Devotion
By Their Fruits
Frances Taylor
We need to be on the lookout for those who would lead people away from God by pretending that they are leading them to God. We have seen this happen several times in very public and tragic ways, but it can happen in less public ways as well. The world was horrified when they learned of the mass murder/suicide of over 900 people, one third of them minors in Guyana in 1978, and again of the destruction of the compound in Waco, Texas where over 70 people died. Both of these tragedies occurred because the leaders of the cult claimed to either be a god or be God's messenger or Messiah. There have been many other cults operating with less destructive results. Preying on loners or immigrants, the leaders promise security here and eternal life if only you follow them. They don't say that you are following God, but you are following them because they are the only ones who know the way! By their fruits you will know them. These people ask blind obedience, work to separate people from their families and friends, and often demand a certain percentage of income. This doesn't sound like Jesus to me. Paul never demanded obedience to himself, in fact, he said just the opposite to the Corinthians. John the Baptist said that he wasn't the one and pointed to Jesus. We have been warned by Jesus to look at those who claim to be prophets carefully and judge by their fruits. If they are more interested in leading us to themselves instead of to Jesus, we must beware.
Prayer
Lord, you do send prophets in every age to help us know how to live in that age. Help us to know who is from you and who is not. Guide us to your truth. Amen.
Night Prayer
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Inspiration
We seek the Lord and find Him because He is always ready to accept the invitation to live inside our hearts. He loves us beyond our understanding and extends salvation to everyone. We want to share His promise of salvation with the nations and allow everyone to accept Christ as their personal Savior. We will continue to minister to the broken world around us so they may feel God's presence in their lives.
Prayer
Dear God, You make Yourself available to everyone because You love us beyond our understanding. Please guide us as we continue to minister to others so they may also feel Your presence in their lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Transfiguration
Frances Taylor
The feast of the Transfiguration is considered important enough to celebrate it twice a year, once on the second Sunday of Lent and today. In March, I concentrated on how Jesus reveals himself to us; today I would like to think about the apostles and their reaction and to what ours might have been. Peter tells Jesus that it was good for them to be there. The week before, Peter had declared that Jesus was the Christ, but had rejected the idea that he would suffer and die. When they come down from the mountain, Jesus will be approached to heal a boy whom the other disciples had failed to heal. Jesus was giving them a foretaste of the resurrection. They must have been amazed at Jesus as well as the appearance of Moses and Elijah. They wanted to stay there at the top of the mountain. They were enclosed in a cloud and heard the voice of God; of course they wanted to stay there! We can't stay at the top of the mountain any more than the apostles ...
Morning Prayer
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Inspiration
Without fear of Jehovah-God, there is not true wisdom. For when you see "LORD" in all capitals in the KJV, that is the translation of the Hebrew word for Jehovah. And there is not true understanding without a true knowledge of the Holy One undergirding it. If we are wrong about God, we are in all important respects, "wrong about everything. "
Prayer
You, O Great Jehovah, are the only true God, and without fearing and knowing about you, all other knowledge is made faulty. And without knowing you personally, pursuit of knowledge is futile and unable to help us. Let us not be like those who are "ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, " but let us delve ever deeper into your truths. Amen.
