The Blood of the Lamb

December 30, 2008

Did you know that it is not hard to beat the devil? It only takes 2 things.

Revelation 12:10-11 BBE
(10) And a great voice in heaven came to my ears, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: because he who says evil against our brothers before our God day and night is forced down.
(11) And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their witness; and loving not their lives they freely gave themselves up to death.


That's it. The Blood of the lamb is not anything we have control over. It was given to us by God through the death of His Son, Jesus. On the other hand, we have full control over our testimony. To defeat the Devil you need to know how to speak the Word, you need to tell others what God has done for you.

Sounds simple? Why haven't more people done it then.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Revelation 12 - 18

Tomorrow

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Is sin sweet?

December 29, 2008

Revelation 10:8-10 UPDV
(8) And the voice which I heard from heaven, [I heard it] again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.
(9) And I went to the angel, saying to him that he should give me the little book. And he says to me, Take it, and eat it up; and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.
(10) And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter.


I do not know for a fact, but as I have looked at this verse, I have always though of the scroll that was taken as a scroll of sin.

Sin taste sweet when it starts. It seems like such a beautiful thing. But in the end it is nothing but bitterness. The wake of what sin can leave behind, broken homes, is devastating.

Take time to read the Word, know what is sin and what is not and try not to let that sweet taste get in your mouth.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Revelation 6 - 11

Tomorrow
Revelation 12 - 18

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

What does Jesus look like now?

December 28, 2008

I am a big NASCAR fan. I know, they drive around in circles and go fast, but there is more to the sport than that. The reason I state my fan nature here is that I saw a movie called Tallehdaga Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Now, I wanted to see it because of the NASCAR nature. I know it had some rough language in it but I over looked it.

In the Movie, Ricky Bobby, played by Will Farrel, stops to say the blessing before they eat the meal before them. As he starts his prayer he says, 'Dear sweet baby Jesus.' His wife stops him and reminds him that Jesus grew up and was killed. He replies to her that you can pray to your grown up Jesus but when I am praying it will be to the baby Jesus.

Now that is an image problem. Too many people see Jesus as the sweet little baby in the manger. Others see Him as the man who died on the cross at about 33 years of age. Did you know there is a third image of Jesus that we have to see also. He is not the sweet baby or the loving savior.

Revelation 1:12-16 UPDV
(12) And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
(13) and among the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girded about at the breasts with a golden belt.
(14) And his head and his hair were white as white wool, [white] as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
(15) and his feet like burnished bronze, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
(16) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.


This is the image of Jesus that we will see when we pass from this earth and go to meet our maker. I think that this is the real image of Jesus. And I know that this is the one that will judge me for my salvation.

What image do you have of Jesus?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Revelations 1 - 5

Tomorrow
Revelation 6 - 11

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Where does good come from?

December 27, 2008

3 John 1:11 ESV
(11) Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.


Such a simple thing to say but so complicated to do. Imitate good. But our bodies do not want to do this, they want to do evil. Guess what? We have control over our bodies. Do good. Be Godly.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
2 John 1:1-13, 3 John 1:1-14

Tomorrow
Revelations 1 -5

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Testing the faiths

December 26, 2008


1 John 4:1 ESV
(1) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.



I truly believe that the different denominations and faiths should try to come together around the fact that Jesus is our savior. That being said, there are some things that can split us and they should. I know of one group who does many good works, but to be a member of their denomination you must go to church on Saturday. Any believer that does not go to church on Saturday is paying homage to a god of the world. Jesus Himself said that one day is not more holy that the other.

When it comes to basic scripture we should not try to add or subtract but we should test it. I do that with my own pastor as I urge you to as well. But in the name of getting along with other faiths, there are some things we need to let separate us.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
1 John 1:1-5:21

Tomorrow
2 John 1:1-13, 3 John 1:1-14

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

All you need

December 25, 2008


2 Peter 1:3 GW
(3) God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity.


Everything that we need for life was given to us by God. And how did we receive it. By the birth of the Christ, Jesus, the Messiah. While we may want for other things here on the earth, we do not have a need of them.

While we live we can spread the Gospel, and God will provide what we need through our jobs, our knowledge, and our acquaintances. Trust in the Lord God always.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
2 Peter 1:1-3:18

Tomorrow
1 John 1:1-5:21

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Solider, athlete, farmer

December 24, 2008

Paul talks to Timothy in this verse. He tells him to think about what is being said.

2Timothy 2 (GNB}

7 Think about what I am saying, because the Lord will enable you to understand it all.

So what did Paul just say? He said three things.

