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

God Will Triumph Over Evil

 God Will Triumph Over Evil

Scripture Reading: Psalm 10:1-7

Focus Verse: 

Romans 8:28  says, “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

It’s a question that I, and millions of people have asked.  Why doesn’t God do something when evil people prosper, and righteous people suffer?  We have all seen situations like this.  Perhaps where someone steals something and it looks like they never get caught.  We have also seen situations where a good upstanding Christian has gone through great suffering with no end in sight.   And we think, "Where is God in all of this?  Does God even care what is going on?  What is God thinking?"

The heart of an evil doer will one day be exposed.  A liter of paint will not be able to hide the evil heart.  It will come to light one day.  When God is silent He is giving opportunity for repentance, but the opportunity will pass and one day come to a close.  That is when judgment will come.   The Lord will say, “depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." Luke 13:27   

Even those who have suffered for righteousness sake have been on the side of evil at one point in their lives.  The Bible says, “all have sinned.”  We were all guilty but now are cleansed in the blood of Jesus.  When going through suffering ultimately we must trust that God is sovereign and know that He is doing what is best.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  God has a plan He is working out.  We can’t always see the end of that plan, but we must trust that it is good.  Jesus triumphed over our sin at the cross.

God always triumphs over evil in the end.  

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

 

Additional reading:

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

Problems Have Purpose

Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-11

Focus Verse: Hebrews 10:36 "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." 

Our Bible reading tells us much about our problems and how to think about them, but first it tells us of our undeserved benefits of being made right in God's eyes through faith, peace, standing in privilege and the joy and confidence of looking forward to sharing God's Glory.  Then we learn of how we can actually rejoice when we run into problems because of the endurance, strength of character, confident hope of salvation and that the hope will not disappoint because God dearly loves us.

I went to an "Herbs as Natural Medicine" nursing seminar for education credits a few years back.  They taught me that the herbs that weren't watered regularly and underwent stress of weather and stress during growth would hold MORE beneficial properties for medicinal purposes!  The herbs that were perfectly cared for, and shielded from all harm, had LESS of the medicinal value.  

In the same way, when we have stress and problems in our lives, it may be a struggle, but if we stand in Christ, He will bring about value in our lives that we would not know without our struggle.  Maybe you have a medical problem, money problem, relationship problem, struggles at school or work or grief from losing someone you love. These things may feel like you aren't being cared for by God, but just like the herbs, God will bring you to have more value through your endurance. Maybe God will reveal to you some earthly purpose, but maybe not.  Even if we don't know the purpose when we are on earth, we have the promise of sharing God's Glory in Heaven.  This is how we can rejoice with hope!

~Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

With All Prayer

With All Prayer

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6
Focus verse: "with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" Ephesians 6:18

Do you ever wonder if prayer works?  Does it really make a difference?  Prayer is our connection to God!  God has planned for and ordained prayer and that He will work through our prayers.  The effective praying person will put on the armor of God before praying. (vs 10-17)  Another effective way to pray is to use scripture as you pray.  You can pray any time of day or night for as long or as short as you like.  Pray in all trials and joys of your life.  Pray for others.    An effective praying person knows how to pray in agreement with the scriptures, in the Spirit, watchful, alert, perseverant, devoted and by submitting their life to God.

Do you use all parts of prayer?  It is good in Kenya to start a conversation by a proper greeting of the other person and ask, "How is the day?", the family, the parents and the cows.  In the same way, you begin the prayer by greeting the heavenly father with some words of adoration and praise.  Such as God's faithfulness, creation, power, love, forgiveness, holiness and more.
Second, you can confess humbly who we are in our failures to live up to God's standard.  We remember our weakness, our sin, and we agree with God about it.  We can not do this life without God and we acknowledge it.
Third, we are to remember our blessings and be thankful to God for them.  Even in our trials, there are things to be thankful for.  Can you be thankful for your salvation, your family, your friends, your church, your country, your relationship with God and even we can thank God for the trials in our lives because of the growth that it brings (James 1:2-4)
Fourth, we will be bringing our petitions, our requests, to God.  This is prayer for others and for yourself.  God has asked us to bring our requests to Him. (Philippians 4:6)  There are three ways God can answer.  God might say, "No" if it is not the best thing for us or if we didn't ask according to the correct interpretation of scripture.  God may say "Yes" if our petition is based on God's principles and we are praying in the Spirit.  God may say, "Wait" when the timing isn't right.  We are always learning more of God's ways and the way He answers our prayers.  We can be sure that if we are in a right relationship with Him, that we are never alone and He always hears us.

Can you focus on prayer this week?  What part of prayer can you strengthen in your life?  Is it using all the parts?  Is it learning more of the scriptures?  Is it devoting more time to prayer?  Is it praying for others more often and faithfully?  Is it finding joy in your trials and having thankfulness?
"Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near."  Isaiah 55:6

~Page Johnson

Angels Around Us

Scripture Reading: Psalm 34

Focus Verse: Psalm 34:7

“For the angel of the Lord is a guard, he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”

Angels are mysterious beings.  With all the problems that go on in the world today it’s comforting to know that God has His angels watching over us.  The Bible does tell us quite a bit about angels.  But there is one story in the Bible about  angels that caught my attention.  Greg Laurie writes about this story:  

"The Book of Daniel gives us an interesting behind-the-scenes look at angelic involvement in the prayer lives of God’s people. The prophet was praying on one occasion, and immediately, his request was heard in Heaven, and an angel was dispatched with the answer. But while the angel was on his way to Daniel, an apparently high-ranking demon power opposed him.This angel sent from Heaven was unable to subdue this demon power, so the Lord called out one of the higher-ranking angels, Michael, and sent him to intervene and set the other angel free.  Meanwhile, Daniel wasn’t even aware of what was going on. All he knew was that he offered his prayer to God. But instead of getting an immediate answer, he waited and waited.  Sometimes, we pray for something that we believe is the will of God, something that we think God should do, and then we wait and wait. We might be praying for the salvation of a loved one, for physical healing, or for divine guidance.  Yet we hear no answer. And we falsely conclude that God isn’t listening. But we never know what is going on behind the scenes. There may be an angelic battle happening, even while we’re praying.  For twenty-one days, this angel was hindered, but finally, the praying prophet received an answer. This Old Testament account makes clear that delays are not necessarily denials. If something doesn’t happen as quickly as we would like it to, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t listening. It just may be that something else is happening.  We don’t know how many times angels intervene in our lives, getting us out of tight situations, protecting us from harm, and even speaking directly to us. They are indeed, as Billy Graham referred to them, God’s secret agents."

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Greg Laurie 

Harvest Ministries

Jesus is Our Example of Integrity

Scripture reading: Luke 4:1-13

Focus verse: Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus was tempted in every way as a man is. After He was baptized and full of the Holy Spirit, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert and fasted for 40 days.  He was tempted by Satan, but He remained resistant to every temptation and faithful to the Father.  Alone in the wilderness, hungry and weakened, He maintained integrity.  There was no corruption in Him, but a wholeness, perfection, uprightness, complete and honest.

Do you compare yourself to other people to decide if you are doing good?  Who is our only true example? As someone who has surrendered their life to Jesus, the Saviour, we are called to walk with Him as a child who is learning to walk like their father.  There is no true example of integrity than Jesus.  Luke 4:13 says that the devil ended every temptation.   Could it be that means that Jesus was tempted in every temptation ever to exist? According to our focus verse, it seems to be true.  Our Jesus, Lord and Saviour, knows about temptation and can sympathize with our weakness, though he never sinned.  He can teach us when we stumble how to resist the devil.

What kind of temptations have you faced?  Born Again Christians have the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness. Jesus has prayed for us (John 17) so we can have hope for sanctification (spiritual growth).  When we are tempted to do something corrupt, something sinful, we have the choice on our action.  Our failures should push us to seek the Lord.  The more we surrender all in Christ, the more He will mold us to be like Him. I pray that you will be strengthened in the Lord to walk in integrity.

Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Lasting Fruit Takes Time

Scripture Reading:  John 15:1-17

Focus Verse:  John 15:4  “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

Some things just take time.  Smart investors know that much time is needed to get a good return on your money after they have picked a good investment.  Those of you who have gardens, you know that you can’t plant seeds one day and the next day harvest the crops.  It takes time for the sun and the rain to do its work and for the crops to mature.

So often in our lives we get impatient.  We want things to happen immediately.   Some people may look for shortcuts to growing in their faith.  They want to be mature Christians the day after they receive salvation.  It doesn’t work that way.  A 5000 meter race is run by taking one step at a time over and over and over again until you reach the finish line.  If you want to be successful in your Christian life it will take a day after day commitment.  Fruit probably will not grow overnight, it will take time.  But after some weeks, months, and years you will see the spiritual fruit come.  Just as an investor checks on his investment and sees how his money has grown from where he started.

In John 15, Jesus talks about himself being the grapevine and us being the fruit.  Psalm 1 also says “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Galatians 5:22-23 refers to the fruits of the Spirit.  “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  Be faithful and patient because this may not happen as quickly as you would like.  Lasting fruit takes time.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Our Job Description

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

Focus Verses:  Matthew 28:18-20 

"Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Do you remember ever starting a new job?  The first thing you want to know about your new job is the job description.  You want to know what is going to be expected of you.  So you and your new boss or employer sit down together and he or she explains to you what you will be doing.

Jesus is doing much the same thing here in our scripture reading.  Jesus has been training His disciples for the past three years, and now He is reminding them of what they are to be doing.  Jesus is getting ready to go back to heaven, and He wants to be sure the disciples know what they are to be doing while He is gone.

If you are a follower of Jesus, He has given you the same job description.  His instructions are really quite simple.  You are to share the same good news that you heard when you believed in Jesus and wanted to follow Him.  So we are to share the Gospel and when someone accepts this good news then we are to disciple them or train them in how to follow Jesus.  You would be surprised that there are many Christians that have never told one person this good news.  Why would you not want to share with someone the best thing that has ever happened to you?  If you eat at a restaurant and the food is good, you will tell someone about your experience and how good the food was.  So of course we can tell others about Jesus!

Romans 10:14 says  “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

1 Peter 3:15 says we are to always be ready to share the hope that we have within us.  This is not Jesus' suggestion to us, it’s Jesus' command to us.  You know what your job description is, now let’s go do our job.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries 

Jesus Saves and Leads

Scripture reading: Acts 12:5-11 

Focus verse: Acts 12:7-9 – Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

A few weeks back I was travelling to the USA through Atlanta. This was my first trip through Atlanta Airport which is one of the worlds’ busiest Airports. I was already getting late for my connecting flight so I had to rush before my flight departed. Unfortunately, I found myself lost in the rush and couldn’t figure where my flight gate was located. After a few minutes of distress, I suddenly saw a lady dressed in a security uniform. I rushed to her and asked where gate T4, which was my departure gate. The lady realized that I seriously and quickly needed help, she kindly responded to me and told me to follow her. She walked with me past all other gates until we got to T4 just a few minutes before the close of boarding. I found peace in my heart and felt very relieved as I walked beside her. I was very thankful to her and felt in my heart that God sent his angel to come and save me and lead me out of the awkward situation.

Peter is put in jail bound with chains and put under guard of the soldiers. He had one night to live before Herod might kill him as he did to James, the brother of John. Suddenly, that night, God sent his angel to save Peter and release him from the jail. Light shone in the Jail at the appearance of the angel and the light struck Peter on the side. The angel raised up Peter and his chains fell off. He then led Peter through the soldiers and all jail gates until Peter was safe with his life. Then Peter realizes that surely God had sent his angel to come and deliver him. 

Salvation of Jesus takes one out of the chains and bondages of sins. It makes the chains fall off regardless of how strong the enemy has gotten hold of one’s life. God’s word is a light that can shine out hearts and make us be set free. But again, not only does Jesus save us from bondage of sin that has held us hostage; He also holds our hands and walks us out of the dangers that can stand in our way. He doesn’t save you and let you walk alone but navigates life challenges with you. Jesus is a true friend, He will lead his children out of any danger and will ensure that they are safely delivered to the Father.   

