TEXT: Numbers ch.25

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

The man who received the greatest commendation from God, in the Old Testament, for his zeal, was not Abraham, Moses or David.  He was a man who is seldom the subject of sermons, yet he single handedly saved Israel and drew the highest endorsement from God.  His name was Phinehas, and this is his story.

The Setting

Towards the end of Israel’s 40 years of wandering, battling and raising a new generation, are now camped at the edge of Moab, just miles from the Jordan River, and waiting for the last Wilderness battle to begin.  Once Moab is out of the way they will proceed to the Jordan and cross over into the Promised Land.  They’re close. 

In the previous 2 chapters (Numbers 23-24) Balak the King of Moab, afraid of the terrible defeat he will likely suffer at the hands of the invincible Israelites, hires Balaam, the false prophet of Midian to curse Israel, so that the Moabites can defeat them.  Four times Balaam tries to cast a binding curse over Israel, but each time God intervenes and informs Balaam that Israel is under His blessing and can neither be cursed or defeated.  Balak the Moabite King, is dejected, until Balaam tells him that he has figured out a way to defeat Israel without needing to curse them, or even fight them. 

Balaam counsels Balak to act neighborly and extend peace to Israel; to send his young women and temple prostitutes among the Israeli men and let nature take its course.  Balaam informs Balak that the God of Israel detests idolatry, and the Israelites can curse themselves before God with their own sin. Once they begin to fraternize with the Moabite women they will begin committing fornication, indulging their flesh and soon drift into the Moabite temples of Baal Peor, where they will commit idolatry and become a curse to God.

Balak took Balaam’s advice, simply stepped aside and allowed “peace” to take its coarse.  The seductive foreign policy worked flawlessly and became a famous satanic strategy throughout the Bible.  In the NT, Paul referred to it as “the Deception of Balaam” in Jude 1:11.  In His rebuke to the Church of Pergamos, God referred to this lethal teaching of passivity towards the world, as the Doctrine of Balaam:

Rev. 2:14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trapand a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [to entice them] to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves up to sexual vice].

Within a very short span of time, Israel degraded its own position from unconquerable to self-defeated and completely vulnerable.  Not only did they drive off the protective Presence of God, through their fornication, but they also brought an insatiable plague upon themselves through their idolatry.  Twenty-four thousand men had already died by the plague and there was no sign of it letting up, despite their cries of repentance.  Sin had conquered what Satan’s scheming could not. 

We have never realized that our own propensities for lust have always been far more effective in destroying us than Satan could ever hope to be.

James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The Trap Of Peace

How this deplorable slide into decadence happened without being fought by Moses is not known.  But for whatever reason, this fresh new generation of Israelites, were about to be annihilated by their own sin, just when they were ready to enter the Promised Land. After victoriously fighting countless battles, and right at the point where their greatest moment was to begin, they totally fall apart. Instead of nasty soldiers with swords coming across their borders from Moab, cute hoochie girls with buckets of chicken and short skirts, poured into the camp of Israel. They were being destroyed, not on the fields of battle, but in the paralyzing arms of peace.  This story should send shivers down the spine of every sincere Christian. Yet why this isn’t preached among the most prominent stories of the Old Testament, is itself an indication that Satan is still working feverishly to conceal the doctrine of Balaam!

Amos 6:1 WOE TO those who are at ease in Zion and to those on the mountain of Samaria who are careless and feel secure, the notable men of the chief [because chosen by God] of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes!

As the warriors of Israel laid aside their swords and shields, to transition from victory to vacation, an enemy, too close to swing at, would arise from within their own flesh.  The “rest” that was to be their reward, laid just days ahead of them, when they made the fatal decision to take their relaxation in the arms of their enemy’s daughters.  They took off more than their clothes in order to get comfortable in this new arrangement of peace.  They stripped themselves of the very armor of faithfulness to God, and became as vulnerable as chained pets. Gone was the breastplate of righteousness and the shield of faith, which had struck such fear in the hearts of their demon-worshipping enemies.  The warriors of Yahweh began to follow their new girlfriends into the temples of Baal and came out the enemies of God.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

James 4:4 Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

Judgment was coming down, and the sword of Israel was about to fall. But this time it would not fall on the Midianites or Moabites, but upon themselves as they sought to slay the enemy within.

Tomorrow, as we proceed to discover what kind of zeal it took to turn God’s wrath away from Israel, and bring a deliverance from their sin, you must take this dramatic scene from history and superimpose it, not over your church or community, but over the invisible territory of your own heart and life.  You are Israel, Balaam is Satan and Moab with its illicit desire for peace with you, is the world.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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1 Pet. 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Pet. 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Pet. 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

If there was one truth that Peter carried away from his personal experiences with Jesus, it was that you can never glorify God in your own strength or power of reason.

Matt. 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

Matt. 16:22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”

Matt. 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Peter’s good intentions were not enough to make his offering of help acceptable.  Sometimes it’s a hard lesson to learn, but glorifying God isn’t an outcome-based exercise, designed for immature children in order to affirm their insecurities.  It’s serious business.  What glorifies God is never a matter of sincere intentions.  But it’s always a matter of yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Peter knew better than and man, that there was a world of difference between honoring God with our sincere praise and good works, and glorifying Him by yielding to the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.  Professing his undying allegiance to Jesus was commendable, and demonstrated the affect Jesus had on men like Peter.  But lifting the lame man at the Gate Beautiful so that he was healed in Jesus’ Name, that glorified God.  Peter knew, when he wrote 1 Peter 4:17, that only the work of the Spirit can glorify God.  Man can honor God, pay tribute, give praise, acknowledge and credit God; but the Holy Spirit, with His divine influence, actually MANIFESTS God.  And that is the difference. 

It’s just like the difference between the beautiful statue that memorializes a great man and the presence of that man himself.  Many churches pay sincere tribute to Jesus Christ, honor Him with their worship and activities, but don’t necessarily manifest Him.  Honor, godly character and good deeds are a credit to God, but Glory manifests God. There is the glory of man, and then there is the glory of God.  Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify Him with the glory He had from the beginning.  This was a glory man could not give Him.  This Glory is God Himself, and only the Holy Spirit can give it.

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

The glory of any being emanates from the “self” of that being, and is the function of the intention of its Creator.  Man is in his glory when he functions in those things that God designed him to do.  When he leads, increases and manages the world.  God is in His glory when He does those things that are uniquely His function: creating, showing love and mercy, healing, delivering, judging. 

Consequently, Peter tells us that the unique high purpose to which we were redeemed, is the giving of glory to God,through Jesus Christ.  And he specifically points out that this is more than simply allowing the glory of our own virtues to shine to Jesus credit; but rather to allow the Holy Spirit to work directly through us, that work which we can not perform without Him. 

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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1 Pet. 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Pet. 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Pet. 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

God receives the glory that “belongs” to Him, ONLY when we allow His Spirit to work through us.  When we speak as the oracles of God; when we operate in the supernatural gifts that the Holy Spirit works through us; these are the avenues by which God glorifies Himself.  This is very different from us utilizing our intellect and creative talents to honor God.  For when we honor God by means of our abilities, God is indirectly glorified as the source of those abilities.  In short, honoring God with the demonstration of our abilities, talents and intelligence, glorifies us as His creations.  Giving Him credit as our Creator reflects our glory on Him.  But when we yield to the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, or speak as the oracles of God, we are functioning as vessels, and God is literally glorified through us as we yield to Him.  God is the only One who can actually glorify Himself.  And He does this by demonstrating His nature through us. 

Perhaps we need to understand glory.  Glory is what happens when anything/anybody functions in its purpose.  The Eagle glories when it soars.  The Salmon glories when it climbs the watery mountain ladders.  Man glories when he rules and manages creation.  The glory of the Sun is it’s shining, the stars, their twinkling.  God glories when He exerts His nature in His purposes.  Therefore when we allow the Holy Spirit to put His words and power in our mouth and hands, God is functioning through us, and glorifying Himself in us.  Speaking as the oracle of God, and delivering an impressive speech about God, are not the same thing.  One glorifies man as he credits God.  The other glorifies God and credits God.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to demonstrate His Presence by the operation of His gift in you glorifies God.  Why is this different than beautifully singing a song of praise or skillfully delivering a teaching?  Because in the former case God is doing the work, but in the latter case, you are doing it.   As a minor example:

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

They began to speak but the Spirit gave the utterance (ability to speak).  God is directly glorifying Himself when we allow Him to do things through us that are supernatural and beyond the scope of our natural abilities.  The difference between this and speaking by our own intelligence is immeasurable.  It doesn’t matter that under our own intellect and abilities we sincerely honor God.  That is both good and commendable.  But Peter clearly points to a higher expression of praise than simply honoring God.  He speaks of glorifying Him.  Many Christians and churches have lost sight of the difference.  Some have never known the difference.  And Peter was not the only one who understood this distinction:

1 Cor. 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1 Cor. 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Cor. 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1 Cor. 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Cor. 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

If ever there were a man of brilliant ability, it was the man who spoke those words: the Apostle Paul.  Yet he clearly saw that whatever he might gain for God, by applying his skills and native talents to the call, it could never begin to compare to the impact God Himself could make through Him.  Let there be no misunderstanding; one must clearly choose to allow the Spirit to operate through him in utterance and demonstration.  It will never be forced, but only sought and chosen.

1 Cor. 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts:

1 Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Consider plainly the principle of these verses.  That the believer must yearn for a greater way to honor God than merely the reflected glory of his own expressions.  For faith to rest in the power of God rather than the wisdom of men, a Christian must present the demonstration of the Spirit. 

Today the growing dependence upon technology, drama, production, polish and performance, in the presentation of the Gospel, continues to lure the Church farther from dependence upon the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.  The less Christians pray and seek the genuine manifestation of the Spirit (1 Co 12:7), the more we are left with only the bizarre, errant and flaky elements, giving a bad testimony to the power of God.    The Prophet Jeremiah was surrounded by carnal false prophets and wanted to quit prophesying for fear of being identified with the flakes.  But God still needed to be glorified, and that took precedent:

Jer. 20:9 If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t contain. 

I would to God that His fire would burn in our bones so that we become jealous for His glory, and like Paul, seek to be demonstrators of the Holy Spirit: glorifiers of God.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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1 Pet. 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Pet. 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Pet. 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Of all the elements that Peter lays out for a victorious Christian and a successful church:

Prayer

Fervent Love

Hospitality

Spiritual Gifts

Divine Utterance

There is none more neglected than the direct influence of the Holy Spirit upon the life of the church.  We do lots for God but relatively little through God.  If we were honest, we would have to admit that the Holy Spirit is more of a spectator than a leader in today’s Christian Church.  Prayer, Love and Hospitality are usually the subjects of a fair amount of organizational attention and programming.  But the church is largely designed to roll right along without the execution of spiritual gifts.  And we are so mesmerized by academic prowess and clever oratory, that divine utterance is either immaterial or assumed.  What percentage of our speaking and public address would be eliminated if we were suddenly forced to conform to Peter’s rule: If you’re going to speak, be certain that God is speaking through you?   To many Christians it must seem down right unreasonable to have to have divine utterance in order to address the Church.  However, consider God’s perspective (for a change).  Peter says that the only way to truly insure that God is being glorified is for He Himself to be influencing the speaker and empowering the doer.  Whatever is done for God’s benefit, but without His direct influence, is sure to fall short of glorifying Him.   Jesus set up His Church so that we would come under the operational control of the Holy Spirit.  All preaching, counseling, healing and helping was to be done through people being moved under the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

1 Cor. 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Cor. 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

And in those early years God gives us a record of men and women who were careful to present themselves under the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and not to simply run the church under the leading of assumption and the power of human reason. 

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost,

Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Let’s consider this great statement once more:

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

God is glorified directly through Jesus Christ, and Jesus is glorified directly through the work of the Holy Spirit.  So we ought to reason that apart from the direct work of the Holy Spirit, God is never truly glorified.  He may be remembered, thought of, celebrated or even believed in, but is He being glorified?  The true objective of every Christian and of the Church, is to glorify God.  How much then, of what we do, truly qualifies as glory to God; and how much is simply done in tribute to Him?  If there were one single lesson that the Christian should carry over from the Old Covenant into the New Covenant; it’s that no sacrifice done for God will accomplish, what only the act of obedience to the Holy Spirit will.

Some years ago Charismatic and Evangelical churches began drifting into a period of Spiritlessness.  The true moving of the Holy Spirit has been steadily replaced with the increase of music and theatrical programs.  More time and energy is invested in audio-visual presentations that capture the imagination than Holy Ghost gripped messages that conquer hearts.  There certainly may be greater methods of gathering crowds and filling churches than the deployment of spiritual gifts and issuance of divine utterance.  But there most definitely is no other way of glorifying God.

1 Tim. 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

1 Tim. 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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1 Pet. 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Pet. 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Pet. 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

As I was recently travelling from the jungle of the Niger Delta back to Benin City and Lagos I was struck by how dependence upon prayer drops off proportionally.  The deeper we penetrated into secular culture the less dependent upon prayer Christians became.  The more modern the environment the more interest in prayer dies off.  We should remember that the architect of the first city was Nimrod, who collected people together into an urban environment for the purpose of combining their efforts to build a tower that would achieve spiritual independence. 

Gen. 10:8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.

Gen. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

Gen. 10:10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Gen. 10:11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-ir and Calah,

Gen. 10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city….

Gen. 11:4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Gen. 11:5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

Gen. 11:6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

Gen. 11:7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

Gen. 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

Gen. 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

God struck the tower, scattered the people and separated them into different languages so they couldn’t easily communicate together.  This breakdown of communication would make it difficult for a long time to coordinate people again into such an effort.  But alas, here we are again - one language and a global urban village.  And a sense of spiritual independence is destroying the desire to pray.  Christians are more apt to rely on their thinking then their prayer life with the Holy Spirit.  Once again, we have come to rely on information more than inspiration.   We have committed a serious error by letting information make us independent from God.  The more people know what to do, the less they pray.  It was never God’s will that His revelations should make us independent.  We let intelligence replace our need for the empowering that only comes by prayer.  Until what we know inspires us to pray we know nothing.  Everything we build without His power will fall just like Babel did.

Psa. 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it…

We must recognize that wherever humans gather they create a spiritual atmosphere of independence.  And they begin to build religion to secure themselves.   In our text Peter encapsulates the simple elements for a victorious Christian and a successful:

Prayer

Fervent Love

Hospitality

Spiritual Gifts

Divine Utterance

The very first element in our life is prayer.  We are no more attached to God than our prayer life.  It is our umbilical cord in the womb of life.  Prayer is to thought what purpose is to existence.  Prayer puts the LIFE in living.  We are literally designed to be dependent upon prayer.

Luke 18:1 And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Peter warns, “be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”   The words, sound and sober refer to the fact that we must avoid the intoxicating effects of urban living.  The noxious fumes of secular urban life are lethal to the spirit of prayer.  The desire to pray quickly slips away unless you deliberately guard yourself against the influences of excess.  Excessive labor, excessive recreation, excessive relaxation, without maintaining prayer to receive God’s power, strips the desire to pray and fills you with a sense of independence.  Independence from many things is good, but not independence from God.  There are many Christians building entire ministries upon information they have gleaned from God.  Like the Tower of Babel, there is no dependence upon God’s moment-by-moment Presence.  It’s all built upon the intellectual acumen of man.  If the influence of urban life and secular culture has eroded your dependence upon prayer then PRAY!  Pray till you tap God’s power and recover your dependence upon Him.  As Peter said, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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1 Pet. 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Pet. 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

1 Pet. 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

When Peter announces that the end of all things is near he surely does not foresee the passing of two millenniums during this end-time period.  However it’s fairly common to mistake Peter’s pronouncement as the issuing of a divine timetable. It’s typical to react to this verse with a kind of lock-the-doors-and-wait-it-out mentality.  But Peter was referring to the fact that in the resurrection of Christ and subsequent outpouring of the Spirit, God had completed the release of all provisions man would ever need to come back into right relationship with Him. There was no more development to look for in bringing man back to God.  Heaven had fully deployed its treasure in Jesus, and the next great event would be the end of sin’s reign with the full manifestation of Jesus’ kingdom on Earth. 

Peter declared that Earth had entered its final period before full restoration.  A state of grace now exists as man has been handed ALL that he needs to come into sonship with the Father.  Think about it: the door is open, the Holy Spirit is here, the way has been paid and sin’s obstacles cleared.  All excuses have become cancelled as the Father has unleashed every necessary bounty and benefit for the lost to be recovered.  There has not been one significant operational addition made to earth from Heaven, since the resurrection of Jesus.  Not one has been needed, for all things have been given in Christ!

Rom. 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

2 Pet. 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Col. 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

You can’t name one necessity that the Father has not already given to the Earth, in His Son Jesus.  God is no longer hidden, He’s revealed.  His will is no longer a mystery, it’s clearly known.  And all this, God has done without wiping out His opposition!  God has presented Himself without eliminating His enemy, so that man might make a clear and distinct choice.  In this period of grace the introduction Of God’s kingdom is not the integration of God’s kingdom with that of fallen man.  The Earth is currently home to two incompatible kingdoms: that of Christ and the defeated kingdom of darkness. 

Peter’s announcement compels Christians to understand all this and adjust to living victoriously against the opposition.  Because we have entered this place in time, he encapsulates the simple elements for a victorious Christian and a successful church in his text:

Prayer

Fervent Love

Hospitality

Spiritual Gifts

Divine Utterance

And he places these ingredients into a very definite focus.  The whole aim for the successful believer is to glorify Jesus Christ.  God has put every necessity at our disposal to give what is due Him, to whom all glory belongs.

“…so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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Click here to read our text: John 8:1-11

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

We have come to the climax of our study and finally, the confrontation between Jesus and the woman accused of adultery. As we’ve said all along‚…

This story is about Jesus’ encounter with what people REALLY want, as opposed to what they say.

With the religious officials driven off under conviction or embarrassment, the woman is finally left alone to hear what Jesus has to say about her sin. Before you think that Jesus was some social revolutionary, fighting “The Man”, look carefully at His response. It should help you think again. Jesus came to forgive sin, not justify it, condone it or ignore it. One of the most challenging statements of the New Testament is found in 2 Corinthians 5:19, where Paul declares:

2 Cor. 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

The Amplified Translation says:

2 Cor. 5:19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but canceling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

In this verse, God is telling us something that may be hard to take:

Jesus isn’t mad at the world. He’s come to soothe, not stone.

In fact, He has offered people amnesty for their sins. But that doesn’t mean that He ignores sin to do it. God cannot overlook sins that have not been submitted for forgiveness. And simply pretending there are justifications, extenuating circumstances, or that social trends have changed what defines sin, will never bring our sins into the light of Truth, so that they can be forgiven. A debtor can only benefit from a canceled debt once what was owed has been acknowledged. Look closely at what Jesus finally said to the woman:

John 8:11 ”…And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Rather than saying “They wanted to stone you, but I forgive you, go in peace.”; He sends her away forgiven with a warning. He doesn’t say anything that might be construed as condoning her sins. Adultery is a very dangerous and life-destroying sin. A countless number of poor souls have been boiled away in the crucible of sexual sin. And one has only to look at the broken moral compass of today’s people to see why Jesus was careful not to give any impression that this lifestyle was taken lightly by Him. Lest we mistakenly fail to see that the chute to Hell is greased with sexual license.

Here’s the best practical advice for Christians who want to help their friends and acquaintances that are trapped in sexual sin:

#1 Make it your aim to help the person rather than attack the sin. You can’t do anything to make him or her a better person or the world a better place by attacking their sin.

#2 Don’t avoid the issue. Tell your friend the truth that sin is not just a moral boo-boo, but it’s destructive and hurtful. Nobody is ever set free by pretending that there’s nothing wrong with sin. Just don’t approach it as a religious infraction, but rather as damage to their soul and an obstacle to their relationship with God.

Finally, through this entire encounter we have seen that the characters involved wanted certain things that led them to behave the way they did. Our desires mold us. We are bound to fashion our lives according to what we want. You can tell what people really want with a good discerning look at what they do. Too often this does not line up with what they say. In the case of the woman who was being used as a political tool against Jesus, by the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus’ counsel to her was simple and brilliantly brief:

“Go. From now on sin no more.”

She NEEDED His command! From the non-condemning lips of the Heart of Real Love, came the words she desperately needed. It’s amazing how people’s lives slide sideways because there is no command from Love to do otherwise; no use of authority by compassion. Today’s anemic fake compassion simply ignores the sins that are destroying people’s lives, while offering powerless sympathies. And on the other extreme stand religious bureaucrats, driven by their own fears, to manipulate sinners with their sins, through condemnation. But in the brilliance of His sincerity, Jesus never entangled Himself in wasted psycho analysis of the woman’s life - why she did what she did; what was her emotional profile; what was her upbringing: etc, ad nauseum. But Jesus very simply counseled her to stop wanting and pursuing what is sinful. Because He knows that no one can be really helped until what they want, and where they look for it, changes.

So what is the message here, when Jesus stands before you, banishes the religious accusers from you and directs you away from your sins. Isn’t it clear that He has just offered you the power of freedom? Freedom to avoid manipulators? Freedom to choose a bondage-free life? Freedom to be a child of God?

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

John 8:35 ”The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.

John 8:36 ”So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Click here to read our text: John 8:1-11

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

As we have said all along, the real point of this confrontation between the Lord and the religious leaders is now coming to:

This story is about Jesus’ encounter with what people REALLY want, as opposed to what they say.

The religious bureaucrats came to Jesus seeking His judgment on the matter of this woman, taken in the act of adultery. But they abandoned their objective, once it was known that their motives had nothing to do with seeking righteous judgment. Yet Jesus Himself was not going to abandon the proper judgment of this case, even though they cared nothing for it. For He is God, and like light aggresses into darkness, so will He penetrate every case of judgment brought before Him. He is never simply neutral.

After challenging the woman’s accusers to let the guiltless cast the first stone, Jesus stooped back down and once again began writing in the dirt. After the leaders had all departed, the Bible tells that Jesus stood up and found Himself standing alone with the woman:

John 8:9 …and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.

Herein rests a beautiful insight. No individual or group has ever had the moral authority to stand in supervision over Jesus in the execution of judgment. The right is His alone. Thus the ‘gang of insincerity’ appropriately dispersed, leaving Pity and Misery alone to face each other. The gallery of petty legalists has stepped back with nothing to say, as Misery waits for Pity to speak. True humble-hearted Christians are expected to practice godly judgment, in dealing with corruption within their ranks, through the Spirit of Christ. But the execution of judgment should never fall into the hands of people with ulterior motives. There can only be one true pure motive in approaching sin; and that motive pivots in perfect balance in Jesus Christ, between the claims of righteousness and the heart of divine mercy. Some churches and Christians use sin and judgment to maintain power. Some are misguided, thinking they’re God’s bodyguards protecting Him from defiling influences. Still others have an honest zeal for righteousness but lack the wisdom and patience of mercy.

When Jesus stood to His feet He spoke to the woman in words that conveyed God’s true spirit of judgment:

John 8:10 When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?

Jesus doesn’t gloat or even bother to comment on the error of her accusers. His only concern is for ministering God’s grace and truth to her. In dealing with moral failures, that is where true judgment begins. Tomorrow we will see exactly how Jesus judged the ‘woman taken in adultery’. So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Click here to read our text: John 8:1-11

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

By now it’s become evident that the real point of this confrontation between the Lord and the religious leaders is that:

This story is about Jesus’ encounter with what people REALLY want, as opposed to what they say.

The religious leaders have launched their nasty little plot to confront Jesus with the issue of whether or not the Law should be followed concerning the punishing of adulterers. But their plan backfired when Jesus basically said “Yes, it should be upheld, and the ones among you who are morally perfect enough to execute it may now go ahead and do so.”  With their legalistic trap-question sprung, the gang of religious petty officials are now thrown on the defensive, having to face their own conviction. And the Bible says:

John 8:7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

John 8:9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.

Stop and try to visualize the scene. Talk about ’shock ‘n awe’. These hypocrites have just been hit with their greatest fear: Truth. Conviction is raining down upon their heads. And if their callous hearts won’t let them taste the pain of conviction, then they are being tortured with embarrassment. Whichever the case, the oldest are the first to realize their defeat, break ranks and return home. They drop their rocks and turn away. This realization that they’ve just been overturned by righteousness, steadily works its way through the gang until the youngest and last legalist has walked away.

“…they began to go out one by one…“

This is a very dramatic illustration of the fact that morality is not a ‘group benefit’, but rather a very personal and individual condition. True morality is installed; being stitched into our hearts by the needle and thread of conviction. You aren’t moral because you belong to some church or group that believes in a certain moral code. But as you allow your errors to be confronted by the convictions of God’s Truth, then real morality is assembled inside your heart. When real conviction of truth takes hold of you it’s always on a very personal level. You can be in the middle of a crowd during a happy event when suddenly, something is said that sends a revealing thrust right into the depth of your soul. Everyone around is seemingly oblivious to the anguish of your conviction. But you feel as naked and helpless as a newborn babe. These moments are among the most significant in life. They are the most critical crossroads we ever encounter. For at these junctions, we either turn up road directly into the conviction and press on to overcome. Or we turn down the side streets of self-justification and compromise.

Unfortunately, I fear that the men among these religious bigots probably went home to lick their wounds, seethed in anger, and regrouped to help form the gang that eventually dragged Jesus before Pilate. It’s a terrible tragedy to harden one’s heart and react to God’s conviction out of embarrassment instead of humility. Especially when we see how He responds to a humbled heart. These men might had seen it if they had stayed around to watch Jesus interact with the woman left standing alone. We’ll look at her in the next steps. So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Click here to read our text: John 8:1-11

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Let’s remember the key to this confrontation the Lord has with the religious leaders of His day, is that:

This story is about Jesus’ encounter with what people REALLY want, as opposed to what they say.

For the hypocritical leaders, the issue really wasn’t about Jesus’ opinions concerning the judgment of this particular sin. If they REALLY had been concerned about it they would have privately dismissed the issue and tried to help those involved get their lives together. And the reason they would have handled it that way is because when you’re genuinely concerned for others’ moral failures, your motivation is to help them, because you are aware of your own sinful weaknesses and the sorrows they bring.

Gal. 6:1 Brethren, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

Gal. 6:2 Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].

Jesus Responds…

John 8:6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.

By stooping down to write in the dirt, Jesus shows His complete disregard for their lack of moral character and authority in approaching Him with this question. This was the first message that needed to be sent by Him because this revealed the true lunacy of their position. By their hollow hearted lack of love, they were revealed to be completely inappropriate and disqualified to even deal with this issue. Think about it; God comes Himself to deal with our sins and He shows up with forgiveness and compassion, offering mercy and grace to help us. How can we think that someone with anything less in his or her heart will ever be sanctioned by God to deal with sin??? So Jesus first demonstrates His rejection of their authority. He shows His refusal to be goaded into acting as a civil magistrate, coerced into action by their legalism. But the confrontation cannot end there…

John 8:7 However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.

John 8:8 Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger.

Finally, not wishing to appear indifferent, either to sin or to the plight of the woman, He stands and answers the crowd. His answer is stunning. It is the perfect answer from Heaven, for it revealsGod’s interest in this drama. Brilliantly, Jesus invites the accusers to go ahead and fulfill the Law of Moses, by letting the sinless people do the stoning. For only they would be in a position to condemn her. Now their evil anticipation has turned to horror, as Jesus rips the sheepskin off their ugly heads and exposes these vampires to the piercing light of truth.

Here now is great wisdom: Jesus lifts the entire context of the discussion from the judicial to the moral. Many who want to act in judgment lack the moral qualification to do so. Jesus shows the deeper sin of man in that he attempts to use legalities to maneuver his own positions, all the while lacking the moral high ground from which to act. This is why people today have such a bad taste in their mouths concerning our modern judicial system. It’s run by a bunch of morally bankrupt opportunists. Our “judicial system” has become a “legal system”. Individuals, churches, societies and whole nations, decline when their focus becomes one of rights and legalities, for which none are willing to pay the moral price to execute judgment in.

The key to the heart of God isn’t in offering to police His moral regulations. It’s in realizing through them, that you are broken yourself. It’s when you lean upon His mercy for help and treat others with the same grace.

Tomorrow we will look deeper into this tremendous encounter between the legalists, the Law-Giver and the guilty. Until then…

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

nickchamplin.com

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Click here to read our text: Jn. 8:1-11

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

This story captures Jesus at His finest. He’s a true hero and a champion of righteousness. No one has ever come close. As we dissect this narrative bear this one key truth in mind:

This story is about Jesus’ encounter with what people REALLY want, as opposed to what they say.

In this encounter Jesus, Who is the very God against whom all sin is actually committed, beautifully peels away the pseudo concerns for righteousness, and shows a wonderful side of God’s true judgment. Let’s dive into the scene:

A gang of self-righteous church leaders have captured a woman in the act of adultery, and have drug her before Jesus. These men think it’s their job to police the society of violations against their moral code. THAT is the first error in this drama. God has never appointed anyone to police the moral lives of others.

Phil. 2:12 So then, my beloved…work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

Before we explore the deeper sinister plot behind this confrontation you need to have a couple historic facts:

1. Adultery was indeed a sin under the Law of Moses
2. It was punishable by stoning
3. The Jewish religious high council had never enforced this law

With that in mind, it’s apparent that they had no interest in punishing or executing this woman. Indeed, the way they caught her “in the act” is a bit suspicious. The truth here is that the religious leaders were in an evil quest to tighten their hold over the people, which they perceived as loosening, since Jesus had made His appearance. They were threatened by Him and sought a way to discredit Him publicly.

Here was the set up question: “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”

The trap seemed foolproof and would work against Jesus whichever way He answered. If Jesus said, “No, don’t stone her”, then He would be discredited as a teacher, for failing to uphold the Law of Moses. If Jesus answered, “Yes, let’s stone her”, then they would have offered to stone her right on the spot, knowing that an independent execution was illegal under the prevailing Roman Law. Then the crime of insurrection would have been laid at Jesus’ feet, since He gave the order. He then would be discredited as a political renegade. They must have been salivating with anticipation.

The subject of sin and judgment is extremely powerful, for it not only deals with the very nature of our inner motives as well as outward behavior; but it also deals with the status of our standing with God. Whoever wields the influence of this great concept holds tremendous responsibility in his hands. Tragically manipulators abuse the issues of sin and judgment for their own advantage. The opinions concerning sin and judgment, by people who want to hold influence over others, should be held in the highest suspicion.

Tomorrow we’ll look deeper into this great encounter between the moral specialization attorneys and Jesus the Law-giver. Meanwhile…

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

After 38 years of being entombed in his infirmity, this paralytic’s vision had narrowed down to the slim hope, that someone with enough pity, might carry him into the randomly stirring waters, ahead of the multitude. Hope had fled and left him as a victim; dependent upon man for a shot at a chance. Most people would call that “hopelessness”. You need to appreciate the dark closet of despair that Jesus stepped down into that day, at the Pool of Bethesda. Coming from the Heaven of Healing, Jesus presented the man with the offer of transformation. It was an easy offer for Jesus to make. The attitude of Heaven had formed itself into Jesus. He clearly, and without conflict, spoke from His heart, from the mandate of His mission. “Will you be made whole?”

But the afflicted man was not anywhere near the regions of Heaven, from which his visitor had come. His entire world had been shaped by cruel circumstance, into a dead stare at the waters that may as well have been miles away. And his answer to Jesus’ simple offer, revealed the only level on which he could possibly conceive of a way, “(But) I have no man…”. If only I had a man, someone who would take pity. But look, they’re all in the same boat I’m in.

Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

It is the nature of sickness to be oppressive. In making us weak, it causes us to look to men for help. And when it drags us beyond the reach of men, affliction lays its seeds of hopelessness in our soul. But it is contrasted against the very backdrop of hopelessness, that Jesus presentation shines brightly. Where there is “no man”, there is Jesus! And I think at times, until there is no man, then there is Jesus. Oh, how we dread drifting into “no man’s land”. How quickly is the light of hope snuffed and faith falls, when we’ve sailed beyond the shores of human help. Admittedly, it is frightening. But He who made the sea, and calms the waves, comes walking upon the water. The Light of the World, in the darkest night, upon the most unstable of conditions: here comes Jesus. What can hold Him back? What can keep Him from you? He whom death could not keep away, and the grave could not hold back from you. How will He not offer you the healing that has endured such a contest?! Sometimes we don’t see the Light of the world, until we’ve lost sight of the last man.

In the place of sympathetic sufferers,

There’s “no man” to carry you into the stirring waters.

It’s a place of confinement and sorrow for you,

This house of healing for others,

There stranded by the ‘pool of limited healing’,

And isolated by impossibility,

Comes the offer to take you where “no man’ can go,

From the lips of Jesus, “Will you be made whole?”

 Stay On The Path,

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

If you went to Heaven today, do you think you would meet “Blind Bartimaeus”, “Simon The Leper”, or “The Woman With The Issue Of Blood”? Of course not. Not only has God removed their condition of sickness, but also it’s no longer their identity. They’re now “Simon the Whole” and “20/20 Bartimaeus”. But God saw him as “Simon The Whole” long before he became whole. While he was still a leper, God saw him as healed and whole.

Rom. 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

The eyes of God see with the perspective of His Will. Is God wrong to identify us according to His view of us, rather than labeling us by our temporary conditions? Conditions that linger may take on a sense of permanence in our minds, but they’re still temporary in the mind of Him whose will usurps them.

Mark 5:39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

I doubt seriously that you would accuse Jesus of irresponsible thinking. Yet you might accuse someone who thought and spoke like Him of irresponsible thinking. Why is it OK for Jesus to speak from Heaven’s perspective, but wrong for us? Surely it’s not because He’s Jesus and we’re not. Because if you take that position then how in the world do you then turn around and explain that we are called to think, act and believe as He did?!

Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

This mind-boggling statement from Jesus is surely limited to those “mountains” which God has said should be cast into the sea. And that certainly includes the personal example He demonstrated without exception, that of healing sickness. Concerning healing, He has set a solid precedent.

The man at the Pool of Bethesda had a deep-seated, lingering disorder. This was no momentary affliction. It was a “Boundary-Setting Illness”. When people have such afflictions, the infirmities define the boundaries of their lives. The infirm and crippled person may courageously expand their limitations, by playing guitar with their feet, painting with their mouth or playing sports in a wheelchair. But still there are boundaries which limit their abilities. However sickness may control your living, it should never define your life. Jesus healed Bartimaeus because the Bartimaeus God saw wasn’t blind. Jesus just put him into the condition God saw him in. And Bartimaeus BELIEVED He would do it! Can Jesus put you into the condition God sees you in?

When Jesus went in to heal Jairus’ daughter, she had died by the time He arrived, so they told Him it was too late, she’s dead. But Jesus didn’t see her as dead, and he said as much:

Mark 5:39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

And look at the reaction He got from the mourners. It’s the same reaction we get today from Believers when confronted with the same faith:

Mark 5:40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

Sometimes you have to just put out the doubters, and get Jesus in there alone with you.

Mark 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

Just like Lazarus, Jesus talked to this girl’s corpse as though she were alive. Because in the mind of Him, whose will counts the most, she was alive. He had said so! What has He said about you? Check His Word, not the mourners’ opinions, but God’s Word.

Mark 5:42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Of course they were astonished. They defined her as ‘dead’, while He defined her as ’sleeping’. He defined Lazarus the same way:

John 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

And in the mind of Jesus, your condition is as temporary as sleep. He came to awaken you from your temporary condition. Sickness may control your living, but it should never define your life. It may describe ‘how you are’ for the moment, but it must never define ‘who you are’. Jesus communes with you on the basis of ‘who you are’, not on the basis of ‘how you are’. When Jesus visited the man at the Pool of Bethesda, his life had been completely controlled by his condition. And no doubt that in his thinking, his own identity was defined also by his illness. So Jesus approaches him with a most peculiar question:

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

“Will you” be made whole? Not, ‘can you be’ made whole. ‘Can’ addresses the man’s ability, which of course, is overwhelmed by the condition. But Jesus engaged the man on the one level that his sickness could not control: his will. Of course the man didn’t possess the ability to make himself well. But now he was faced with Jesus, Who did have, not only the ability but also the will to heal him. Upon gazing into the compassionate eyes of the Son of God, the man lifted his own will from the paralyzing arms of sickness, and placed it into the Hands of Jesus. The sickness never had a chance!

Stay On The Path,

Nick Champlin 

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

How great is the Lord’s goodness? How deep is your need? Perhaps the only way we ever know the measure of Jesus’ healing grace and delivering power is by the depth of the disability, from which He draws us.

This great story of Jesus’ visit to the Pool of Bethesda is like a perfect micro-drama, symbolizing our world today. In the middle of Jerusalem - a type of Christianity - there is this Pool where occasional healings occur. The conditions around these healings are like many today. There is an unpredictable “stirring at certain times”. And selective healings occur only for the first ones into the stirred waters. It’s completely arbitrary, without continuity, and contributes mystery to the subject of God and healing. In short, it’s too little and too inconsistent, to make a strong association between God and healing. Finally, sick and afflicted people, hoping to be fortunate enough to fall into the water when it stirs, surround the pool. There’s nothing in this picture that strengthens the seeker’s expectation that God would heal them.

In the crowd lies an unnamed man known only by the fact that he’s been there “trying to get healed” for nearly 38 years. The Pool of Bethesda was anything BUT a place of joy and hope. For most, like this man, it was the place of captivity, pain and disability. There is nothing quite like the misery of being afflicted when you’re seeking to be made whole. There are many believers who can’t stand the pain of seeking healing. It just makes it that much harder to resist caving into despair. Risking the hope of healing against the fear of giving up, becomes more than many are willing to bear. To them, it’s just easier to decide “God doesn’t want me whole”. When healing is a mysteriously ambiguous subject, where do you look for a clear line on hope? How can you have faith in a “stirring pool”? There’s no revelation of God in it, no message of promise to hold onto. That’s what healing is like for many believers today.

But Jesus walked right into this man’s place of captivity and disability and turned it into the very place of his testimony. We hate the affliction, until it becomes a testimony. Perhaps if we saw our afflictions as opportunities for God’s glory, our uncertainty would dissolve. If we looked at Jesus rather than some mysterious stirring, we would know our testimony was on the way!

Ex. 15:26 ….I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Is. 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

How long have you sat in the House Of God, waiting for that special stirring? God’s house has become a place of secret sorrow for you. But it is God’s will to turn your temple of secret sorrow into a cathedral of overflowing joy. Our testimony doesn’t begin when the answer arrives, but when the problem manifests. Our testimony begins in the depth of our despair, not on the plateau of our freedom. The valley is just the bottom of your mountain.

John 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Jesus view of your affliction is the right one. He sees that it exists, not as some demented school of torture, designed to teach you appreciation. Nowhere in His Gospel did Jesus ever endorse such a cruel idea. But Jesus did put forth the idea that your affliction exists as an opportunity for God to show mercy. Did you know that God wants to be known for showing mercy? Did you know that he wants people to see Him as the One Who raises the dead, heals the sick, cleanses lepers, and delivers captives?

Matt. 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matt. 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Luke 10:8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

Luke 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Does Jesus not want us to believe that His Kingdom is a place of healing and restoration? Why preach that Jesus comes to deliver, to restore and heal, if we’re just going to leave everyone sick and dependent upon some unpredictable stirring? What in the world kind of testimony is that?! It makes it look as if Jesus speaks with His fingers crossed behind His back. We unleash our theologians on the chronically disappointed, with over-spiritualized explanations for why Jesus REALLY didn’t mean that they would “get healed physically”. In the end, we simply take the infirm and lay them back on the steps of the Pool Of Bethesda. Well, that may be where many of today’s teachers leave the sick, but thanks be to God, that’s not where the story ends. That’s just the place where Jesus goes to make a testimony.

Stay On The Path,

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

John 5:7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

For the next several devotionals we will look at Jesus The Healer, through the story of His visit with the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda. The foundation for this devotional is found in the fact that it is in Jesus’ nature to heal. Healing flowed from the loving divine nature of the compassionate Jesus.

Matt. 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Jesus LOVED to heal people. It was a joy, not a chore, for Him. Jesus did not heal people because it was some strategic plan of the Father to promote His ministry. This suggests that Jesus was simply following some public relations campaign, with cool detachment and indifference. And that the only reason God healed was to make a point of drawing attention to Jesus authenticity. While healing does show that Jesus is God, there is a higher, more God-like reason for Jesus’ healing ministry. And that is LOVE. Healing flows from the central force of God’s nature and cannot simply be discontinued anymore than God’s Love can be turned off. Consider from the standpoint of logic. If it was indeed, that God simply wanted healing to draw attention to Jesus, and give credibility to the fact that this was His Son, then WHAT was it about Jesus that the Father wanted people to believe? Surely, it was not only that He is God, but also more specifically, that He, as God, is loving, merciful, compassionate, and prepared with the answer of provision to have our burdens laid upon Him! In short, God wanted the world to know, not only that Jesus is God, but more importantly, just WHAT KIND OF GOD HE IS! LOVE shines and draws attention to itself. Not because it wants attention but because it’s giving attracts attention. God doesn’t “want attention”. God wants to give. And because he gives, He gets attention. That is the proper way to understand why God heals.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The other motivation that provoked healing from Jesus was FAITH. In the Bible, healing was usually tied to faith on the part of the seeker. Healing is not a reward but rather a provision. Carefully watch Jesus healing people in the Gospels. You will notice that He is righting the defects caused by man’s fall. You see that in the mind of Jesus, people ought to be whole. Its God’s perfect intention…His perfect design.

Luke 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

Jesus, through His divine love, sees the world with a wonderfully simple clarity. Jesus never determined people’s qualification for healing on some complex code of religious legalities. Rather, He simply based their healing on His desire to make them whole and their will to believe He could. His Love and the Father’s perfect design had already determined what the will of God was on the matter. Now the sick and afflicted would determine their own receptivity by their willingness to believe it. Therefore God cannot arbitrarily turn off the virtue of healing in Jesus, anymore than He can decide to stop honoring faith.

Matt. 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Matt. 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Luke 8:48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

Luke 17:19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The great danger in presenting Jesus the Healer, is making it an attachment; some ministry that can be disconnected from His utility belt of ministerial aides. Like a tool He picks up and puts down. Nothing could be more incorrect. Jesus didn’t “work healing” He IS healing! It flows from Him.

Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

We have NEVER seen a Jesus that doesn’t heal. Just go try to find me one! Healing can no more be separated from Jesus than love and faith could be ignored by God. By taking healing and separating it from Jesus and making it into some arbitrary divine tool. We subject it to an endless complicated list of qualifiers that are impossible to determine. We keep it in the realm of mystery after Jesus went to such lengths to make it plain. By stripping healing from Jesus and treating it as a “Bible option” we then have to create a whole complex of theology in which to explain it. Are preachers trying to protect God from people’s opinions, because they’re afraid He won’t heal them? How shameful, to subject Jesus’ beautiful will to our fears.

Matt. 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

Let’s tell people exactly who Jesus is. Let’s stop dragging Him down to a “believable level” and instead, lift Him up for Who He is so he can inspire faith in those who look upon Him. Let’s get our own fears out of the way, because the religiously tamed and sensible Jesus that we’ve created isn’t exactly converting the multitudes.

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Stay On The Path,

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Satan had approached Jesus with a simple alluring temptation: ‘Go forth and prove you’re success, I’’ll even help you succeed’.  By coaxing Jesus to demonstrate His divine abilities and finally, to take possession of the kingdoms of the world, Satan was very simply tempting Christ to make success His goal: to prove himself.  He wasn’’t even tempting Jesus to move outside of His calling.  He was simply trying to get Him to become more concerned about proving Who He was and demonstrating His success than serving the Father.  In short, Satan was tempting Christ to make “success” His goal. 

At first thought, most people would wonder how that could be considered a temptation.  What’’s really wrong with making success your goal?  But in fact, shrouded as it seemed, in legitimacy, this is the most deadly of all temptations. For the Son of God came not to be a success, but to be a servant.  And pursuing success will interfere with being a servant.

John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”

When our focus is fixed on success it’s easy to forget to be a servant.  We forget that the tasks and goals of any eternal value belong to God.  And God doesn’’t always reveal every aspect of His purpose to us.  Without the “Big Picture” we can succeed at our goals and fail at His purpose. Man’’s ideas about success have usually been in conflict with the Father’’s purposes. 

Matt. 17:1 And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves.

Matt. 17:2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

Matt. 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Matt. 17:4 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here;if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Matt. 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

John 16:2 …the time is coming when people who murder you will think that they are serving God.

Everyone has their own ideas about success, but only God the Father can approve your service.  Service is not justified or validated by success as we might measure it.  Jesus served the Father fully and as such, was a complete success by Heaven’s standards.  Yet to this very day, the highest criticism against Him by unbelievers is that He failed and was crucified.  The cross is no man’’s idea of success.

Matt. 12:18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Even by the standards of his day, the Apostle Paul’’s ministry declined into an embarrassing failure, while at the same time, other second generation preachers were ascending to prominence.  They sought their opportunities to advance their ministries and form associations to further their success.  But Paul remained bound to one cause alone: servanthood to Christ.  And for that cause, the growing political climate in the churches swept him aside in favor of those who would vie for their attention.  Servants always suffer in ambitious circles, where success is the goal.

2 Cor. 10:12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

But ultimately it won’’t be our successes but our service for which we are rewarded. 

Matt. 25:23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

The main difference between success and servanthood as objectives, is that the man pursuing success can only be satisfied and happy when his goals are reached. If He can’’t attain his ideal goals then joy is snatched from him.  But the servant rejoices to simply do the will of the Father.  John the Baptist, whose life and ministry ended early in imprisonment and beheading, said this about his own sense of fulfillment:

John 3:29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full.

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.

Very few modern ministers could make that statement with any genuine joy.  The terrible truth is that today’’s ministry culture is heavily weighted with the pressure to produce measurable signs of success.  And while bearing fruit is important, our ideals of success don’’t take into account any purposes God may have in things not turning out the way we might plan.  A church biographer assigned to follow Paul and write ministry reports of his life would have submitted articles that would have been declined by the editorial staff of most Christian periodicals today.  He would have been viewed as an overall failure, except for a few high spots in his travels. But from his years of isolation in Arabia, after being rejected by the Church at Jerusalem, to his last years of imprisonment after being rejected again by the believers in Jerusalem, Paul would have been viewed as a fruitless embarrassment.  It’’s not until the 20/20 hind’s-sight of history reveals the true worth of Paul’s service, that he becomes an inspiring figure.

It took great determination for Paul to remain a servant instead of jumping on the “success bandwagon”.  His greatest efforts were made in avoiding the distracting influences of success-minded fellow ministers, and keeping his focus on being a servant.

Phil. 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision (the success followers - my notes);

Phil. 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

Phil. 3:4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

Phil. 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

Phil. 3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Phil. 3:7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Phil. 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,

Phil. 3:9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Phil. 3:10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Phil. 3:11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Phil. 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Phil. 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

Phil. 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

Phil. 3:16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Phil. 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Phil. 3:18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,

Phil. 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Phil. 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order by Nick Champlin
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Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Jesus obtained an inheritance when He rose from the dead. He obtained this inheritance as the God-man. The angels called Him “Emanuel: God with us”.  See if you can follow this.  God comes to Earth as a man.  He does this in order to die a sacrificial death for the penalty of our sins, representing all mankind.  Then He raises from the dead, returning to the full status of His deity, but with one significant difference: He now has a human nature as well as being God.  He doesn’t leave His humanity behind! The God of all eternity is now one with the man He has created.  Without making too much of a stretch, we could say that there is a man sitting upon the throne of God.

1 Tim. 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Now remember yesterday’s demonstration, the Egg and the Kool-Aide, illustrating how Jesus is one with us, when we receive Him.  If you really grasp this illustration then reason follows that whatever He inherited we received. 

Rom. 8:17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow (joint-) heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him];only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

So lets look at a few of the things you have inherited in Christ:

We have His Relationship (Sonship) with the Father

John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Rom. 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba (Daddy), Father.

Gal. 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

No one has their own relationship with God.  God has one relationship of Sonship and it is with His Son Jesus Christ.  In becoming one with Christ, you inherit His relationship with the Father.

Eph. 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph. 1:6 …wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Weighing all the ramifications of this will take some consideration. 

We have His righteousness 

2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be (a) sin (offering) for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Our position with God, as His children, is not based upon our performance but rather His.  Through our faith in Him, as our Savior, His right-standing with the Father, is imputed to us.

We have His Authority 

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Whenever we cease from struggling in our own emotional strength, and stop relying upon our own righteousness; when we simply rest in the reality of who we are in Christ, we are able to operate in His faith, exercising His authority.

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

We have His Fruit-Bearing Capabilities

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

These few tremendous truths show how the Believer, who walks in the Light of his new identity in Christ, is capable of doing nearly all that Jesus Himself did, in fulfilling God’s commission.  These awesome blessings are not special advantages that are given to a few elite servants.  They are not the unique manifestations of a special calling, such as an Apostle or Prophet.  But these are a few of the standard provisions of the inheritance of every son and daughter of God.  It took the Sonship of Jesus Christ to save you, and it is His inheritance that makes you a child of God IN HIM.

Phil. 3:9 And (I may) be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Col. 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Col. 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith…

Col. 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Col. 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order by Nick Champlin
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John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

The Christian straddles 2 different realities, in 2 different worlds:  The reality of circumstances in the physical world, and the reality of God’s Truth in the spiritual Kingdom of Heaven.  For most people, circumstances seem more real and authoritative than the statements of God’s Word, because they force themselves upon us.  Life happens without having to go looking for it.  But the promises and blessings of God’s Word seem distant and unreal, because they must be sought and chosen; and they don’t automatically fulfill themselves in our lives, just because they are God’s will. 

The same is often true of some of the natural advantages in this life.  They are available, without discrimination, to whoever may pursue them.  But most people never receive them simply because they either don’t believe they can, or they’re more interested in other things.  So it is, that just as many advantages in the world seem obscure and unreal to most people, so also does the reality of God’s promises.  Whether it’s the natural opportunities of life, or the wonderful blessings of God, the good things of life seem far less real to most people than life’s unhappy circumstances.

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

The realities of God supercede the conditions of His created world. Yet it is not just God Who wills, but believers who insist upon the supremacy of His will, who determine that God’s reality overrides the seeming tyranny of circumstances. To live under the benefits of God’s reality depends upon you applying this simple progressive statement of truth:

1.    Spiritual life is controlled by Faith…

2.    Faith is shaped and controlled by Concept…

3.    And no Concept is more critical to Faith than that of your Oneness with Jesus.

Eph. 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…

Grasping the concept of HOW Jesus Christ lives in you, is the absolute most important understanding you will ever have in life.  Everything of any eternal consequence will depend upon your grasp on that truth.  If you properly understand the concept of HOW Jesus is in you, and you in Him, then your faith will truly bridge the gap between Earth’s circumstances and Heaven’s promises.  It could be said this way:

You will have to stand on the revelation of Christ in YOU, if you ever hope to reach, see and experience the glory of God, that is yours.

Col. 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Here is a simple, visual demonstration you can perform, to illustrate for yourself the proper understanding of our oneness in Christ. 

The Egg vs The Kool-Aide

Jesus as an Egg…

You are a pitcher of water.  Drop the egg into the pitcher.  Jesus is now IN you but the natures (elements) don’t mix.  Egg remains egg, and water remains as unaffected water.  No matter how much you stir it there is no oneness.  His purity remains intact, and so does your sin-conscious identity.  In this model you are nothing more than a religious container.  There is no oneness between you and God.  You might as well be sack.

Jesus as Kool-Aide…

Pour the Kool-Aide powder into the water.  The Kool-Aide and water are instantly blended, changing the water to “Kool-Aide”.  If you drink from the pitcher with the egg, the water is the same. It tastes and looks the same.  But if you pour a glass of the Kool-Aide you don’t get water.  You get something new.

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Tomorrow we’ll look at some of that newness, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it… 

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Christians used to call church, The House Of God.  Everything was done to make it a place where people sought and expected Him.  Jesus said,

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:  

By arranging everything so that the Father’s will is followed, then He’ll be Present in it, and draw the people to Jesus.   But arranging church to accommodate people’s appetites rather than God’s demands has been gaining popularity.  Yet the results have not led to a real fulfillment of our purpose:

1 Pet. 4:11 … so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.

It would be far easier if we would organize our church agenda to please God, and let Him draw the people; rather than build church to please people and hope they can draw God. 

I think that years ago there was more of an emphasis on making church a place that appealed to God.  Our whole approach to worship and preaching was designed around prayer and preparation to do God’s will; a place to come and meet with God.  But today church leaders often consult the latest demographic research, and then design their church experiences to accommodate what they feel people will respond to. 

If people’s appetite for preaching isn’t what it use to be, then we’ll curtail it.  If they want more contemporary music we’ll get the best. If they don’t like hearing negative messages, well then we’ll save the references to sin for the advanced Bible class on Wednesday nights.  If they don’t want to have any burdens laid upon them, we’ll tone down scriptures that express the demands of discipleship. 

OK, maybe the church you’re thinking about isn’t quite this appeasing.  But is it organized with a mandate to be the House of God?  The problem is that many churches have made it their business to run things for God.  And they don’t even realize it.  They would be cut to the heart if they thought they were hindering the Holy Spirit.  But look at what Peter wrote concerning the standard that should determine church policy

1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

It’s pretty clear that God wants to be IN THE HOUSE; and not just on the wall.  If it’s going to be the House Of God, shouldn’t people know that when they walk in? Shouldn’t God’s will be researched, rather than people’s preferences?  The argument might arise: we research people’s preferences so they will:

feel comfortable…

know we care…

want to come back…

know we’re relevant…

But what if God doesn’t want them “comfortable”?  What if being comfortable in their present condition is their biggest problem?  Maybe if they were allowed to be nervous in the Presence of God, they would seek His comfort.  What if knowing God cares is the only thing that will really reach them, regardless of how much we care for them?  Shouldn’t they come back because they’ve met Jesus in the House?  And how can we make Jesus more “relevant” to sinners, when spiritual blindness is their main problem?

The more we try to build the house FOR God, the more we labor in vain; because we’ll only attract people to ourselves.  But if we let the Holy Spirit build the house He’ll attract people to Jesus.

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Eph. 2:5-6 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly  places, in Christ Jesus,

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Jesus wasn’t raised from the grave to live in the Temple at Jerusalem or the Palace at Rome.  He went all the way straight to the Throne of God!  He wasn’t raised up as a new religion, or a deposer of oppression and ruler of governments.  But He was raised up as God of the Universe and Savior of the World.  The Bible makes very clear that Jesus ascended directly to the throne of God.

1 Pet. 3:21-22 …the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

He was raised to Heaven as the LORD of Life, Administrator of Salvation, Governor of Grace.

He has all authority to forgive sins & all power to transform sinners.

Satan is under His feet.

The throttle of Eternity is firmly in His Hand.

With His resurrection, He opened up Heaven to the world!

John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

This is a very important point, because according to the Bible, we were raised with Him, and wherever He ascended became the place of our new identity, the seat of our authority.  And we became the portals of Heaven upon the Earth.

Just as Jesus did not go from the grave to the Temple, in order to take over an earthly religious system, neither do we depend on such places to give us identity or acceptance.  We are not a “religion” and we don’t require the religious institutions of the world to give us acknowledgment, in order to have credibility.  Our credibility comes from the place that Jesus rose to. 

Just as Jesus did not go from the grave to the Palace at Rome, to change earthly governments and make them into churches, so too we do not look to governments to make us free and provide our living.

We were raised with Jesus as Sons & Daughters of the Living God.  We walk the Earth as a new species of mankind.  The resurrection for us, is not a 2^nd chance or a “Do over”.  We are not simply sinners, who have been given forgiveness so that we can try and make Heaven when we die.  We have made Heaven; at least in the legal sense of the word.  The Bible teaches that true Christians are “new creatures” or species. At our core we are a new being. 

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come

The Greek word, “creature” is literally, “species”.  The wombs of Earth are no longer the mother that begat us.  We are begotten by the elements of Jesus’ life and blood, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are no longer looking behind us to the world for our support, but forward, to God, Who is our Heavenly Father.

1 Pet. 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

We have undergone a “begetting” – the death of our old being and a spiritual resurrection into newness of life as new beings.  And of what are we composed?  We are a composite, made up of the heart of our old identity, stripped of its sinner status, and the nature of Jesus Christ – the God of Creation, become a man, become us. 

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:22 And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Well, all this can be dizzying if you strain hard enough to wrap your mind around the concept.  But what does it mean on a Monday morning, when you get up and head off to work or school, as a Christian? It means you’re not just another sinner trying to be a good example.  But in reality, TODAY you are a child of God upon Earth, trying to make the most of your heavenly position, to influence the people of the world.  You have become part of the real estate of Heaven.  The more you pray and remain in tune with your Heavenly citizenship, the more Jesus shines through you to open the eyes of those in darkness.  The more you rejoice in Christ, the more those shackled in sin can see Heaven’s happiness extended to them.  You are a beneficiary of Jesus’ resurrection.  The more you walk as a child of Heaven, the more God walks among men.

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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