Daily Devotion: Matthew 7:21-23

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’"-Matthew 7:21-23

This passage of scripture is not referring to Believers whose theology you don't agree with. It is actually referring to people who do not have the Holy Spirit residing on the inside of them.

In verse 23, Jesus says, "I never knew you..." That word "knew" is the Greek word "ginóskó." It means know through personal experience; to come to know, recognize, perceive. It is used 222 times in the New Testament.

It is used when Mary says, "How will this be, since I do not know a man?" It is also used in Ephesians 3:19 where it says "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

It speaks of intimacy and connectedness. The people in the above verse were not connected to Jesus. They did not know him. They were never born again.

If you are born again, and have received the Spirit of God, you know and are connected to Jesus, so that passage does not apply to you.

The Armor of God: The Belt of Truth

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition.-Ephesians 6:10-18 (Berean Study Bible)



When we put on the armor, we need to be aware that we don’t create it. God did. He gave us the armor with which we fight.

Ephesians 6:10 says to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."  This is not our strength. We take His power, and I believe that power comes from the verses describing the armor we put on.

We are not fighting a battle that can be seen, but one that is unseen, everyday, all around us. We are not fighting against people, but against forces we cannot see. And the armor of God is not a physical armor that we can see either. It is something that has already been paid for with the blood of Jesus.

The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. What does that piece of armor do? What is truth?

In John 1:17, and John 14:6, Jesus is called the truth. During Jesus' trial, he told Pilate that he had come to testify to the truth.

The Greek word for truth is alétheia.

Strong's Concordance defines truth as "truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness."*

Helps Word Studies says this about truth:

[In ancient Greek culture, 225 (alḗtheia) was synonymous for "reality" as the opposite of illusion, i.e. fact.]*

Jesus is reality. He is the truth.

Let’s look at some scriptures that talk about truth.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.-John 1:17

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.-John 14:6

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.-John 14:16-17

However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.- John 16:13

“You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”-John 18:37

So, Jesus is the truth. He also said that we who are Believers, who are a part of His body, would have the Spirit of truth, which is the Holy Spirit, who lives in us.

The belt of truth we find in Jesus is what holds it all together. It is the first piece of armor in the armor of God. Everything else hangs upon that piece.



*Strong’s Concordance. “225. Alétheia.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/225.htm, June 18 2020.


*HELPS Word Studies. “225. Alétheia.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/225.htm, June 18 2020.


*All scripture quotations are from the Berean Study Bible, unless otherwise stated.

Abundance of Grace

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!-Romans 5:17 (Berean Study Bible)

Definition of abundance: superfluity, comprehensively all-around, what exceeds normal expectations, superfluously.

The people during Jesus' earthly ministry received a ridiculous, overflowing, abundant amount of grace. Think about the woman of Samaria, or about the woman with the issue of blood, or the sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet and wiped them with her tears. Think about Peter who denied Jesus moments before He would die for him, and all of mankind.

That is the same grace that we receive as Believers, a ridiculous, superfluous, overflowing amount!! And it is free! A gift.

And that overflowing, superfluous, abounding, abundant grace combined with the free gift of righteousness (right standing with God) is what causes us to reign in this life

Women in the Early Church: Phoebe and 1 Timothy 3

Now I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord [with love and hospitality], as God’s people ought to receive one another. And that you may help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many, including myself.-Romans 16:1-2 AMP

Phoebe is the first woman listed in Romans 16, but she gets only two verses of this chapter of Romans. We can tell a lot from these verses though.

Her name means “bright" or "radiant." She is a Believer, because Paul refers to her as “our sister.” He also calls her a deaconess, a servant of the Church in Cenchrea. Cenchrea was a port in Corinth.

The word deacon in Romans 16:1 is translated many different ways, depending upon which translation you read. It is translated deacon, deaconess, leader, and servant. They all come from the same Greek word “diakonos.” According to Strong’s Concordance, this word can mean servant, minister, waiter, administrator.

In 1 Timothy 3, Paul details the qualifications for a deacon in the Church.  At first glance, it looks like these qualifications are just referring to men. If they were just referring to men, why would Paul refer to Phoebe as a deacon? Upon looking at that passage a little closer, it seems like there may be an admonition to women as well in verse 11.

The women in like manner chaste, not slanderers, but sober, faithful in all things. -1 Timothy 3:11 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Some translators translated the word women in 1 Timothy 3:11 as wives. This has led most people to believe that the verse was referring to the wives of the deacons. If you look in some Bibles, you will notice the word "their" often in italics before wives, which means the translators added it for clarification. Many translators used the word women, but one translator, Weymouth, chose the word “deaconesses.” It reads like this: 

Deaconesses, in the same way, must be sober-minded women, not slanderers, but in every way temperate and trustworthy.

At the beginning of Romans 16, in verse 1, Paul commends Phoebe to the Church there at Rome. Naturally thinking, I thought that word meant "to send."  But I looked it up in the Greek just to be sure, and it doesn’t mean send. It means “stands with” as in the sense of supporting someone. Wow. That just changed the entire passage for me. Basically Paul was saying, I endorse her, so do whatever she asks you to do, and help her in whatever way she needs help.

In verse 2, he asks the Church to welcome her in a manner worthy of the Lord, and then to help her in whatever she needs help with, because she has been helper of many there, as well as a helper of Paul.  The word helper in the Greek word "prostastis."  Strong's concordance defines that word as " a female guardian, protector, patroness."  Thayer's Greek Lexicon also agrees with Strong's, but also adds in the definition " a woman set over others."

So, we can ascertain by these two verses that Paul endorses her, and that she is coming to the Church in Rome with purpose. He calls her a deaconess, which is a servant, as all people are called to be in the Body of Christ. But, what was she coming to do?

We don’t really know, but because of the tumultuous times in Rome, it was probably necessary for Paul to let them know who exactly she was. It was dangerous for Christians in Rome. Nero was emperor in Rome when this letter was written. He would eventually set fire to Rome, and then blamed the Christians for it. It could be dangerous for her traveling into Rome, and well as the Christians receiving her, who might not possibly know if someone was a Believer or not.

It is often presumed that she carried the epistle to the Romans, to the Church at Rome. The scriptures do not state that she was the carrier, but it would have made sense if she was going there anyway. Again, it was a dangerous time. If she was the carrier, what an awesome responsibility for her. Paul must have trusted her very much. The epistle to the Romans is a very important book of the Bible for Believers today. It was Paul's longest letter.  It is where we learn how salvation comes about in Romans 10. We learn about justification by faith and how we have peace with God in Romans 5. Such an important letter!!

We can learn many things about Phoebe, from just these two short verses in the Bible. She was brave. She was commended by Paul. But most importantly, she loved the Church, and went to great lengths to serve Her wherever she may be.


Many blessings to you as you continue to walk with the Lord in whatever places you serve,




Beth

Simplify: Five Minute Friday

Photo by Victoria Bilsborough on Unsplash

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday where we freewrite for five minutes flat on the prompt, Simplify.

Simplify.  Ahhhh.  One of my favorite words.  It was actually my word about 7 years ago.  It started a string of words that just seemed to blend all together.  But I believe “simplify” or “simplicity” was the first.

I became very interested in minimalism a few years after that. Minimalism is the art of simplicity.  It is reducing the amount of clutter and making room for the important.  That is a practice I have tried to implement in my own life.

For Believers I believe simplifying is incredibly important. In Mark 4, in the Parable of the Sower, Jesus talks about the different type of ground seed is sown on.  Later he explains the parable to His disciples.  

The third type of ground is where the cares of this life and things of this world come in and choke the word, causing it to be unfruitful.  What does that mean?  I believe it means that when we are so consumed with worry about anything, or when we are bombarded with an endless amount of things to do, and stuff to care for, the Word can have no place in our lives.  It has no room to grow and produce fruit.

The good news is that this is something we can change, simply by simplifying.  We can simplify our thoughts.  We can simplify our consumption.  We can make room for God’s Word and it will produce in our lives.

The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional by Sandra Byrd

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.-Matthew 13:45-46

I love devotionals.  When I began following the Lord again in my early twenties, I spent lots of time reading devotionals.  That was one of the ways I learned about God.  

I recently had the opportunity to read Sandra Byrd’s new devotional, The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional. Sandra has so much wisdom to share  that it is a joy to read her words and her stories.  Each devotional is very warm and inviting, and speaks of the Father inviting you into relationship with Him.

In her new book, you will find wisdom, encouragement, and learn about a lot of different stuff!  In a devotional entitled “Fire Power”, Sandra connected some dots for me between events in the Old Testament, and the New.  In another devotional, I was reminded that when Jesus walks into a situation, it always changes for the better. There are book lists, recipes, and an idea for an Advent activity with your family at Christmas as well.  

As I read, I often highlight or underline passages that are meaningful to me.  In "Understanding Down Under", a devotional on friendship, I highlighted these words.  It reminded me of a very close friend of mine who was my roommate at Bible school.  Though we are now far apart in distance, she is still very close in heart.

My summer circumstances often coincide with a stark time in a friend's life.  I'll share my sun to give her the warmth she needs, and she'll do it for me later, when my winter blows in-for a season-before spring arrives again.  That way, we're always dividing the grief and sharing the joy together.  He loves us both, and both through each other.  That's God's design for friendship.

The love of God is the most important subject we can learn about.  1 John 4:8 says, “God is Love.”  It is not merely what He does, but who He is.  Love is also why God sent Jesus.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.”  Love is the heartbeat and foundation for everything God does.

I recommend this devotional to anyone who wants to get to know God better. Whether you are a seasoned Believer, just starting out, or haven’t really come to know God yet, you will be encouraged, strengthened, and loved by the words in this book.  

Many blessings to you as you learn to walk in His love for you,

Beth

To read my review of The One Year Home & Garden Devotions by Sandra Byrd, please go here.

To learn more about the author, you can visit her at her website www.sandrabyrd.com.

Disclosure Statement:  I received a copy of this devotional from the publisher in exchange for my review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Mark 4: The Parable of the Sower

Did you know that you can change what kind of ground you are?  In Mark 4, Jesus talks about the parable of the sower.  We know that the seed is the Word of God, and we know that the ground is people.  All four people receive the Word of God, but it affects them in four different ways.

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

-Mark 4:13-20

The first person is an Unbeliever.  The seed was sown by the wayside.  How do you change that?  You receive Jesus into your life and become a new creation by being born again.

The second person is a Believer, but not rooted.  How do you change that?  Ephesians 3:17 tells us to get ourselves established in the love of Christ.  Learn about how much God loves you.

The third person is a Believer also, but "stuff" is interfering with them being fruitful. How do you change that?  Let it go.  Remove those things from your life that will keep you from receiving and producing all the goodness God has for you.  For me, I feel like this is where minimalism comes in.  It is an ongoing thing.  You can also watch what you focus your attention on, what goes in your eyes and ears.  Jesus said, "the eye is the lamp of the body," in Luke 11:14.

The fourth person is a Believer also.  But this one is producing fruit.  And when He says bears "fruit", it would be fruit of life in the Kingdom of God, the fruit of the Spirit, not something we think is fruitful.  Faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  Faith is produced when the Word is sown in someone's life and it grows, when there is nothing hindering it.  Notice one more thing.  The fruit is at different amounts.  This can change too, as you grow, and hear the Word and believe.  

The fourth person is where we all want to be, and can be. None of the other types of ground are set in stone. Just like a garden can become more fruitful with effort, so can the life of a Believer change when we believe the right things about Jesus.