly backwards. They don’t seem to realize that this comprehensive setting-things-right that is salvation is God’s business, and a most flourishing business it is. Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it. The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. (Romans 10:2-4 MSG)

Religion gets in the way…

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:23:15 +0000

How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. (Romans 9:30-32 MSG)

he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:18:27 +0000

Isaiah maintained this same emphasis: If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered and the sum labeled “chosen of God,” They’d be numbers still, not names; salvation comes by personal selection. God doesn’t count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus. (Romans 9:27, 28 MSG)

God transforms nobodies into His children

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:13:01 +0000

Hosea put it well: I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re calling you “God’s living children.” (Romans 9:25, 26 MSG)

Compassion comes from God’s mercy

abrentisart — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:08:54 +0000

God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. (Romans 9:15, 16 MSG)

True humility is always the result of true intimacy with Jesus Christ.

abrentisart — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:34:33 +0000

Daily Devotional
January 28
And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?
Mark 14:18-19

Only a few days previously, the disciples had argued over who was the greatest (Mark 9:34). At that time Jesus was not in their midst. Like the disciples, whenever Jesus is not in our midst, we start arguing over our position, our importance, our greatness.

But now, in the presence of Jesus, their attitude changes radically. They’re not asking ‘Who’s the greatest?’ They’re asking, ‘Will I be the one to deny You?’

True humility is always the result of true intimacy with Jesus Christ. If I am close to the Lord at any given moment, rather than boasting of my greatness, I’ll be aware of my weakness and His graciousness.

‘Woe unto you,’ said Isaiah the prophet to all of the nations round about Israel in Chapters 1-5 of the book which bears his name. But when he saw the Lord high and lifted up, he said, ‘Woe is me,’ (Isaiah 6:5).

If we are those who are either overtly or secretly saying, ‘Woe to you; woe to you; woe to you,’ it’s probably because we haven’t seen the Lord as clearly as we should, for once we see Him, we see how sinful and unworthy we are ourselves and find ourselves joining the disciples in asking, ‘Is it I, Lord? Could I be the one who sells You out? Could I be the one who turns my back? Could I be the one who walks away?’

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book “A Days Journey” by Pastor Jon. “A Days Journey” is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testament.If you would like your own copy of “A Days Journey” you may click here to go to the SearchLight Store.

The Word speaks

abrentisart — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:05:18 +0000

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)