A Little Walk With God

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

* In Luke 21:20-28, Jesus said, "Here’s how you will know that the destruction of Jerusalem and her temple is imminent: Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies. When that happens, there’s only one thing to do: if you’re in Judea, flee to the mountains; and if you’re inside the city, escape; and if you’re outside the city, stay there—don’t enter— because the time has come for the promised judgment to fall. How sad it will be for all the pregnant women, for all the nursing mothers in those days! All the land of Israel and all her people will feel the distress, the anger, falling on them like rain. The sword will cut some down, the outsider nations will take others captive, and this holy city, this Jerusalem, will be trampled upon by the outsiders until their times are fulfilled.

* There will be earth-shattering events—the heavens themselves will seem to be shaken with signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. And across the earth the outsider nations will feel powerless and terrified in the face of a roaring flood of fear and foreboding, crashing like tidal waves upon them. “What’s happening to the world?” people will wonder. The cosmic order will be destabilized. And then, at that point, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and blazing glory. So when the troubles begin, don’t be afraid. Look up—raise your head high, because the truth is that your liberation is fast approaching.

* Devotional

* Jesus could see what would happen to Jerusalem forty years away.

* Roman siege

* destruction of temple

* killing of innocents

* Jerusalem destroyed

* Gives warning to His disciples to avoid the city to save their lives

* Gives warning about the end of times, too

* Son of Man returning in a cloud with power and blazing glory

* heavens shaken

* signs in celestial bodies

* overwhelming sense of fear and foreboding

* Signs point to the end of time

* Liberation is coming fast

* Don’t be afraid

* Hold heads high

* Victory is near

* Look around

* signs are everywhere

* fear and foreboding seem to cloud the thinking of the whole world

* Syria

* ISIS

* terrorists

* US election

* Son of Man’s return is on the horizon

* Hold your head up, don’t be afraid, He’s coming soon

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

* In Luke 21:18–19 Jesus said: But whatever happens, not a single hair of your heads will be harmed. By enduring all of these things, you will find not loss but gain—not death but authentic life.

* Promise of no

* persecution

* beating

* imprisonment

* execution

* More - gain instead of loss; authentic life instead of death

* Never more than today

* Middle east

* Africa

* Russia

* China

* India

* Even in United States beginnings of rights removed, persecution evident, followers hated

* All the same problems as everyone else plus persecution

* What does Jesus mean? Contradiction?

* We take out of context * Forget what comes before and after these verses

* Want to use part of a discourse to our benefit

* Like to twist promises to suit our wants

* What does Jesus mean?

* Verses in the middle of end times discourse

* Signs

* Events

* Interlude to comfort disciples

* Picture scene

* Jesus sees fear

* Calms with promise of what happens for His followers during the end times

* Put verses back into context

* We have nothing to worry about

* Still hated by the world

* Still face persecution until He comes

* Still suffer as followers

* Notice He says “if we endure all these things”, means we go through them

* Then we enjoy the promises He gives

* Jesus comes again

* Returns victoriously

* Today’s words from Jesus:

* Encouragement that the end brings relief from the evil of this world

* …life everlasting

* …indescribable joy

* …eternal praise and worship of the King of kings in His presence

* Disciples needed that interlude of encouragement

* We need it today, too.

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

We are seeing strange weather patterns, odd tides, jet streams, creating unusual weather. We see droughts lasting longer and flooding in 500 year flood plains. All the signs are there. He could come at any time and not do disservice to any of the prophecies about His return.

What does all of that mean? Be ready. I’m releasing this podcast on the last day of 2016. It could be the last day. We might never see 2017. It could happen. I’m hopeful that God will give the church a chance to introduce Him to more people so that His kingdom will grow. I’m hopeful that in this new year Christians will recognize how short time is and take a stand for God. That we will really stand out as followers of Jesus the Messiah. I’m hopeful that the persecutions around the world will be such that those that sully the name of Christ by carrying His name but have no relationship with Him will stop identifying themselves as Christians so that the real bride of Christ can be recognized as the spiritual warriors they really are.

I’m hopeful that real revival will break out and people will understand their broken condition and fall to their knees and seek mercy and forgiveness from the living God who created them and longs to save them from their sins. I’m hopeful for a lot of things in this coming year.

But it all starts with me. Am I willing to be that person who, like the psalmist, falls to my knees and asks God to inspect my heart to see if there is any unclean thing in me. And whatever He might find, remove it at whatever cost so that there is nothing between me and my Savior. Are you willing to be that same kind of person this coming year? If all of us who claim Christ as our Savior will do the same, imagine what a year 2017 can be.

Read it in a year - Acts 27-28

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

What does it mean to give all you have to God? Does He expect us to turn all our cash over to Him and go home with nothing in our pocket? Not necessarily, but sometimes He might. Does He expect us to live in poverty, not knowing where our next meal will come from? Not necessarily, but sometimes He might. Does God expect us to be so poor we live on the streets at the mercy of the weather and the other street people we meet there? Not necessarily, but sometimes He might.

That sounds pretty non-committal, doesn’t it? The point is, we must be willing to give everything we have to God. Recognize the fact that it all belongs to Him and we are only stewards of the things He lets us use from time to time. So how does He want you to use the things He gives you? For your own benefit and pleasure or for His plans and purposes?

Using assets for His plans and purposes doesn’t usually mean you will be penniless and poverty stricken. Using assets for His plans and purposes doesn’t usually mean you will not enjoy life and have comforts that others enjoy. But those things won’t be what drives you. You’ll find that if God decides He wants them, you don’t have any problem giving them up to Him when you remember they are not yours to start with. They all belong to Him and we are just borrowers. Things are on loan to us while we are here to be used for Him.

Read it in a year - Revelation 18-22

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

Is there hypocrisy in my church? Unfortunately, I would have to say yes, there is. I can see it in the lives of some of the members. Is there hypocrisy in your church? If I were a gambler, I would bet a paycheck there are. And I would bet another paycheck that I’m not wrong in that assessment. Our churches are full of hypocrites. But that’s okay. Look who Jesus was talking to. He was addressing the scribes and Pharisees. The scholars who knew scripture better than anyone else. The leaders of the faith. They attended services faithfully. They participated in all the rituals faithfully. They gave their tithe and more faithfully. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites.

Did that stop Jesus from going to the temple to worship? Certainly not. Did it stop Him from participating in those same rituals? Absolutely not. He did them faithfully, understanding fully the reason behind those rituals. Did it stop Jesus from continuing to study God’s word and using it to support His messages to the crowds that followed Him? We see that most of His preaching took text from the ancient writings of the law given to Moses and the prophets and the writings that existed worship places of the Jews.

Jesus recognized the hypocrites wherever He went, but He still preached to them, healed them, ministered to them, invited them to follow Him. He never stopped them from being around Him to hear and witness the kingdom of God in their midsts. Jesus knew the only way to reach a hypocrite was to allow them to join into genuine, intimate worship. Until they see the difference between their fake religion and real righteousness, they will continue to fall prey to Satan’s lies. But when they draw near and listen, they have the opportunity to hear the message, make amends, repent of their hypocrisy and find their way back to God and His kingdom living.

Just stay in God’s word. You can pick them out. And when you do, be very careful that you don’t fall into the same traps they fell into. Stay rooted in the word. The whole thing, not just your favorite chapters and verses. The hypocrites will see your walk and maybe find a new way, a better way, the way of the cross.

Read it in a year - Song of Songs 5-6

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

Is God dead? No. He is very much alive and taking care of things every day. I expect those around Jesus were wondering the same thing in their day as the Romans invaded their land and took anything they wanted from them. I expect as they saw the crucifixions dotting the countryside and cruelty of their oppressors they sometimes wondered if God died somewhere along the way. He certainly wasn’t doing much to free them from the tyrannical leaders that held rule over them since the exile, it seemed.

Jesus saw, as He walked with us that many around Him said the words they believed in God, but acted as if He didn’t exist. Today we do the same. We ignore Him when He calls. We ignore His word. We fail to worship Him. We go about our business assuming we don’t need Him anymore. Satan has convinced us we can do everything ourselves and don’t need to depend on the creator for anything. But we are wrong.

Imagine a world without God. A world without His moral guidance. A world without His laws of physics and gravity and science. A world without love. A world without hope. That’s what we would face if God did not exist. We cannot manufacture those things. Those come from God and if He is dead, so are those. Yet they still exist, which means He does too. We can’t create a blade of grass, or a calf, or a fish. We can’t create a bird from an egg or make water spring from the earth to make creeks and rivers and lakes and oceans.

We think we can do lots of things, and think we are really important. We act like we are the most important thing in the world, but we’re only a distant second. God is still alive and well. He demonstrates His presence daily if we will just look around and see His handiwork. Is God dead? Absolutely not. Take some time to prove it for yourself. It’s not hard to figure it out.

Read it in a year - Esther 1-5

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

So what should we do about the mess we’ve made with the governments we live under? We are about to start a new year in a few days and an opportunity to start a new season, with a new president in this country, whether you voted for him or against him. We will have a new congress with new senators and new representatives, whether you voted for them or against them. But the interesting thing is that you just happened to be born into this particular country at this particular time with these particular leaders and we can do one of two things.

We can pray for them and ask God to help them make godly decisions and guide our country toward revival using each of us who claim to be followers of Christ as the instruments of revival fire. Or we can belly-ache about the conditions and how unfair the system is and how the side we’re not on politically just doesn’t understand and how gullible they are to the untruths the media spews our way. (By the way, that works whether you are Democrat or Republican or Independent.)

As for me, I feel privileged to live in this particular country and have prayed for my presidents whether they have been the party of my choice or not. Whether I have agreed with them or not. Whether I voted for them or desired for them to take that seat of power or not. Because it really isn’t up to me or you or the 120 million people who voted as to who will sit in what some think of as the seat of power. It’s not for us to give to them. It’s not for them to take or earn or buy. God puts into those positions the people He wants into those positions. Sometimes He even lets us have what we deserve. Ouch! Scary thought, huh!

Make it a point, whatever your political persuasion the rest of this year and the next to pray for our leaders. They need it. We need them to know as Christians we lift them each day in prayer in a positive way. That, more than anything else you do this year, will make a difference in our political system and our nation.

Read it in a year - Esther 1-5

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

I like the way my late father-in-law raised his kids. Many times they would go to the store with him when they were growing up. He would sometimes wait until he was out of the store or in his car before he checked to see if he got the right change. Of course, back in those days, the cash registers didn’t tell you how much change you were getting, you figured it out. You had to actually do addition and subtraction. But if he got even two cents too much change, he would go back to the cashier and return the money with the explanation to his girls that he would rather spend the extra time to give the money back than spend eternity in hell. He was not going to steal from the store.

His integrity in the small things bled over into the big things of life also. He was an incredible man of integrity and he passed that trait on to his children. Honesty is probably the most important characteristic each of them looked for in a spouse as they were beginning to date. I suppose I met the test with my wife of 40 years.

We don’t see that kind of integrity much anymore. Our political leaders certainly don’t show it and demonstrated by their recent campaigning. Our bosses often don’t show it in the way they operate their businesses with the bottom line being the most important thing about the business. Even close friends often lose that spot because they just fail to be honest with us in some of the important issues of life. But honesty and integrity are critical to God. It’s one of those commandments He told us not to break, remember? Stealing. Lying. Murder. Coveting. Adultery. They all rank right up there and they all start with the thought, “I want what I want and I don’t care about anyone else.” Don’t be like those tenants. Try a little integrity.

Read it in a year - Deuteronomy 29-31

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

“How I wish you knew today what would bring peace!” There is only one thing that brings peace to each individual heart of humankind. We must each understand we are sinners, far from the holy state in which God wants us to live and our sins hurt both our fellowman and God. Then we must be truly sorry for our sins. Not just sorry we got caught, but sorry for the commission of those sins. Sorry we brought pain and suffering to God and others. Sorry we failed to obey God’s commands to live the way He instructed. Sorry we failed to please God.

Then we must humble ourselves and ask forgiveness in true repentance. True repentance means asking with the full intent of living differently. Working diligently with God’s help to avoid the sins we committed in the past and stay obedient to His commands and His spirit’s promptings, we intend to follow His footsteps wherever they might lead.

Finally, we let Him be the Lord of our life. It’s easy to say those words and we think we understand that word, Lord. But we borrow it from medieval days to describe the relationship God wants with us. The Lord is owner of everything, we are just managers. The Lord directs and guides our actions, we obediently carry them out. The Lord teaches and corrects us, we listen and learn from that instruction and correction. The Lord sometimes gives us projects to complete expecting us to use the assets He entrusted to us, we invest all our energy to do the best we can to carry out those projects to completion. The Lord expects complete and total loyalty from all His subjects, we give it because He has the power of life and death in His hands.

On this Christmas Day, Jesus still cries out, “How I wish you knew today what would bring peace!” Do you have His peace? You can. He gives it to all who ask.

Read it in a year - 3 John

see the whole year's plan here

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com.

Since He left, however, we have not gotten better in our sensibilities toward solving the social problems of the planet. We still build thick walls between us. Whether nationally, racially, economically, just pick any trait and if there is a difference between any group of people, we’ll use it to build a wall so we don’t have to associate with “those” people. That’s not what God planned for us when He created us. That has been our doing.

And in the process, as God has tried to teach us with His word and His example, our selfish desires have so gotten in the way, that the world has learned to despise Him. Even those who follow His example are despised. Just take a look at the increase in martyrdom since He left. More and more Christians are killed because of following Him every year. It wasn’t just ISIS when they came on the scene. Christians have died at the hand of evil men since Jesus departed 2000 years ago for claiming Him as Lord.

Society despised Jesus so much, they even try to blot out His name. We can’t even celebrate Christmas in public anymore. Now it’s the holiday season instead of Christmas. Strange how we lose the name of the very person for whom the holiday came to be in the first place, isn’t it? How does it happen? Because we want our way. We don’t want anyone, even God, telling us how to live. We can choose to follow Him or not, though. We don’t get to choose the consequences of that decision, but we can choose to follow Him or not. Be forewarned, if you follow God, the rest of the world will despise you, just like the Master that left on a long journey 2,000 years ago. He’s coming back, though, and will ask for a reckoning of what He has entrusted to us. Choose well.

Read it in a year - Acts 25-26

see the whole year's plan here