In My Father’s House
Introduction: Three little boys were bragging about their fathers; One said, “my daddy can run faster than your daddy”! Another said, “my daddy is stronger than your daddy”!! The third boy said, “my daddy can beat up your daddy”!!! To which the other boy said, “So WHAT. My MAMA can beat up my Daddy!!!!”
A little girl was asked in Sunday School to explain what the Bible was all about she replied,
God the Father “THOUGHT it “!
God the Son “BROUGHT it”!
God the Holy Spirit “WROUGHT it”!
The devil “FOUGHT it”!
But thank God I “CAUGHT it”!
While not all were blessed to have a loving earthly father (even though this writer was), all who put their faith in the God of the Bible can experience our heavenly FATHER’S PEACE, PRESENCE and POWER.
1. Our FATHER has a CURE for a TROUBLED HEART! (John 14:1)
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
What causes heart trouble?
• loneliness
• selfishness
• sinfulness
2. Our FATHER has a NEW HOME for the citizens of Heaven! (John 14:2)
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.”
The word “mansions” is μονή (mon-ay’), which means lodging, dwelling-place, room, or abode.
According to book of Revelation, the NEW JERUSALEM (heaven) is going to be absolutely breathtaking! Listen to the description:
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11Having the glory of God…..16And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. {approx 1500 miles by 1500 miles x 1500 miles- cube shape} And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones….21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls…and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21).
3. Our FATHER knows the HOUR when He will send His Son -Jesus- to come back to earth! (John 14:3)
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
In the Olivet discourse recorded in the twenty fourth chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus foretells His disciples what
will happen before, during and after the time of Jacob’s trouble otherwise known as the seven year tribulation.
In regards to His second coming (not the rapture), He lets them know that only His Father knows the hour.
“36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
Lucifer’s Fall
Introduction: What sin cost one of the highest and most beautiful angels his position in heaven? Pride. Arrogance. The Big SELF! This description of his attempt to be like the most high God can be found in two biblical passages.
1. His “I Will’s! (Isa 14:12-15)
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
While Isaiah’s passage refers to a proud Babylonian ruler, a transition was made by the Holy Spirit to describe a fallen angel named Lucifer not the human Babylonian ruler.
Did you notice the progression? Lucifer wanted to ….”ascend to heaven, exalt his throne above the stars, to sit upon the mount of the congregation, and ultimately be like the most high.”
However, his desires were interrupted by a sovereign God. Instead, he was ejected out of Heaven. The God of the Bible would not allow him to usurp over His authority.
2. His Iniquity! (Ezek 28:11-19)
“11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 12Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”
Here again, this passage refers to the king of Tyre; however, the king of Tyre was never in the Garden of Eden (verse 13). The indictment was “iniquity” (v. 15). Evidently, Lucifer was beautiful. But because of his beauty, he was lifted up with pride (v. 17). Consequently, God cast him down to the 1st heaven.
What a lesson for us to learn!
Conclusion: It appears that 1/3 of the angels fell with Lucifer. They are called evil angels. But remember 2/3 did not fall. They are called elect angels. Angels are all around us.
Pride vs Humility
Introduction: Truthfully, have you ever thought more highly of yourself than you ought to… your accomplishments, your family, job, money, spiritual knowledge or possessions? Probably so. Most of us have, unfortunately!
But the opposite of self-righteous pride is humility. In our devotion today, a prideful man robs God of the glory He deserves and pays a high price.
1. Who was Herod Agrippa 1? (Acts 12:20)
Here is a quote from Wikipedia:
“Agrippa I (Hebrew: אגריפס), was the last Jewish king of Judea. He was a grandson of Herod the Great and the father of Herod Agrippa II, the last known king from the Herodian dynasty. He was acquaintance or friend of Roman emperors and even played crucial roles in internal Roman politics.”
Needless to say, he was a politician – a prideful one at that.
2. Herod makes a public speech. (Acts 12:21)
“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.”
The word “oration” is δημηγορέω: (day-may-gor-eh’-o), which means to make a public speech, address a multitude.
3. Peer pressure and pride was his downfall! (Acts 12:22)
“And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.”
No doubt this stroked his ego. But much like when a balloon is overinflated and ultimately burst, Herod Agrippa was overinflated with self gratification.
4. Like a balloon that bursts, Herod’s egotistical self-dependency and glorying in the flesh came to an abrupt end! (Acts 12:23)
“And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
God will not share His glory with another.
Conclusion: The conclusion remains today. Either we give God the glory or we rob Him of His rightful praise. Which is it going be today for you and me?
How Great is Our God
Introduction: Do you ever wonder how smart (wise) the God of the Bible is? One look at Psalm 139 gives the believer some details concerning the attributes of God.
1. He is all knowing! (Psa 139:1-6)
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”
This text reveals that God knows all about us. Since He does, then what does that mean to you? Hopefully it leads us to love Him and trust Him.
2. He is everywhere! (Psa 139:7-12)
“7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
There is not anywhere that God is not there. That implies that He knows where we are located. That means we cannot hide from the Lord like Adam did. Have you ever been ashamed and attempted to hide from our Heavenly Father? It is no use!
3. He made us! (Psa 139:13-18)
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”
Bottom line: Since God made us, we should yield our life to Him. God has every right to rule our life. He has our best interest in mind.
Witnessing and Winning
1. Winning the lost takes PRAYER! (Acts 4:31)
“31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
2.Winning the lost takes Power! (Acts 1:8)
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
3. Winning the lost takes PURPOSE! (Luke 19:10; 2Cor 5:14-20)
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
4. Winning the lost will entail PRIZES! (1Thess 2:19)
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 20For ye are our glory and joy.”
A National Crisis in America and Israel
Introduction: Have you heard of the new – most conservative – right wing government in Israel’s history? The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has put together a somewhat unified but opposed cabinet. A conservative Jewish man named Itamar Ben Gvir has already shaken the Islamic world by going up on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. His role as minister of police and security will be to restore the occupation settlement expansion in the West Bank, otherwise known as Judea and Samaria. However, the Biden administration is adamantly opposed to this move. Why? Because of the liberal agenda in favor of the Palestinians. But what is important to remember is that God gave Israel that land, and instructed them not to give it away!
Meanwhile in America, we are becoming more and more an anti CHRISTian nation; God have mercy!
1. Israel (Joshua – Judges) God instructed Joshua to DRIVE out the inhabitants of the land. Otherwise, they would adopt their heathen practices; i.e. worship of idols, intermarry and be influenced by their CULTURE. Sound familiar? Open your eyes. This is slowly eroding America’s Foundation. Is it irreversible? Where are we headed? What should we do? Truthfully, the Word of God has warned us about these days and what is to come. And at the same time, there is HOPE! Jesus Christ will return for His Church during days like this. Next, He will judge the world and usher in His kingdom! We are called to serve the Lord with His power in the midst of this perverse generation.
The Great Red Dragon’s Futile Attempt
Introduction: The devil has always hated Jesus Christ. Being the master deceiver and accuser, he attacks Israel attempting to devour the Savior of the world. One can trace his plots in Revelation 12.
How To Be Remembered
Introduction: How are you going to be REMEMBERED? This great Psalm gives us at least 4 ways to be Remembered.
1. Remembered by our FOCUS! (Psa 91:1)
“1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Where is your focus? Do you need to refocus? Our Lord allows UTURNS!
2. Remembered by our FAITH! (Psa 91:2)
“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
Have Faith in God! He’s on His throne!!
3. Remembered by our FIGHT! (Psa 91:3-10)
“3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”
What are you willing to fight for?
*Testimony
* Family
* Ministry
* Legacy
4. Remembered by our FREEDOM! (Psa 91:11-16)
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
What a great Word! Jesus Christ redeems those who put their faith and trust in Him. Through His precious blood our sins are forgiven and forgotten!
Battles & Blessings
Introduction: Have you ever faced a GIANT? This devotion reveals that our God can overcome Giants. (Gen 14:1f)
1. The biblical narrative begins with 4 Babylonian KINGS probably located around Iraq and Iran. One particular king from Elam was named Chedorlaomer. He seemed to be the leader.
2. There were 5 other Canaanite Kings which were located around the Dead Sea. After twelve long years of paying tribute to Chedolaomer, the 5 Canaanite Kings rebelled.
3. In the fourteenth year, the 4 Babylonian Kings traveled south and fought against the 5 Canaanite Kings.
4. Meanwhile, the King of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah tried to help the 5 Canaanite kings but were overtaken. In fact, Lot, Abraham’s nephew and his family were in Sodom at the time. They were taken as POW’s.
5. Abraham gathered and trained 318 men for war. During the night time, they made a surprise attack on the 4 Babylonian Kings who were located in the northern part of Israel near Damascus. Abraham rescued his nephew Lot and his family.
6. The King of Salem named Melchizedek went out to meet and BLESS Abraham.
Gen 14:18-20 – “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
Conclusion: Some Battles are meant for the soldiers of the cross. Our brothers and sisters make bad decisions like Lot. But truthfully we all mess up at times. As believers in Jesus Christ we are called to go and rescue those taken captive by the devil. Will you answer the call?
Feel Like Fainting
Introduction: Someone has said that it is not the “sharks” that kill you instead, it is the minnows that nibble you to death”! Well anyway, the burdens and hardships of life can make us feel like fainting. Especially the things that we cannot control. We read in Proverbs 24:10, these words,
“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”
Wow! What a challenge! This is a great verse to ponder when you are facing a lot of stress and pressure.
1. Did you notice the words, ” If thou FAINT in the day of adversity”? (Prov 24:10)
The word “faint” is רָפָה, (raw-faw’), which means to sink. Peter sank. Why? He took his eyes off Jesus. Are your eyes on Him?
2. Did you notice the words, ” If thou FAINT in the day of adversity”? (Prov 24:10)
The word “adversity” is צָרָה: (tsaw-raw’), which means straits, distress. At times, honestly, we feel stressed out. Or at other times, we feel in distress, which means extreme anxiety, or sorrow. Are you anxious? Worried? Lonely? Sorrowful? Remember. We have a refuge and shelter in Jesus Christ. Whether you are in distress because of unconfessed sin or uncontrollable circumstances, either way, we can find Peace and Security in our Lord.
3. Did you notice the words, “If thou FAINT in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small”? (Prov 24:10)
Compared to the strength of our Lord, our strength is always small. But with His Holy Spirit our strength can reach supernatural heights. Will you tap into His strength today?
Conclusion: Confession time. There have been times in probably all of our CHRISTian pilgrimage that we’ve felt like fainting. But on the other hand, with Jesus Christ as our power source who has faced adversity, hostility,and agony, and yet with victory, we can overcome and keep from fainting. Are you facing hard times today? Turn to Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Triumph in Jesus. He will keep you from “fainting” when things get rough! His peace, and promises along with His presence, gives us strength to carry on! Amen!!