2 Timothy 2 (GNB)

4 A soldier on active duty wants to please his commanding officer and so does not get mixed up in the affairs of civilian life.

As a solider of God, we can be part of the world we live in, but we must be careful not to let the things of the world trap us.

5 An athlete who runs in a race cannot win the prize unless he obeys the rules.

We have a prize that we are trying to win. It is a heavenly crown. To win it we must know the rules. We must take time to read God's word and learn the rules.

6 The farmer who has done the hard work should have the first share of the harvest.

We are to partake of the things we produce. As noted before, we can have things; we cannot let them have us. We are to help the world though.

Take the words of Paul to Timothy and try to make them part of your life.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
2 Timothy 1:1-4:22

Tomorrow
2 Peter 1:1-3:18

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

The water main

December 23, 2008

As I type these words this morning, I have just finished watching a story unfold before my eyes thanks to the miracle of satellites and streaming video on the internet. A water main broke in Bethesda Maryland. It was not a small water main, it was a 60 inch pipe. Torrents of water were coming out of it and flooding the roads around it. I watched as a helicopter dropped a basket to a car that was headlight deep in water and more coming every second. In 20 degree Fahrenheit weather and with high winds that basket just danced around. There was no time when they got the basket close. No time for indecision. Whomever was in the car grabbed the basket, threw a child into it, and then pulled themselves in. They did not even give it a thought.

Hebrews 11:1 GodsWord
1 Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.

As that person put their child in and then put themselves in that basket, they had faith. If that basket failed, they were in ice cold water and probably not coming back alive. They did not see that the cable was not frayed, they had to be convinced that the rescue people had done this already. They had to trust something that they had not seen.

Faith, we use it every day and do not even think of it. This may have been an extreme case, but don't you use faith that the chair you are sitting on will not break when you sit on it, even though you can not see the structure of it.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Hebrews 11:1-13:25

Tomorrow

2 Timothy 1:1-4:22
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Your Mind

December 22, 2008


Years ago, before I was a Christian, I smoked a pipe. I thought I looked dignified, and it satisfied a need to do something with my hands. To some degree it gave me that nicotine fix that people sometimes need. When I became a Christian, I knew somehow that I should give up smoking, I just had no desire to. I did not take it to church and smoke outside or anything, I wanted the comfort of an old friend.

A few years later I had a child. Again, smoke bad, child good, but could not give up. One day a few months later I was doing some stuff around the house and my wife looked at me and said, are you going to smoke these or do I just keep dusting them. It was then that I realized that I had not smoked a pipe full in at least a month. It was not a conscious effort on my part, it was just that I had not had the desire.


Hebrews 8:10 ASV
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:



To this day, it is my belief that God took that desire to smoke away from me. At the time in question, I had taken a deep interest in studying and understanding the Bible. As I drew near to Him, He put His will into my mind.

If you are finding an old habit hard to break, take some time to draw near to God. It cannot hurt.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Hebrews 7:1-10:39

Tomorrow

Hebrews 11:1-13:25
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Building Up

December 21, 2008

Hebrews 3:1-4 AKJV
1 Why, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house.
4 For every house is built by some man; but he that built all things is God.

We can be no better than that which we are patterned from. And we can get no more glory than what made us.

The writer of Hebrews tries to tell us this. The house is not the one that gets the glory when it is built. It is the one that builds it that does. Likewise, we can not receive more glory that the one who builds us up. God is the on that ha made us all and He deserves all the glory.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Hebrews 1:1-6:20

Tomorrow

Hebrews 7:1-10:39
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

What does your face show?

December 20, 2008

Years ago, in what seems like another life, I worked at a Christian radio station on Sunday nights. My shift would start at 6 PM, but I would often show up a little early. While my shift was almost all music, the owner of the station had sold the afternoon slots to various ministries that preached the Word. Some even came in and did the broadcast live. That was sometimes fun to watch. They sometimes would sing. I remember them singing the words 'I sing because I'm happy'. What was funny was the look on his face. It looked like he had eaten sour lemons. How could he be happy and look like that on his face?

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Did that man really believe he was a chosen race? Did he really believe he was a royal priesthood. Personally, and I am trying not to judge him, but I do no think he did.

We are all going to have down moments. They should be the exception to the rule. When people see you they should see the glory of the Lord shining through.

Remember who you are in God.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
1 Peter 1 - 5

Tomorrow

Hebrews 1:1-6:20
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Mindless Genealogies

December 19, 2008

Titus 3:8 - 11 (The Message)

8-11I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It's obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

Healthy discussion about Bible verses is OK. When it gets into point of anger and fighting that is when it does no good. God wants us to concentrate on the essentials. If you can say that Jesus is your Lord, and if you know you will go to heaven because He died for your sins, that is good enough for me.

I say this because I used to be a member of a now defunct web site, Christ-Dot (www.christdot.com, going to it now takes you to is successor, theophiles.org). I used to try to have discussions with people there. When they found out about the churches that I went to they immediately labeled me a heritic. It did not matter that I was a beliver, I could not be one because of the mega-church that I went to, Jesus would never attend a mega-church. I tried to say we were arguing over the small stuff but they would no listen.
In the end I had to leave for a while, it made no sense to try to talk with people that would not accept me and rather than get mad at them I just left.

If you find yourself in this kind of situation, gently talk about your faith. If you still are not accepted, get out of the group. Anger is not Christian, and you will get that way.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Titus 1 -3

Tomorrow

1 Peter 1 - 5
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Mindless Genealogies

December 19, 2008

Titus 3:8 - 11 (The Message)

8-11I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It's obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

Healthy discussion about Bible verses is OK. When it gets into point of anger and fighting that is when it does no good. God wants us to concentrate on the essentials. If you can say that Jesus is your Lord, and if you know you will go to heaven because He died for your sins, that is good enough for me.

I say this because I used to be a member of a now defunct web site, Christ-Dot (www.christdot.com, going to it now takes you to is successor, theophiles.org). I used to try to have discussions with people there. When they found out about the churches that I went to they immediately labeled me a heritic. It did not matter that I was a beliver, I could not be one because of the mega-church that I went to, Jesus would never attend a mega-church. I tried to say we were arguing over the small stuff but they would no listen.
In the end I had to leave for a while, it made no sense to try to talk with people that would not accept me and rather than get mad at them I just left.

If you find yourself in this kind of situation, gently talk about your faith. If you still are not accepted, get out of the group. Anger is not Christian, and you will get that way.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Titus 1 -3

Tomorrow

1 Peter 1 - 5
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

What is a good fight?

December 18, 2008

1 Timothy 6:12 AKJV
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.


What is a good fight? Now I have been in quite a few fights in my childhood, none of them were ever good. I wound up on the the loosing end of all of them. It should be obvious by now that a good fight is one that you win!

Know this, the devil wants you to loose the fight and be discouraged in your walk with God. Fight the good fight. Remember that many of us have read the back of The Book. In the end he looses. When you get discouraged, remind him of that and fight the good fight.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
1 Timothy 1 - 6

Tomorrow

Titus 1 -3
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

The Prize

December 17, 2008

A prize that is given for winning a race, be it a trophy or a ribbon, needs to be won after great striving. Some people may want to take shortcuts though. My oldest son, Gabe, was with me one day as we were out looking at garage sales. He had some money in his pocket and he wanted to buy something. He saw a huge trophy that someone had won and did not want any more. For the low price of fifty cents, he now had a trophy. He had done nothing to earn what it meant, he just spent the money. I do not know if he still has it but I shook my head when he bought it. Now I see that God had that incident and another that show the real meaning of trophies.

Philippians 3:14 Weymouth
14 with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus.


With this verse, the former children's pastor of my church, Jeremy Conn, took a ribbon and metal that he had won from track and field and gave it to her. She was having some problems dealing with others at school and was just wanting to give up. He told her that the only reason that he had that ribbon was that when others had given up on practicing, he was still out there running another lap. Now Annie, had done nothing to earn that trophy either. But there was a message there. We have to push on, to the prize that we have in Christ Jesus.


There is a price to be paid if we are to win it. We need to strugle, not just pay our way in. I urge you all, to take some time and refresh yourself for the race that you are in today, that of the high calling of Jesus Christ.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Philippians 1-4

Tomorrow

1 Timothy 1 - 6

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Presents

December 16, 2008


This is a time of year when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We celebrate it by exchanging gifts. Some cannot exchange gifts, there income is so low that they cannot afford to buy for others. But even with that, these people will get gifts anyway. I have been one of those people in the past. Not having the money to get something for others I avoided any place that would put me in a place to accept a gift from another person.

But that attitude is really silly isn't it? In one of those presents might have been something I needed. Maybe so cash to buy someone else a present. Or food, or warm clothing. But by not accepting those gifts I would never know what I turned away.

Ephesians 2:8-10 BWE
8 You have been saved by God’s love and kindness because you believed. It was not because of anything you did, but it was a gift from God.
9 You were not saved by trying to do what the law says. So no one can be proud about it.
10 God has made us. In Jesus Christ God made us so that we can do good things. He planned that we should live that way.


There is one gift that I did open. It was the gift of salvation. Like any other gift, it was given, not because of something that I had done, but because of the love of God. And like the love the people had in trying to give gifts to me, I had to take that gift of salvation. It would do me no good if I acknowledged that gift and said how nice it was. I had to take it as my own.

God offers a gift right now, have you accepted it?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Ephesians 1:1-6:24

Tomorrow

Philippians 1-4

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Philemon

December 15, 2008

Phm 1:15-17 ESV
(15) For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,
(16) no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
(17) So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.


A lot of people will look at the book of Philemon and say that Paul was pretty bold in asking what he did. To me Paul was not as bold as Philemon was himself. Paul was sending him back to his master. Slaves had no rights in those days. They could be beat and no one would care about it. And life could be hell on earth for an escaped slave returned to his master. Paul wanted to do the right thing and to his credit Philemon also did. It would have been easier to just walk away. Live the life of a free man.

Someone once said that character is what you do when no one else is around to see you. What would you have done in this case?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Colossians 1 - 4, Philemon

Tomorrow

Ephesians 1:1-6:24

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Provisions

December 14, 2008

Always remember that God provides what you need. Paul was off to Rome under arrest. They do not have the best travel arrangements for prisoners. He was being sent on a merchant ship, as not much more than cargo. It ran aground on an island, he helped cure the leader of the island and then, they helped arrange the finish of his journey to Rome.

Act 28:10-11 ESV
(10) They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
(11) After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead.


To us separated by time, the twin gods figurehead means nothing. To the people around then it would be the equivalent of traveling on an ocean liner first class today. Or maybe we can put it in talk of cars from today. He started the journey in a compact and finished it in a luxury car.

God provides all the time. Even in our times of trouble.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Acts 27:1-28:31

Tomorrow

Colossians 1 - 4, Philemon

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Favors

December 13, 2008

Who was doing who a favor here?

Act 24:27 ESV

(27) When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

One would think that Felix was keeping Paul from spreading the Word so he was doing the Jews a favor. Really though, Paul was able to take time and write the Epistles to the various churches. And being under house arrest, he was able to talk to and live his life before people every day. Doing so must have lead a few to the Lord.

We can look at our situations as problems, or we can look at them as solutions. What is your view?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Acts 24:1-26:32

Tomorrow

Acts 27:1-28:31

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Asleep in church

December 12, 2008

Act 20:9 ESV

(9) And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

Poor Eutychus, he is pointed at as what will happen when you sleep in church and made fun of. But what happens next is as important as what happened.

Act 20:10-12 ESV

(10) But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."

(11) And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.

(12) And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

The problem is not what we see here. We should be looking at what Eutychus means to us in today's life. We the church are often asleep at the switch and need to be woken up. There is a song that tells about people that are dying and we are in our churches not even caring if they know Jesus.

Let us be like Paul who breathed life back into these people. May Gd breathe life back into us again so that we can care for others.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Acts 20 - 23

Tomorrow

Acts 24:1-26:32

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also

Division

Rom 16:17-18 ESV
(17) I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
(18) For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.



When I stared my new job on the campus that I work at, the start of a new semester brought out a lot of students, and the new student organizations as well. One day as I was walking by one of the rooms I was greeted by a friendly face inviting me in for lunch. As I was hungry I went in. It was the first meeting of the campus organization called 'Baptist Collegiate Ministries.' They invited us all to come back from week to week, no matter staff, faculty or student. It was good food and I did enjoy the fellowship, but my charismatic leaning I thought would not sit well with the Baptist nature of things, especially since my experience with Baptist church people did not go well when they found out my leanings.

It was then the minister told me what I had felt all along. Let's fellowship on what we can agree on and let the rest fall aside. We have had some healthy conversations since then. I do not try to force my view on him, nor he on me, but we try to see what the other one sees and why. In a recent time of crisis, I was able to provide him with a sermon my pastor taught that dealt with a situation happening where he worked. I can truly say that he has become a friend.

Do not let obstacle get in your way. People who do that can loose fellowship. Major on the majors and leave the minors alone.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today

Romans 14 - 16

Tomorrow

Acts 20 - 23

Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list

Still working on catching up from sick and accident at work also