The Devotional

Papa “J” says

Houses are many with feasting and strife! Homes are but a few who's family will sit for a sacrificial meal of thanksgiving because the Master reigns. Proverbs 17:1

As a young sailor in Newport, RI one Thanksgiving several of the men on my ship were invited to one of the fancy homes in Newport for a Thanksgiving meal. I was single, my home was 1,280 miles away in Louisville, Kentucky and so I said to the Leading Petty Officer who had the invitation. Yes, I'll go! There were five of us from our ship, but there were other ships that had people that came to the dinner too. It was an event that I will never forget, people waited on us as though we were children of the master of the house. The silverware was so spotlessly clean that you could see yourself in the spoon, upside down! The china was beautiful and the whole table was dressed perfectly. In all there were twenty of us sailors and five civilian people who were dining at this one beautiful table. What stood out for me was our behavior. If you know me then you know that I have a problem being obedient at the dinner table, I like to poke fun, spill food and make a little laughter. That did not happen at this table, there was conversation but the shear elegance the room and of being in the presence of the master of the house commanded a behavior of obedience without a rehearsal. And there is coming such a day for all who call Jesus their LORD who will dine with Him at the Marriage Supper of the LAMB! What joy fills my soul just to think of it!

The Gospel of John

John 1:15-18 The gospel of John, I could stay in this gospel forever, in fact; I think I will. In all of John's writings I am struck by His love for Jesus. John was so taken up with the fact that Jesus loved him that when John writes almost every penned word expresses this. Even John the baptizer is taken up with the love of God as the apostle explains that it was heard that John cried out saying that He (Jesus) has a higher calling, all ministry is inferior to the ministry of Christ.

In the presence of the King our witness must be perfect. No sir, I am not the Christ, neither am I Elijah and also I am not the Prophet. Only Jesus holds this perfect office of Prophet, Priest and King. Yes, we are called to witness, even like John the baptizer and John the apostle we have the message of truth. If you are a witness! Just the word itself describes a thankfulness and a love to speak what you know is true. 1 John 4:17-18. The world judges, the witness speaks.

Can you imagine for a moment the grace and fulness of Jesus Christ. The Law and the Grace of God walking in human flesh. Declaring to be alive in the bosom of Father. Bosom of the Father? What does that mean to you and me? To me it means that; “For God so loved us that He gave to us His Love through His Son who is the image of the Father's love. Romans 5:8 God's love, lives and dies and lives again. God's loving Name is Jesus. Colossians 1:13-18