Devotions

The one great concern of our heavenly Father is that no “other gospel” will take us away from the cross of Jesus Christ. Many Christians have had their faith shipwrecked because they were given a flattering word years ago, perhaps something like this: “You’re going to have a great ministry and win thousands of souls to the Lord,” and not one word of it came to pass. Now those sheep are totally discouraged, their faith on the ash heap.

If you are going to receive a word from the Lord, let it be from Scripture. Better yet, let it be from your precious time spent in the prayer closet with Jesus. Let your closest godly friends test that word with you to confirm it; otherwise, if you allow anything to get in the way of the true gospel, you will end up in despair.

Paul was concerned about a dangerous invasion against Christ’s church when he told the Ephesians: “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30). The Greek word for “perverse” here means obstinate persistence in promoting an error.

Paul was warning, “Some of you in authority will rise up and bring in a distorted gospel, introducing a corruption of the pure gospel.” How could this possibly happen among the leaders of this church? Notice, Paul was not referring to wolves or robbers of widows. No, he was referring to ministers who cower and shrink back from preaching the whole counsel of God — those who present a watered-down gospel, a half-gospel, only a part of God’s Word.

It is the responsibility of every believer to be sure you are sitting under the teaching of a good shepherd, one who preaches the whole, uncompromised Word of God.  Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). This means that the minister of God will lay down all his pride and fear of man to feed his flock God’s pure Word. Be certain you settle for nothing less.

We can often possess something valuable without fully appreciating its worth or significance. The story is told of a farmer who worked his small farm his entire life, tilling the rocky soil year after year. At his death, the farm was passed down to his son who continued plowing the ground — but the son found a gold-streaked nugget in the soil. The land was full of gold and he instantly became a wealthy man. Yet that wealth was lost on his father, even though it was on the land his whole life.

So it is with the Holy Spirit. Many of us live in ignorance of what we have, of the power that resides in us. Some Christians live their entire lives thinking they have the Holy Spirit, yet they have not truly received him in fullness and power. He is not accomplishing in them the eternal work he was sent to do.

Some believers seek the Holy Spirit only when they are in trouble and want him to manifest his power. They hope he will come down and sweep away their problems. But Peter says that is not the truth about the Spirit. According to him, we have the treasure within us: “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

At the Jordan River, John the Baptist told the Pharisees, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know” (John 1:26). Those religious leaders saw Jesus in the flesh, and they heard him speak, but they had no understanding of who he was. They did not know about his power and glory. Likewise, Jesus asked his own disciple, Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” (John 14:9).

How long have you testified that you have been filled with the Holy Spirit? Has he been with you many years and yet you really don’t know him? He is the One who brings us through hard times with a testimony of joyful endurance. Our greatest witness to the world is being a Christian who has cast his every burden on the Holy Spirit.

God still speaks to his people today. And he speaks as clearly as he did in the Old Testament, or to the apostles, or to the early church. Yet we must realize one thing: God chooses to speak only to those who have ears to hear.

Mark tells us Christ “taught them many things by parables” (Mark 4:2). In this passage, Jesus tells the parable of the man who sows seed in a field. Yet when he finished the story, the crowds were baffled and wondered, “Who is this sower he is describing? And what does the seed represent?”

Jesus did not explain it to them; instead, Scripture says, “He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (4:9). Only the disciples and a few others wanted answers, so they came to Jesus afterward, asking the meaning of the parable: “When he was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable” (4:10). Then Christ took time to answer all their concerns (see 4:14-20).

Let’s look at what was happening here. Jesus had given the crowd revelation truth, a word spoken directly from God’s mouth, yet it puzzled them. You may wonder why Jesus did not explain the parable more clearly at the beginning, but I believe he was saying, “If you want to understand my Word, you are going to have to pursue me for the answer. Come to me with a hunger for truth that will set you free and I will give you all the revelation you need.”

I can imagine that when a majority of the crowd that day went home, their neighbors crowded around, eager to hear what Jesus had said. “Tell us all you learned,” they urged. And while they might have been able to recite the parables, their words would have been dead, lifeless, with no life-changing power. It was the ones who stayed behind, who lingered in his presence, who received Christ’s life-changing revelation.

Are you willing to wait on Christ in order to receive his secrets? Give up your comforts to do whatever is necessary to train your ear to hear his voice.

The prophet Isaiah prophesies what happens when the Holy Spirit falls upon a people. “The Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest” (Isaiah 32:15). He is saying, “When the Holy Spirit comes, what was once a barren wilderness becomes a harvest field. A dead patch of ground suddenly overflows with fruit and that field of fruit will grow into a forest; you will be able to take cuttings from this forest year after year and build on your fruitfulness continually.”

When the Holy Spirit comes, his first work is to cleanse his church. That’s what happened at Pentecost. When Peter began to preach with the Spirit’s anointing, the people were strongly convicted and they cried out, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Peter’s answer was, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Thousands came to Christ that day because they recognized their sin and wanted freedom.

When the Holy Spirit begins to deal with things in the church of Jesus Christ, he deals lovingly with each individual, convicting them of every idol, every measure of self that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Isaiah goes on, “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field” (Isaiah 32:16). Isaiah is not speaking of a one-time outpouring of the Spirit, what people might think of as a “revival.” No, he is describing something that brings lasting change.

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (32:17-18). The Holy Spirit is the administrator of the peace of Christ — he portions out peace — and there can be no peace without righteousness.

I encourage you today to pray for more of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray that he will stir your soul and draw you to your secret closet of prayer. He will supply you with quiet rest and assurance that he will see you through whatever comes.

We cannot understand the gospel unless we know the glorious nature of our awesome God. “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know” (Ephesians 1:18).

The gospel does not start with acknowledging that you are a sinner or realizing that God has a wonderful plan for your life. It starts with understanding the grace of our glorious Father.

Being in the Lord’s presence illuminates our understanding and yet our hearts are broken before our powerful, awesome God. Paul is saying here, “I want your eyes to be open to the reality of the character of this magnificent God we serve. He is not small, petty, or insignificant. He is the one, true God, and he wants us to have our eyes open to the revelation of his nature.”

Moses had a hunger and thirst to know who God was — what his nature and character were like — and he cried out, “Please show me your glory!” (Exodus 33:18). But Moses was unable to see God’s face because he was far too glorious. Rather, God came to him in a simple revelation: “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin’” (34:6-7).

Pray that God will open your eyes that you may know “what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

Consider the immeasurable greatness of God. Never think that your problems are bigger than God’s ability to solve them. Nor think your struggle with the flesh is greater than his power to overcome. And as you acknowledge his greatness, give thanks and magnify the name of the Lord for all he has done for you because of his wonderful grace.