Todays Devotions Morning December 13 Jeremiah 14:13-15 (NIV) 13But I said, Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place. 14Then the LORD said to me, The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. 15Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, No sword or famine will touch this land. Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. There will always be false prophets among us. It was a problem throughout the Old Testament. The comparable problem in the days of the New Testament is the false teacher (2 Peter 2:1). They preached the delusions of their own minds, just as the prophets of old spoke the delusions of their minds. The church is plagued by these characters today. Every time one of them gives a time frame or a date, carefully note it on the calendar along with their prediction. When they prove not to be true, you know they are sharing their own delusions. They seem to have a supernatural insight into what you want to hear, so it is enticing to believe them without question. The Apostle Paul warns us to weigh carefully what is said (1 Corinthians 14:29). If it is appealing to you, take extra caution. If it exalts you, if it causes you to consider yourself above others, red flags should go up. False prophets know how to appeal to your ego and insecurities. By their fruit you shall know them (Matthew 7:20). Are they willing to share their life of sacrifice and service, or are they greedy for gain and honor. Are they secret about their use of their time and finances? A servant will be like his Master. Are they like Jesus or are they cunningly like the Deceiver? They are storing up wrath for the Day of Judgment. Meditation: If they do not speak according to the Word, there is no light in them. Evening December 13 1 John 1:1-2, 5 (NIV) 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. John was writing decades after he saw Jesus ascend into heaven. During that time, strange beliefs and theories about Jesus had sprung up. One of them was the thought that Jesus was not a physical being, but an apparition. John knew it was important for Christians to understand that Jesus became a man. They heard Him with their ears, saw Him with their eyes, and touched Him with their hands. He was the Word of life made flesh. He was forever with God. He is Eternal Life. He was manifested so that we could know the love of God. It is important to understand that as a man, He took back what Adam gave up in the Garden. By living a perfect life, He became the perfect sacrifice who could take our sins because He had none of His own to die for. The Seed of the woman crushed the authority of Satan and took back dominion over the earth. God is light! He does not have some hidden darkness within His character. There are no secret attributes that would make us shudder. There is absolutely nothing of darkness in Him. He is utterly holy. He is love. He has nothing to hide. What a God! It is not possible to imagine a more perfect God. Meditation: God, in all His perfection, became a human being, in order that you could enter the Light of Eternal Life. Let Him purge all darkness from your life as you enter into Him.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:01:33 +0000
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