A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

THERE WILL NOT BE A DEVOTIONAL TODAY

I WILL BE ATTENDING A MEETING THAT IMPACTS ON MY ALLOTED TIME FOR THE DEVOTIIONAL

WE WILL CATCH UP FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!

Hope Everyone Has a Great Day Rejoicing in the LORD.

Thanks to Everyone who read these Daily Notes!

Jesse Abel

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:119 Ungodly people are like slag or refuse. Some are like the tumble weed of the dry lands of the West, wandering aimlessly throughout the country. If you love the Word of God, you may find yourself praying for some tumble weed you know. “That would be good”!

Good Morning

Adrian Rogers once said that the Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God cannot keep you. This statement is true since there is not a place on the planet that you can go where the Power of God is not available. A little brag for the moment; I have sailed the oceans on the surface and beneath, I have also flown across these same oceans. I am not alone in this, but only us submarine sailors can make that third claim. Perils in the air, on the surface of the ocean and beneath, we have seen the grace and power of God in action. We have like most military people experienced dangers that the normal civilian life cannot know. Our soldiers and sailors today can and should be the story tellers of tomorrow. They have great experiences to share and we should pray for their safety. Yes they have family and loved ones waiting but they also have a story of the wonderful Grace of God. All to many people today think and believe that God has gone on a long journey and left us to fend for ourselves. Mark 13:32-37

Romans 8

Just a side note: Someone is counting the number of times that I have said the word “death”. Over the last twenty eight days of writing I have used the word twenty one times. I checked the epistle of Romans and found that the word appears eighteen times throughout the seven chapters covered and three more times in chapter eight. After that the apostle does not mention death in Romans again. So I found it interesting that Paul does not continue using the word. I believe that the LORD is going to use this information in a very mighty way as we begin chapter nine. I began writing around October 2007 so that is about 500 days plus or minus a few and I have used that word 135 other times. The bible uses the word about 480 times if your counting.

Romans 8:1-10 When it comes to justification and sanctification many of us want to gut it out so to speak, you know like we have to do something above and beyond the laws of God to gain His favor. Well that is just not the case and here is the reason why. There are only two foundational laws. One: The law of the Spirit of life in Christ, and Two: The law of sin and death. Being brought up to obey the commandments causes us to lean in the direction of keeping the law that relates to the flesh. But Christ has given us a new life in Him where condemnation does not exist. Verses 1-4.

Having a mindset to live in accordance with the fleshly standards of the natural life places us in a fleshly mode of thinking and reacting in the flesh. Those who have the mindset to live and react via the Spirit of God actually accomplish the purpose of law of the Spiritual life of Christ. These two laws are so violently opposed to one each other that if a believer is seeking to please God in the flesh, they are actually at war with God and do not know it. Verse 5-8

Since the Spirit of God can and does dwell in the saint of God we then have the responsibility to live spiritually. If a person cannot dwell peacefully in the Spirit of God, then they have never been justified and sanctification will not occur. Then again if Christ is in you, you are DEAD to sin and the Spirit of LIFE is in you because of His Righteousness. Our righteous behavior did not count to please God before salvation and it will not count for anything afterward either.

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:118 All of us like sheep that stray, have at a time or two gone astray. We do not go far. But there are those who mock your statues. These are friends in our feasts and fellowships – but like all phonies, they are rejected.

Good Morning

In my first four years in the Navy I had the experience of serving with a real sailor's, sailor. He was a man in his late thirties with an acute case of jaundice. The disease had crippled him so that he sort of waddled when he walked and he looked very old. I called him a pirate, but he convinced me that compared to Peg Leg the pirate, Peg Leg was a mild mannered man. His eyes were yellow with jaundice and his face was always twisted in anger. All of us young sailors were afraid of him. In those days to get married a sailor would have to get permission from their leading Petty Officer. So here I was seeking permission from this Boatswain Mate to marry. He said, “Abel, I got one question for you. Are you in looove”? I said, “I think so sir”. His reply, “Boy, get out of my sight before I rip your head off and always let your pants cool off from out of the dryer before you put them on. Don't ask me again to get married until you know what your doing.” Of course his words were mixed with expletives that only men like him can say and still make sense. About a week later he gave me permission to get married and he even showed up at the reception for a short time.

Romans 7

Romans 7:13-25 The context of this section is so important, the fact is that the whole of Romans 7 is directed to help us understand the critical sinful nature of the natural man. Remember we are looking at sanctification. Biblical sanctification is being able to live a holy life, separated from the natural ambitions of sin and living under the calling of God to be obedient to the law even though the law cannot save us from committing sin. Apart from the law we do not have a way to recognize what sin looks like, but once the law reveals sin, it also reveals death.

So the law then is the “spiritual standard” to live by, but I am of the flesh and live by the “flesh standard” my flesh is sold on this idea of serving the needs of the flesh. I have trouble understanding my condition, I do things that I hate to do and practice a form of self-righteous balance to appease my conscious. I have no problem to agree that the law is good, but since nothing in my flesh is good, I find it impossible to be good in all things that I practice. So I find within myself two opposing laws. One to do evil and one to do good.

I do delight in the Law of God, but this other law seeks to captivate me, it is the law of sinful flesh and the power of this law brings me back to captivity and once again I am wretched. I cry out, oh who can guide me to be holy? “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful Hand; Strong Deliverer, Strong Deliverer”. Be Thou STILL my strength and shield.

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:117 We are a needy people; whether we like it or not people need the safe foundation of the presence of God. His mercy and grace also directs our heart to the call of obedience to His Word.

Good Morning

Nuclear power changed submarine life as it did many other styles of life. One of the ways in which life was changed on submarines was the ability to make an abundance of fresh water. I am sure that the ability to take showers and wash clothing was a major change. Another major change is the ability to keep the quality of air pure and breathable for long periods of time. As soon as all departments report to the control room that they are ready to dive and a “straight board” is acknowledged the diving officer will order the chief of the watch to submerged the ship. Also, during this preparation time the ship's company will place the air system in the mode of operation called, “recirculating”. This is when the machinery of air circulation moves the air in the ship in a circular motion from the “fan room” to the “torpedo room” throughout the ship to the “engine room” then through a series of cleaning systems to clean the air of impurities and Carbon Dioxide so that it can be breathed again. All of the cleaning systems are located in a room call “machinery one” One such piece of equipment is called a “scrubber” and it actually uses a steel sponge like material and a chemicals called Sodium Hydroxide and Calcium Hydroxide, more commonly known and “lime soda” The point of all this: It is okay to credit mankind with tremendous advances in science and technology. But we really need to give glory to God, wisdom and the ability to use wisdom correctly is a grace gift to us from Him. Wisdom's voice: Proverbs 8:1-36

Romans 7

Romans 7:8 There are some people who give up driving their automobile simply because they do not want to be accountable to the laws that govern ones driving ability. This does not make the law a crime for them, but on the other hand it does present for them the possibility of committing a crime like speeding, so knowing that the law states that you shall not speed, they just give up driving. Awe, but we must not forget those others who have the opportunity in any car to speed. These folks know the law just as the others, but the manner of desire to speed supersedes the voice of the law. Without the law, speed in not a crime or without speed there is no need for law, but when you acknowledge that the two exist and practice self indulgence over right and wrong, then you are guilty of a personal act of crime.

Romans 7:8-9 There was a time when we were not accountable to the laws of the road. That of course was when mom and dad drove. But now you have a license, thus you know the commandment of the road. If you speed, and overstep the boundary of the law at this one point you have become dead to all the law at all points. Having your license revoked is being dead to the law of driving a vehicle.

Romans 7:10-12 So having the liberty from the commandment to live within the laws of the road serves this duel purpose. A purpose that brings death when I am deceived by speed, or life when I abide by th rules. So the law is good and it serves a necessary purpose to keep us separated from highway crime, but we shall see that the law cannot keep us from committing highway crime.

I hope this analogy helps us to understand why the grace of God and the Faith of Christ is our only hope for salvation. Ephesians 2:1-10.

Revelation 8:12-

The The fourth Trumpet Blast

If we allow for the Holy Spirit to help, we seldom have to rely on other sources of reference material for a right interpretation of what the Word of God is saying. John 16:13-15 makes this point very clear. The Spirit of God is placed in the believer to do several things, for example; He will tell you the things to come and in the process of telling us He will glorify the LORD Jesus. All authority is given by God the Father to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority, thus when He speaks it will always be of or related to the things of Christ Jesus the LORD.

8:12 It is at this point in the Tribulation, near or at the end of the first three and one half years that the day is shortened to sixteen hour days. Our galaxy is struck with a severe wound by the fourth trumpet sound of this angel. Literal translation is that the day time light, had no light. One third of the stars, one third of the earth's moon and sun was darkened.

8:13 This is not the same angel that sounded the trumpet, This one is not an angel at all, but an eagle, but this may be an error on the part of translators who translated a version called the Revised Version (RV). Someone has suggested that the angel may have appeared as an eagle, but the truth is – how would this person know, so the proper translation from the (KJV) is “angel”

This angelic being is given the task to warn the inhabitants of the earth that the following trumpet blasts will be so traumatic that it will be hard to survive. For starters; the earth will be extremely hot and cold due to the atmospheric changes of the sun, daylight and darkness will completely change with drastic temperature changes and storms. This has nothing the do with the the remaining trumpet blasts. Remember, we are still in the fourth stage of God's wrath on sinful and willful disobedience.

Revelation 9: 1-12 Locust from the Bottomless Pit

We need each time we look into Revelation to remember where we are with the John the apostle. Revelation 4:2. From the Throne Room in the third heaven God is able to see the conditions of all of creation including the earth. Using the technology of today we can still only imagine how all of this could work.

9:1 The being that falls from heaven like a star is not named. In the use of personal pronouns we can determine that the individual does not qualify as “fit” to carry the name of angel being or a human being. Scholars have determined that the being is Satan since the word in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon mean destruction and Destroying in Revelation 9:11.

We know from previous study that Satan has access to the third heaven and at each time he shows up there is war. Revelation 12:7-9, Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18. From these passages we can see that this is now the third or fourth time that Satan is ejected from heaven with permission to do harm to the people of the earth. Two times in the Book of Job Chapters one and two and once from the Isaiah passage and once from the Luke and Revelation passages.

9:2 In addition to the conditions of the earth's time cycles being shortened, there is an added torment. Smoke from the abyss is so dense that the sun is blocked.

9:3-6 Imagine being confronted with the conditions described in chapter 8:12-13 and now having to deal with the density of smoke and a new plague that torments people to want to die but cannot. We can think about this a little deeper. Today we have the plague of sin. Sin causes people to die and some even commit suicide to escape the grip of sin. But when this day comes the people of the earth go beyond the sting of the serpent. They are now experiencing the sting of the locust. This is the first woe and two are left. We know that God has delivered us from the sting of sin and death through the blood of Jesus Christ. In Christ we have the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. The people of this day in Revelation do have a chance for redemption – the 144,000 men who have the Name of God written on their forehead.

It is interesting to know that Satan had the authority through time to destroy human life through sin as the serpent of old. Now that authority is being taken away and he is allowed to torment. I believe this is much worse as mankind will look for ways to die but they will not be able to find death. It will be as if death is in hiding. There will of course be death, but it will now come as a judgment over the injustices practiced by the people of the earth and not as a condition of sin, but a condition of evil.

9:7-11 The shape of the locust, is a vivid description of destruction. Throughout the the Old Testament writings we have the description of locust and destruction. Especially in Joel we see the effects, but we all so see restoration in Joel 2:18-27 and then we see that after a season of destruction and restoration that God's Spirit is poured out people get saved, Joel 2:28-32. Locust have a life-span of five months, so in Revelation 9:10 we see that this season of life without death is for five months. To try and go beyond the text of Revelation 9 and say that these vessels of torment are weapons of warfare designed by mankind is wrong. We have no way to back this up in scripture. But as Satan represents the serpent of old, he now represents the locust or scorpion of the bottomless pit. Sin has survived for six thousand plus years of history and for a brief time, God will show the world that His grace made provision for redemption. When He pulls grace out of the world. Things get worse for the human. Man cannot live by bread alone, man can only survive by the Word of God.

God has His own 9:11. The effects of these torments will be painful, (v:10) If you have ever suffered nerve damage you know that the initial injury causes a severe burning sensation. The sting of a scorpion attacks the nerve system so that the entire body fells as though it is burning. This evil will be temporary, it will last 150 days, five months the lifespan of locust. (v:10). It will be personal, only those who do not belong to God will be affected (v:4). It will not cause death. (v:6).