Devotions

I believe God’s vision for his last-day church is based on his revealed Word. The Bible clearly outlines what the church of Jesus Christ will be like just before he returns.

The church in America is far from what God envisioned it to be. For the most part, entire denominations today operate without the Holy Spirit. They are devoid of the presence of Jesus and bankrupt of spiritual gifts. They practice a form of religion without any power, conviction or saving message. They are cozy with the world and are more political than spiritual. They appease sin and ridicule the supernatural without teaching about heaven, hell, repentance and judgment.

The New Testament believers made devils tremble. They prayed prison doors open and made rulers cringe in fear. They believed in the supernatural; they opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears and healed all manner of diseases. They even raised the dead!

I believe that God’s last-day church will be even greater than the first-century church. It will be stronger with a greater understanding of Jesus. God always saves his best wine for last. The prophet Daniel confirms this. He said that certain prophetic truths were locked up, only to be revealed in the last days. “For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. …And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9-10, NKJV).

Today the Holy Spirit is revealing these things to spiritual, discerning believers. “It is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him.’ But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

The Lord is preparing a humble yet powerful army of shepherds after his own heart and a church of hungry sheep who have turned away from the deadness and sin of the modern church. The scene is being set for that church which will be hot, not lukewarm; and it will rock the very foundations of hell. No power on earth will be able to ignore or despise it.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me’” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).

How often in your life have you just bowed your head in desperation and said, “Lord, please help me. Please.” I’ve done it hundreds of times, probably thousands. During those times there was so much fear, so much unknown, that I couldn’t do anything but pull the emergency cord.

If we only understood that the no-strength-left giving up of all our own abilities is exactly where God wanted us in the first place. When we’re in a state of such weakness that we can’t even formulate a proper prayer, we are actually in a place of great promise. It’s where God can help us the most.

I wish I had learned this superpower of helplessness when I was young. I would have had so much more peace and confidence. I would have had more faith, more inner strength and more grace for others if I’d truly comprehended that everything comes from God. My job as his child is merely to walk with him, lean on him, obey the Bible, and trust that he will always take care of me and my loved ones. It is to be content even though I can’t see past the headlights.

The Lord’s words “My power is made perfect in weakness” are to be taken literally. What a concept! Normal thinking says, “I have to get desperate with God, or he won’t take me seriously.” God says, “I take you seriously when you let go of yourself and reach for me.”

Think of a specific time when you were out of options and had to utterly lean on God. Do you remember the feeling? This is where God desires us to be every day, to live with a level of trust that acknowledges, “You alone are in control, and I trust you without reservation.” Proverbs says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). There is no better advice and no greater promise: “Trust me all the time, for everything. I will take care of you.”

People who are ungodly find their pleasure in the things of this world, which change! I recently read about how Elon Musk went from the richest man in the world to number two. The richest man is now some guy in France. Musk lost something like 20 or 30 billion dollars. If your world is just money — whew! You’re in for a roller-coaster ride, but that’s how the ungodly live.

The ungodly not only live for the wrong things, they sneer at God. Sometimes there are ungodly people who storm out while I’m preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. They don’t pray; that’s one of the signs. The Bible talks a lot about the ungodly. God is going to judge the ungodly. They don’t just not care about spiritual things, they mock those who do.

One of the signs of godly people is they run to prayer and the throne of grace. Their priorities are God and the things of God. Yeah, they have a life, a job, vacations, raising kids, all of those things; but they’re also dedicated to worshiping with others, reading the Bible, serving God. They love what God loves; they hate what God hates. They are devoted to God. It’s a heart thing, not necessarily all of these actions. You can be a preacher and not devoted to God. You can do it for the money or attention or just to make a living.

‘Godly’ isn’t a word we use much anymore. When you read books from a hundred or two hundred years ago, they would say things like “Oh, that brother, he’s godly; that sister, she’s godly.” We should want that. Scripture says, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. …But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:9,11, ESV).

If you’re saying, “I promise to be more godly this year!” Stop. Instead, ask God for the grace of consecration to a godly life. Constantly be asking God to rearrange your priorities. It’s a daily thing. 

_{Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.}

God blesses those who walk in faithfulness, and he shows favor to those who favor him. How do people lose the blessing and favor of God? The prophet Haggai speaks to this, and the first reason he lists is that self-interests begin to replace God’s interests.

Haggai recounts that the Israelites gave up building the Lord’s house to build their own homes. This was sixty-eight years after Solomon’s temple was destroyed. A remnant had returned to Jerusalem out of Babylonian captivity specifically to rebuild the temple. Indeed, they laid the foundation with zeal and excitement.

At that point, they ran into some difficulties and discouragements. Slowly, they lost interest in the work of God, saying, “This just isn’t the time. We are having too many problems. Besides, we’re spending so much time here that we’re neglecting our families and businesses.” They said, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Haggai 1:2, NKJV).

One by one they walked away. God’s interests, which were for with their own well-being, became secondary. They began building their own houses, and they used the lumber that had been stored up for building the temple.

How do believers today lose the blessing and favor of God? We lose it when we stop praying and seeking God and stop building up his spiritual body, his “temple.”

Haggai recounts that when the people put God’s interests first, he took care of them in every way. Their vineyards grew; their grapes were heavy; they slept peacefully at night, and their children danced in the streets. None of their enemies prevailed against them. It was a marvelous time of God’s blessing. The blessings stopped when the people became absorbed in themselves.

This is what is happening today. Our world is consumed with pride, personal ambition and self-will. No wonder so many are drunk and dazed with drugs, wandering in darkness and confusion.

God’s response to Israel’s neglect was “I called for a drought on the land . . . and on all the labor of your hands” (Haggai 1:11). He was saying, “If you begin to neglect your souls and turn to material things, you will end up joyless, dissatisfied, empty and dry. I want you to put my interests first so I can again bless and favor you.”