1 Save me, O God, by your name;    vindicate me by your might.2 Hear my prayer, O God;    listen to the words of my mouth.

3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;    ruthless people are trying to kill me—    people without regard for God.

4 Surely God is my help;    the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;    in your faithfulness destroy them.

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;    I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,    and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

- Psalm 54

 

Excerpt:

Are you tired? Have you had a long week? a long month?

There are many moments in life that we find ourselves worn out, strung out, knocked down, discouraged, or simply about to pass out. It is in the midst of these times that when we find even a glimmering moment of rest, we will crawl into our own little space and sleep. Some of us will go out and party until you drop. Being sort of an introvert myself, I like to be alone and become like a hermit crab confined in my own space where nobody (except my wife) can get in. Some of us may be the exact opposite, we want to go out and have mindless fun and laughter so that we don't have to think about the following Monday or project looming over our heads.

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

Today's Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44

“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” - John 11:39-40

 

Excerpt:

In some ways, we have been like Martha. We've kept the stone that seals the tomb of our inmost pain and insecurities. We've given up and just accepted the fact that my life today is just the way it will be. But our life in the resurrection Jesus goes way beyond two thousand years ago. In fact, we don't even wait for the day of judgement to see resurrection. The true indication of Jesus' resurrection begins with our very own hearts. It is our faith in the resurrection which livens us with both optimism and confidence in him. Not only in the future, but also from the past and the present.

 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." -Romans 5:5

Excerpt:

Our hope and vision begins with God. We must take heed that everything we set as ambitions outside of God holds value in our eternity. Godly vision for life produces hope and justice. Capitalist success can only be redeemed as a true vision for life if it produces love, joy, peace and righteousness in those who are in both leadership and in following. The sole beneficiary of such a scheme can only be God himself. But because we fail to lack greediness and a complete sense of holiness, it will always remain a sin. Do not be fooled by your love for money as a love for God.

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

Today's Scripture Reading: Romans 12:10-12

Be devoted to one another in love.Honor one another above yourselves.Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

Excerpt:

Having a half-hearted attitude towards anything and anyone in life can be one of the most offensive things we could do. It communicates to those around us that we either do not care, or that they are second priority. We are all guilty of having done this, especially for things we just don't want to do. Whether it is with our homework, or with our house chores. The results of such an attitude towards even a task for one's own well being always leads to destructive results. Things that ought to be done right are neglected. Our dishes are not cleaned properly, as a result our families eat from dirty dishes. We fail to work on our school projects well, so we ruin our grades. We neglect to count the numbers properly, and the company you work for loses thousands of dollars. The results of half-heartedness are never positive. It is especially more harmful when we carry such an attitude with those whom we ought to serve and show the light of Christ with.

 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” - Genesis 1:28

 

Excerpt:

Some of us work everyday to make a living, and some of us may go to school to study in preparation for our careers. The modern culture of industrialized societies has us living each day extremely task oriented and goal driven - yet everyday may seem also like a drag, utterly plain, and simply to just get by or pursue after more wealth. But is that the call of our lives as God's holy people? The question we can often ask is, how do we live as a Christians in today's society, in a mundane life?

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

Today's Scripture Reading: John 10:7-10

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Excerpt:

There are false gospels out there that seek to promise you riches, health, and wealth. That if you do this, or do that – if you live life in “obedience” or in the “holy spirit” that the “blessings” would be given to you in the form of health and wealth. But the issue with this strange message is that they are selling you a promise that has zero value in eternity. But as a result we are on this constant pursuit because we are misled, for the wrong things, and for the wrong reasons. It does  not matter how righteous you have lived, your body will decay, and your wealth is not something that you can take with you to the afterlife.

There are gospels on the opposite end of the spectrum that say “abandon everything!” to the point ones resources and bodies are depleted and destroyed – but not just at the cost of their own, but so much so it has divided their family, placed them into debt, and destroyed what is supposed to be a joyful faith into one of legalism, misery and suffering – self infliction because of the hope that it would make them righteous before God.

Both ends of these spectrums have one thing in common that is neither what God takes joy in or seeks from us at all.

 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 01 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

- John 4:24

 

Excerpt:

The fourth question of the Westminster Catechism asks "What is God?" Have you ever pondered what God might look like? We often have the image of God being an old white man that sits up in the clouds sending lightning down whenever we do something bad. But that is merely an gnostic mix-up with the image of the Greek god Zeus. He is neither white, black, blue, purple. Nor is he an old man or a young child. Before we can say whether God exists or whether he doesn't, we have to first take a step back and wonder - if he does exist, then what is he? To understand who and what God is, we have to begin to understand his nature, and also what he is not. 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 06 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

Today's Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Excerpt:

Each day that we live is a gift. There is no guarantee that we will awake tomorrow morning, nor can we be for certain what the outcome of our days might be. Even if we have planned everything out and done everything we could to ensure all of the things we want to accomplish get done, the outcome is inevitably in God's hands. Though there is probability in the way we are responsible with our time and how we spend our resources that produce what we hope for, the fact of life is there are more moments in our lives that things don't go always as planned.

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 04 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

There may have been many moments and times where we have been so upset about something, that you just couldn't care less about what was happening around you. These can be the most foolish and immature moments of our character. The illusion in that moment is that we are right, we are justified in feeling the way we feel, and we have the right to get upset and say whatever remarks we feel is right. But when we are angry and upset, how much love and compassion in our hearts rule our speech and behavior versus hate, disdain and contempt?

There are moments and times we feel that things just are not going right. The people around you may not be doing well at fitting your demands and needs, or possibly altogether, not at all. Jonah felt precisely this way. God had commanded Jonah to preach to the Ninevites - his worst of enemies! Jonah was not only a bigot, but was hateful of them because of their past history. The symptom of sickness on Jonah's heart was self-righteousness and pride. He felt that he was more holy than they were, and that the Ninevites did not deserve mercy for their sins. Jonah's eyes and heart were clouded by his hatred and by his arrogance. Even after he had seen how the Ninevites had repented and gave their lives to the Lord, he was still angry. He wanted them to burn in hell. Literally. His reasoning is far from logical, and even after he acknowledges God's merciful character, he is still unrepentant.

Many of the time, we can be just as Jonah was. When we are unforgiving, lacking compassion and mercy, it is because our pride and anger have clouded our judgement and shut out what God is doing in those moments. When we choose to be as Jonah did, we miss out on the greatest moments of God's wonderful power and mercy. Compassion requires humility. Humility demands of us to be merciful, but not by counting a debt to have someone owe you for your mercy. We are merciful because God has been merciful to us, countlessly.

Thus today, think not on the sins of others and hold it against them. Nor be disgruntled by the things that don't work out in your lives. Instead, fix your eyes on what God has already done for you, and imitate that very virtue: Love which is given to us unconditionally even in our sin and brokenness.

"Your Lord is a God of mercy and bountifulness:be a source of mercy and bountifulness to your neighbors.If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting glory." 

John of Kronstadt

 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 04 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com

Today's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10

5 This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,    who draws strength from mere flesh    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;    they will not see prosperity when it comes.They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,    in a salt land where no one lives.

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,    whose confidence is in him.8 They will be like a tree planted by the water    that sends out its roots by the stream.It does not fear when heat comes;    its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drought    and never fails to bear fruit.”

9 The heart is deceitful above all things    and beyond cure.    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart    and examine the mind,to reward each person according to their conduct,    according to what their deeds deserve.”

 

Music by:

Marc Dtwo - "Flowetry Reborn (Instrumental)" - https://soundcloud.com/point-blank20 

Peter Thompson - Devotional Tracks - 04 - http://www.ourworshipsound.com