Maturing as a Christian

Maturing as a Christian

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Focus Verse:  Psalm 119:71 "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes."

As soon as a baby is born it begins a path to maturity but that path is not always easy.  A baby must learn to eat as soon as it's born.  A baby must learn to walk but it will fall many times as it learns.  A child can't understand why the parent says "no".   As it gets older there is learning to read, work math and protecting a garden from the monkeys.  There is much to learn about life on the path to maturity.

In the same way, a Christian must mature.  As Christians our goal is to mature in Christ and that path is not always easy either.  We can face many trials emotionally, spiritually and physically.  This week it was reported in the LA Times that there were over 500 tornadoes in the central United States. There are many people around the world going through a very difficult time for a variety of reasons.  It is hard to understand why we must have struggles, but God is working out His plan.  He knows the circumstances in every single life, and He knows what is best.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."    Therefore, for those people who are Christians, maybe God wants them to mature in their faith through their struggles or have their neighbor come to Christ by watching their faith.  For others who do not know Christ, God may use this storm to bring them to salvation.

No matter what we are going through, we can be at peace knowing that God sees every detail of what is happening in our lives.  He is with us, loving us.  He will not allow anything that He can not work out for the ultimate good.  So the next time you are in a difficult situation look for ways that God may want you to mature in your faith.  God always has a purpose for everything.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

A Greedy Prophet And A Talking Donkey

 A Greedy Prophet And A Talking Donkey

Scripture Reading: Numbers 22:7-34

Focus Verse Numbers 22:28-30  "Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before? No, Balaam admitted.”

Balaam was a prophet and he was asked by King Balak to place a curse on Israel in exchange for money.  But Balaam told him three times that God did not want him to do that. But Balaam was greedy for gold so he went ahead with the plan.  As he was traveling on his donkey to curse Israel an angel of the Lord stood in their way.  The donkey could see the angel but Balaam could not.  Then God allowed the donkey to speak to Balaam to help him see the error of his way.

Greed will make people do some crazy things.  Even Christians can have a problem with greed.  When we get our eyes off the Lord and on to our material possessions.  Sometimes we can see all that God has blessed us with and then we want more money, more possessions, more things.  The problem comes when our love for the Lord is replaced with our love for money and things.  Everything we have can be taken away from us in an instant.  When we leave this earth one day we won’t take any of it with us.  If you ever have an animal start talking to you, you better listen because maybe God is trying to tell you something. More likely, the Holy Spirit will impress it on your heart, but you won't realize it if your desire for selfish things is bigger than your desire for the Lord.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

How Are You Spending Your Life?

 How Are You Spending Your Life?

Scripture Reading: James 4:13-17

Focus Verses: James 4:13-14

"Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.  How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog. It's here a little while, then it’s gone.”

I’ve met some people, even Christians and they tell me their plans for their life like God has no say in what they are going to do.  Apparently they are not familiar with the verse in John 15:5 where Jesus said, “without Me you can do nothing.  We are dependent on God for our very next breath, and our very next heart beat.  Yes it’s good to plan for the future, but we should be in the mindset that we make plans and they will come to pass if it is God’s will.

God has the days numbered for every person on earth.  You may be in perfect health, but you could die today.  I see people living their lives like they are going to live on this earth forever.  The truth is they will live forever but not on this earth.  Every person will live forever in heaven or hell. That is our choice.

Life passes by quickly.  I will have a birthday next month when I turn 65 years old.  It seems like the older I get the faster the years go by.  Our focus verse says our life is like the morning fog.  It’s here and then it’s gone.  How are you spending your life?  For the majority of my life I have chosen to tell others about Christ. Some people listen and some don’t.  That’s what I’ll do until I leave this earth.  There is really nothing more important that I could do because the eternal destiny of every person hangs in the balance. Do something wise with your life and tell someone about Jesus.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Love Your Enemies

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:43-48

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:43-44

“You have heard the law that says, love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.”

In Jesus sermon on the mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7 we can learn most everything we need to know about our relationship with God and with others.  In our passage Jesus is saying that we should love our enemies.  That might sound really strange.  To love our enemies means that we need to forgive our enemies.  Do you know doctors will tell you that if you refuse to forgive someone it can be bad for your health.  It can give you high blood pressure, depression, problems with anger, stress and anxiety.  If you spend any time on social media you will see that there is a lack of forgiveness.  Maybe you find it even within your own community, church, family or even your own heart.

