Devotional Thoughts

Isaiah 57:15      "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Where does God live? Some say He lives in heaven, and He does. Some say He lives everywhere, because God is not contained in one single place. And that's true. Solomon spoke those words when he prayed the prayer of dedication for the temple. He asked a question and then made a proclamation. "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!" (2 Chronicles 6:18)  Would God actually dwell with men on earth? He is bigger than the heaven of heavens. There is no place in this universe where God is not found. He is in all places at all times at the same time. So where does God live? W...

Ephesians 4:20-23     “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” The verses immediately prior to the ones under consideration here have been speaking about to us about living a life estranged from God. They have described our condition when we walk after the flesh and not after the Spirit. This is not what the walk that is ours when we learn Christ. Notice that Paul did not say that we have not learned  about  Christ. It is most likely that many of those who were walking after the flesh had learned about Christ. They had probably heard the stories about this man who claimed to be the Son of God; this man who claimed to be born of a virgin; this man who claimed to be risen from the dead. Maybe there was a time th...

Isaiah 57:1      "The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." There are many things in life that are hard to understand. I often heard older people say that you should never ask, "Why?"  Of course my thought in reply to that was, "Why?" Why would I not ask about something that I did not understand? Maybe it was because those people did not understand it either. I'm not sure.  We often hear it said, "The good die young."  I guess I'm presenting more thoughts and questions than I am giving answers this morning.  Through the years of my ministry, I have had to stand at the graveside of an infant, or a teenager, or a young person who was thought to be a "good person."  The same thoughts have been presented in the form of something like this, "I just don't understand why this happens."  A minister wants...

Ephesians 4:17-19     “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15) is not always about soft words and making people feel good. Because he loves us, Paul speaks plainly about the truth of God and about our responsibility. His love is what motivates him to affirm in the Lord that once we have received the gifts of Christ and grow up into out Head that our walk (manner of living) should be different. We are to no longer walk as we once did (and as others still do). Living according to the morally depraved state (vanity) of our own mind (understanding) is no longer an option for us. Oft...

Isaiah 56:6-8      "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD,  to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;  (7)  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.  (8)  The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him." We looked at a portion of these verses recently, but there is a thought contained here that I want us to think about.  God said in verse 7, "I will make them joyful in my house of prayer." He went on to say, "... mine house shall be called a house of prayer... " We never hear the House of God being referred to in the Bible as a house of...