God, Where Is The Good?

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:18-30

Focus Verse: Romans 8:28  “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.” NLT

Romans 8:28 has always been a hard verse for me to understand.  If I were to plan out my own life I would not have planned everything the way it has gone.  And perhaps you would not have planned everything in your life the way it has gone either.  This verse has a very strong promise written here.  The promise is that God makes everything to work for our good.  But, the verse also says that if we want this to qualify for this promise,  then we must love God and be called by God for His purpose.  Another thing to notice about this verse is that God does not promise we will see the good.  We may not fully realize how good the plan is that God has for us until we get to heaven.

I’m reading in the news today about a strong Christian family that just had their oldest daughter murdered.  She was in college studying to be a nurse because she loved people and wanted to help people.  Where is the good in this?  I don’t know how God will bring good out of this situation, but this verse in Romans promises that He will.  I’m reading testimony by the parents of this young girl that was murdered a few days ago and it is obvious that they have a very strong faith in God, and they believe Jesus will help get them through this senseless tragedy.

 

Let these parents of this girl be an example to us to walk so close to God that we could weather a storm like this.  Even when we can’t see the good in all of life's circumstances, David reminds us of another promise of God in Psalm 23:4  “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”  Let’s remember just because we can’t see God doesn’t mean He’s not here.  God is always present in our lives working out the good for us even when we can’t see it.  That is real faith.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Don't Separate

Bible Reading:  Matthew 19:1-12
Focus Verse: Hebrews 3:8  "Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness."

Jesus had just finished teaching about how to handle a brother’s sin against you and how much we should forgive.  I don’t think it’s an accident that that is covered just before marriage.  Forgiveness is needed regularly in any marriage based on our nature to sin.  The Pharisees came to test him and asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”  Jesus replied that from the beginning, God created them male and female to be united as one.  God joins them together and man should not separate.  There was a concession given by Moses for marital unfaithfulness, but only because of the hardness of their hearts.  He said it wasn’t that way in the beginning.  Jesus went so far as to call it adultery if someone divorces and remarries for any reason other than that. 

There is a beautiful trinity in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  At the end of each day of creation, God said it was good.  After He created Man and Woman, he said it was “Very good!”  Why this difference?  We are not like the animals.  Marriage is a reflection of the unity found in the trinity.  Jesus many times said that the “Father and I are one”.  Now he says that man and wife will become one.  We are to honor that commitment. 

After saying this, it stands to reason that you should be careful and prayerful as you choose the person you will marry.  I remember when I was in High School that I made a list of the qualities that I was looking for in a husband.  I then rated them in priority.  Sure, we can get swept up in emotional love, but the lasting marriage takes commitment.  Remember how I started this devotion?  It was about forgiveness.  It really works.  Be sure that when you marry, you both are committed for life!  Begin now by praying about the person that you will marry.  Pray for that person as they walk with Christ.  If you are married, pray for your spouse and seek to build the unity between you through becoming closer to Christ together.  Pray together,  read God's word together and serve God together.

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Plan Your Escape

 Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Focus Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:13  “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.”

I had a dog named Mia. Sometimes when I was with her, she would see a wild animal in the bush.  Then she wanted to chase it, so I kept her on the rope.  But even though she knew I wouldn't let her chase it, she continued to look at the wild animal and that only made her want to chase it more.  If I used the rope to take her in the opposite direction, she would be back to normal.  That reminds me of how temptation is in our lives.  We see the sin.  Satan tempts us to want it.  If we continue to look at it, the temptation becomes even more difficult to resist. 

When you are tempted to do what is wrong, remove yourself from the temptation.  God has promised you a way out.  So get your eyes off the temptation, and start looking for the escape route God has promised for you.  Joseph in the Bible was being seduced by a woman.  We read in Genesis that he didn’t look twice, instead he pointed his feet in the opposite direction and ran.  Some things to remember when being tempted:

• The Word of God is our first defense. 
• Sometimes fleeing is the only way to resist.  
• Remember we are in a fight, a spiritual battle.  
• Fellowship with the right kind of people, not people that will drag you down.  
• Follow Jesus example, when He said “Get behind Me, Satan.”   
• Remember, the way you live does matter, so plan your escape.

Remember verse 12 as a warning, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall."

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

God's Spirit Over Darkness

Scripture: Genesis 1
Focus verse: Genesis 1:2-3 "The earth was without form, and void; and the darkness was on the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light” and there was light."

     There is a great darkness hanging all over the globe today. The fear of death is taking control in many hearts and nobody is certain about what will happen the next day. People are glued to the media and there is a common fear of uncertainty all over the world. Doctors are overwhelmed and health facilities are overstretched. The economy is collapsing and people are losing jobs. It’s no longer business as usual. It’s a dark time that nobody would wish to have again. Our leaders are losing focus and so is the direction that nations are taking. Things appear formless and what we see is absolute panic.
     However, God’s word in Genesis reminds us of total darkness that covered the surface of the universe. The word of God tells that there was total darkness. I believe if that kind of darkness was to happen today there would be more danger than the present calamity. Can we imagine a darkness with not a single light in the entire world?  Not even the lights from the stars and any other heavenly bodies. I bet that’s something we can’t contain. God allowed that same darkness to cover the surface of the earth for three hours as Jesus hanged on the cross, Matthew 27:45. The Bible in Genesis tells us that in that total darkness, the spirit of God was hovering and taking control of all things, having authority and not being hindered by anything.
     We could be going through a time of darkness but the spirit of God is moving and God is still in control. He finally declared that there was light and the whole world had light. We know that God’s power to move and work is not hindered by any form of darkness. No matter what life brings today, God can still declare light where there is darkness, life where there is death, healing where there is sickness and strength where there is weakness. The Lord is in control no matter how close days of darkness hangs from us.

     As Paul states in Romans 8:1 – 18, For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  Our God is so faithful.

Pastor Eliazar Wambo
Bethesda Faith Ministries
partnered with Interlocking Ministries

Simple and Powerful

Scripture Reading:  1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Focus Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:1  Paul speaking, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.”

Paul writes in our Bible passage that he wants to forget anything, to forget any of his own strength, forget to speak in a clever way, but to just focus on speaking about Jesus, God's plan! He knew that it was important to trust in God's power and not human wisdom.

 

I have preached many messages in Kenya over the last 23 years.  The comment that I hear most often about my preaching is how my message is simple, easy to understand, and powerful. The Gospel is not complicated, and we should not make it sound complicated to the listener. The Gospel message consists of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  It takes faith to believe this.  Sometimes it’s easier for a child to accept this message than for an adult because of the faith that is needed.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

Although the Gospel message is simple it is also very powerful because of the Holy Spirit.  In Romans 1:16 Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.”  When I think of power I think of large storms, or earthquakes.  There is great power when God is at work.  Remember there is great power in the simple message of the Gospel.  There is power in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Don’t be ashamed of this message, but proclaim it boldly and keep it simple and true.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Walking in the New Year

Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1

Focus Verse:  “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 1:2

We are just a month into the new year and we feel like it's a fresh start!  We can look back on the last year and look forward to the next year.  What do you see as you look back?  We can see our world changing culturally, politically, financially and medically.  Maybe we see some hardships, sin, pain, loss, struggles and discouragement.  Maybe we see  joy, blessings, new relationships, God's handiwork and spiritual growth.  Most likely, there's a combination of the two and we see some good and some bad.  In life, we will always have trials and blessings.  In all these things, as a follower in Christ, we are not alone!

In light of this, how do we move forward this year?  The scripture in 2 Peter chapter 1 tells us that we can have a supernatural peace that can multiply into more and more, even in the midst of our storms and a God who rejoices when we look to Him.  We also read in v. 4 that we can share his divine nature and have the power to escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. We can have His strength to live for Him and walk in His ways.  Verse 5-6 teaches us how to take steps for our faith to grow.  Read over that again as you make your plans for this year.  And lastly, we should pay close attention to what the scripture says!  The scripture was not written out of any of man's ideas or thoughts, but the very heart of God.  We must study God's Word so that we can not be swayed by the clever words and sweet drip of a false preacher.  Verse 19 says of God's Word, the Bible, that we "must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place". 

We also pray "May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord."

Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Questions For Christians

 Questions For Christians

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

Focus Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:23  “You say, "I am allowed to do anything but not everything is good for you."  You say, "I am allowed to do anything but not everything is beneficial.”

What is the Apostle Paul saying in our focus verse?  There are some activities for a Christian that fall into gray areas. Some activities might be permissible but does it help you to grow as a Christian?  You can tell a lot about someone that calls themselves a Christian by the questions that they ask.  They might ask, “can I still be a Christian and do _____?  It sounds to me like they are asking “how close to sin can I get and still be a Christian?”  Maybe a better question is “how far can I get away from sin?” We don't have to earn our salvation, however we shouldn't trample on the grace of God.  We need to seek God's wisdom in these things.

Maybe you are wondering about an activity that you would like to participate in.  Here are four questions that you could ask yourself:  

1. Does this activity build me up spiritually?  In other words will this activity help you grow as a Christian?  Could it be likely to cause me to move away from God and his will for me?

2.  What does your conscience say about it?  Do you have an uneasy conscience about it?  

3.  If you do this activity and another Christian sees you could it make them stumble in their faith?  We need to be sensitive about what others see us doing.  

4.  Could this activity take control of you?  Example, alcohol has the ability to control you.  Don’t do anything that has the ability to control you above God’s control in your life.  

 

Would you yield to God’s desires in your life, seek in the Bible to know Him and have a passion to walk with Him and obey Him?

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries