The Devotional

What does Papa “J” Say?

Oh, how did I end up in such a mess? I am ruined and I feel like the slovenly end of a stale joke. It is almost unbelievable but it all started with my disobedience to my parents. Proverbs 6:20-26 and Romans 1:26-32

As our morning devotions have taken us, Louise and I have noticed some very interesting things about the fallen nation of Israel as they return to the LORD. Israel lost their independence as a nation in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and took the people captive. Going through the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah we are seeing the process of repentance and restoration. What gets our attention today is the humble reaction of Nehemiah as he hears the news that things are not going well back home in Jerusalem. We have yet to be delivered into the hands of our enemy and we have yet to become slaves or servants in the foreign lands who would take us captive. But we are a rebellious and sinful people who have rejected our God and like it or not, our nation is in the bondage of dependency on drugs (legal and illegal), Alcohol (legal and illegal), immoral conduct (legal and illegal), and murder (legal and illegal) and one does not need an explanation to the things we have legalized. Ironically it is the same things we have made illegal when appropriate. What a sham! We need men and women like Nehemiah, people who will humble themselves before God, people who are willing to confess the sins of our nation and our own personal involvement with those sins. Nehemiah 1:1-11

The Gospel of John

John 12:1-8 The day in which we live here in the United States is a day when deception to biblical truth runs hot. Satan, people do not like to hear that name today, even from the pulpit the word Satan is seldom spoken. Yet Jesus spoke more about him and his eternal destiny then any other subject. I do not like the movies of our day. They are deceptive, immoral, murderous and full of other corruptible things that are ruining the lives of the young and old.

Some of these movies have and continue to have the outright lies of men and women who are controlled by Satan. They write lies about Jesus, about His friends and about those of us who believe by faith in the Person of Jesus Christ our GOD, our LORD and our SAVIOR. Even, churches get caught up in these cultic lies and then the lies becomes studies at Sunday School. Oh how this angers me!

Here is an encouraging thought. Jesus like you and me had friends, like you and me He visited them often, they were close friends just as we have. They loved one another just as we do. This however is not the love lies of Satan or those controlled by him. The love that Jesus has for you and me and those like Martha, Mary and Lazarus is a love that is only share by those who have experienced the sacrificial love that Mary recognized in her Savior. If you take the moment to believe in Jesus, you will recognized this (agape) love, too! There is no greater love. John 15:13

1 Chronicles 7:14 THIS NATION NEEDS TO REPENT, FAST AND PRAY FOR THE NATION!