Month: April 2026

On Being Part of the Permanent

1 John 2:15-17 MSGDon’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

1 John 2:15-17 Phillips Never give your hearts to this world or to any of the things in it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. For the whole world-system, based as it is on men’s primitive desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all that they think splendid, is not derived from the Father at all, but from the world itself. The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear. But the man who is following God’s will is part of the permanent and cannot die.

Observation

So, here we are again standing by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  John is telling us that “Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important…” is eating that same fruit.  If we do so, we are choosing to value (want) everything that is temporal, passing away, of no eternal value.  God has not said through John that we cannot have and enjoy things, or be good leaders, or attain high positions.  However, He is saying that we must watch the motives – is it to serve Him, His purposes, and His reward system or all about me, me, me and what I get out of it here and now.

I love this phrase – “The man who is following God’s will is part of the permanent and cannot die.”  This is not speaking about physical death of the body but, rather, about the permanence of the rewards of eternal life guaranteed by placing our full trust in the Father and choosing obedience over our reputation, possessions and praise for our accomplishments.  To follow God’s will be hard on all that is acclaimed and held dear by the world’s system (“men’s primitive desires, their greedy ambitions and the glamour of all that they think splendid” – KJV “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”).

Impact on Me

I am guaranteed eternal life by the salvation provided in Christ.  John is speaking here to those who have done the bare minimum without any further investment in bringing the Kingdom.  John is speaking of the necessary equipping and the map for the journey of sanctification, becoming more like Christ.  Jesus tells me in Scripture to be lightly attached to the things of this world even though I must have things to live in it.  The Father knows what I need and will provide it.  He also tells me to overcome through love all that is evil in this world (driven by lust and pride).  Here John says it again.  “Never give your hearts to this world or to any of the things in it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time.”  I must not value temporal things above eternal ones.

In this chapter, John reminds me that loving the Father and loving my neighbor (really anyone including my family) are interconnected.  He is warning me that the love of me and what I have at the expense of others is not moving me along the road to sanctification (becoming more like Jesus).  Being generous with what I have, content in where He places me, loving my enemy, praying for those who spitefully use me, freely extending forgiveness to those who mock and abuse me, trusting God to avenge in His time and way – these are footsteps forward on the journey.  These kinds of reactions to the world’s system may be slightly wounding to my soul (my pride, my reputation, my social status), but they are milestones on my path and please my Father in Heaven.

Devotion

Eternal Father, Redeemer, Comforter, Teacher, Almighty God, You are everything true Love embodies.  I want to do more than just the minimum.  I want to demonstrate my gratitude for all You have done for me by loving and serving all you bring my way so they may be changed by Your Love as I was.  I want to be one who is recognized as Yours in all I do.  Keep me watchful so I can always be following Your will and living/walking in the “permanent” (eternal) every day.  I ask this in Jesus’ name.

On Keeping Watch

1 Peter 5:1-4 (Phillips)Now may I who am myself an elder say a word to you my fellow-elders? I speak as one who actually saw Christ suffer, and as one who will share with you the glories that are to be unfolded to us. I urge you then to see that your “flock of God” is properly fed and cared for. Accept the responsibility of looking after them willingly and not because you feel you can’t get out of it, doing your work not for what you can make, but because you are really concerned for their well-being. You should aim not at being “little tin gods” but as examples of Christian living in the eyes of the flock committed to your charge. And then, when the chief shepherd reveals himself, you will receive that crown of glory which cannot fade.

A little different format this time…

About 20 years ago, I was the ministry leader for a team at my church that encouraged and supported ministries led by members of the congregation.  With some minor updates to make it more relevant to all, I wanted to share with you something I shared with my team.  So, this is written to a group that already has accepted Jesus as Savior and committed to serve Him. 

If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to read the New Testament and learn who Jesus was and is and always will be.  You will never regret being His and allowing Him to be a leader in your life.  Wherever you are and whatever your circumstance, Jesus has love, grace and forgiveness ready for you.  Call on His name and He will answer you.

Observations

1.  God is committed to relationship-building.  He wants everyone to have a relationship with Christ and with others in Christ.  Therefore, He has a plan for creating an environment for life that will father, foster, and fertilize spiritual growth and friendships with others – Christian and non-Christian.  God wants us to allow Jesus to shine through what we love to do and whatever else He asks us to do in Jesus’ name.  Our Father’s goal is to have others experience Christ in us so that they will choose to become part of the family of Christ where they can have the same peace, love and security that we have.  Keep watch on who you associate with and how you treat those you meet.

2.  God wants every Believer to GO be His ambassador, evangelist, missionary in and to the world and culture in which they live.  Some are called to go to places that are strange and unfamiliar to them, but, wherever we are planted, we all are called to carry the Gospel in our daily going and being.  Therefore, God is for us as we create opportunity and support for this to happen.  A question I ask myself is:  Am I making GOING a priority in my everyday life?  Do I pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with my actions as well as my words?  How am I encouraging and inspiring others to answer this call?  How am I equipping those who have a heart to go but feel ill-equipped?  How are they responding?  Keep watch on who is in charge of your schedule, as well as what you say and do.

3.  We operate from a position of advantage.  We serve the Almighty God, Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is never surprised by the latest moves of the enemy.  He is never unprepared or taken aback by what happens.  God made His plan before Creation and has no Plan B.  Additionally, He feels no pressure or compunction to react or act according to any plan or timetable other than His own.  He is never concerned about what people will think about an individual battle that seems to us to be lost.  He will partner with us to accomplish His plan and fulfill His will and purpose (which must be like working with a child learning to bake which takes 3 times as long and creates triple the mess).  BUT God will not necessarily bless any short-sighted plan we come up with on our own.  He has already won the war and will lead us into that victory if we will just follow in His footsteps.  It is worthwhile to invest whatever time it takes to hear from Him and be wise enough to embrace His our part in His plan for us.  Keep watch on remembering Whose you are, Who you serve and whose plan you are following.

4.  We have been given superior weapons.  The weapons He gives us are not the weapons the world sees as powerful but are the ones which exercise overwhelming spiritual power and authority.  These are radical weapons against which the enemy has no defense – agape love, unending grace, complete forgiveness, undeserved mercy, self-sacrifice, humility, the armor of God along with all the other fruits of the Spirit and virtues demonstrated by Jesus.  When I truly forgive another, there is no foothold for bitterness or hatred.  I love Micah 6:8: “Do justly, walk humbly, love mercy”.  This is impenetrable armor against the arrows of the enemy of our souls.  The enemy gains no victory if and when we respond according to the Word of God rather than react according to our flesh. While we are not to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices, we should be diligent to learn how to use the weapons God has given.  Keep watch on which weapons you wield in the battles of life.

5.  God is not performance-based.  We live in a culture that defines our worth by our achievements, our status, our possessions gained.  Heavenly culture puts no worth on these.  Will we be judged one day by Jesus for the works we performed in His name?  Absolutely!  James 2:18-24 tells us that our faith is dead without the good works it should produce.  However, showing up at the Heavenly Gates with the many lists of the good things we did in our own strength without consulting Him will not impress Him.  We will enter in simply because we are in Christ.  To hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” will depend on how well we listened and obeyed in whatever He asked us to do by faith.  If we can trust God enough to pray and wait to hear His plan, truly setting aside the urgency creating by our timetable and the need to appear pleasing or productive in the eyes of men, we will find that our joy will be full because we have endured to give Him joy in His heart.  Keep watch on who is getting the praise for all you do.

Devotion

Lord God Almighty, Everlasting Father, Redeemer Son and Grace-filled Holy Spirit, You are so gracious, so patient, so kind to include me in fulfilling the plan You set in motion before Creation.  What a mess I can make by anxiously going off in my own direction to fix the world around me.    My intentions are good, but my actions are foolish unless they are what You have asked me to do.  Slow me down, fill me with Your peace, equip me with weapons that wield Your power and authority, and let me see with Your eyes so I will have faith enough to wait for Your directions and obey them.    I want to be that good and faithful servant.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.