Category: salvation

Tingling Ears

*2 Kings 21-22

Psalm 69

2 Corinthians 12

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today, we’re going to first examine an inconvenient truth, and then together examine a template for navigating back onto the proper path when we get lost.  First, the inconvenient truth: just because you come from good stock doesn’t mean you’re good.  I can speak for this directly first hand because while my parents were absolutely wonderful, fantastic, God-fearing, loving, and wise people; I took a hard turn off the proper path in my youth and kept running in that direction for most of my life (See 2/6 devotional for details).  So here’s the thing, and I want you to memorize this because it’s really important: there is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God.

            To elaborate on that statement: we are each held accountable for our own actions.  Many of you know Dr. Joe Martin, my father.  Understand well that in the day of judgment, when I am standing before the throne that if my defense of my actions is “But wait…You know Joe? He’s my dad, so…you know, *wink wink* I’ll just go ahead in and pick out one of the rooms…” I’m pretty sure the response would be along the lines of “Joe? Oh yea, we know him well, he’s a great guy.  Let’s talk about YOU for a moment though…“.  When you read that above bit of farce, you’ll probably chuckle a little bit, but stop for a moment and think about it seriously and with some trembling because there is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God. 

            Even if you go to an awesome church that not only feeds the homeless regularly but gives  solid scriptural truths that are deeply insightful and applicable, even if your pastor is spirit filled and heals the sick with a touch and a prayer, even if there’s a lady in your church who you KNOW is an active and living prophet of the Most High God: what does that have to do with you?  There is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God, you’re not going to slide into the kingdom on their coat tails.  Some of the ancient Jewish folks were thinking exactly in that manner, when John the baptist explained to them in Matt 3:9  “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (LSB).  We will each be judged according to our own actions: by our faith, by our love, and by our fruit.  I pray to God that each of our names is found in the book of Life but understand fully that if it is, it’s not because of who you’re related to or which church you went to.  There is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God.

            For a good case in point of this very topic, let’s take a hard look at Manasseh and check off some of the boxes.  Manasseh was not only a Jewish lad (check), but the son of Hezekiah (check) who is probably the most attested biblical figure in history (counting not only scripture but extra-biblical accounts of his reign).  We know that God loved Hezekiah, just go back and read 2Ki 18-20, he’s blessed and highly favored.  So Manasseh should have been an easy pick for being awesome, but that’s not at all what happened.  We see in 2Ki 21:1-3 that Manasseh became king when he was 12, ruled for 55 years, and “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (LSB).  Keep in mind that dad (Hezekiah), did a lot of really good stuff: he tore down the false gods and altars, redirected the people to worship God, and humbly sought after and clung to the God who had rescued his fathers.

            Manasseh, conversely, sounds like a bit of a jerk.  All of the good things his father had done, he undid.  In 2Ki 21:5-9 it gives an excruciatingly painful laundry list of offenses that Manasseh did, including setting up false idols in the actual temple, sacrificing his own son to a pagan deity, and then leading the entire nation astray to do more evil than the nations before.  In v16 it says that in addition to all of this, he “shed very much innocent blood”. 

            At this point, God has had enough, and I’d like you to listen to the wording of 2 Ki 21:12: “therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.’ ” (LSB).  This should be terrifying, these are not the words of one who is ‘a little upset’, but a potential extinction level event of anger from the Most High God.  We can see from this example that it doesn’t matter who you’re related to or what group you belong to, but rather your own path, in the eyes of God.

            Now let’s look at how to navigate back onto the proper path, if we ever get lost or go astray.  Enter Josiah (2 Ki 22).  Keep in mind that he’s the third generation in a line of truly terrible and evil kings, who “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (see 2Ki 21 for details on Manasseh and Amon, grandpa and dad respectively).  He’s just a kid when he takes office, 8 years old, but right away he starts back toward the right path.  He sends Shaphan to the temple and makes arrangements for it’s restoration (2 Ki 22 3-7).  Remember that wild idolatry and debauchery has been going on for two full generations, the temple itself has been defiled, and the people have been going in the wrong direction for 57 years.

            Now it came about as the temple was being cleaned out and restored, that Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law.  It had been lost for a long time.  Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and Shaphan took the book back and read it to King Josiah (2 Ki 22:8-10).  Pay close attention here, because this is the turning point: “Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes” (2Ki 22:11, LSB).  In ancient Israel, this is how people exhibited deep regret or sorrow publicly.  He sent people to “inquire of Yahweh” and seek what might be done (2Ki 22:12-20).  He basically humbled himself, and sought the will of God.

            God’s response to this honest sorrow and humility defines our template for returning: “because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against it’s inhabitants that they should become an object of horror, and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I truly have heard you“, declares Yahweh.” (2Ki22:18), and He then relents.

            According to the above template, I would suggest the following if your path has led you astray:  First, find the book of the law (the Bible), and read it.  Then, when you have realized how far off path you have become, inquire of God.  Repent,  soften you heart, and weep before God.  Clean out the temple (you are the temple 1 Cor 3:16), remove the idols (anything can be an idol) you’ve placed there, and do the work to restore God’s temple.  Clean it out, purify it, and rededicate it to God.  If you do this with honesty and dedication, God will truly hear you (See Jer 29:13 for verification).

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Examine yourself deeply and honestly, because we all probably have some:  What idols have you built inside the temple of your heart, and why?

Considering the above question, what is the best way to remove them? Being honest, do you want to remove them?  Why or why not?

How often do we honestly inquire of God His will, as opposed to handing him a list of our demands when we pray?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for all of the blessings you’ve given to us.  Thank you for sending your son to instruct us.  Please forgive us of the many times we fall short, and help us to become servants who please their master.  Lead us and guide us, Father, and teach us the way you would have us go.  In Jesus name, amen.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Dance with All Your Might

*2 Samuel 5-6

*Psalm 53

*Romans 13                                               

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            In our reading of Psalms today, we are reminded as the “sons of men” that we ALL have fallen short.  In Ps 53:2-3 we see that, “God looks down from heaven…to see if there is anyone who has insight, anyone who seeks after God.” and that “Every one of them has turned back: together they have become worthless; There is no one who does good, not even one.”  This is pretty harsh but if we are being completely honest, which one of us comes even close to accurately reflecting the merciful, loving character of our God?  David notes this communal shortcoming on our part and laments (and prophecises) in Ps 52:6 “oh that the salvation of Israel would come…!”.  At our very, very best we all don’t even hold a tiny sputtering candle to the blazing glory of God’s love and mercy. 

            Well, I say “all” but there was one son of man that did a pretty good job of it later.  Here’s just one more of those really, really cool bits of foreshadowing in scripture that you don’t even see unless you’re digging a little.  “The salvation” here in Ps 52:6 is literally יְשֻׁע֪וֹת (yeshuot), a variant of Yeshua.  There are all kinds of hidden subtleties in scripture just like this one.  David is lamenting that the salvation of God, Yeshua, hasn’t come yet; but when Jesus (Yeshua) came there was one son of man who did NOT fall short, the man whom God sent and would anoint as our King later in scripture, the Christ (Christ means simply “The Anointed One”, ie, anointed by God).   Our role model Jesus (who self-identified as the “son of man” 72+ times in the scriptures)  lived as an example to all of us other sons of men (ie, us human beings).

            When the son of man came, Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, he completely submitted to the will of God.  When his will and God’s will differed (and they did at times, see Mt 26:39), he sacrificed his own desires and submitted to the Most High God.  As our role model and as our anointed King, it’s our job to strive to imitate that humility before God.  In our Romans reading today, it speaks at length of submitting to the governing authorities.  I suggest that additionally our governing authority should be our King, Jesus, who represents perfectly the will of God who sent him.  “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33), and “make no provision for the flesh in regards to it’s lusts” (Rom 13:14, one of my favorite self correction verses).

            In 2 Sam 5-6 today we see David is coming in to power and is made king, and eventually the split kingdoms of Judah and Israel are once again reunited (@1004 BC) under his monarchy.  In chapter 5 it details the elders coming to David and asking him to be king, his initial victories and accumulation of power, gathering more wives and concubines, and battling the Philistines.  Then in the beginning of chapter 6 we see David gathering up a large group of men and going to recover the Ark of the Covenant from Abinadab’s house, where it had been sitting for 40-60 years.  Wait a minute, why has the most precious relic of Israel been sitting at some guy’s house for the last half century-ish!?  Well, to find that answer we’ll have to dig a little, and flip back over to 1 Sam.  To really get the full flavor of the story I recommend starting about 1 Sam 2:12 and reading (slowly and carefully) through about 1 Sam 7:2 (this is a great story).

            In 1 Sam 2:12-17 it details some of the sins of Eli’s children (priests, sons of the High Priest) against God, and the High Priest fails to honor God over his sons.  This provokes a dire promise from Yahweh to Samuel in 1 Sam 3:11 that “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle“.  The only time this specific verbage was used later (2 Ki 21:12, Jer 19:3) was just before the temple was destroyed and the Babylonian exile commenced, so you know that this was going to be a really big deal, and really bad.  As a culmination of this particular warning, Eli and his sons die, and the Ark of the Covenant (the most holy relic) was captured by the Philistines (1 Sam 4).  This was bad.

            Speaking of bad, the Philistines soon learned to their dismay that taking the Ark of the Covenant and keeping it were two very different propositions.  God struck them with confusion, plagues, and tumors (*the afflictions seem to be in the form of confusion, desolation causing/crop eating mice, and tumors based on their proposed solution in 1 Sam 6:1-18).  They brought it initially to Ashdod and set it up in the temple of Dagon (a pagan ‘deity’, ie, idol), and it broke their “god” (repeatedly) and then “made them desolate and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and it’s territories.” (1 Sam5:1-6).  So, in terror, they sent the Ark to Gath (where Goliath was from), and  they too were struck with confusion, tumors, and plagues (1 Sam 5:8-9).  The Gath lads had enough and sent it to Ekron, where the Ekronites cried out “They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel around to us to put us and our people to death!“,  were similarly afflicted, and then they all decided to get rid of it by sending it back off to Israel (1 Sam 5 10-12). 

            When it arrived in Beth-Shemesh over 50,000 men were “struck down” because they foolishly looked into the Ark (1 Sam 16-21).  They asked the folks at Kiriath-jearim to come take it please, and there it sat in Abinadab’s house (who took special precautions) for the next 40-60 years.  Please recall God’s warning (and the cautionary tale of Nadab and Abihu) in Lev 10:3; God will be treated as holy by those who come near Him.  Brian Froehlich did a great devotional on this on 5/3.

            So now back in 2 Samuel, David has become king, and sets out to retrieve this most holy relic for the nation of Israel.  So, he got a new cart to carry it on and set out with much pomp and celebration (2 Sam 6:1-5).  Then, the new cart almost tips over so Uzzah (Abinadab’s son) reaches out to steady it and is struck dead (2 Sam 6: 6-8) and “David was afraid of Yahweh that day” (2 Sam 6:9), and decides to leave the cart (and the Ark) there nearby along the route in the house of Obed-edom (2 Sam 6:9-11).  When David later hears that Obed-edom is being blessed, on account of the Ark, David decides maybe he should go get it after all (2 Sam 6:11-12).  Thus begins Operation Retrieve The Ark, take 2.

            The second attempt, they had the celebration music again as before, but this time whenever those who were carrying the Ark took six paces he sacrificed an ox and a fatling (2 Sam 6:13).  Think about that a moment: step, step, step, step, step, step: stop, sacrifice.  Repeat, all the way to Jerusalem.  How far was it from Obed-edom’s house to Jerusalem?  I’m not sure, but I’d wager “too far” if you were an ox or a fatling.  Do you think they’d learned their lesson, and began to treat God as holy?  It rather sounds like it to me, and the whole time this was going on, David was dancing with all his might in an ephod (his underwear) before Yahweh (2 Sam 14).  Almost manically as if his very life depended on it, you might say (and you would be correct).  Clearly David thought so, at the very least.  “…“It is what Yahweh spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be glorified.’”  (Lev 10:3).  Dance, with all your might!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. We know that we have all fallen short.  How can we stand, and get closer to God? (list or think of 3 actions that will personally assist you in getting closer to God)
  2. At times, do you “make provision for the flesh”, and how can you instead make provision for heavenly matters? (list or think of a couple specific personal changes in behavior)
  3. When you come near God, do you treat Him as holy? How can you do better?      