Eliazar Wambo Nyakwadah

Director Bethesda Faith Ministries & Pastor Makira Baptist church

Israel Has Been Attacked - Are We Nearing The End?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:1-14

Focus Verse: Matthew 24:14   “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then the end will come.”

Maybe you have seen in the news that a bloody war has been going on between Israel and Iran. Knowing that Iran's government wants Israel wiped out and Iran's leaders have been sending groups of attacks into Israel, Israel has been hitting targets inside of Iran and countless bombs and missiles have been going back and forth and there are reports of nuclear bomb building in Iran.  The USA has been helping Israel defend itself from incoming Iranian missiles.  Now,  it looks like the United States is weighing whether to be involved in this war in a bigger way.  

This is not Israel's first battle. Israel has been persecuted by many countries that surround it - Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah just to name a few.  Some Bible scholars said that the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967 was the beginning of the end of the world.  Whenever the bombs are launched at Israel people start asking “is the end near?”  And the answer can be “yes”.   Jesus could return at any time.  There is nothing else on the prophetic calendar that needs to happen for Christ to return. He could come at any moment and no one can know when.  Let us not be so focused on when Jesus is returning.  Are you ready?  In our focus verse Jesus said “the Good News of the Gospel will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it.  And then the end will come.  So let us be busy telling the Good News of the Gospel to everyone that has never heard. Then the end will come.  

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20   "Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   So, yes we are nearing the end of time, and have been getting closer ever since Jesus walked on the earth.  When we see these wars going on, and earthquakes happening it should remind us to endure with Christ and continue sharing the Good News of the Gospel.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

World, Self or God?

Bible Reading: Romans 12

Focus verse: Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 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.”

I can serve one master. What's your priority? Satan doesn't try to get you to worship him. He wants you to focus on self. Make yourself a priority and it makes Satan win. Or you could hyper fixate on all the things Satan is doing in your life or in the world's problems, meditate in the turmoil that he is causing which is -- a crafty way to worship the Devil.  

If you are caught in that trap, look up. Luke 21:28, "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Look to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

Isaiah 45:22-24 says "“Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.

I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall take an oath.

He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come,
And all shall be ashamed
Who are incensed against Him."

Surrender:
James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Luke 9:23, “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

WE must, as Christians, see ourselves rightly as God sees us, and see the world events through God's directions. He will give you rest.

~Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Unanswered Prayers

Unanswered Prayers

Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44

Focus Verse: John 11:11  “Then He said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

Have you ever prayed a prayer, maybe even the same prayer for a long time?  And did it seem like God was not listening?  I can imagine this is how Mary and Martha must have felt.  They sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus did nothing to help Lazarus get well.  Then we read that Lazarus died from his illness.  Mary and Martha must have felt that Jesus had let them down.  Many times when hardships and difficulties happen to us we ask “where is God?  Why didn’t He do something?"  It looked like Jesus had forgotten about His friends, but really He was planning one of His greatest miracles.

Several things we should remember when we think our prayers are unanswered.  First, God’s timing is always perfect.  He’s never late, and He’s never early, He’s always right on time.  Secondly, Jesus identifies with us.  He knows how we feel.  Hebrews 4:15 says,  “Jesus faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”  and Hebrews 12:2 says that he endured the cross, despising shame.  Jesus experienced sorrow and pain. And third, God is all powerful.  He is in control of everything in our lives.  2 Corinthians 12:9 This should give us great peace and comfort in our times of trouble.

You see Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come to heal Lazarus, but Jesus wanted to do something much more spectacular.  Jesus waited in order to raise Lazarus from the dead, so in order to do that He had to let Lazarus die.  When Lazarus walked out of that tomb after being dead for four days, God received a lot of glory and praise!  Let’s remember that God answers prayer in three ways: yes, no, and wait.  And the wait answer is always followed by a yes or no.  So don’t be discouraged, there are really no unanswered prayers.  We just need to be patient, and see what God is up to.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Built to Last

Built to Last 

Scripture Reading:  Ephesians 2:11-22

Focus Verse: Ephesians 2:21  The whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

This Christian community of friends around us is built to last, because we will be with these people for all eternity.  Keep in mind we will have perfect bodies once we get to heaven.  Let's look at what Paul has to say about building a strong Christian community that will last.

There were some problems between the Gentiles and Jews described in verses 11-13.  But Paul wants to bring these groups together in a peaceful way.  Paul says in verse 14 that Christ has broken down the wall of separation between man and God.  This also breaks the wall of separation between all believers.  This is very important to understand because when Christians are divided it is a bad testimony to the outside community.

Christ himself is our peace through the cross.  As members of Christ's body we are fitted together like bricks of a building.  We are strong and growing when we are interlocked together.  When we are separated we make ourselves weak and vulnerable to attack from the enemy.

I like to think of it like a building.  A good caretaker will maintain a building.  He will see problems when they are small and make repairs before they get big.  This is how we can maintain a strong Christian community that is built to last.  Let us be strong together for Christ.  Let Christ Jesus be the mortar that brings us together to build the strong body of Christ.  You can't control the actions of others, but as far as yourself, you can control your reactions.  God bless you as you grow strong together.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

God's Cell Phone

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:5-18

Focus Verse: John 17:20-21(Jesus prayed) "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.   I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."

     Do you ever talk to God? Do you really know what prayer is? Do you know there are some things that you must know in order for God to answer His cell phone?
God really doesn’t have a cell phone, but the Bible tells us a lot about prayer. 

     First of all, prayer has two parts. One is that we talk to God either by word of mouth or by our thoughts. The second is that God talks to us through reading the Bible.

    Who can pray? The answer is that everyone can pray. However there are limitations for some people. If some praying people are not children of God, Luke 18:13 says that the only prayer that God hears from them is “God be merciful to me a sinner”.  If you are a child of God as described in John 1:12 which says, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” you have the right to come to God at any time and ask for anything.

     God answers our prayers in three ways. The first is Yes. The second is No. The third is to wait a while. God knows what is best for us.

     Recently, I came across a very special verse in John 17:9 which says that Jesus prays for us. If Jesus thinks prayer is important, shouldn’t we?  

~Rev. Bob Johnson, Jr

Opportunities to Learn and Grow

Bible reading: Daniel 1:3-20
Focus verse: Daniel 1:18-20 “At the end of time set by the king to bring them in, the chief officials presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked to them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hannania, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Testing is one of the ways in which learning is evaluated. Each day we are presented with opportunities to learn and grow in new ideas and we have the chance to better our understanding of the word of God. Daniel together with his three other friends are taken into a ten day learning experience and to be presented for testing after ten days. They refuse to defile their bodies with food and drinks that were not holy and pure before God but accept to take only what will please God. At the end of ten days the testing results show that they are ten times better than the other people.

Ten times better in ten days! Isn’t that encouraging.  Not nine times, or eight times, or five times better in ten days. This means each day was an opportunity for them to grow and they did not miss any single opportunity. Imagine if believers would grow in their faith and understanding and service of God each day. The result could be a well varied difference between the world and believers. For some of us, it would be thousands of times better than the world given the number of days we have lived as God’s own children. But is that the truth or we are mixed into the world so that barely any difference is seen regardless of the number of days we have lived as God’s children. Have we grown in proportion to our life spent with God? 2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word truth.  Avoid godless character, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.   

Take opportunities to learn and grow.

Pastor Eliazar Wambo
Makira Baptist Church – Mfangano Kenya

Easter Changed Everything

 Easter Changed Everything

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 28:1-10

Focus Verses: Matthew 28:5-7  "Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.  And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead.”

Focus Verses: Matthew 28:5-7  "Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.  And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead.”

Let us imagine for a moment that after three days in the grave Jesus' body continued to lay in the grave. The stone was never rolled back from the door of the grave.  If this had happened we would have no hope of salvation.  We would have no hope of our sins being forgiven.  We would have no hope of heaven.  

Sunday morning changed everything.  We know that the stone was rolled away from the grave.  We know that Jesus did come out of that grave and he lives!  We know that God has power over death and the grave.  And that changes everything for us.  We have hope because we serve a risen Jesus not a dead Jesus.  The love that God has for us is what put Jesus on that cross.  I don’t think we can imagine the pain and suffering that Jesus went through because of our sins.

After Jesus' resurrection the disciples knew everything that had happened was true because they were willing to die because of the testimony of what they had seen.  And the resurrection of Jesus can change your life too.  The Bible says that after the two women visited the empty grave, the angel told them to go quickly and tell the disciples the good news.  We have now also been given a task to do.  We are to share the good news of the Gospel with others that don’t know that Jesus is alive.  Let us share this hope that we have because Easter has changed everything!

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

A Great Conversation

 A Great Conversation

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

Focus Verse:

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.  " Colossians 4: 2-6

The last few verses in the book of Matthew are called “The Great Commission”.  This is a command that Jesus gave His followers before returning to heaven.  Jesus’ command is that we tell the Gospel (good news) to others and disciple them.  That means after we share the good news with them and they accept Christ, we disciple them by teaching them how to live the Christian life.  This is not complicated.  As we go about our daily lives we share what Christ has done in our lives with others as the opportunity arises.  Not everybody we talk to will accept our message, but that’s okay we are just being obedient to do what Jesus asked us to do.

A few years ago, my daughter, Tamara, had opportunities to speak with a person named Tom about Jesus at a coffee shop several times for a few weeks.  He told her that he doesn’t know where to begin reading the Bible.  Tamara suggested that he start with the book of John since this tells a lot about the life of Jesus.  We can pray for Tom that God would open his eyes to the Salvation that God wants to bring into his life.  

 

You can be obedient to what Jesus has asked us to do by starting a conversation with someone you meet as you are going about your business, whether it's at a coffee shop, the lake, the market or at school.   Luke 15:7 says,  “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away.”  When someone accepts Christ you will experience a great blessing in your life and there will be joy in heaven for this one lost sinner that repents and turns to God.  

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

 

Pursuing Happiness

 Pursuing Happiness 

Scripture Reading: Mark 8:31-38

Focus Verse: Mark 8:35  “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

Have you ever seen someone take a picture of themselves with their phone?  That’s called a “selfie”.  Some people have put themselves in very dangerous positions to get the photo that they want, and many have died taking selfies.  For example:  Someone decided they want a photo of themselves with a lion in the background and the lion attacks them.  Today people are so obsessed with themselves they are willing to risk their lives to make themselves look great among their friends.

The Bible has predicted this selfish period of time we are living in.  This is one of the signs that we are living in the last days.  2 Timothy 3:1-2 says, “In the last days there will be very difficult times.  For people will love only themselves and their money.  They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.  They will consider nothing sacred.”  I am seeing a lot of what these two verses are talking about.

People who are only thinking of themselves are generally unhappy.  The harder you chase happiness, the less satisfied you become. I have found in my own life that when I’m thinking of myself too much, that’s when I need to do something for someone else.  Focusing on God and others can help to bring my life back into balance.  Jesus said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”  Mark 8:35

I think Jesus is telling us that if you get your priorities in order and find God's purpose for your life, then you will find fulfillment in your life.  It’s okay to want to be happy, but when that is your focus it will escape you.  You will only find true happiness when you put God first and follow Him.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

We Live To Please God

We Live To Please God

Scripture Reading:  Romans 8:5-8

Focus Verse:  Romans 8:5   “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”

Many people struggle to obey what’s written in the Bible. Some people may think they can earn God’s favor through acts of kindness and church attendance but they still can't seem to stop sinning.  Sinful thoughts usually result in sinful actions if you don't push them away when they come.  If you want to live a life pleasing to God, Paul the author of Romans says the first step is to control what you think about. Romans 8 lets us know that we can live a pure life and please God.  When you come into a relationship with Jesus, God gives you the power over sin. The desires of the world can be very strong, and only God can give you the power to resist this pull.

Paul many times referred to himself as a slave of his master who is Christ.  We know that Christ loves us so much, and that’s what makes us want to obey Him.  If we don’t completely surrender our lives to Him, then it is impossible to live a pure life and our sinful nature will continue to take control of us.  But God wants us to serve Him not out of fear but out of love and gratitude.  The closeness through our relationship with God will give us the motivation and power to live a life that is pleasing to God. The Spirit of God can help us resist the thoughts by focusing on Him.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries