Devotion for august 1 no orders

 No orders.  A man and his son approached my wife and I as we were getting into our Polaris Sling Shot outside a restaurant.  We were happy to tell them about it. They had recently moved into our area.  I invited him to our church. Said he, “Oh no! I’m not taking orders from anybody.  Nobody tells me what to do.”  It’s a shame that some people think of the church as a place of giving out orders.  Many people think of Christianity as a strict organization with laws that you conform to, or you are out. The truth is we have already broken God’s commandments when we are old enough to read and comprehend these words.  We are already “out.”  Christianity is the door to getting in. The Creator made the rules.  They are for our own good.  The Creator allowed our sins to kill Him so He could arise from the grave and save those who will repent and call on His name.   Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Christians are not wanting to ruin your life.  We want you to have life more abundantly.  John 10:10 …I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. We want you to have eternal life.  John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Because we have all sinned, we have all condemned ourselves to eternity without God.  Christians are trying to rescue the perishing.  What a fine sales job Satan has done convincing the lost that Christians think they are “holier than others.”  Jesus makes holy those who repent and ask Him to forgive them.  “No body tells me what to do.”  I wonder if he pays his taxes.  I wonder if he keeps his car insured and its registration current. I wonder if he tells the police man who pulls him over for having a taillight out, “No body tells me what to do.”  The rebellious heart doesn’t like authority over it.  The simple truth is someday you will bow before God.  Isaiah 45:23  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Man can bow spiritually at the cross and seek forgiveness now or he can die without bowing and bow before the Great White Throne. Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. We love you.  We want you in Heaven with us. Bow now while you can. We don’t want to rule your life.  We want you to be family.  Eternally.   

 Hospital food.  The hospital cafeteria in one town near the church I was pastor of had good food.  We frequently ate there after church.  It was reasonable in price and usually had a good selection to chose from.  We noticed one man, a senior citizen,  who was always there when we were.  I figured he had a loved one in the hospital.  But after so many Sundays seeing him I asked him if a loved one was there. His answer was “No. I come here to be around young people.  This is how I stay young. I like to see and be around younger people.”  Wow.  Who do you like to be around?  Do you want to be like those you hang out with?  Do you want their influence to impact your life?  If you are around short fused people you may find your temper being short fused.  If you around people who cuss you will be tempted to cuss.  If you are around people who plot evil, you will be tempted to do evil with them. Proverbs 1:10-19  My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12  Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13  We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14  Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15  My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19  So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. I am disappointed that some people who have served time for breaking the law are paroled and then commit another crime and are sent back to prison. I appreciate churches that offer fellowship and special programs for Bible study for Ex offenders.  Our churches should welcome those who feel unwelcome.  Jesus welcomes them.  We are to be Christlike. Since us sinners are welcome in the church, some people will disappoint us.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the reason we come to church.  Pray for the hypocrite.  At least he is in church.  Associate with Christians.  Don’t be an eagle and scratch with the turkeys.  Come into the fellowship and love and be loved. God has a place for you.  Leave the past behind.  Forgiven by Jesus. Jeremiah 31:34 for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.If you repent, He will forgive you.  And what joy to know He then forgets our sins.  Praise God.   
 

 Jannes.  Moses was 80 years old when the Lord called him to lead His people, the Israelites out of their Egyptian bondage.  Moses reluctantly surrendered his will to the Lord’s will.  He went back into the land from which he had fled 40 years earlier because he was wanted for murder.  Don’t let your age or your past stop you from serving the Lord. As we travel this journey to Heaven we will have opposition.  Moses and his brother Aaron were challenged by the magicians of Pharoah. God turned the water in Egypt into blood when Moses and Aaron obeyed Him. Pharaoh’s magicians did the same. Exodus 7:22  And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments:... Next the Lord brought frogs into the land. Then Satan’s servants did the same. Exodus 8:7  And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.Next the Lord through Moses and Aaron brought lice into Egypt.  Satan’s servants could not do so. Exodus 8:18-19 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19  Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORDhad said.Satan has power.  But his power is overpowered by God’s power. These servants of Satan were namedJannes and Jambres. 2 Timothy 3:7-8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. You will not find the names of these two infidels anywhere else in the Bible. If you study just the Old Testament you miss the importance of the New Testament.  If you just study just the New Testament, you miss the foundation of the Old Testament. The New Testament is the new promise or new covenant.  We see the virgin birth, ministry, trial, death and resurrection clearly in the New Testament.  Jesus giving Himself as the final sacrifice and then rising from the grave fulfilled the demands of blood for atonement and no longer are we to offer sheep or goats or bulls or other clean animals for our salvation.  Once and for all Jesus paid it all.  So Christian I urge you to get a good understanding of the New Testament before you read the Old Testament or old promise which has been fulfilled in the blood of Jesus. God is telling us in 2 Timothy 3:7 that in the last days ungodly men like Jannes and Jambres will oppose the Word of God and Christians.  We live in those days.  Keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t let the mockers and false teachers lead you astray from the Bible.  Ask Jesus to teach you the truth. John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth… Daily devotions atwww.youtube.com/@heretheword7165
 
 
   

 Left side or right side?  Which side do you prefer to sleep on?  Or do you prefer to sleep on your back or your stomach?  How would you like it if the Lord instructed you to lay on your left side outside your house in your yard for 390 days?  And then lay on your right side for 40 days?  Sometimes God wants us to do things that seem unreasonable to us.  That is over 14 months outside laying on your side for everyone passing by to see you.  That is what the Lord told Ezekiel to do. Ezekiel 4:4-6  Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.
5  For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6  And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year. God was using Ezekiel as an object lesson.  The passing people would see his “sermon” in action and take it to heart.  Turning from God caused the Lord to punish His people.  Those taken to Babylon as captives were told by false prophets that soon the Lord would return them to Jerusalem.  God had told Jeremiah to tell the people they would be in captivity for 70 years.  Jeremiah 25:10-12  Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. The Lord wanted His people in their captivity to build houses, plant vineyards, let their children marry and raise families.  The false prophets told them to not get planted in Babylon because they were going home soon. They were wrong.  We have false prophets today.  Study the Bible so you can separate the sheep from the goats.  People watched Ezekiel.  His life preached a sermon. People are watching you.  What type of a sermon does your life preach?  Please repent and let Jesus shine through you.  You may be the only Bible some people will read.   

 Yada. Yada. Yada.   The English definition of yada is boring or empty talk. In the Hebrew Bible the word means “to know.”  To know by observing and reflecting and to know by experiencing.  Let’s examine yada yada yada from the standpoint of learning by observing and learning by experience.  I can tell you, “Ice cream is delicious.”  You can observe the smile on my face as I taste the delight.  I can smile and say, “This is really good.”  So, by observance you can “know” that ice cream is good.  However, if you learn by experience that ice cream is good you “know” that indeed ice cream is good. Yada yada yada.  About 1040 times you will find this word in the Bible.  Genesis 8:11  And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. Noah “knew” the water was gone because the olive tree had leaves.  He observed and thought about what he saw. Joseph tested the honesty of his brothers by experience. Genesis 42:33  And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: The children of the Israelites in the wilderness did not know right from wrong. Deuteronomy 1:39   Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.The children of the unbelieving Jewish men who voted to not obey God and conquer the Promised Land would go in after 40 years, but the unbelieving fighting age men would die in the desert.  If you are old enough to comprehend these words you “know” that you have sinned. Proverbs 20:9  Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Only those washed in the blood of Jesus can say my heart is clean. 1 Peter 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Yada. Yada. Yada.  Do you KNOW, KNOW, KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are going to Heaven?  That is the most important thing you can know.  Please repent and trust Jesus today.   
 

 Let me fail. (Occasionally).  Someone said, “All sunshine makes a desert.”  The happenings of life swing back and forth.  Some are good. Some are bad.  Some bring joy. Some bring grief. Some elate us. Some devastate us. The Bible puts it this way: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. About 2,204 times in the Bible you will find the words, “it came to pass.”   Sometimes we get stuck in the chapter of life we are experiencing at the moment and want to end it all. Other times we don’t want to see the chapter we are in end. Like a flowing river, this day will come to an end and a new day will begin. Proverbs 30:7-9  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Success and failure are both necessary to make us who God wants us to be. Listen to Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."  To watch Michael Jordan’s video on failure search on the internet, “Michael Jordan “failure” commercial.”  Noah was a “failure”, yet he was successful because he was faithful to the Lord. Jesus was a “failure” because His enemy killed Him. Yet that was the plan from the beginning. Revelation 13:8 the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.His failure was really His success as He arose from the grave providing us a bridge to Heaven.  Accept failure. The only person who never fails is the person who never ventures to do anything. That makes him a failure.   
 
 

 Riding Shotgun.  Wikipedia defines riding shotgun as “a phrase used to describe the bodyguardwho rides alongside a stagecoachdriver, typically armed with a break-action shotgun, to ward off banditsor hostile Native Americans.” In modern use, it refers to the practice of sitting alongside the driverin a moving vehicle.”  I knew a man who had been a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club before he got saved.  He rode “shotgun” in their van full of rifles, drugs and illegal items.  He carried a shotgun on his lap. His assignment was to kill anyone who tried to get into the van. He was serious about his assignment.  It was by the grace of God that after he got saved, he was able to leave the club.  How does riding shotgun apply to us Christians?  We are brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Not for just a few years down here but for eternity up in Heaven. We are related by blood.  The blood of Jesus. Listen to Cain after murdering his brother Abel. Genesis 4:9 And the LORDsaid unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? Are you and I our brother’s keeper?  Actually yes. Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. When we help others, we help Jesus. Romans 13:9 …Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. We are responsible to take care of ourselves.  Then the Lord expects us to minister to others. Philippians 2:2-4 …in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Ride shotgun for others.  Watch out for dangers they don’t see.  Come alongside them and help them bear their burdens.  Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.James 2:15-16  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Christians are to resist the devil and live a holy life.  But just as important is riding shotgun for others. James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Romans 15:1-2  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2   Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.Christians have angels riding shotgun with us.  Have you ever thanked God for these guardians?  Will you let the Lord lead you to ride shotgun others?
 
 
     
 
 
 
   
 

 The tree.  Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had a dream which he did not understand.  The magicians, the astrologers, and the soothsayers were called in to interpret it.  They couldn’t. Daniel was called in because the spirit of the holy gods was in him. Daniel 4:9 O Belteshazzar,( Daniel)  master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.The Lord gave Daniel the interpretation. He sat there astonished for one hour.  The king asked him the interpretation.  The king in his dream saw a very large and flourishing tree cut to the ground. Eventually it would regrow. The tree in the dream housed many birds and its shade provided shelter for many animals. The tree represented the king. The Lord would take away his sanity and for a period of time he would eat grass like an ox as men shunned him.  His hair would mat like eagles’ feathers and his nails would grow long like bird’s claws. Eventually God would give him back his sanity and he would reign again knowing that God was in control.  God has a way of knocking us down to size.  A year later the king was praising himself for all he had accomplished, and God took away his sanity. After the determined period of time his sanity was given back to him, and he praised the King of Heaven.  Once again, the tree became a shelter.  The king wisely governed his kingdom providing shelter, food, peace and prosperity for his people.  Are you a tree?  Do others find security and provision because you care for them?  When Jesus saves us sinners, He usually leaves us here for a period of time to witness for Him and to minister to others.  Are you completing your assignments?  Are you a prayer warrior?  If physically able do you use the gifts He gave you to bring others to Him? Do you let your light shine so that others can see Jesus in you?  Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Do you encourage those needing encouragement?  Do you help clothe the naked? Provide food for the hungry? Shelter for the homeless?  Now consider another tree.  The cross on which Jesus died. Deuteronomy 21:23  His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORDthy God giveth thee for an inheritance.Accursed of God.  God the Father turned His face away from Jesus on the cross when our sins killed His only Son.  Jesus became sin so that we can be forgiven for our sins.  He arose to give us new life. Have you received His forgiveness?
 
 
   

 The power outage.  I am spoiled.  I enjoy electricity. I appreciate air conditioning, refrigerators, microwaves, lights, entertainment, communication and the ability to pump gas into my car. When the lights go out, we are reminded that sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have until we lose it.  Woe to us if an EMP bomb is dropped on us.  (Electromagnetic pulse)  It is estimated that over 90% of our population would die within the first year after an EMP bomb exploded over our region of the country. Lord, please have mercy.  America deserves judgment.  I pray that the Christians will be carried home before the terrible coming judgment begins.  Job 18:5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out… One evening as a pastor was preaching on this text the lights suddenly went out.  In the darkness he gathered his thoughts and said, “Brethren. In the startling light of this prophesy being fulfilled tonight let us take a moment to pray for our Lighting and Power company.”  We can see and criticize the faults of others yet most of the time we excuse our own failures.  This world is filled with people groping in spiritual darkness.  Job 12:25  They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. We live in Spiritual darkness until we repent and turn to Jesus. Isaiah 59:10  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.Once we are saved, we can truly say “We have seen the light.”  Jesus is the light. John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The light of life.  How different our life is in Jesus.  John 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. The Christian may follow temptation into darkness, but he cannot abide in darkness.  He will repent and come back into sweet fellowship with Jesus, or he will live in rebellion and go to an early grave. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Do you have fellowship one with another?  Jesus wants you to.  Join your light with the light of others and the world grows brighter.  Do others see your light?  Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.   
 
 
 

 Praying for you. Many times, people ask me to pray for them.  Social media is filled with people requesting prayer.  The great majority of the people I do not know.  When someone requests prayer, I assure the person I will pray for them.  Sometimes I stop everything and put my hand on their shoulder and pray for them right then.  Sometimes I put their name on my “To do” list on my phone.  Then put them on our church prayer list.  It is easy to say, “I will pray for you” or on social media to type “Praying for you.”  But then do I?  On social media I do not press “send” until I have prayed for that person.  Asking for prayer is one of the most important things a person can request of you.  Are you willing to take the time to pray for others? 1 Thessalonians 5:25  Brethren, pray for us. It is Biblical to ask others to pray for us.  Spirit filled Christians pray with power. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. How should we pray?  There are spiritual battles going on beyond our awareness.  We don’t know what to pray.  We are to pray anyway asking God to have mercy on the person we are praying for and guide them to the truth they need. Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.It is most important that we pray that the will of God be done, not the will of man.  It is said that Mrs. Billy Graham said, “God has not always answered my prayers. If He had, I would have married the wrong man several times.” What is the most important thing in a person’s life?  For God’s will to be done. And what is His will?  Above all else for their salvation.  I can pray for the Lord in His mercy to heal someone but if that person is healed and continues to live in sin and dies and goes to hell, have I really helped him?  The most important thing in a person’s life is to realize they have sinned and need to repent and ask Jesus to save them.  For that reason, I pray for their salvation before I pray for their other needs.  May I remind you that many church members are not saved?  We even have lost Sunday School teachers, deacons and preachers.  Only the Lord knows how many “Christians” are really saved.  Did you pretend to be a Christian before you got saved?  I think all of us did. Are you really saved?