PRAYER

Lord God, Most Holy God, I know that I have fallen short of your will for me so many times and I am so sorry.  Forgive me, Father.  Please help me to draw nearer to you, to humbly seek to do your will at all times, and to listen and obey when you speak to me.  Please guide me, instruct me, and discipline me when needed.  Help me to reflect your character to all of my brothers and sisters, to honor You, and to be a servant that pleases You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Stuck at a C Average

1 Samuel 23-24
Psalm 50
Romans 7

-Devotion by Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson (MN)

Anyone else out there a rubric fan?  You know, someone who absolutely LOVES a rubric… an exact description on how to get that A+… As a student, I would get so much joy in having a clear answer as to how to get 100% in class.  If I knew the expectation, I could ensure I did exactly the right amount of work to meet the standard.  The Israelites had the law as their rubric.  The problem was, the law was essentially impossible to follow in its entirety to “get an A” with God.  Enter, Jesus.

In Romans 7 Paul describes how the law interacts with sin and God’s grace.  Though Jesus had already fulfilled the law, Paul is reiterating how the law still carries value when it comes to experiencing life and deliverance through Jesus Christ.  How exactly does this work?  It is through the law that sin is revealed in our lives – the law recognizes sin as sin, which is ultimately death (v.13).  Sin is what keeps us from life, and if we do not know what sin is, how will we know what to avoid or rid ourselves of?  

Paul’s personal confession provides a vulnerable look at the reality we ultimately all experience – “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (v.18).  Even with a rubric, Paul was incapable of rising to the standard due to the sinful nature in his own life.  This is the same for every Christian in all of history!  Even at our closest to perfection, we are simply never going to be above a C average.  

BUT, thanks be to GOD, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord (v. 25)!  

From my perspective, this is the tension that every Christian walk holds: I am a sinner, yet I am redeemed.  There must be humility and confidence in my identity; the recognition of the death that comes from sin allows for the opportunity of salvation through my Savior.  These seemingly conflicting truths are our reality as born-again Christ followers.  Thanks be to God indeed!

Reflection Questions:

  1. As a Christian, what then is our response to the reality of these truths?  Looking to Paul as an example, it seems to start with gratitude!  How can you practice this today?
  2. Reflecting on Paul’s vulnerability in verses 18-23, have you experienced similar feelings?  How have you reminded yourself of God’s grace in these moments? 

Prayer:

Dear God – You are worthy of all my praise. Thank You for Your holy, just and good law that shows us what sin and death is. Thank You for loving us even when we were stuck at a C average, or worse. Thank You for the new union You provided for us, to Your Son Jesus whom You raised from the dead. Help me to live each day in the newness of the Spirit, bearing fruit for You.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Pierced Hearts

1 Samuel 3-4Ps 45Acts 25

-Devotion by Kristy Cisneros (SC)

I believe Psalm 45 refers to Jesus and the upcoming wedding of the bride, the Church, to her bridegroom Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1 confirms this assumption as it quotes Ps. 45:6-7, 

8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (NIV)

I was especially struck by verse 5 of Psalm 45, “Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.” (NIV) This piercing of hearts could be literal as Revelation depicts Jesus wielding a sword and subduing his enemies. “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15, ESV) However, I couldn’t help but wonder if this verse also has some metaphorical significance. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. Do we pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Acts 2:36-38 beautifully illustrates what happens when our hearts are pierced by the gospel message:

36 ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do? ’

38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (CSBA)

Are there enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time? Remember, God’s heart in this matter: “This is good, and it pleases God our Saviour,  who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, CSBA).

Reflection Questions

  1. Who are the enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time?
  2. Will you pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Are there other words and actions that you can take that would support this prayer?
  3. In what ways can you pray for and act towards a heart that more aligns with God’s heart?

Prayer

Dear God, I praise you for being the perfect One True God. You are the absolute perfect God of love, compassion, mercy, grace, righteousness, truth, power and justice. Help me God to see Your heart and recognize where mine needs adjusting. Help me God to develop a heart, thoughts, words, prayers and actions that strive for salvation for all. I know that your justice and judgment and timing is perfect. Show me who are the enemies of Your Kingdom, and how You want me to pray for them, warn them, and model a better way that leads to life with You and Your Son.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Reprove me not in Your wrath

*Joshua 23-24

*Psalms 38

*Acts 10                                 

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today’s readings have such important, landmark verses and concepts in them that we’ll be bouncing around in all of them.  First, let’s talk about discipline.  I grew up (many years ago) in an age that believed in physical discipline; in a time that folks believed that if you lacked proper direction then a firm impetus on the posterior would propel you properly towards the direction of righteousness.  I was personally propelled towards righteousness on a number of occasions, but I have to confess that it was always deserved and always administered fairly.  Even so, when I was younger I did my absolute best to avoid being punished: I shoved books down the back of my pants once, I remember hiding my father’s belts on at least one occasion, and I took long extended walks to the river hoping that the extra time would cause my offenses to be forgotten.  It was rather silly, really, the foolishness of a selfish child.    Thinking back to some of those instances really made the Psalms reading today resonate within me.

            In our Psalms reading, it says in 38:1: “…O Yahweh, reprove me not in Your wrath, And discipline me not in Your burning anger. ” (LSB).  This is David asking for a “cool off” time, for correction with justice rather than wrath which could destroy him; not an avoidance of punishment but temperance in it’s administration.  In v3-8 he freely confesses his sin, and is asking God to correct him, but in a manner which allows growth.  This sentiment  is echoed beautifully in Jeremiah 10:24, when the prophet says “Discipline me, O Yahweh, but with justice; Not with Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing. ” (LSB).  The purpose of discipline is to correct behavior, but know also that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10) is not an idle statement.  If you believe that your heavenly Father loves you, you will understand that the expression of that love is to correct your behavior at times before you continue in a course that will lead you to destruction. 

            Hebrews 12:6 says “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE FLOGS EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” (LSB).  It is the expectation that our heavenly Father will correct His children, in love, to prevent us from engaging in activities that will lead to our destruction.  That’s just what a good dad does.  The discipline of God can come in many forms; a painful conscience, an unrest in our soul when we know that we’ve done wrong, or even a more tangible and physical discipline.  Is it going to always be comfortable, and in a manner that we prefer?  Usually not.  If we are NOT receiving that corrective discipline though, we should be very concerned and ask ourself “why?”.  I’ve heard it said that God usually gently guides his children, but I can tell you truly that sometimes he picks them up by the throat and the short hairs (as in my case) until they listen.  Do not run from, or dread, the life saving corrective discipline from our Father in heaven who loves you.  Embrace it, and take to heart the lesson He is trying to teach. 

            When the Israelites, in our last chapters of Joshua reading this morning, are getting their last instructions and guidance from their leader Joshua before he dies they are reminded of all of the blessings that God has given them, and then warned of this very thing in Joshua 23 “…15 And it will be that just as all the good words which Yahweh your God spoke to you have come upon you, so Yahweh will bring upon you all the calamitous words, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. 16 When you trespass against the covenant of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of Yahweh will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.”  (LSB).

            Then, Joshua tells the children of Israel that they have a choice, but clarifies his choice in one of the most beautiful (and most quoted) verses in the Bible, located in Joshua 24:15: “If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”  (LSB).

            In our reading of Acts 10 today, there is a landmark moment, a fulfillment of prophecy so huge that to give it proper scale of importance this entire chapter should be in huge bold font with giant exclamation points at the beginning and the end of the chapter.  Every time you turn to this section in the Bible, you should hear the trumpets of angels sounding in your head, it’s that important.  For the first time in recorded history, in this chapter, salvation is offered to the gentiles!  That’s the majority of us, unless you’ve got some remote biological link to Abraham.  This is in a direct fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 49:6 where it is written: “He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to cause the preserved ones of Israel to return; I will also give You as a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.‘” (LSB).

            I will point out something that most folks conveniently overlook.  This guy Cornelius, in addition to being a gentile (a Roman centurion, specifically), was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the people and prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:2, LSB).  He was a devout man, he practiced tzedakah (look it up, please!) and enacted God’s justice to the people, and prayed constantly.  This is what got God’s attention, because God sees the heart of a man.  This was not a random choice.  In Acts 10:4 the angel of God says “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.”  This is a guy who put his money where his mouth was, and his wallet where his heart was.  We should emulate his actions to the best of our abilities, if we desire to please our God.

            After the events detailed earlier in the chapter, Peter goes on to say at the beginning of what could be considered his 4th recorded sermon in  Acts 10:34 “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears him and does righteousness is welcome to Him.” (LSB).  He then finishes this sermon, as the holy spirit falls upon all those listening to his words, as the Jewish believers who came with him were astounded that gentiles had received the gift of the holy spirit, by asking “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the holy spirit just as we did?”

            Today, with the overwhelming number of gentiles who profess to be Christians, we kind of take it for granted, but before THIS SPECIFIC MOMENT in history: salvation was for the Jewish people alone, the chosen people of God.  This was the exact moment in time when God clarified for all humanity: it’s not who your father was (genealogically), but who your Father is (in your heart) that matters.  This is what God has been saying from the beginning, in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, but now the gift of salvation is being offered up to all the nations, to all those who fear God and do righteousness (again, please go look up tzedakah for a clarification on this), to those who seek and accept the discipline of our Father.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Did you ever try to avoid being disciplined (by God or men), and what were the results?

Think of a time when you received divine discipline.  What was the result?

Have your alms ascended as a memorial to God, or are they stacked up in your bank as a memorial to your own greed?

PRAYER

Father God, please discipline me gently and allow me to receive the instruction that is offered through it.  Correct me when my course goes astray, and forgive me of my many shortcomings.  Help me to reflect your love and character to all of Your creation.  Thank you for all of the blessings, and especially for sending us Jesus and his words of instruction.  In his name, Amen.

SGL.26.Schedule (1)Download

Praise Our God

Leviticus 6-7 

Psalm 9              

Matthew 22

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 9:1-2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Praises should flow from our hearts all our lives because of the great God and Father that we have.  Yahweh is His name and it means our God who is in a relationship with us. 

One of the things that has taken me a long time to understand and also to help me let the Word interpret itself to us is the question of agency.  God is the ultimate power and creator of all the universe, but He delegates His power and authority to those that He chooses to give it to.  All created beings are given freedom of will to obey God, and are given various levels of authority to exercise on His behalf.

For example, God is the author of our salvation, but Jesus is the agent of our salvation.  God has decided to give us His grace, but it comes to us through His agent Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

God decided to save us, but the way that He does it is through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.   God also has judged His Son worthy of authority to judge the whole world in the future.  Only Jesus Christ has the qualifications to do the judging and giving of rewards to all the world’s present, past and future populations.  We see the results of this agency here in Psalm 9.

Psalms 9:7-8 But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.

Yahweh executes judgement from His throne, but the agency for that judgement will come from His Son.  God has ultimate authority over all the creation but gives Jesus the rulership over the nations.

Acts 17:30-31(NLT) God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Revelation 19:15-16(NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

As we read Psalm 9 there is so much that we could unpack from it.  It has declarations of praise, and proclamations of confidence in God’s care and instruction, and declarations of what the ultimate kingdom of God will be.

Psalms 9:7-10(NLT) But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

The other thing that we should contemplate today is what authority and power has God delegated to you?

Ephesians 1:19-20(NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 3:20-21(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Thanks be to our God for His great love and grace that we have received and that we need to accept and exercise our position and power that God has given us in Christ.

Psalms 9:15-18(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the grave.
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

Reflection:

How does God ultimately judge the world and the nations?

Who is His agent of judgment?

Prayer: 

Our God and Father, creator and ruler of all the cosmos, we lift our hearts in praise to you today.  Thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son who is the agent of our salvation and future.  We look to You Father for the power to do Your good in this life.  Thank you for the Christ in us which gives us this power.  In Jesus wonderful name we pray.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Our Perfect and Eternal Life

Revelation 20-22

Devotion by Isaac Cain (NE)

As I write these words to you now, I am sitting in the kitchen of my house on a pleasant morning. My wife is playing music in the background, and I am hearing all kinds of crazy sounds from my two cats who are chasing each other around the house. This is a great day, and God has blessed me so richly.

For me to get to this blessed moment in my life there was a cost – I had to leave a series of previous modes of life. I once lived with my parents and I had to leave their loving care to gain my education at the Atlanta Bible College. Eventually I had to leave college and close contact with some of my closest friends to marry my lovely wife.

In the same, but much grander way, humanity is promised a wonderful mode of life in God’s care, but to get there, the old way of life has to come to an end. We can’t enter into an age of life where there is no more sickness, death, or sin until those things are gone. 

These chapters of Revelation teach us that before God can bring about His perfect salvation, He first needs to do away with this current age. This is why God is just, this is why God is devoting so much effort and energy into enacting His wrath against wickedness – so that the New Jerusalem can truly be ushered in for eternity:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2 ESV)

We humans like to live in the known and are uncomfortable with giving up what we know for what we don’t. This is so true that we humans are even willing to remain in an unfavorable situation if it means not having to leave it behind and wander into uncertainty. But for us as Christians, we need to overcome this and completely forsake this age and any sin that we are holding onto and embrace what God has to offer us instead. Besides, God has even blessed us with letting us know ahead of time where we are going and what we are getting ourselves into, and it is perfect.

In this life we only have a taste of the goodness to come in God’s kingdom. Imagine every single moment of your life you are literally perfect, everyone you come across is also perfect in their own unique way. You have no need for medicines, hospitals, cemeteries, or even locks to your house. You can walk right up to the tree of life, which is everywhere you go. But most importantly, you can have communion with God Himself and His Son Jesus! This reality is what we are enduring and waiting for, and thank God He is one day going to cast away the trials, burdens, and hardships we suffer in this life and is walking us towards a future that is partially known, but is waiting to be better understood. 

Reflection Questions

What are ways you can maintain God’s future hope in the forefront of your mind and heart?

In what ways should reading these chapters of Revelation motivate us to share the gospel with those around us?

SGL.2025.DecemberFullPageDownload

Stay Awake and Ready

Revelation 14-16

Devotion by Isaac Cain (NE)

Growing up in the midwest it was common for part of the “goodbye” routine to someone who’s about to drive away is to say “and watch for the deer”. Deer suddenly running out in front of a car is a common enough occurrence where it has become a regional culture to always remind one another of the potential threat. I personally have had many nights driving slowly with corn fields on either side vigilantly watching to make a response.

This readiness is exactly what God or Jesus (it’s not exactly clear) calls for us to do as his followers.

“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15) 

This reading section has all kinds of significant moments of judgment from God against all who have rebelled against Him – and you do not want to be on the receiving end of any of them.  We read of painful sores, rivers of blood, the world’s largest earthquake (literally chapter 16 states it is the world’s largest earthquake!), and hail weighing up to 100 pounds falling onto God’s enemies! Therefore, we are given a loving warning to keep true to the faith and allegiance to Jesus. 


Our watching, vigilance, daily process of dying to ourselves and living for Christ daily is not in vain. We not only evade the intense wrath of God, but we also receive the intense salvation and life from God. These peeks into the future are not serving as a trivial knowledge that does not serve much utility to our daily lives now. Instead, they serve as a tangible vision for what direction each of our daily steps needs to be headed. 

We currently are like the midwest driver at night surrounded by cornfields. At any point, the deer that we know is coming, is going to jump out in front of us, we will miss it, but the non-attentive driver will not be as fortunate. Not only that, but being a vigilant driver serves to our benefit throughout the drive anyway. There are far more things to consider when driving than simply not hitting the deer like staying in your lane, not running into other cars, going out into the ditch, or the countless other bad scenarios my mom concerned herself with when I first went behind the wheel! Staying awake and ready not only avoids the dreaded end and receives the blessed end, but it also helps us avoid the avoidable pains of this life.

So let us heed the warning from Revelation today as we navigate through this life to always remember to “watch for the deer” to worship God, receive salvation, and experience God’s goodness in this life.

Reflection Questions

What is the difference between being a vigilant Christian and a paranoid one?

How does God seem to balance His love and His justice against wickedness in these chapters?

SGL.2025.DecemberFullPageDownload

True Fellowship

Romans 8-10

The book of Romans has been called the Magna Carta of the Word by many writers when they describe the freedoms that God shows us in its pages.  Romans 8 is the start of a transition from the doctrine of salvation that is presented in Chapters 1-7.  Chapter 8 is about walking in the spirit and what true fellowship with God is based on.  Chapter 9 moves to a section that is concerned with Israel and their relationship to the church and salvation in Christ.

Chapter 7 ends with these verses where Paul tells us of his frustration with his walk of believing
Romans 7:21-25. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Paul has trouble with his Christian Walk???

But then Romans 8 begins with this contrast of truth about who we really are in Christ:

Romans 8:1-4(NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

The transition that we are being taught by Paul is that when we walk in fellowship with God, then we are able to overcome our sin nature.  We will be without condemnation when we are guided by the spirit of God that He has given us.  Our spiritual nature of Christ in us gives us the power and ability to do the will of God and do good in this world.  

We have Christ in us when we are born again by God’s spirit but our daily walk with God is one of obedience to fellowship with Him, or disobedience to living without God’s fellowship.  Christ walked in perfect fellowship with God and because he always did the Father’s will, he was not condemned by the law.  

What are the ways we can grow in our ability to be in fellowship with God and His Son?

Romans 8:5-6(NLT) Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

The Old Testament law really is a law of life, but the Pharisees and scribes had turned it into a law to control people politically and physically.  Look sometime at the undoable complexity of the rulemaking in the Talmud and Mishnah.  Those regulations are only to control people from a human standpoint.  Jesus Christ does all of God’s intentions for the true interpretation of the law of Moses.  He is judged righteous by God because of his obedience.  God gives to us the righteousness of Christ when we confess him as lord and savior.  

Romans 10:9-13(NLT) If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

Our salvation is received by grace from God and is not dependent on our works or actions before that point.  We cannot earn our salvation, but we receive it by trust that Christ is what we need in our lives.  To confess him as lord is to say fully in our hearts that we cannot do this ourselves but will follow and obey him.  Many denominations have reduced this as a simple confession of “Jesus is Lord”, but to truly say this declaration it means that I understand the complete futility and incompetence of my own efforts.  I need the righteousness that comes only from God in Christ to overcome the sinful person who is me.

What righteous thing have you done that will impress God with your goodness?

Before or after the point of your salvation?

Grace from God is the only way to fellowship with Him.  We can approach the throne of grace because the righteous son of God is there to advocate for us.  God sees us with the righteousness of the Christ in us and then we are able to have fellowship with a righteous God.  By our own efforts we fall completely short of this.  That is why we are able to walk with no condemnation from the law of Moses or the law of slavery to sin that we are delivered from. 

Why do we need Christ’s intercession with God on our behalf?

Have a victorious day today walking in fellowship with God with Christ beside you.

Romans 8:38-39(NLT) And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Only God’s love can change us and this fallen world.  Thanks be to our God that He truly loves us so much to save us and take care of us each and every day.

Love in Christ – Tom Siderius

See Reflection Questions Above

SGL.2025.NovemberFullPageDownload

The Big Picture

Matthew 16, Mark 8, Luke 9:18-27

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

It can be easy to get into the weeds when discussing and debating theology. There are many years behind us of writing and interpretation of the scriptures, and we can easily lose focus on the big picture when we’re bogged down in the minutiae. One could simply read scripture and take away that Jesus died for the sins of the world and that whoever believes in him will be saved. On the flip side, books have been written digging into how Jesus’ death and resurrection functionally deal with sin. Atonement theories such as Penal Substitution, Christus Victor, and Scapegoat Theory (among others) are ways to try to understand exactly the process through which God forgives through Jesus. The main thing we should remember is that the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness, regardless of the thoughts that we might have about how exactly God reconciles everything through Jesus.

The Pharisees were very much concerned with the letter of the law. Now I believe we should strive to understand scripture, but sometimes I can allow my views on specific doctrines or practices to overshadow others. We need to be striving to see the big picture and get to the spirit behind the words of scripture.

In today’s text, we see Jesus’ warning against the leaven of the Pharisees. This calls out things like false doctrine and hypocrisy that were present in the lives of the Pharisees that clashed with Jesus. This bad leaven will corrupt the “bread” that comes from it.

Jesus recognizes that there are key things that the disciples need to know and understand, specifically relating to his death and resurrection. But also, the big picture needs to be in view. Jesus asks Peter, who do people think that Jesus is, and he spits off a few theories, but then Jesus asks Peter who he thinks Jesus is, and he answers: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Big Picture. None of the things that Jesus shows and teaches Peter and the disciples will be impactful without this pig picture. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. This confession is the foundation of the Church. We’re not always going to agree on everything, but we must agree on this primary fact: Jesus is the Savior, and in Him we must put our faith and hope. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        What distracts you from the big picture?

2.        Does your need to know how sometimes distract you from simply accepting what you read in scripture?

3.        Have ingrained habits or false things that you have been taught stood in your way of implementing your faith in every aspect of your life? Take a step back and look at the big picture in scripture and weigh your thoughts against what you see in the Bible.

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload