"Know About Him, Or Know Him?"

"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:23

There is a big difference in knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. Most people tend to get the two confused. They believe that just because they know about Him it is well with their soul. Not necessarily so. Jesus said it was about knowing Him.

I know about the President. I know who he is. I know facts and figures about him because I have either read it or heard it on television. I even recognize his face when I see it in an article. I can also tell you things about him that are true because of what I have learned. But I don't know him personally. I have never met him.

Who would say that they know the President personally just because they know about him? Just because they have read about him? Just because they had heard about him? Just because they have heard things that he has said? No one. So why would we say that we know Jesus based on the same criteria?

Just because you know facts and figures about Jesus, just because you have read about Him in the Bible, just because you have heard others talk about Him, just because you have heard His teachings, just because you tell others some facts that you have learned about Him doesn't mean you know Him. It is not an automatic. You have to "meet Him personally" and develop a relationship with Him to be able to say you actually know Him.

It is going to be a very sad day for many when we stand before the Lord. They will believe that He is going to receive them into heaven because they thought that knowing about Him was the same thing as knowing Him. They will have a rude awakening, just like the people in the verse above.

Make sure that is not you. Make sure you don't just know about Jesus. Make sure you don't confuse knowing about Him with actually knowing Him. Make sure today that you do know Him and have a relationship with Him.

Have a great day. Knowing about Jesus and knowing Him are not the same thing.

For further reading:

Matthew 7:22,23
John 12:26; 10:14
Mark 8:34
Luke 9:23
1 Corinthians 8:3

"Spiritual Deafness"

"And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue." Mark 7:33 

When we are born, we are all born deaf-- spiritually deaf because of sin. The only "ears/hearing" that we have is our natural ability to hear natural sounds and "fleshly ears" that hear the sounds of the flesh. We can't hear spiritual sounds-- we have to have "spiritual ears" in order to hear them. "He that hath an ear, let him hear."

Having the ability to hear spiritually doesn't come automatically. It doesn't just happen. We don't work hard enough in order to learn how to hear spiritual sounds. Natural birth gives us our natural hearing, spiritual birth gives us our spiritual hearing. At the "new birth" the Lord places His "fingers in our ears" so that we can now hear what His Spirit is saying to us. He removes spiritual deafness.

Once we have received our "spiritual ears/hearing", it is then up to us to maintain our hearing. We must guard against getting "spiritual wax build up", or anything else that would cause us to become spiritually hard of hearing. We do this by continually listening to God's word- through reading it, through hearing it preached, through meditating on it. We keep our spiritual hearing healthy by obedience. When we ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit, when we quench Him, when we disobey, when we go our way instead of following His direction, we are allowing our hearing to become dull. Each time we do it gets a little harder for us to hear Him the next time He speaks to us-- that still, small voice becomes almost indiscernible. Our spiritual hearing is also kept keen through praise and worship. Praise and worship refocuses you. It causes all your "spiritual senses" to be attentive in one direction-- on the Lord. Lastly, we keep our hearing healthy by not listening to evil and negative speaking that is against the Word of God. Our hearing has to be guarded from error so that it is able to hear truth.

Are you doing what it takes to keep your spiritual hearing healthy? Have you become hard of hearing? Is your hearing keen or almost deaf?

Have a great day. God gives us spiritual hearing at the new birth, but we have to maintain it everyday and keep it healthy.

For further reading:

Matthew 11:15; 13:9,43
Revelation 2:7,11,17, 29
1 Corinthians 2:14

"Unchanging"

NOTICE: I will not be sending out, or posting, the Coffee Break devotion next week.  I am taking a few days off.  I will restart sending them the following week. Thanks for understanding. Be blessed!!

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8

I feel impressed to remind you this morning that the Lord does not change. He is forever the same regardless of the situation you are facing. He doesn't change just because your circumstances do. He is the same when you are in the valley and when you are on the mountaintop. He's the same when it is daytime, and when it is night. He is the same God when you are in the furnace as He is when you are in the storm. The times of testing don't change Him. He isn't one way in the lion's den and another in the wilderness.

His love and compassion don't change just because things change in your life. His power and His strength don't change. His grace and His mercy aren't affected by a change in the atmosphere. His faithfulness stays the same day after day after day.

Trials change us-- they either make us better or bitter. Situations change us-- they take us from one place to another. But nothing changes who He is and what He does-- He remains the same.

Today remember that He stays the same and doesn't change. Meditate on this truth today. Let it remove all doubt. Let it restore your peace of mind in the situation you are facing. Let it bring you renewed hope and comfort.

Have a great day. Remember that God does not change.

For further reading:

Malachi 3:6
Deuteronomy 7:9
Isaiah 25:1

"At The Beginning"

"In the beginning God..." Genesis 1:1a

At the very beginning before anything else was-- there was God.

At the beginning of creation-- there was God. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

At the beginning of your creation (your own individual life)-- there was God. "Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb." Isaiah 44:2

At the beginning of your new birth (salvation)-- there was God. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." John 6:44

If God is at the beginning "of it all- of everything", then should He not also be at the beginning in every decision you make? Should you not seek His council first before you seek out the council and wisdom of man? Should you not seek His direction first before you try to figure out your own direction or plan?

Should you not put Him first, at the beginning of each day- instead of attaching Him to the end? Should you not start the day with Him and then go with Him throughout the rest of it?

It is surprising that when we need help, when we need guidance, when we need comfort, when we need strength, or anything else, we usually place God at the end of the line or bottom of the list. He should always be at the beginning-- the first place you go. He will be there at the end as well because He is the Beginning and the End, the Author and the Finisher, the First and the Last. But we should be giving Him His rightful place in our lives, in all of it, and that place is at the beginning.

Have a great day. Is God at the beginning of your life?

For further reading:

John 1:1
Matthew 6:33
Proverbs 3:5,6
Revelation 22:13
Hebrews 12:2

"Not Impossible With God"

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37 

I have heard this verse preached in many different ways. Its meaning depends on where you place the emphasis.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible". There is nothing that is impossible for God to do. He created all that exists. He can cause blind eyes to see, deaf ears to hear, lame feet to walk, heal disease, send water from a rock, turn back the clock, etc. There is nothing that He cannot do- nothing is too hard or difficult for Him.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible". It is impossible for God to do nothing. He does not just sit in heaven twiddling His thumbs looking for something to do. He is always commanding, creating, working, fulfilling, revealing and moving on behalf of all of mankind.

Another meaning from the verse I want to focus on this morning is-- "For with God nothing shall be impossible". When we are "with God", and God is with us, there is nothing that shall be impossible for us. "With God", we can do all things. It is not impossible for us to love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us and bless those who curse us when we are "with God". When we are "with God", who can be against us. When we are "with God", it is impossible to go through the fire and get burned. It is impossible to go through a storm and be drowned. It is impossible when we are "with God" for the situation not to work out for our good.

When God was with Moses and Moses was "with God", it was impossible for the Red Sea to stand its ground and not part. When God was with Joshua and Joshua was "with God", it was impossible for the sun not to obey him and set before the battle was won. When God was with Daniel and Daniel was "with God", it was impossible for those lions to devour Him.

When we are "with Him" and He is with us, He empowers, strengthens, enlightens, gives us grace, gives us wisdom, fights our battles, heals us, delivers us, saves us, rescues us, helps us, and gives us everything we need. So therefore nothing shall be impossible for us to do when He is with us because nothing is impossible for Him.

Have a great day. When we are "with God" nothing shall be impossible.

For further reading:

Matthew 17:20
Philippians 4:13
Romans 8:28, 31