 

If you are a Christian then Christ has forgiven you, so you should be able to forgive others.  Sometimes it’s really hard to forgive someone when they have wronged you.  Try praying for them and for yourself that God would help you to forgive them for the wrong they have done to you.  There are stories in the Bible of forgiveness.  Remember how Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him.  Then when Joseph saw his brothers in Egypt years later he treated them with kindness and loved them.  There's another story: Stephen was the first Christian martyr in the New Testament  and he prayed for those who were stoning him.  Jesus is the best example.  As He was hanging on the cross, He prayed to God and said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

God can help you to love, pray and do good to those that want to do you harm.  Let’s love our enemies, and this kindness may bring them into a closer relationship with God.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

The Choice is Yours

 The Choice Is Yours

Scripture Reading: Joshua 24:14-28

Focus Verse: Joshua 24:15  " But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

In America this week we will vote to elect a new President.  The two candidates and their values are very different and for me the choice is clear who I will vote for.  What if I went to vote and I decided I wanted to vote for both candidates?  My vote would be disqualified, and my vote would not count.

There are people today that live their lives as if they vote for God and the world.  And this does not work.  You must choose.  You can’t sit on the fence trying to live for both.  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”  

Every person makes a choice.  You will either make a choice for the gods of this world and what the world has to offer,  or  you will choose to serve God Almighty the one true God in heaven.  The choice cannot be more clear.  And you must choose.  Maybe you're saying you won’t make a decision, you’re not going to choose.  That in itself is a decision to choose the world.  And that decision will leave you separated from God for all eternity.  Don’t make that decision.  The choice is yours, choose The One True God and serve Him.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Can Anyone Be Saved?

Can Anyone Be Saved?

 Scripture Reading: Acts 26:9-18

Focus Verse: Acts 26:9  “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.”

I went to a conference where our speaker shared some of his testimony on how he came to Jesus.  He mentioned how he was involved in drugs, alcohol and sexual misconduct before his salvation.  As I listened I thought how unlikely it seemed that he would come to Jesus and be saved. 

 

All of us can probably think of someone that we know who is unlikely to become a Christian. Our scripture reading today is about one of those people.  The apostle Paul was actually chasing down Jesus followers, putting Christians in jail, having them punished and voting for their death. A very unlikely person to become a Christian!  But then he had an encounter with Jesus as he was traveling on the road and that changed his life forever. Jesus appointed him to be His servant and witness so that people would turn from darkness to light.

You might say you don’t have a testimony of being saved from all kinds of rough sins like drugs, theft, and murder.  If you’re a born again Christian, it doesn't matter if you had big sins or small sins, you have a powerful testimony of how you came to Jesus.  Your testimony is not about "you", but it's about God's saving grace in your life.  There is someone out there who needs to hear your testimony of how you came to Jesus!  Who knows, but they may be the most unlikely to be saved.

 

  Lastly, I want to answer the question asked at the beginning of this devotion.  YES, anyone can be saved, but only through the grace of God through Jesus and a repentant heart toward God.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Holding On

 Holding On

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 13:1-4

Focus Verse: Deuteronomy 13:4  “Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone.  Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.”
 

How can we think rightly about what our life is supposed to be for.  We really count on a lot of things around us, but some things can fail us. What are some things that you depend on in your life?  

We all depend on the sun to rise each morning.  We depend on gravity to hold us here on the earth.  Maybe you would say you depend on your job, or you depend on your money, or your government.  Do you depend on God as much as you depend on these other things?  

This world is always changing. Just like shifting sand at the beach, the waves move the sand around and it is not secure.  Nothing in this world is 100% dependable.  But God has never changed, and He never will.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  His love and mercy for us is never changing, no matter how we change.  God is my Rock and he wants you to put your anchor into the rock that can never move.  God will never let you go.  There is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of Christ.  So hold on to the things that never change in this world, God and His Word.  Our focus on Him can keep us secure from getting wrecked or lost.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries