Happiness Comes From Holiness

Scripture Reading:  Philippians 3:7-9

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ  and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

Sometimes when people share how they came to Christ, they talk about all the things they gave up to follow Christ, almost like they are bragging.  Maybe they gave up drugs, sex, alcohol, stealing, etc.  Although I thank the Lord I didn’t become an alcoholic and even though I didn't have an impressive list of sins, I did recognize myself as a sinner in need of a Savior. Everyone of us are selfish sinners.  Sinners are people who are looking for happiness in many different things, but only Jesus can bring true joy and satisfaction through a life lived in holiness.  The values of this world are worthless compared to knowing Jesus.  He is our greatest gain and a treasure indeed.

The apostle Paul says that everything in this world that he once felt was so important he now called it worthless compared to knowing Christ.  Paul was super religious and such a rule follower, but now realizes that it was worthless compared to knowing Jesus as His Lord. Instead of Paul trusting in his own efforts, Jesus cleansed him from sins, to walk in paths of righteousness. Paul found his happiness in Jesus Christ and through a life lived through faith.    The Bible says in Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless.”  In other words, those who are blameless.  Happiness is not our goal, but it is a result of living a life of faith.  God cleansed us for holy living as we follow Christ.  And the more we live His way, we will experience the joy, hope, purpose and true happiness that God wants us to have.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Who are you crying to?

 Scripture Reading: Psalm 55

Focus Verse: Psalm 55:2  Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

In this Psalm David has come to the "end of his rope", as we like to say, because there is nothing left for him to hold on to in this world.  He is letting the Lord know how he feels.  We all go through times in our lives when we don’t know where else to turn.  God wants to be the one you turn to.  Just like any loving parent, God want to be the one to help, when you have nowhere else to turn.  He has promised He would never leave us or forsake us.  Sometimes God will allow us to get to that point where we can only turn to Him.  We may try to fix our situation by going to many different people or  places.  We may even doubt God, His love, or His power to help.  We must go to God anyway because He can help you, and he wants to help you.  Your problems are never bigger than God.  God will meet you where you are and help you to overcome.   So cry out to Him in your time of need.  He will hear you, and He will do something about your situation. 

"Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Serving God's Purpose

Written by Greg Laurie

 One of the most maddening moments in the Garden of Gethsemane came when Jesus’ enemies finally arrived to arrest Him. Leading the way was Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed the Lord. According to Luke 22:47, “Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss” (NLT).

The obvious question is “Why?” Judas Iscariot had followed Jesus for three years. He had listened to the Lord’s teachings. He had witnessed miracle after miracle. He had watched Jesus expose the hypocrisy of the very people he conspired with to betray Him.

So, why did Judas do it? The closest we get to an answer in Scripture is Luke 22:3, which says, “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot” (NLT).

But that only leads to another obvious question. Why does God allow Satan to exist? In Job 1:7, Satan says, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on” (NLT). But he’s not a passive observer. He’s looking for trouble. He’s looking for lives to ruin. He’s looking for saints to stumble.

So, why does God allow him to carry on? Why doesn’t the Lord just take him out, as He could in a nanosecond? You might be surprised to learn that Satan, in his own twisted way, serves the purposes of God.

Consider how he unwittingly played a major role in the cross of Christ. In his enduring hatred for God’s Son, Satan thought it would be a great idea to have Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten within an inch of His life, and then crucified and put to death on a Roman cross.

Everything went according to Satan’s plan. As Jesus told the mob who came to apprehend Him, “But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53 NLT).

The power of darkness did indeed reign that day, and Satan’s plan succeeded. But so did the plan of God. What the evil one didn’t realize was that it was God’s plan all along that the Messiah would die for the sins of the world. In the prophecy of Isaiah, we’re told, “It was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:10 NIV).

Unaware that he was making the biggest blunder since his rebellion against God, Satan played into the plan and purpose of God when, in his rage and hatred, he prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (see Zechariah 11:12–13).

Satan’s “best shot” against God and the people of God was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And in that act, he not only unwittingly sealed his own doom, but he also opened the door for Jesus to offer redemption and salvation to the whole world.

Remember, then, if you hold on to God and trust Him through the dark times, Satan’s best shots against you also will end up working for your good—and God’s glory.

Reflection Question: What is an example from your life when God used Satan’s attacks against you for your good and His glory? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

The Purpose of the Church

 Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 

Focus verses: "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
  
What is the church?
The church, also known in scripture as “the body of Christ” (Colossians 1:24, Ephesians 5:23), it is not the building we gather in on Sunday morning, although that is what we often think of when we consider the church. The church is made up of the believers in Christ, those who believe that Jesus Christ came to earth and died for our sins, and trust Him as the way to receive forgiveness for the sins we have committed, so that we can have a relationship with God. Together we encourage one another as we go through life, build each other up as we seek to follow Christ. 

What is the purpose of the church?
Ultimately our purpose is to glorify God with our lives (1 Corinthians 10:23-33). As the church our role is to bring glory to God. As we see in our main reading that we are not each given the same role, we have different purposes within the body. The Lord has given each of us different personalities, skills, talents and spiritual gifts. When we compare ourselves to others we tend to get discouraged because we might get jealous of someone else’s gifts and not be happy with our own (v. 15-16). Instead we see that not everyone can be an eye (v. 17) we each have our own strengths to bring to the body of Christ. In the same way we should also be careful not to think of our gifts as better than the gifts of someone else (v. 22-23). What we as humans might consider as insignificant could be the most honorable. We need to make sure that we as the body of Christ are not divided (v. 25). There needs to be respect for one another, if there are any arguments we need to make sure we are not holding a grudge towards any believers. It is important that we remember that they are human too, they make mistakes just like you, we should be quick to forgive one another. If we are distracted with hatred towards one another this keeps us from fulfilling our purpose as the body of Christ. Our purpose is to suffer together and to rejoice together, we are the church so we don’t have to go through life alone, we need one another (v. 26). God has given each of us a different role so instead of getting jealous we need to learn what our gifts are and to use them to give God the glory. If you are unsure of what your spiritual gift is you can ask someone who knows you well that is a spiritual leader over you, maybe a parent, your youth pastor or a close friend. 

Pray:
God thank you for creating us differently and for a purpose. Help me to recognize the spiritual gifts you have given me. Show me how I can use these gifts to glorify you Lord. Help me to use the gifts to encourage other believers and in sharing the gospel with those who don’t have a relationship with you. Remind me that you have given me different gifts for a reason and that you would keep me from being jealous of others’ gifts. I love you Lord. Amen. 

written by Haley Kinsman

 

POST NOTE: Will you meet with believers regularly no matter if it's two hundred or just two or three?    Meet together to fellowship, read scripture, worship, testify and pray. 

God’s Purpose For You

Scripture Reading: Esther 4

Focus Verses: Esther 4:13-14  “Mordecai sent this reply to Esther, "Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed.  If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.  Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

The story of Esther was brought to my attention recently.  Throughout the Bible God has used specific people for specific purposes and tasks.  And the book of Esther is a perfect example of that.  As a Jewish orphan, who lived with her uncle, Esther's life changed dramatically because she was found to be a beautiful woman.  She and other beautiful women were brought to the palace of the king.  After the King was so delighted with her, he chose her to be queen.  There was a plot to have all the Jews killed, and Esther was a Jew, but the king didn't know.  Esther risked her life to come before the king to ask him to save the Jews from this plot, which he did.  This was a brave thing Esther did, because she could have been killed for coming before the king like she did.  But she knew this was the right thing to do to save the lives of many Jews.

God has a specific purpose for each one of us.  Maybe He hasn’t called you to save the lives of a group of people, but He has a specific plan and purpose for your life, that’s why He created you.  God doesn’t create something or someone without a specific purpose.  Have you ever considered this?  God didn’t create you to live in the years of the 1600's or the 1800’s.  God created you to live for such a time as this.  He has something for you to do now, big or small.  God has you living now because He has some unique ways that you are qualified to make a difference in His Kingdom now.  So get busy and do what He’s calling you to do.  If you’re having trouble understanding God’s calling on your life maybe you should talk with a trusted Christian friend or pastor to help you understand the purpose God has for you.  God does have something specific He wants you to do.  And if you don’t do it God will find someone else to do it.  Just like if Esther did not go to the king on behalf of the Jews, then God would find another way to save them.  So find out the purpose God has for you and get busy.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

God’s Battle, Not Ours

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 17: 32-51

Focus Verse: 1 Samuel 17: 47   “And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues His people, but not with sword and spear.  This is the Lord’s battle, and He will give you to us!”

I think the story of David and Goliath was the first Bible story that I learned as a child.  And the first Bible that I ever owned was given to me by my grandmother.  I remember there was a picture in that Bible of David with his sling battling Goliath.

Humanly speaking there is no way that David should have been able to kill Goliath.  Goliath was taller than David, and stronger than David.  But David had one advantage that cannot be overlooked.  David was on God's side.  No matter how many people are opposing you, and no matter how big they are, if you are on God's side, you will always have victory in the end.  That’s why David said “this is the Lord’s battle.”  He knew he could not defeat this giant in his own strength.  God used David in this way because he was humble.

What is the giant you are facing today?  Alcohol, drugs, lust, pride, stealing, etc.  The list of things Satan can use against us is long and he will mock us like Goliath mocked God's people..  As children of The King we need to recognize this is not our battle, this is God’s battle.  Part of the strategy to winning this battle is recognizing that we cannot win on our own strength.  We can only win with God’s help.  Satan knows his time is limited, and he will do everything in his power to kill and destroy you.  But we can have the confidence that David had.  He said to Goliath before the battle even started, verse 45 “you come to me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. verse 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head.”  Then God did this through David.  And now God wants you to give the battles you face to Him just like David did.  It’s not our battle, it’s God’s.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Respecting Poor Authority

Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 24

Focus verse: 1 Samuel 24:5-6  " Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.  And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”"
also: Ephesians 6:5 "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;"

David had been anointed by Samuel the priest to be the next king (1 Samuel 16).  He would rule after king Saul died.  David knew how to wait and patiently honored his king, his authority.  This was not always easy for him.  King Saul was often depressed and had a troubling spirit ever since he disobeyed God (1 Samuel 15).  Once, he threw a spear at David as he played music for the king. (1 Samuel 18:10-11) He even spent time hunting David down.  This is what was going on when we read 1 Samuel 24.

David could have easily killed Saul and become king, but he chose to cut off a piece of his robe.  Even this action caused David regret.  David knew the Lord would want him to have total respect for authority, even though the King was doing a poor job and even though the King was hunting him to kill him.

David's life is a good example of how we can obey and respect authority that we don't agree with or think is wrong.  I am not responsible for how our authority behaves, but I am responsible for how I react and respect that authority.  Pray that God will give you the grace and mercy to respect and obey the authority that has been placed over you.

Author's note: Realize that this is not talking about following a leader that prevents you from obeying God's commands or leads you into sin.  This does not include false prophets either. That is a different subject.  You might also like reading Romans 13 that relates to authority.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Praying or Sleeping?

 Praying or Sleeping?

Focus scripture Mark 14:32-41

Focus verse: Psalm 48:8 "But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life."
  
Jesus knew the events that were to come. He knew he was to be arrested, beaten, mocked, subjected to public humiliation and be nailed on the cross. In all these, he decided he would remain humble in prayers for only God’s will to happen. He knew the importance of combined prayers, so he took three of his disciples to go with him so that they would watch and pray with him. He instructed them to sit and watch in prayers with him as he drew himself a little distance. Luke 22:44, records that the Lord’s anguish overwhelmed him so that his sweat fell on the ground like blood.
One thing that catches attention in this passage is how the three disciples failed to pray with Jesus at that hard and painful moment of His life. It’s quite hard to imagine that in one night Jesus had to wake them three times but still not even one of them stayed awake. The Lord was in deep sorrow and needed prayers from people that he had loved and served. Though he felt deserted in this anguish, he wanted their company and prayers from friends. 

Our personal challenges can make us feel like we are deserted by everyone. We can find ourselves in situations of sorrow. Our tears have always needed somebody to stand with us in encouragement. Our marriages have suffered wounds so that we see nothing pleasant in them and need prayers of healing. We have been badly affected by sicknesses so that we feel like we are losing hope. Yes, we have to admit that this is the life of a Christian, but there is hope in prayer! 

We often tell friends to stand with us in prayers. Sometimes we remind them about the need to pray with us more and more. We commit to pray, but surely have you been praying? Some will find themselves so tired in the physical so that they forget to pray. Did you ever receive a prayer request from a trusted friend, or relative or anyone who needed our prayers? Did we ever accept that we would pray with them? What have we done since they reminded us to continue praying for them? How often do we pray for those who need our prayers?

Equally, those who are in problems must not stop praying because they have told friends to pray with them. Jesus did not stop even when he found the disciples sleeping instead of praying. Yes, we need to have trusted friends who can faithfully pray with us. Jesus had some, do you have one?

Eliazar Wambo
Director of Bethesda Faith Ministries & Repairer Christian School

The Devil Doesn’t Make You Sin

Scripture Reading: James 1:2-18

Focus Verses: James 1:13-15 “And Remember when you are being tempted, do not say, God is tempting me.  God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.  Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

It is human nature to blame others for something we have done wrong.  And it all started back in the Garden of Eden.  Adam blamed Eve for his sin, and Eve blamed the serpent (the devil) for her sin.  It’s always easiest to blame someone else for our mistakes than to take responsibility for our own actions.  What Adam was really doing was blaming God.  He told God if you hadn’t given me the woman then I wouldn’t have sinned.  Then Eve tried a different approach, she said “the devil made me do it.”  That excuse didn’t work either, because the devil can’t make you do anything.  He can tempt you, but it’s your own evil desires that cause you to take what the devil is offering.  

Eve was responsible for her own sin, and Adam was responsible for his own sin.  And we are responsible for our own sin also, no matter what the circumstances of the temptation.  God always provides a way out as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

If we try to blame others for our sin, then we miss the opportunity for repentance to ask God’s forgiveness for that sin.  God has promised in 1 John 1:9 “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”   So the next time you see yourself in a mess of sin you have committed, don’t blame others for your wrongdoing.  Deal with it by confessing it to God and thanking Him for His forgiveness, and then you can have a fresh start.

Bobby Johnson 
Interlocking Ministries

Head or Heart Knowledge?

Scripture Reading: Romans 10

Focus Verses: Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Some people don’t realize it, but there is a big difference between having head knowledge about God and having faith in God in your heart.  If you know facts about God that is totally different than having faith in God.  You could actually miss heaven by 45 centimeters.  That’s the distance between your head and your heart.

Maybe you’ve got all the facts about God in your head, but you have never repented (turned away from) your sins and accepted by faith (complete trust) in Jesus.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says by faith you are saved, not what you know or what you have done.  You can speak the Christian language, go to church, be a kind person, give money to the poor and not really be saved.  You can fool others and maybe even fool yourself, but you can’t fool God.  He can see right through a fake relationship with Him.  The question is, have you ever been transformed through God’s saving power through Jesus Christ?

Isaiah 29:13 “The Lord says, These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."  Don’t resist yielding to God with all the head knowledge that you may have of Him.  He wants you to come to Jesus with a childlike faith and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

If you never have humbled yourself, bow your head now.  Ask forgiveness of your sins in humble repentance, and accept Him into your life as Lord and Savior.  John 3:3 Jesus said, “except a man is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Additional reading for assurance of salvation.  1 John 5:13 Are you placing your complete hopes on Jesus or yourself?  Colossians 3:12 You also have a new nature that brings new desires; godly desires.  That's how you know.

Courage to Stand

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4

Focus Verse: 1 Peter 4:14 
"If you are reproached for the name of Christ, Blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you.  On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

Throughout history many Christians have been persecuted for their faith.  Today we still hear of Christians mistreated in so many countries.  God gives a special grace and courage during these times.  These people are unwilling to deny Jesus, and unwilling to turn away from the One who has changed their lives.  Some would say "what a tragedy that a person had to die for their faith."  In reality we are all going to die one day.  What an honor to die for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Not that I desire to die today, but I would much rather die that way, than to die living for myself.  Those who have died for their faith not only knew how to live well, but knew how to die well.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:28  "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Jesus' disciples understood this, because many of them were killed for their faith.

You may not be sure if you could face persecution like that.  But if God allowed you to be put in that situation, then he WOULD give you the strength to endure it.  As Christians we know that this earth is not our home.  Jesus is preparing us a home where we will live forever.  Not just any home, but a perfect home in heaven.  As children of God we have much to look forward to.  I hope that you can say that you are living well, and also some day you will die well.

Bobby Johnson

director, Interlocking Ministries

Storms We Encounter

 Storms We Encounter

Scripture Reading:  Mark 4: 35-41

Focus Verses:  Mark 4: 35-37. “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,  " Let's cross to the other side of the lake."  So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).  But soon a fierce storm came up.  High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.”

We can all encounter a type of storm in our lives. This week my first cousin had to have brain surgery to remove a tumor on her brain.  This is a storm in her life that she never expected to happen.  She is born again and is trusting God. We prayed for her, and God answered, and she survived the surgery and seems to be recovering well. We continue to pray for her, her husband and two boys as they go through this storm.

In our scripture reading the disciples also encountered a storm that they weren’t expecting.  This story tells us how God is in control of even the worst of circumstances we find ourselves in.  Some of these disciples were very experienced fishermen, and I’m sure they had seen bad storms before.  But this one was really bad because they feared for their very lives that they might drown.

Even though Jesus was asleep in the boat, He was fully aware of the storm and the situation the disciples were in.  And Jesus is now also aware of the storms you may be going through right now.  And Jesus will answer when He hears your call for help, just as he did for the disciples.  Jesus didn’t prevent the storm, but He calmed the storm.  Sometimes God will allow our storms to get so severe that we can do nothing except call on God for relief.  We are all going to face hardships in this life.  But we take comfort in knowing that God is in the storm with us.  Life is not always smooth sailing, but God is there with us.  

Paul said in Philippians 1:6  “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”   Storms will come, and storms will go, but God is always with us.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Give Them Something to Eat

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-20 

Focus verse: Matthew 14:16 – “They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.” We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. “Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said. 

Have you ever felt like that the task before you is too big for you to handle?Have you ever felt that unless you get external support you cannot move? Did you ever come to a point where all that surrounds you is not enough?What do you do or where do you run to when you are faced with inadequacy?  

Jesus has just finished teaching more than five thousand people and it is getting late in the evening. The disciples are concerned about the crowd, they are hungry and they need to have something to eat. All that is available is a small amount of money and a small lunch (two fish and five loaves of bread) from a lad. The disciples advise Jesus to send the people away so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the nearby town. Then ironically, Jesus tells them not to send the people away but instead they need to give them something to eat. How is it possible? Two fish and five loaves of bread! Then Jesus said, “Bring them to me.”

Service to the Kingdom of God is all sufficient. God is not just concerned about our spiritual lives but also our physical needs. He cannot meet our spiritual needs and then send us out to the world to fetch for our physical needs. All that we need for our lives God has provided. We don’t need to send the people out to go and look for their needs but we can trust God to provide in His own ways even when what we have seems not enough. Our “not enough” is more than enough when we surrender it to the hands of God. Believers are not beggars from the world, our God is able to provide for all our needs much more than we think or ask. The task may seem too huge, but the God we carry is Mighty in power. Ours is to give thanks, trust and believe that He will be able to handle each situation.

 

Rev. Eliazar Wambo Nyakwadah

Pastor Makira Baptist Church

True Worshipper

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-8

Focus Verse: Matthew 2:8  “Then he told them, Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child.  And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I may go and worship him also.”

The Christmas season brings some people to church that don’t normally go to church.  Maybe they also go during Easter.  Would we call these people “true worshippers”?  Probably not, because there is not a pattern in their life of worship to God.  In reality every person is a worshipper.  The question is what or who do you worship?  The list of things or people we could worship is long.  People might worship money, celebrities, sports, houses, vehicles, self, job, or nature etc.  Romans 1:25 says,  “They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!”  

In our focus verse we see that King Herod was a false worshipper.  He pretended to be a worshipper.  There are people like him today.  They say they believe in God, but the life they live is far from what the Bible teaches.  He didn’t want to worship Jesus, he wanted to kill him.  Because Jesus was a threat to his own kingdom.  Maybe you’re not looking to kill Jesus, but you know that you are not a true worshipper either.  Herod wanted to be king of his own life. Philippians 2:9-10 says this about King Jesus, " Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." God gives us a choice. What is the object of your worship?  This Christmas let’s make sure we are true worshippers in the One true God.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

We Can Have Great Joy

 We Can Have Great Joy

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-20

Focus Verses: Luke 2:10-12  “But the angel reassured them. Don’t be afraid! he said. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign.  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

This Christmas will look different for our family.  Within the past few months both my wife’s parents have passed away.  Sometimes we go through a season of life that is hard.  The very first Christmas was a hard time for Israel.  Israel was being controlled by Rome, and the future was uncertain.  

Maybe you are going through a hard time in your life right now.  Maybe you’re going through an illness, or the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a job.  The angel’s message to the shepherds can be to you as well.  “Don’t be afraid, I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”  Luke 2:10   Christmas is a cause for joy.  Not just on Christmas day, but for our whole lives, because Jesus came to save us for all eternity.  It can be hard to find joy sometimes on this earth because we are surrounded by troubles, but we can have great joy because this earth is not all there is.  

Heaven is waiting for those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus.  Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.  There is a reason we can have great joy this Christmas, and His name is Jesus.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries  

A Friend Who Never Leaves You

 A Friend Who Never Leaves You

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Focus Verse Deuteronomy 31:6  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you."

I have noticed as I go through life that I have friendships and relationships of different levels with people.  Some close friends and some distant friends.  Sometimes we may feel lonely because we don't put forth an effort to be a friend to others.  Have you gone through a hard time and you had one friend who would stick with you and encourage you but another friend was not checking with you about your life.  There is a friend who will never leave you.  The very best friend is God. He offers his relationship to you through Jesus.

Relationships are made stronger by the time and effort we put into the relationship.  God wants us to put time and effort into our relationship with Him.  As a result, He said that He would never leave us.  Even though we may do things that displease Him, He still will never leave us.  Just as a wayward child that displeases his parents, he is still their child.  We can never do anything that would make God turn His back on us and quit loving us.  He also loves us so much that we can't do more good to make Him love us more.  What a great comfort for us as God's children in knowing that Hebrews 13:5 will always be true.  "Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you." Nothing changes God's love toward you. 

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

A Warning For Christians

 A Warning For Christians

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:1-7

Focus Verses: Revelation 2:4-5  “But I have this complaint against you.  You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!  Look how far you have fallen!  Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.  If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”

I heard a story of a man who did a lot of exercise.  He did weight lifting, and running to get his body in the best physical shape.  And to look at him you could tell he would eat all the best foods and you could see all his muscles and could tell he did all this exercise.  Then one day he died of a heart attack.  He did all this exercise but he had a bad heart.

In our scripture reading there is a warning about our spiritual health.  You may look good on the outside, go to church, help your neighbor in need, and do all these good things.  But on the inside you’ve got a problem; you have lost your first love.  The church in Ephesus had left their first love.  Satan will say to you “God has put all these restrictions on you so your life is no longer fun.”  You may be tempted, but God's Word has guidelines to protect us.  Maybe you have built a fence on your compound and your children say “I want to play outside the fence” but you know it is dangerous outside the fence because of a busy road or dangerous animals.  Even more than a good earthly father, God always knows best. 

Jesus said in John 10:10  “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”  A rich and satisfied life is a life where we joyfully serve Christ, have a passion for the Gospel, and a hunger for God’s Word.  These are all indications that we have not lost our first love.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Choose The Right Path

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:1-18

Focus Verses Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

We make hundreds of choices everyday.  Many of those choices are not that important.  When getting dressed in the morning you may decide to wear red socks.  That’s a choice that is not very important.  Some of you reading this devotion have made the decision of who you will marry. Now that is a very important decision that will have an impact on the rest of your life.  I’m thankful that the Lord helped me make the right decision in who to marry.

Some people say “just follow your heart in making decisions.”  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?”  Following your heart is a bad idea.  Our focus verses tell us to trust in the Lord and not to depend on our own understanding.  When we seek His will for our lives He will show us the right way.  Why is God able to help us make better decisions than we can for ourselves?  Because God knows the future and we don't.  God knows what the outcome of every decision is.  No matter how much you think you know about life, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  So God wants to help us make choices that will benefit us and not to harm us.  God’s path, even if it's a challenging path,  will lead us to an abundant life in Him.  That’s why we need to put our trust in Him and not our heart that can lead us astray.  So let’s choose the right path in asking God to give us wisdom in our choices.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Are You A Salty Christian

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:13  “You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”

The sermon on the mount was a collection of many messages by Jesus.  In these verses, Jesus was talking about salt.  In Jesus' day salt was so valuable that sometimes people were even paid with salt instead of money.  When there was no refrigeration it was a challenge to keep meat from rotting, so salt was used to preserve the meat to keep it from spoiling. This is still a method used today.

It is true that if you are going to be an effective Christian you will need to be a salty Christian. How are we called "the salt of the earth"?  Today in the world I see a society that is spoiling.  Sin in this world is causing rot or evil to spread, but a salty Christian can speak out against such evil and help rescue those who are trapped by it.  Salty Christians can spread the gospel and teachings of Jesus to be the cure in our culture today.

Salt also creates thirst.  I love to eat country ham biscuits.  The ham is salt cured (preserved), so after I eat one I’m very thirsty.  A salty Christian is going to stimulate a thirst in others to know God!  1 Peter 3:15 says, “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”  Are you living as a salty Christian?  This world needs to see Jesus through you.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Godly Advice & Encouragement

 Bible Reading: Hebrews 13

Focus verse: "You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God." Hebrews 3:13

I hope you read Hebrews 13 slowly.  The end of Hebrews was full of Godly advice and encouragement.  Everyone should find something there for growth.  Maybe we are so wrapped up in our own problems that we have ignored the needs of others.  Maybe we have forgotten to be thankful toward those who mentored us in our faith.  There is a lot of great advice in that chapter as the author, thought to be Paul, concludes the letter.  Like a loving father he gave a lot of great advice for living the Christian life.  From topics of hospitality, marriage, money, fear, leaders, sacrifice, to living honorably, he reminds them of their position.

I don't want to say too much, but read through Hebrews 13 again.  We all need to be reminded of God's truth so that we won't be deceived by the lies of the enemy.  It is the role of Christ followers to exhort, or remind others of the ways of the Lord in a loving way.

As a believer, we are given the position of God's child.  As a believer, we should also behave like God's child and remember even in verse 9, to be aware of strange ideas that aren't biblical. 

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries