A Little Walk With God

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

I guess there are two ways you could approach what He says about judgment and heaven and hell. You could agree with Him and follow what He says and know you will live with Him forever in heaven. Or you can choose not to believe Him. You can live your own life, do what you want, ignore what He tells us to do and just assume that what Jesus says about heaven and hell is just a fairy tale to make people get along better in society.

You can do either one of those. It’s you choice. But there is one huge catch at the end. If there is a judgment day coming. If there is a heaven and a literal eternal hell and we will end up in one place or the other based on our behavior and beliefs in this life, then if you follow the former philosophy, you’ll be okay. If you follow the latter philosophy, you’ll be in huge trouble on judgment day.

So then, here’s the issue, does it hurt anyone to do the right things always? Does it hurt to follow God’s decrees? Does it hurt to obey the ten commandments and the other commands God gives that tell us how to love others the way we love ourselves? Doesn’t it build a greater community and build greater character to live the life He shows us through His example? If not, then doesn’t it make sense to do what He says? If you’re right and there is no hell, but you followed Jesus and His teachings, then you’ve still found your way to heaven. If you’re wrong and find on judgment day there is a hell and you’ve lived by your rules instead of His, well… That sounds like a pretty bad gamble in my book.

Read it in a year - 1 Chronicles 5-9

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 much do we get caught up in the jealousy John displayed that day as He tried to stop this other group from doing good? Well, that church on the corner isn’t part of my denomination, so they shouldn’t be inviting my people to their meeting. That church over there doesn’t do things the way we do, so they can’t be part of the kingdom. That denomination doesn’t sing the way we do, so they obviously must not be Christian. That group doesn’t emphasize the same things we do, so we are obviously more holy than they are, right?

It’s so easy to get caught up in the petty discord Jesus saw with His disciples as He addressed John that day. Let them use My name to do My work! Let them see the things that happens when people hear My name and exercise their faith in Me. Even if you don’t agree with the person doing the work, recognize that when they do miracles in My name, they can’t turn around and contribute that work to someone or something else, because they invoked My name to accomplish it. My name is glorified before the people.

So what if those people are making a profit by using Jesus’ name? What if they are charletons and are just trying to exploit the power of His name to line their own pockets with gold? Does that make a difference in how we should treat them?

Jesus says if they are healing and performing miracles “using His name” leave them alone.

Read it in a year - Numbers 1-4

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.

God expects us to represent Him here. He expects us to keep His reputation and His Name unsullied. God wants others to see His love in us. He wants us to share His grace and mercy to a world that sorely needs grace and mercy. That doesn’t mean condoning bad behavior. It doesn’t mean tolerance of evil. It doesn’t mean acceptance of things contradictory to God’s word. It means doing for others just what God did for you, extend His grace and mercy and love to those He created. Sharing His message of forgiveness. Introducing them to the one who can make a real difference in this world.

So here we are. In every election cycle some of those we chose as our representatives are rejected from their positions and someone else is chosen to take their place. What will God do if we do not carry out our responsibilities as His representatives, His ambassadors? What will He do if we behave in manners that tell the world He doesn’t matter? His law is just rubbish and we can do what we choose? Can we just assume that once we ask forgiveness we can do anything we want and drag God’s reputation through the mud by calling ourselves by His name yet living the same life as Satan’s minions?

That’s just not logical. Granted, some things God does don’t seem logical to us at times because we don’t have the mind of God. But throughout His word, He makes pretty clear that He treasures His reputation and the value of His name. I’m not sure I’d use the title of His company, Christian, and then live like the world. I’m not sure He’d let me stay in office very long. My election might be short-lived. So are you a representative of Christ or not? A good question for citizens of His kingdom.

Read it in a year - 1 Timothy 1-3

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 have to tell you, the military and most organizations have their organization charts upside down. If we really focused on who is important in an organization, it’s the people at the bottom of those charts that do the work that make the products and clean the offices and answer the phones. Yes, the CEOs and the generals make decisions and take a lot of risk with their careers as they lead those within their organizations, but without all those people below them, the missions would never be accomplished. As a leadership consultant, I often shock those senior folks by showing those charts just that way, upside down, to get the point across. The people at the top should be the servant of all those they lead.

Jesus was a servant and He is the Son of God. If He can lower Himself to perform the lowliest task of the lowest servant in the household, washing animal feces off the feet of the guests before dinner, don’t you think we should serve those we lead as well? People flocked to His leadership style. If you want to be first, be last, the servant of all.

Read it in a year - John 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.

More often than not, astonishment is the reaction I see on the face of even Christians when God heals His children when they pray. Shouldn’t we expect God to do what we ask if we pray in His Name and in His will? If we pray, not expecting anything to happen, do we have faith to believe He can? Why would God answer our prayers if we don’t expect Him to? Why should we be astonished when God does what we ask? Why, when we go to Him in earnest prayer and He answers in tangible ways do we carry with us any emotions other than praise and thanksgiving?

Maybe we don’t see much physical healing in our churches today because we really don’t have faith to believe God can do what He says. Maybe we don’t see forgiveness in our church because we don’t have enough faith to know He really can forgive us of our sins. Maybe we don’t see revivals sweeping across our land today because we who call ourselves Christians have lost what it takes to call down God’s Spirit on us in true faith and know He will answer when we ask Him.

The man who came to Jesus with His demon possessed son got it right that day. Maybe we need to get on our knees and emulate Him today. Lord, I do believe. Help me with my unbelief.

Read it in a year - Daniel 7-12

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

If Jesus could make the checklist of prophecies to set up an itinerary to fulfill them from the scriptures, how could He get the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests and Romans to play along? After all, they didn’t want anyone to recognize Him as the Messiah. They were doing their best to discredit Him, right? So why would they fulfill scripture by hanging Him on the tree, crucifying Him? Why would the Romans cast lots for His garments? They didn’t know they were fulfilling centuries old prophecy and certainly wouldn’t have if they knew. Why would they not break His legs as was their custom when they wanted to make sure they were speeding up the execution process? It would have taken little more effort or time snap Jesus’ shins than to thrust a spear into His side. So why fulfill prophecy if Jesus were not the Messiah? The Romans didn’t know any better. The Pharisees and chief priests would certainly have stopped it if they remembered.

What’s the probability that anyone could fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled? Peter Stone and Robert Newman wrote a book several years ago entitled Science Speaks that determined the probability of the fulfillment of just eight of those prophecies - 1 in a quadrillion. That's one with seventeen zero's behind it. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. So just based on statistical analysis alone, I’d say odds are pretty good Jesus is the Messiah. Just as it is written. What do you think?

Read it in a year - Proverbs 16

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

With the growing number of suicides, murders, neglect and abuse of children and elderly, it seems we have failed to teach our children and their children the value of life. How do we fail in that effort? What do you tell your children about terrorists? They are still souls Jesus died for? How do you talk about gang members on the street? Jesus died for them. What do you say when your elementary school-aged child brings home the slang titles of a different race? God created them, too. Each person on earth is created by God. He died on a cross for their sins just as He died on the cross for yours and He died on the cross for mine.

Until we recognize the value of every life and begin to teach our children and their children the value of every life, we will continue to see society throw lives away. It might be by suicides or murders or abuse of children and the elderly or negligence of a race or socioeconomic group, but we will throw some group of people away as unimportant. But Jesus thinks every life is so important and so valuable that He gave His own life to redeem each one. What is each life worth to Him? Everything including His own.

Read it in a year - Psalms 93-95

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.

Just think, Peter tells Jesus He is the Messiah, the One who would rescue them from the oppression and bondage sin brought on the world. He proclaimed Jesus is the Son of the Living God. But when Jesus tells the group of disciples gathered around Him the events that would unfold concerning His arrest, beating, torture, and death, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him. Can you imagine the nerve it takes to rebuke the person you just called the Son of God? Do you realize how bold you must be to believe Jesus is God and then tell Him what He said is not just wrong but to rebuke Him because He said it?

Think of that word, rebuke. It means to criticize sharply or to speak to someone in an angry and critical way. That’s what Peter did to Jesus right after He told Him he believed Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Liberating King, the Anointed One. The unmitigated gall! How could Peter possibly think he could contradict the One He just proclaimed to be the Son of God? It just doesn’t make much sense, does it? At least he scripture says he took Him aside instead of making the rebuke in front of all the other disciples.

“Hey, Jesus, come over here a minute. We need to talk. I need to tell you a couple of things before you go any further with this line of discussion. You know you’re God, right? You can’t be talking about death and torture and sacrifice if you want to draw a crowd. You need to get a little more upbeat and get back on track with the healing and feeding multitudes. This gloom and doom talk isn’t going to get you very far in the ratings. I think you need to tone it down a little. Understand?”

Read it in a year - 1 Chronicles 1-4

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.

Perhaps if you put yourself into the pagan world of Rome or Greece and remember the myths that ran through their religion, you might begin to understand the speculation that occurred. You might begin to see why some people in the crowd questioned who this Jesus really was. If you believed in a pantheon of gods, He could be just one more and so was no big deal except He decided to spend some time on earth instead of Mount Olympus.

But now move forward 2,000 years, Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you believe He is the Son of the Living God? Do you know there is only one God represented in three personalities, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that Jesus is one of those personalities, part of the triune Godhead? Do you know that He is God incarnate, come to live along side us for those 33 years to share our troubles and sorrows and temptations? Do you know He came to give His life as the penalty for your sins and mine so that we would not have to pay with our life? Do you know Jesus, the God/Man, loves us enough to do that for us?

Today, there is still great speculation about Jesus’ identity. Some say He was just a great prophet. Some say He was a great teacher. Some say He was a rebel and a radical leader. Some say He was a marvelous rabbi, but twisted the scriptures in unusual ways. Some say He is the one and only Son of God, our perfect sacrifice, waiting to return to take His followers home to be with Him forever.

Read it in a year - Leviticus 25-27

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

Have you ever thought about why Jesus had to touch this man twice? What was it about this encounter that required Him to work in the man’s life two times instead of just once? In almost every other occasion we see Jesus speaking to someone or touching someone or doing something and the word says immediately the person is healed. So what is it about this encounter that is different? Why the second touch before this man could see clearly?

Was Jesus off His game that day? I don’t think so. Was this man worse than others Jesus’ had seen? Probably not. Did the man have some strange disease Jesus didn’t know about and that’s why it took a double dose of His cure? I doubt it. Jesus is God incarnate. He can do all things. This was just another simple case of healing. So why the difference?

Read it in a year - 2 Thessalonians

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