Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Recently our congregation went on a 2 week fast together to seek the Lord in response to Revelation 2:4-5.

Rev. 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Rev. 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.

First Love & First Works were terms that jumped out at us from this verse. We knew that we loved God, like every other Christian, but when we considered the contrast between the disciples of scripture and the believers of today, we realized how cold we had become. So we set our faces to fast and pray together in order to peel the calluses from our hearts and resurrect our love for the Lord. It was like knocking the piled up ash from the smoldering embers of our hearts. We knew this had to be a collective effort. We also knew that we were not pursuing something elusive, something that God hadn’t already given us, but we were restoring His Love in us to it’s place of prominence.

Rom. 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Up to a certain point in our pursuit, the primary focus of our attention had been our own individual spiritual lives. And that was appropriate; because whatever we offer to others comes from what we maintain in ourselves. BUT having said that, our Heavenly Father wants us to know that we are the living parts of a greater body. We are all members of one another and our spiritual life does not exist in self-sustaining independence. We actually do our best work when we are combining our faith and efforts with the other members of our body. And at this point there is a HUGE corporate dimension to God’s Love and our growth.

Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Usually we don’t even begin to discover what the Holy Spirit has put in us until we unselfishly give ourselves to the greater ministry of the Lord’s church….not the general “church”, that is scattered across the face of the earth, but the specific church where YOU are part of a “joint” in the body.

As we lovingly give ourselves to our own immediate church/body then the Lord Jesus can actually begin to “build us up in His Love”. Just think of what this could mean to our community. Every truly great church that is impacting it’s community, began as a small body of believers who were devoted to loving each other and living for the common ministry they shared as a church. No church of talented but independent members, all developing their own lives/ministries, can ever grow into what God wants it to be.

1 Cor. 12:16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

1 Cor. 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

1 Cor. 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

You are not the “hand” of some other local church, at the expense of your own church. If you were then that’s where God would put you. Every time the necessary members that God has organized into a local body, get up from there, and go to be the foot, hand, eye, etc. of a ministry somewhere else, they leave God’s purpose in their own church, unfulfilled and weak. The Church that Christ died to build and make strong has always weakened itself because it’s members migrate to the “greener church” on the other side of the hill, where they can “plug in their ministry”. The modern church looks more like an NFL Draft session, with churches trying to attract members for optimum effectiveness, rather than developing Christ in the ones they have. Love doesn’t rule, but selfishness rules. Love lays its life down for the need, but selfishness shops itself around for the best options. But our churches with needs only become “parts” resources for other ministries. It’s discouraging to watch those who are called to be a “joint-member” with you, giving themselves to other bodies of ministry and knowing that you are not a priority. “Priority” is what a church of “First Love” is built upon. “Option” is what all the rest are sinking in.

1 Cor. 12:23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,

1 Cor. 12:24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

1 Cor. 12:25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

I have been the Pastor of both the “Big” exciting church that everyone wants to be a “part” of, and the “small” church whose members just wait until an “option opens somewhere else”. I’ve watched this thing work from both sides. And after years of painful observation, I’ve come to the one Biblical conclusion; that the heart of the Gospel is the cry of our Lord imploring us to BE ONE with each other. The really great stuff of faith and power is waiting to be discovered in our “FIRST WORKS”. And the First Works are those that we do together through our “FIRST LOVE”.

There are some members with a Priority Love towards their church and others with an Option Love towards their church. In our fasting and prayer, we began to pray hard that a spirit of repentance would burn hot upon us all, and fuse all our members into one Body. THEN we began to walk in our FIRST LOVE and do our FIRST WORKS.

Consider this: that our FIRST LOVE and our FIRST WORKS are not those which were “FIRST” with us necessarily. But that they were “FIRST” back in Acts ch 2 when the Holy Spirit FIRST birthed the local church. The unity of purpose, the common bond of love, and all the works that they did; those are what are in God’s mind as the First Love and First Works. We are descendents of that effort. We didn’t set the standard for loving God, so we must look to the past to find where the bar was set, and then recapture our heritage.

Stay On The Path

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Challenge, Conviction & Encouragement by Nick Champlin
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Rom. 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Saraís womb:

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

For faith to be effective, what you ignore is as important as what you focus on. You can no more move God with faith that’s diluted by fears, than you can produce fruit in a weed strangled garden. Beliefs produce mountain-moving faith so long as they aren’t in competition for your heart, with fears, doubts and defeated thinking.

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.

Here Jesus is describing the God-kind of faith. This is MORE than the faith that leads you to believe in Jesus. Here, Jesus is inviting YOU to participate with Him in moving the obstacles that seem impossible to move. How deep and as yet undiscovered, can the Father’s love for you be, that He is inviting you upon His lap, and to take the wheel, as He steers a course through your “mountains”?! Is it so hard to consider that He would desire your participation in His miraculous provisions?

Yet, for this high privilege, what is His requirement of you? Some special holiness? Superhuman good deeds? Or is it a matter of completely arbitrary divine Providence? No, it’s none of those. He invites the “whosoever”.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain…

In the Father’s wondrous Love and infinite wisdom, He has reserved the realm of faith for “whosoever“…for YOU!

SO, what are His demands for this high place of faith? Really nothing more than a loving spouse would demand from a devoted mate: DON’T CONSIDER THE LURING TEMPTS OF ANOTHER! The Lord might say to you, “I have loved you with a pure love and My Word to you is absolutely true. So CONSIDER NOT the taunts of fear and suggestions of failure that Satan shoots at you from behind the barricades of rationalization and circumstance. When you come to Me, remember Who I AM and don’t limit Me by the size of your mountains.”

2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

When Abraham walked with God, he didn’t simply get the son (Isaac) that God had promised him, just because he had a special calling. He had to participate with God’s faith, and CONSIDER NOT the obstacles to what God had said. God brought to pass for Abraham, what he had promised, through Abraham’s faith:

Rom. 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Saraís womb:

Rom. 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Rom. 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Rom. 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

The reason Abraham had a clarity to his faith that caused him to “not stagger at God’s promise”, was because of what he CONSIDERED NOT.

When Jesus was encouraging us to trust Him for the provisions He had promised us, He didn’t just say, “Trust me, I’ll help you.” But He said that it was imperative that you avoid dwelling upon certain fears and anxieties:

Matt. 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

If we truly Love Him, we will know how true He is and how much He loves us. We will KNOW that His Word to us is a Royal Promise, a covenant bond of Love. He is not fleeing from you, into an elusive world of abstract promises, that don’t mean what they imply. But He is stretching forward into YOUR obscure world of contradictions, with the direct offers of a Perfect Love!

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Gal. 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

His promises aren’t hard to believe in His mouth. They’re hard to believe in ours. So when do they cease to be true?

So CONSIDER NOT the loud claims of circumstantial mountains, when you are approaching Jesus with His promises. For Love has ordained you to His lap of partnership, with hands on His, together on the wheel.

Stay on the Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Heb. 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for heendured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

The eyes in our head are connected to our rational mind. But you have another set of eyes and they’re connected to your heart.

Eph. 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

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,

2 Cor. 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Acts 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Rom. 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 

All these verses show that the ability to “see God” refers to “seeing”, or perceiving Him with the “eyes of your understanding“. Our heart makes it’s decisions based on where it goes for it’s intelligence. If we simply rely upon what the eyes in our head tell us, then we are limited to the devious perceptions that life projects on the surface of it’s skin. But with the eyes of the heart we are able to form vision out of understanding. Notice that Satan keeps people from coming to Jesus simply by “blinding the minds“. And a “blinded Mind” is one that refuses to see God.

Rom. 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Rom. 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Pharaoh’s heart refused to “see God”, though His Hand was all over Egypt. And as a result his army rode right into destruction. Moses, on the other hand, refused to settle for what his natural eyes saw in Egypt; and was insistent upon maintaining his heart’s vision of God. Notice that Moses didn’t act bold after his rod turned the Nile into blood and parted the Red Sea. But his boldness came from what he was seeing in the vision of His heart. So the drama that people were seeing unfold in Egypt was an after-product of the drama Moses saw at the burning bush. Moses didn’t wait to see if the “rod would work”, before deciding to endure the persecution of Pharaoh. But he endured the hardship of the struggle by looking at God with the “eyes of his understanding“. And God had given him that understanding at the burning bush; by which he could see the invisible victory of God before it happened. THAT is the key to walking with God by faith.

God has given YOU an “understanding“. Are you paying attention to it? Are you looking into His Word to find it. The Holy Spirit is knocking on your heart’s door, to be your Teacher. Don’t let what you see in the natural realm blind the eyes of your heart to seeing what he would show you in His Word. What the Lord will show you out of His Word will most certainly challenge the common sensibilities of the visible world. We exalt the stories of common men and women in the Bible, who in their day, dared to see the invisible realities of God, and held them up as greater authority than their circumstances. But when faced in our time, with the same challenges to take God at His word, we hide behind all kinds of protective theologies that allow us to retreat from God’s threat to disturb our natural order with His supernatural intervention. We cop out by saying, “If God wants to do it, He can”. But you’re not really giving Him permission. You’re excusing yourself from participating with Him! You are closing your heart from His “understanding“.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of thingsnot seen.

Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

How important it is for us to pay diligent attention to the amazing promises of God; and not to whittle them down to reasonable accomplishments that our natural eyes can explain or our hands can accomplish. But taking them at face value, allowing God’s Word to lift our heart’s vision up into His realm of reality; far above our world of broken-hearted futility. Your Heavenly Father can’t lift you to a place that you won’t “see”. You must be willing to “see the invisible” through the plain declaration of the Word of God, in order to ever truly enter that place of endurance.

John said, God has “given us an understanding, that we may know him“. He is MORE that what you know of Him. He is MORE than just a God to look to as you survive the difficulties of a fallen angry world. He is known in His Word, and proven in history, as Jesus the Healer, the Deliverer, the Miracle Worker, the Way where there is no way, and MORE.

Heb. 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for heendured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Becoming intimate with Jesus requires the discipline of LEARNING.  True learning, in the Biblical sense eventually leads to Wisdom.  But wisdom is far more than just knowing a lot of factual information and understanding it.   True wisdom is made evident by what it’s able to do and not just by spiraling towers of words. 

But developing wisdom from Jesus is actually a fairly simple 3-step progression, and not just an endless process of schooling. Here it is:

Step One: Knowledge

Step Two: Understanding

Step Three: Wisdom

And now on to Step Three: WISDOM

What is Wisdom?

The original 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary defines Wisdom as:

“The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and the best means to accomplish them…”

We could say that Wisdom is doing the truth that you understand.  Further, Webster explains that, as a function of the mind,wisdom is the ability to judge what is most just, proper and useful.  And as an acquirement it is the ability to do what is most just, proper and useful. 

Since Wisdom is the ability to DO what one understands as the best course of action, we could add that wisdom embraces the spiritual concept of obedience.  In this view, wisdom involves the ability to sort through knowledge and understanding to make moral appraisals of what best suits a given situation.  Wisdom is often demonstrated by what one passes up more than what one knows.  Sometimes people become too clogged with knowledge to make an effective choice.  Greater wisdom can be manifested in a young child knowing a fraction of what his seniors understand; yet he perceives the better choice.  Thuswisdom can be summarized as Right Choice.

Why is Wisdom important?

(Or why is it important to act from wisdom?)

Prov. 24:14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

So wisdom brings reward to your life so that your expectations will not be cut off.  So often without wisdom, our life is plagued by unfulfilled desires.

Prov. 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Prov. 2:11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

So when wisdom enters your heart then the knowledge you have becomes useful to you and you practice discretion, accurately discriminating between the worthy and the worthless.

Prov. 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

So wisdom will guide your life so that you won’t hate who and what you are, but be happy that you’re you.  Wisdom is the answer for the many people today suffering from self-hate.

Prov. 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

Many are the fools with lots of knowledge but can’t keep a roof over their heads or food in their mouths.  But wisdom enables you to direct the energies of your life in the most industrious way.

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

So by wisdom you are able to derive fruit from the Word of God, and become a teacher of others.

Here are some interesting facts about the acquisition of wisdom:

Prov. 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

You can desire wisdom and acquire it.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

You can ask God for wisdom and receive it.

Prov. 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Wisdom begins when you acknowledge and develop a culture of reverence for the Lord, from your heart.

Eph. 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Wisdom is a spiritual property and comes through the knowledge and understanding of Jesus.

1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

For us, the highest wisdom has come in the form of the Lord Jesus Himself.  To love, reverence and pursue Him, is to acquirewisdom.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Without the discipline of LEARNING, it would be impossible for our souls to find the rest Jesus offered us.  Souls don’t rest through inactivity and distraction.  You can’t take your soul out for a spin on the town, to get away from its problems, and expect it to experience relief from anxiety.  But your soul rests in the arms of understanding.  The problem with learning is that to many of us have trained our minds to receive input through entertainment.  So it’s like trying to strap a saddle on a cat when it comes time to use it for learning.

But the fact is that learning from Jesus is actually a fairly simple 3-step progression, and not just a pointless process.  Here it is:

Step One: Knowledge

Step Two: Understanding

Step Three: Wisdom

Let’s begin with Step Two: UNDERSTANDING

What is Understanding?

The original 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary defines Understanding as:

“The faculty of the human mind by which it apprehends the real state of things presented to it…”

We could say that understanding is the ability to arrange the facts we’ve gathered, into a sequential and systematic meaning.  And I would add that in the context of learning Christ, understanding is the ability to grasp the TRUTH in facts. 

Why is Understanding important?

(Or why is it important to get Truth from knowledge?)

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

This verse is pregnant with insight.  First we see that God gives understanding of the Truth.  You couldn’t get eternal life out of Bible facts any better than you could make a human out of red clay.  But God can show you the truth. 

Secondly, understanding that God gives causes you to know Jesus.  If the facts you gather don’t help you to know Jesus then you don’t understand them the way you should.

Thirdly, the reason you can know that the understanding God gives you is right, is because it reveals Him Who is TRUE. 

So understanding is important because it comes from God and leads to the Truth about Jesus, and not religious error. 

Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

So Jesus has an understanding to give you, and you need it to get the Truth out of the scriptures.  This is why the Pharisees, and so many others, have had knowledge of the scriptures but misapplied them.  They don’t get theirunderstanding from Jesus.

Prov. 2:11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep (guard) thee:

So understanding brings protection to your life.  More people fall victim to life through the lack of understanding than lack of money, friends or influence.

Matt. 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

Matt. 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

So with understanding we keep hold of the facts we gather. Understanding brings the root of Truth out of our information and down into our hearts.  Then it can’t be pulled up.  How many inspiring messages have slipped the soft grasp of your mind because after you enjoyed the pleasure of hearing it you didn’t develop your ownunderstanding of it.

One more…

Dan. 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many…

So with understanding you are qualified to instruct others.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all instructors had understanding?  To be an instructor of others you don’t have to know everything; just understand (from God) what you do know.

Tomorrow we proceed to Wisdom, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

It is impossible for us to know God without the discipline of LEARNING.  For the many who have learning hang-ups, or suffer from “spiritual ADD”, and are always trying to get the fruit without the growth process, this may be a disappointing statement.  But there’s good news.  Though the business of learning often gets overly complex, wandering off the practical path of Truth, into the wacky weeds of academia, the fact is that learning from Jesus is actually a fairly simple 3-step progression, and not just an endless process.  Here it is:

Step One: Knowledge

Step Two: Understanding

Step Three: Wisdom

Let’s begin with Step One: KNOWLEDGE

What is Knowledge?

The original 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary defines Knowledge as:

“A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact…”

We could simply say that knowledge is basically the gathering of facts.  And that is where we want to begin our spiritual learning: with facts.  To learn Jesus - both of Him and from Him - we look to the Bible for our facts; for our information.

Why is knowledge important?

(Or why is it important to have facts or information?)

Hos. 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hastrejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

So knowledge is required for a protection from destruction and rejection.  Without knowledge lives are wasted.

Prov. 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

So knowledge is necessary for increasing in strength.  The person who avoids facts will always be weak and incapable of overcoming life’s challenges.

Is. 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

So knowledge keeps you from becoming a captive in life.  All Satan’s traps in life rely upon the ignorance of men.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

So it is necessary to know the truth in order to be free.  The Truth cannot set you free unless you know its facts.

Rom. 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Rom. 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Rom. 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

So knowledge of God’s righteousness is absolutely necessary to prevent you from ignorantly setting out to create your own standard of righteousness.  In other words, you can’t just go around doing what you think is right and expect to be justified by your sincerity and zeal.  You must know the facts about God’s righteousness.

So many other things can be brought up to show how necessary knowledge is if one is to have a life with God, worth living.  However, knowledge alone is not enough.  Many people simply know a lot of correct facts but never learn Jesus, about Him or from Him.  There are warning in scripture about stopping at step 1 and not proceeding to steps 2 and 3, Understanding and Wisdom.

1 Cor. 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.

Just gathering facts without proceeding to Understanding and Wisdom leads to arrogance.

John 5:9 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

John 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

The Pharisees prided themselves on knowing the scriptures.  But just knowing scripture is not the same as knowing the Word.  When you proceed from a well gathered base of knowledge of the Word to Understanding, then you will begin theKNOW the Lord and prove it by “coming to Him to be saved”.

Tomorrow we proceed to Understanding, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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Deut. 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

Matt. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

It is impossible for us to know God without LEARNING.  Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our teacher.  The process of learning itself, is the path of maturity that the Lord guides us along.  In the OT the process of learning was purely acedemic:

Deut. 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

In the NT we have the added benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, as our Teacher:

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

As Spirit-filled Christians we learn from Jesus, not just about Jesus.  But even with the indwelling Spirit, we still must study the scriptures to gather our facts. Through our study of scripture, and endeavors to apply ourselves to its Word, the Holy Spirit brings us through the process of learning about God - learning Christ. 

As critical as learning is to our spiritual development and relationship with the Lord,  yet there are way too many Christians who are hung up about learning and simply don’t participate in the process.  Many have phobias about learning and problems focusing their minds.  And unfortunately there is simply no alternate route around the learning process, to gain spiritual maturity and stability.  Without over dramatizing the point, we could say that a very large percentage of Christians are dwarfed, dulled and deceived simply because they don’t LEARN.  True biblical learning results in “learning Christ”, and not just accumulating information.  The Bible even warns that there will be a plague of “spiritual ADD” in the last days:

2 Tim. 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

However, coming to “the knowledge of the Truth” is actually a fairly simple 3-step progression, and not just an endless process.  Here it is:

Step One: Knowledge

Step Two: Understanding

Step Three: Wisdom

Tomorrow we’ll look at step one: Knowledge.

Until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Our Identification In Christ by Nick Champlin
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Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Focusing this week, on the Parable of the Sower, a few basic kingdom principles have emerged:

* The plant-reap cycle is the basic science of the Kingdom of God

* God conveys Himself through His Word

* God’s Word is the seed of His Kingdom

* Faith & obedience in the Word is the great equalizer of men

With those principles in view, look at what Jesus went on to say in explaining the Sower:

Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Since the Kingdom of God enters you through hearing it’s Word; and since the lies of the devil enter you by hearing his words; Jesus warns the listener, ” Take heed what ye hear”. Not only WHAT you hear, but HOW you listen:

Prov. 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Prov. 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Prov. 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

The reason why it’s so critical to discipline the coordination between your ears and heart is because words ARE seeds! Jesus makes the remarkable promise that the believer who listens to God’s Word and makes it his “standard of measure”, will receive INCREASE.

“…and unto you that hear shall more be given.”

When you consider that He has just explained to the disciples that they are hearing the Seeds of the Kingdom, then it stands to reason that Jesus is letting them know that whatever Word they have received, IT will multiply in them. Growing in righteousness is the product of properly hearing the word-seeds of righteousness. Growing in faith is the product of properly hearing the word-seeds of promise.

Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Growing spiritually, to be more Christ-like in nature also comes the exact same way:

2 Pet. 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The following verses are a small representation of what the Father is extending to us through His Word. These provisions can increase in us the more we cultivate their Word in us:

Healing and deliverance can be ours.

Psa. 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered themfrom their destructions.

The Holy Spirit falls upon those who hear the Word of God

Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

As we hear it, whatever God’s Word declares, it will increase that fruit in us.

Acts 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

If we are faithful to sow the Word, it will prevail.

Acts 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

The ability to be receptive, understanding and grow your faith, comes by diligent attention to the Word.

Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by theword of God.

The ability to teach and worship comes and increases with diligence in the Word.

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The power to “Stand” comes from being upheld by faith in His Word.

Heb. 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Godly understanding of the hearts of men is produced by sowing the Word deep within.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word saves people.

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.

1 Pet. 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The message of God’s love and salvation is successfully conveyed through the Word.

1 Pet. 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Spiritual growth is produced by the intake of the Word.

1 Pet. 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Jesus is the Word of Life!

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Rev. 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called ‘Word of God’.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the wordís sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Chuck Colson wrote a book years ago entitled KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT. One of the big failures in modern spiritual warfare is the increasing inability of Christians to find the battlefield. If we don’t figure out where the battle is, we’ll end up defeated without putting up a defense. For example, we spend far too much time trying to make this world comfortable and accommodating. Christians who keep trying to get fulfillment out of the physical world, end up fighting to make it happen on that level. In other words, we see our struggle as an effort to get life in this world to bring us meaning and happiness. The first big problem with that is the failure to accept that this world is the kingdom of darkness. This is the kingdom that rejected and crucified our Lord!

Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Notice that Jesus says to Pilate that IF His kingdom were of this world, “then would my servants fight“. Clearly Jesus sees that the battle for His people is on another plain. We are NOT to fight over this world, as though, from it we should look for our fulfillment.

If we take a “BIG picture” look at the Parable of the Sower, the battle lines of our conflict become evident. The battle is over God’s Word; and the battleground isn’t the fields of earth at all. It’s in the hearts of men!

Mark 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

Satan fights THE SEED OF THE KINGDOM! He fights anyone who sows and cultivates it’s growth. And that is the devil’s ONLY objective. Just think, everything Satan does in this world is aimed at preventing the Seed Of The Kingdom Of God from entering in, taking root, and producing fruit. He sees the success of the Seed Of The Kingdom as an invasion of his domain. And he’s absolutely right. When the Word of God is shared with you it’s in seed form. It must still be taken in, cultivated with prayerful meditation and nurtured with obedience. Then as it’s ideas grow in you, they must be defended against the efforts of the devil to pluck them up before they begin to bear fruit. Satan sees the Word of God as a consuming plant; that if allowed to grow, it chokes and destroys the effects of his kingdom. When the Seed Of The Kingdom has grown to the maturity level in you that you are acting upon the Word you’ve heard, at that point, you are bearing fruit that itself is full of the Seed Of The Kingdom. Then you are a real threat to Satan’s kingdom because you have God’s Kingdom growing and bearing fruit in yourself. You are a Trojan Horse within the gates of the enemy’s kingdom.

2 Tim. 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Tim. 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

2 Tim. 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Tim. 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Notice that the results of having successfully received the Seed Of The Kingdom are manifested:

* You plant the seeds of your fruit into others who are committed to doing the same.

* You have undergone a citizen change, and are now considered a citizen-soldier of ANOTHER KINGDOM.

* You realize that as a citizen-soldier of God’s Kingdom, you are going to encounter “hardness” and opposition from this world.

You are on the battlefield of KINGDOMS IN CONFLICT. One kingdom will take it’s citizens to Hell with it’s king, and the other will take it’s citizens to Heaven with it’s King.

All of this dramatic warfare is waged over who has the Seed Of The Kingdom.

1 Pet. 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Satan CAN NOT defeat the Seed. It is incorruptible. But he can sure steal it from you while you’re wandering around the wrong battlefield fighting the wrong enemy.

Stay On The Path & Cultivate The Seed

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the wordís sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Your relationship with God is defined by your relationship with His Word. Through faith in the legal provisions of Calvary, you have standing with God. But the actual degree to which you exercise a relationship with the Lord is determined by your interaction with His Word. In other words, you “know God” through His Word. You relate with the Lord through His Word. All the help, blessing and comfort He has provided for you is extended to you through the agency of His Word. His Word is the executable document of His will, the treasure chest of His inheritance, the language of His heart.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Fatherís which sent me.

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

John 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

Unlike the words of men, which are used only to convey ideas, God’s Words are seeds, full of power to produce what they convey. The perfect example of that is Jesus Himself. He is called “The Word Of God”. He is God speaking. He is the perfect representation of the potency of God’s Word.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and theWord was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

Rev. 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Far too many Christians have a relationship with the Bible rather than the Word of God. When you have a relationship with the Word of God, you have a relationship with the God of the Word, and not just a study experience.

Psa. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thyname.

We like to pray, in the Name of Jesus, but saying, “Jesus” isn’t where our contact with God comes from. It’s far better to sow His Word into your heart and act upon it. That puts you in contact with Jesus. And just using the Bible when it suits us doesn’t put us in contact with Jesus either.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

We need to “come to Jesus” in His Word. This is at the heart of what Jesus was saying in the Parable Of The Sower. The Word brings forth fruit. If you come to Jesus in His Word, believing it, surrendering to Him through it, acting upon it as His specific Word to you, then His power, in that Word, will grow it’s fruit in your life. If it’s a word calling for obedience on your part, it will produce that obedience in you, if you relate to that Word, as Lord. A Word of deliverance works the same way. A Word of provision, a Word of promise, a Word of healing, a Word of warning; they all have the power to produce their fruit in your life. The Bible is not a “Paper Pope” that acts as an intermediary between you and God. The same words upon which, pompous theologians practice their disaffected research, are the same seeds with which sincere, faithful believers get their prayers answered.

Psa. 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thyword.

Psa. 119:41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation,according to thy word.

Psa. 119:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto meaccording to thy word.

Psa. 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

Psa. 119:154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thyword.

Psa. 119:169 Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understandingaccording to thy word.

Psa. 119:170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thyword.

They are the same seeds with which the afflicted are healed and delivered.

Psa. 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

They are the same seeds with which the hearts of the lost are converted.

Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

1 Pet. 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

They are the same seeds with which the universe was made.

Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

2 Pet. 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

What do you need? What needs to happen in your life? What is God’s will for you? Prepare your heart like a freshly furrowed field and plant the answers in it.

Hos. 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up yourfallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the wordís sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

If all one has to do to mature, advance and succeed, in the Kingdom of God is “hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit”, then Jesus’ Kingdom has the greatest equal opportunity known to man. Anyone, regardless of their circumstances, can hear and receive the Word of God. And because God’s seed - the Word - is full of it’s own self-fulfilling life, if you just avoid the pitfalls of verses 15-19, the Word in you WILL PRODUCE FRUIT.

1 Th. 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, butfor what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

The supernaturally energetic Word of God will “work” is anyone, so long as they receive it for what it really is, the word of God. Who in the world would let somebody cut them open with a knife? Answer: someone who is acting on the “word of their doctor”. Likewise, anybody, regardless of background, money, education or experience, can receive and act on the Word of God, as from God. When you treat God’s Word with the confidence it deserves, your faith will provide fertility for the divine seed to grow in you. When you respond to God’s Word with the discipline it deserves, it’s fruit will become evident in your life.

These claims are absolutely guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Jesus, without preference to an individual’s past, background or abilities, .

Rom. 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

2 Chr. 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and doit: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

In other words, through the Parable of the Sower, Jesus is telling you that God has set up access for you, to His Kingdom, so that the only way for you to be fruitless or fail, is to simply not receive and act upon His Word. Just think; for you to“bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred”; for you to be just as successful as God has ordained for you to be; for you to be just as productive as He has called you to be; for you to live just as dynamic a life; just as brilliant, just as loving, just as virtuous, just as impacting; as Jesus would have you live, you only have to do one thing. And it’s the same “one thing” which every one of us must do. It’s the same “one thing” that anyone of us can do. And it’s the same “one thing” that none of us have an excuse to fail at. And that is to “hear the word, and receive it”. If there is one person who is better situated in life, to hear and receive the Word of God into their hearts, because of money, intelligence, upbringing or social advantages, then God did not make His salvation and His Kingdom equally available to all.

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

The person in verses 4 and15 allows evil to have greater prominence in their heart than love for God. Satan steals the Word because of what they love the mostÖwhat impresses them the most. There is no excuse here. Satan can’t rip the Word out of anyones heart, who value’s and treasure’s it.

John 1:16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

People with no grace in their heart; whose affections lean toward evil, will always give up the Word of God to the devil.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the wordís sake, immediately they are offended.

The person in verses 5, 6, 16 and 17 is warm on the surface but a few layers down there lies a cold stony heart. The Word of God would supernaturally break up the rocky layers of their heart, if they were willing to let go of their offenses and give up their resentments.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

But instead they will spend small fortunes on the revolving doors of Counselors and Psychologists, and wear out Pastors; as they keep trying to find excuses for why they can’t seem to hold on to God. There are no excuses here, either. This one simply won’t let go of the hardness of their critical heart. And so, theirs is a quick response; a fast reaction with a lot of fanfare in churchÖfor about a few weeks. Then it’s all over, and back to the rock pile.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

The person in verses 7, 17 and 18 is very typical of believers in these last days. They have plenty of depth, but not enough time to devote to baring any fruit. They’re just too busy with all their other interests. They make great churchgoers and tithe payers. But don’t expect them to do anything spiritual or fruitful in the Kingdom. Theirs is the kingdom of this world, and that’s where they spend all their quality time. They also, have no valid excuse for lack of growth and fruitfulness. They simply aren’t interested enough.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

And finally the people of verse 20. Some are poor. Some are uneducated. Some are handicapped. Some are orphans. Some have been addicts. Some prostitutes. Some were beaten. Some were starved. Some were fatherless. Some were raped. Some had mother’s boyfriend’s abuse them. Some were in jail. Some are in prison. Some are rich. Some are very busy. Some are in demand. Some have few friends. Some are shy. Some can’t speak well. Some have little talent. Some are not understood. Some are not appreciated. Some are very un-cool. But NONE of them is unfruitful. Why? Because no matter what disadvantages or distractions ruled their lives up to the time they heard God’s Word; at that point, they decided to receive it as the Word of God. They decided to adjust their own hearts to adapt and conform to a suitable environment for the divine seed. They loved, cherished and nurtured the Words of God, and the Words of God loved them back with fruit.

Stay On The Path

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the wordís sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Jesus said this parable, known as ‘The Parable Of The Sower”, was the key to all parables. If you don’t understand this, you won’t proceed to understand anything else Jesus taught, by parable.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

There are essential keys to understanding God and His kingdom, that are in this parable. And if you don’t get them, you won’t know how to unlock anything Jesus taught. The simple truths in this parable provide a context for both, understanding and applying everything that Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. At the core of this teaching is the fact that the Word of God is the “seed of the Kingdom.

Mark 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seedinto the ground…

Mark 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Mark 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed…

And everything God does is accomplished through the ‘plant-reap principle of the Kingdom’. We’ll get deeper into that in a subsequent devotional, but let’s begin with an obvious principle of the Kingdom.

Like life itself, your growth in God’s Kingdom is progressive. Simply put, today’s living stands on the footing of yesterday’s decisions.

Gal. 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

In short, your life in Christ is largely the result of planting. You are eating today, the fruit of yesterday’s sowing. In order to truly live by faith, the Christian must stop living only in the moment. The life of faith with Jesus is one that understands the importance of preparation. What you choose today, you’ll live with tomorrow. The words you hear and allow to grow in you today, will be the ideas that guide you tomorrow.

Gal. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Every choice today has a consequence tomorrow. When you take words to heart you are buying their history; past and future. When you step upon a path you are buying it’s destination. We must absolutely purge ourselves of the delusion that we can swallow the world and not get heartburn. Everybody who is trapped in a chronic cycle of defeat and wrong behavior, is today being driven inside by ideas that grew from words they’ve bought yesterday. Words are seeds.

Mark 4:24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.

The words you receive today become the standard by which you act tomorrow. What you listen to becomes your “standard of measure”. And then when you go out and begin planting that standard through your decisions, you will reap the fruit of your judgment. If you listen to, and accept excuses for compromised behavior, then in the process of time, your life too, will produce the fruits of compromise: immorality, envy, lack, anger, distrust, etc. And if you intently listen to the words of Jesus, defend them against compromise, allow them to root in your heart; they will grow God’s standards in you. You will act TODAY, according to the Word of God, guiding your heart. And you will reap TOMORROW, what you positioned yourself for today. Nothing could be more plain.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus is trying to let us know that positive, effective, and even brilliant actions, in any given moment, are not the result of good fortune, or spontaneous genius. But rather, the fruit of careful and deliberate planting of God’s Words, into the operating system of your life. People who seem to have the wisdom to overcome today’s sudden dilemmas, planted those seeds of wisdom yesterday, when there wasn’t any trouble. The moment of trial isn’t the time to start thinking about answers.

Psa. 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Christian who understands the principle of the seed, doesn’t wait till temptation is upon him. He fortifies his heart with the wisdom of God, long before it’s needed to deliver him from the day of trouble.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Faith & God's Promises by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

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.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

When Moses asked to see the glory of God the Lord agree and told him that He would cause His “goodness” to pass before him. And when He did the Lord proclaimed to Moses His essential nature:

Ex. 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

God could have declared, “I am Holy and intolerant of sin and rebellion! And furthermore, I am tired of putting up with selfishness and ingratitude of Abraham’s descendants. I’m gonna just leave them here in the desert to rot. They deserve it.”

To that Moses may have replied something like this: “Lord I certainly understand your feelings. These are a difficult people.But what will the heathen say if they see you failing to deliver the children of Israel?”

At that point God could have very easily said, “I DON’T CARE!!!”

God could have maintained His righteousness, and made that decision. But God is more than just rightness; far more. He is Love, and He naturally cares for us. It is the fact that God genuinely cares for us that makes Him good, and not just His correctness. God’s goodness is unfathomable. He hangs in there with people long after we would have thrown in the towel.Could it be that He is capable of affecting changes in people long after they have used up their last bit of credit with us. The truth is that because God genuinely cares for us that there is grace (the power to be made free and change) on the table before us, after we’ve used up man’s last get-out-of-jail-free card. Because He loves and cares for us there is always that Heavenly option available when all earthly resource is exhausted.

Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

If God were only motivated by His sense of justice and rightness, as some seem to perceive Him, then through His caring for correctness He would be uncaring towards us. The Holocaust survivor, Ellie Weisel declared that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. Indifference is worse than hate, for if God hated what you were He could help you change into something He loved. But if He’s indifferent towards you, and simply doesn’t care what you do, then you’re truly lost.

But consider that no one has ever, ever cared as much as Jesus.

Matt. 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

He was more than just some pompous social activist. He saw peoples’ souls being left without a true shepherd, but being pushed around by self-serving religionists. And so came to give His life as a Light for them.

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

And Jesus was more than a patronizing politician, garnering the favor of one group at the expense of another; robbing the haves to win the support of the have-nots. Jesus didn’t attack human need with redistribution schemes. He attacked the root of man’s problems. He didn’t “show His compassion” with speeches about healthcare and decrying human injustice. He demonstrated His caring by healing the sick. How good is that?!

Go straight to Jesus with your needs and problems. He is good beyond comprehension. He has for you more than any earthly friend can provide. He is limitlessly resourceful, and desires to help you.

1 Pet. 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

To be certain, God is good!

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Portraits Of Jesus by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

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.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

When I think of the goodness of God I can’t help marveling at how involved He is with us. Being all-powerful and holy, it’s a good thing He’s not like us. Because if He were He’d just stay away, ignore us, except for tossing occasional afflictions upon us. Since He is omnipotent He certainly could be aloof if it were in His heart to be so.

Human good is full of aloofness. Many of the world’s beloved heroes and icons stand aloof, above their admirers, receiving the praise and glory of men like it was a narcotic. The more we worship them the worse they get; the less they care about us. But we keep on giving them our fortunes and our children. Like tossed up scraps of tissue, on fire with fame, they quickly transform to ash. The goodness of men is fragile and easily contaminated with offence. Even when selfishness and offence is not a factor ‘good people’ often lack the time and resources to get involved with all the need that surrounds them.’Good people’ are aloof even if they are sincere.

The fact is that Jesus hit the nail on the head when He declared…

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said…there is none good but one, that is, God.

There is only One Who has the goodness to love the unlovely, to woo the broken, and understand the forsaken. He is anything but aloof. Jesus is no Rock Star. He is a true servant. He does not run background checks before deciding whom to give Himself to. He doesn’t base His decision to get involved with people on demographic studies. He doesn’t care if no one likes you, or you’re unpopular, or out of fashion. You won’t receive second-rate treatment from Him because you’re uneducated nor have little to offer. If having a truly impartial love for people is an indicator of goodness, then no one is good like Jesus. Wherever sincerity and persistence pursue Him, Jesus will always permit His full attention to be captured.

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Portraits Of Jesus by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

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.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

When I was a boy I use to imagine the scenario where we would all boil or freeze to death because the earth shifted in it’s orbital pattern around the Sun. It was a pretty insecure feeling to think that the Sun might just blow out one day. After all, it wasn’t eternal and we all knew it would eventually burn out. Then what? What if another ‘big bang’ occurred and took us all out just like it had brought us all into being. Scary thoughts for a young atheist lad with nothing but science to trust in. I really felt that we were just dangling by a thread. When you grew up under the shadow of nuclear war, that kind of thinking wasn’t unusual. I just hoped the world would hold itself together long enough for me to live my life. Pretty typical thinking for an existentialist.

But the one thing that was missing was consistent, genuine human trust. Nowhere in my world could I see the promise of a secure tomorrow. So I just lived in the moment and decided to believe, against hope that all the good things would remain - or at least last longer than me. Well, that’s fine when you’re a teen-ager and drunk on the wine of indestructibility. But as adulthood begins to dawn most people start to realize that only the hard dead rocks, dirt and stars seem to last; but people change. And they change fast. Parents divorce, friends move on, love interests find other interests, employers sell, and society changes. Contrasted against the hard self-sufficient rocks, we are soft and needy. Every good thing in our vulnerable fleshy world was polluted or under the threat of attack by corruption and deterioration. No ‘good’ relationship ever stayed as good as it was at first. Deterioration’s long bony finger seemed to pierce everything you trusted in. Life’s good things were arbitrary at best.

It is against this backdrop of anxiety, speckled with fleeting goodness, that the true goodness of God can be appreciated. So just how good is God? If He could be whatever He wishes, then why isn’t He selfish, cruel, arbitrary, aloof and uncaring? How could we hope in God if He were no better than we were?

Arbitrary…

The arbitrary manner in which people love one another is one of life’s great heartbreaks. How they can love you tenderly one day and turn on you the next, is a harsh lesson to learn. Why does man’s ‘goodness’ allow itself to be kind to some and indifferent to others? How is it that love and grace can so easily disappear?

But look at the changeless goodness of Jesus, shining forth with deliberate consistency. He loves the whole world without ever wearing out. Though the earth is exploited by the arbitrary consequences of The Fall, like the never moving Sun, Jesus is impartially radiant. He says, “…whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17)“. Just as the Sun ever shines above cloud-covered skies, so the Lord’s love and mercy is ever near, when the arbitrary winds of life blow cold. He is a shelter from the storm: a Rock in the midst of the storm-tossed sea. His loving goodness never changes, wears out or turns off. Don’t let the circumstances turn you. If your high road dips into a lowly valley, it doesn’t mean that Jesus has changed toward you. He has declared His love to be faithful and unending. He has proven the worth of His Word to you.

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

From the point of our earth-bound perspective, it seems that the Sun comes up in the East and goes away into the West, leaving us with a sense of alternating light and dark. But the truth is that the Sun really never moves. So the goodness of God is forever settled in Jesus. There will never be anything arbitrary in His dealing with us. His death and resurrection forever sealed our warranty of mercy from Him.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

So tomorrow we press ahead with yet another view of Jesus’ trustworthy goodness; and until then…

Stay On The Path!

Nick Champlin

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Portraits Of Jesus by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

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.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

We’ve all declared it, “God is good!”; usually upon the receiving end of some good fortune. But just how good is God? Is there really any goodness in this world that can compare? All of our “good” experiences are relative, because they are contrasted against a world full of unpredictable danger, betrayal and heartbreak.

Since God is all-powerful and can be any way He wishes, it’s a great cause for celebration and hope to know that He is “Good”. Perhaps by considering that God is not forced by any circumstance, nor obligated by any other being to be good, we can begin to have some appreciation for the fact that God’s goodness is dependable. He is good because it’s what He is in essence. We consider God’s goodness from the perspective of a world fallen under the wheels of sin - a world handed over by us to a renegade evil spirit being. And it’s hard to wrap our thoughts around the idea that God is Good, since we tend to blame Him for the condition of the world He gave us to rule. That is, until we consider Jesus Christ:

Jesus is God giving all His goodness to us.

So let’s consider just how good God is. Yesterday we said that He could be selfish, cruel, arbitrary, aloof and uncaring. Who could stop Him if that’s what he chose to be? Certainly all those attributes belong to man, and all man’s goodness is polluted by them. But what about God? Who could argue against Him if He chose to be that way?

Cruelty…

They say that “hurt people” hurt people. Damaged people, damage people. Social and healthcare workers like to explain this tragedy as the ‘cycle of abuse’. But there is no amount of understanding the twisted past of a child rapist/murderer, that mitigates a grieving parent’s pain. Nobody wants to hear that their child’s torturer was abused. It doesn’t matter - we could care less. And this is the sickness of a world where our goodness is sprinkled with cruelty. God certainly could have sprinkled His goodness with cruelty and we would be helpless to resist.

But Jesus has no such flaw. There was no damage in Him, no hurt that He should wreak revenge upon us for our cruelty towards Him.

1 Pet. 2:23 When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.

God has not taken offense to our sins and insults. He is not operating out of personal injury. There is no hurt that drives Him. To know how good God really is - to see that there is no cruelty in Him, we have only to look at how He endured suffering at our hands.

Is. 50:6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.

Though He has not ignored our wickedness against Him, His response comes from righteousness and not from cruelty. Even in His judgements, mercy has preceded Him. Not one of us who turn to Jesus for mercy will ever have to fear the retribution of our sins; for He Himself took our penalty.

2 Cor. 5:21 He has made Him who knew nothing of sin to be sin for us, in order that in Him we may become the righteousness of God.

1 Pet. 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

Just how good is God?!

Tomorrow we will consider more of His goodness, so until then let’s…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Portraits Of Jesus by Nick Champlin
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Psa. 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

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.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

We are all familiar with the cliché, “God is good”. But just how good is God? In His unrivaled omnipotence, surely God could be anything He wants. He could be selfish, cruel, arbitrary, aloof and uncaring. Who could stop Him? Without any force to compel or resist Him, indeed God IS exactly what He wants to be. In other words, there is nothing about God’s character that He regrets or that manifests itself as inconsistent with His core nature and will. So God is GOOD because He simply IS.

Ex. 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM

Imagine a world where God is no better than we are; where He is as “good” as us. This would be a world without a permanent grace and an eternity without a sure hope. To begin to comprehend how good God is just contrast Jesus against a god whose goodness revolves on a wheel of emotionalism. Jesus was (and is) a Rock of consistent goodness. When we reflect on all the highest goodness of mankind Jesus is better. The anticipation of the ages and the hopes of all men come true in Jesus. He is the manifest proof that God is God.

2 Tim. 1:9 Who hath saved us…according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus…

2 Tim. 1:10 …who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

The Jesus of the Gospels is a literary miracle. If all the world’s greatest philosophers, theologians and authors were assembled and charged with the task of creating the perfect character in a literary work, they could not have made Jesus. The Christ of the Gospels is beyond the abilities of any human pen. All men are flawed and cannot help but to write their flaws into the heroes of their works. No earthly mind came up with Jesus. No earthly mind could have.

Man has never imagined a paradise, sought a peace or desired a love that equals, much less surpasses who God really is and what he has provided for us.

1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Jesus is better than man’s highest dreams, for it is He who has lit their fires.

Let’s consider just how good God is. We opened by saying that He could be selfish, cruel, arbitrary, aloof and uncaring. Who could stop Him if that’s what he chose to be? We are simply at the mercy of His character. Man is certainly those things, but what about God?

Selfishness…

God could have mixed His love with selfishness, like people do. With man’s love you are under certain conditions that enslave you rather than free you. And when you withhold yourself from what he wants, man turns on you. Man withholds his love more often than he gives it, because he doesn’t get what he wants.

But Jesus…

Rom. 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The only one that Jesus ever turned His back on and neglected was Himself. He abandoned Himself for us, so completely without selfish thought. No one who looks to Him for love, will ever have to worry that he or she might ever be neglected by Him. It is a staggering thought that the God of creation has put you first, before Himself.

Tomorrow we will look further into the goodness of God. So until then let’s…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Portraits Of Jesus by Nick Champlin
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1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

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

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

We have said that Thanksgiving is to prayer what the ignition is to your car. But Obedience is to prayer what a battery is to your car. When your battery is low the car is hard to start; and when it’s dead your car won’t run. There is a direct correlation in scripture between willful disobedience to God and His refusal to answer prayers. Simply put, God will not honor the requests of disobedient people, unless they repent and become obedient to His counsel.

Prov. 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

Prov. 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Prov. 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Prov. 28:9 He that turns away his ear from hearing (obeying) the law (God’s Word), even his prayer shall be an abomination.

In citing disobedience, I’m not referring to occasional oversights or isolated issues, but rather the general state of refusing to become yielded, cooperative and moldable in the Hands of God. In essence, I am referring to the state of being self-willed and unwilling to change.

Jer. 13:23 Can…the leopard his spots? [If so] then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

The point God is making here, as He challenges Israel, is that “the spots” represent the self-willed person (”accustomed to evil”), in his inability to secure a good change for himself. “Change” being a blessing from God and an answer to prayer, is as much an impossibility for the disobedient as changing his own spots is for a leopard. In short, the stiff-necked person cannot remove the associated consequences to his disobedience with prayer, as long as he is what he is: disobedient. Can self-willed people could build a firewall around their disobedience without repenting, and enter a state of favor with God while remaining set in their own way? If so, then they could expect answers to their prayers without ever changing their rebellious ways.

It’s not perfection but yieldedness that God looks for from us. The Holy Spirit can guide the flawed Christian who is willing to obey. Perfection then is a moral state of being, in the Hands of God, a spiritual attitude of heart and life, and not perfect correctness. But the refusal to be cooperative and obedient to God reveals a much deeper problem, because it is the product of a heart that does not trust God and sees no greater value in serving Him, over serving self. In that sense, the willfully disobedient show their disregard for God; and thus it would be both silly and sinful for God to bless them with answered prayers as long as they remain His opponent. Answered prayer is the reward of the humble and willing and obedient.

This cursed state of the disobedient is such that they cannot pray a “sincere” prayer, because their refusal to be obedient is always betraying their praying as insincere. In other words, they are praying to God while at the same time, disregarding Him. In view of this fact, a Christian should NEVER hook their life together with a disobedient person. No prayers, other than repentance with a willingness to change, can ever bring an answer from God.

1 Kings chapter 22 tells the sad story of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, being approached by Ahab, the wicked King of Israel, and asked to join him in battle against the Syrians. Jehoshaphat had served the Lord and seen great deliverances in battle as a result of prayer. He considered that both he and Ahab were Jewish and of one blood, so they ought to be unified in battle. He agreed, even against a prophetic warning about being joined with this disobedient King Ahab. As a result he was mortally wounded in the battle. No amount of praying and seeking God in advance helped to prevent the tragedy. NEVER bind yourself to a rebel, because prayer will not penetrate the curse they bring to your union.

2 Tim. 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The reason you should turn away from the disobedient “Christian” is because relationship with them will lead you into captivity and loss of discernment. The true Christian lives by his ability to get answers to prayer. But the refusal to obey kills the power of prayer; and prayer is no substitute for obedience. Prayer will not bring blessing upon disobedience. Prayer is not a decoy to draw God off, while we press ahead in stubborn self-will.

But obedience is at the heart of Christian character. Because for every trial that threatens you, God has an act of obedience to get you through it. Obedience makes you God’s responsibility and dependent upon prayer. As you walk in yieldedness to God, seeking and following His will, you are brought under the Father’s umbrella of prayer. He will relate with you in your prayers of faith and answer your petitions for protection and blessing. When you pray your faith will be validated and answers released by your acts of obedience.

1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

More on Prayer tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Praise, Prayer & Devotion by Nick Champlin
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1 Th. 5:17 pray without ceasing;

1 Th. 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is Godís will for you in Christ Jesus.

Col. 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Thanksgiving is to prayer what the ignition is to your car. It’s the door to the Presence of God.

Psa. 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

The giving of thanks is more than saying, “Thanks”. It’s considering the goodness of God, with His wonderful deeds and provisions; and upon remembering His faithfulness, then lifting up expressions of appreciation to Him. In this way, true thanksgiving is indeed, an expression of faith and expectation as much as it is appreciation. There is also an element of humbling in true thanksgiving to God, because it’s acknowledging His role as Provider, and by extension, your dependence upon Him. True thanksgiving is a great conditioner of the soul. It puts us into proper perspective and gives us mental and moral clarity. Thanksgiving is the generator of a genuine Love for God. When we are thankful it opens us up to God’s love for us. The more thankful we are in considering His goodness towards us, the more we love Him; as we realize what he has done for us.

The power of thanksgiving also works in the reverse. The failure to express thanksgiving produces lack and brings on the frustration of poverty. Thanklessness brings on the coldness of heart that opens people to other moral and spiritual degradation. The more Christians forget to be thankful, the more that love for God fades from their hearts. Christians who neglect to give thanks to God become complainers. Then their murmuring generates doubt and unbelief. They become negative and resentful as their complaining brings the curses of life upon them. Thanklessness is the first step down the slippery slope of a backslidden state.

2Tim. 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2 Tim. 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

But people who are givers of thanks to God become His “points of contact” for blessing in this world.

2 Cor. 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Thanksgiving seeds the divine clouds of blessing. There is something almost mechanical about the way thanksgiving opens a person’s life to God’s abundance.

2 Chr. 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

2 Chr. 5:14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

People who overflow with genuine thankfulness to God; who think continually about His goodness, and express it regularly in their praise of Him; they are human resources of encouragement. Their very presence provides access to the Lord Himself. Think of all the deeply appreciative Christians in the Book of Acts, who took salvation, healing and deliverance to the people of their world. We need to realize that more of the true impact of the Holy Spirit has been spread by “thankful” Christians then by talented Christians. God rides the currents of thankful hearts. Find a truly thankful Christian and God will be near.

More on Prayer tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Praise, Prayer & Devotion by Nick Champlin
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Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Mark 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

Mark 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Mark 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

There is an amazing volume of verses in the Bible - particularly the New testament - that warn us to “watch”, as well as pray. The admonition to watch is associated with such critical events such as:

Preparedness For The Lord’s Return
1 Th. 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night…

1 Th. 5:4 …But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief….

1 Th. 5:6 …Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

1 Th. 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

1 Th. 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

1 Th. 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Visitations From God
Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Luke 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst knownÖ.at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Luke 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee…

Luke 19:44 …because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Vigilance Towards Satan’s Strategies
1 Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant (watch); because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Luke 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Avoiding A Fall Into Temptation
Matt. 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Matt. 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Fulfilling Your Ministry
2 Tim. 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

1 Cor. 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, act like men, be strong.

The word in the original Greek text used for “Watch” means to keep awake and be vigilant:

gregoreuo, gray-gor-yoo¥-o; to keep awake, i.e. watch (literally or figuratively):—be vigilant, wake, (be) watch(-ful).

Col. 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

“Watching” is missing from today’s prayer regimen, where so much prayer is focused on petition. Watching involves something akin to the practice of the Old Testament prophets:

Hab. 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

Here, watching involves “waiting” prayerfully upon the Lord, with vigilance, scanning the heart to see what the Spirit of God might reveal. Observing the movements of current events, while at the same time, watching in prayer, is how the Church comes to understand God’s will through its circumstances. Watching opens the Church to hearing God’s specific Words of Wisdom, in order to prepare against attacks of the enemy.

Rev. 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Watching not only positions us to hear the Word of the Lord, and by it, avoid traps of the enemy; but it also positions us to make necessary adjustments, in order to be prepared for God’s deliverances in the time of trouble.

Matt. 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken up.

Finally, watching will prepare believers to ready themselves for the Lord’s return, and to “escape” tribulation’s wrath and “stand before the Son of Man“.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

In this case, watching allows the heart of the Christian to be surgically lifted from the diluting influences of the world, and made ready for the move of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus has said:

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

So we are not made ready by watching a calendar, but rather, by watching in prayer, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts. And he will!

More on Prayer tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Praise, Prayer & Devotion by Nick Champlin
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Prov. 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Prov. 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Prov. 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Prov. 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Prov. 1:32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Prov. 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
 
Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Let’s explore some reasons for prayer failure. Why might God ignore prayers?

The Slothful Disregard For Knowledge  This is not speaking of trivial facts, but rather the desire to learn and understand God’s pathways of wisdom.  Prov. 1:28-33

Rejecting The Fear of the Lord  This is reverence for God.  Prov. 1:28-33

Refusing God’s Counsel  This is the willful decision to disregard the counsel of God.  Prov. 1:28-33

Resentment Toward God’s Correction  This is a hostile attitude towards the reproof of the Lord.  Prov. 1:28-33

Greed  James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Discord This is willfully creating disunity where unity should otherwise exist.  

1 Pet. 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them (your wives) according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Lack Of Persistence  Luke 11:5-9 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anythingbecause he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Prayerlessness  Strange as it may sound, prayerlessness itself is one of the greatest reasons for unanswered prayer. People often toss up quick petitions without ever really praying. True praying need not be lengthy or wordy to qualify as prayer. But it must be a sincere address to God.  

James 4:2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

Unbelief  Prayer must be made in faith that God can and will answer.

Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to allmen liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

In these few verses we can see that God will not respond to man’s prayers as a vending machine or a Magic 8 Ball. God is our Heavenly Father and must be approached as such. Why would God give people precious answers if they had no regard for Him, His Word, wisdom or counsel? On the other hand, getting answers from God doesn’t require impressing God with intellect, vocabulary or material promises. Simple sincerity and regard for His love and holiness can be found in the heart of the smallest child; and so can answers from God.

More on Prayer tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Praise, Prayer & Devotion by Nick Champlin
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Ex. 17:10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

Ex. 17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

Ex. 17:12 But Mosesí hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

As previously stated, true praying is a path that leads somewhere. But saying prayers is a religious treadmill, with no goal other than exercise. Prayer should always have a point.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

In Exodus 17, in the battle against the Amalekites, Israel prevailed in the valley, as long as Moses hands were raised on the mountaintop. This was a wonderful picture of successful prayer. It demonstrates that though our battles in life require effort and engagement, that it’s really the prayer and intercession that determines the outcome. Prayer can cause inferior forces and abilities to prevail. But superior forces and the best abilities cannot succeed a prayer failure, in God’s Kingdom. Talent and technology can gather a crowd, but only prayer can open souls.

John 6:63 ”It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

The power of sin’s grip over the soul is completely unaffected by human talent or intelligence. Until prayer brings down the power of the Holy Spirit, sin’s chains cannot be broken.

The Bible writers assumed that all prayers of faith, made according to God’s will are answered. That is, that God has already granted these things in His will, through Christ. They wait only for the prayer of faith, without wavering in doubt, to reach out and receive the answer.

2 Cor. 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Matt. 7:7 ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matt. 7:8 ”For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

John 14:13 ”Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:14 ”If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Back to Exodus 17 and the battle against the Amalekites. So confident were the Israelites in the prayer of Moses that they stationed Aaron and Hur on either side of him to hold up his arms. Weariness could not be allowed to interfere with Moses’ intercession. For us, the lesson is to get faithful friends to help us pray, if need be, till the victory is accomplished. But whatever you do, don’t let down! Successful prayer demands an absolute dedication to its outcome. Prayers often fail, not because of the absence of God’s will but the absence of man’s will.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Moses’ predecessor, Joshua, had a similar experience.

Josh. 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Josh. 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Isnot this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Josh. 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

Joshua had boxed the Amorites up in the Valley of Ajalon, and would have finished them off, but the Sun was setting, and under the protection of darkness the Amorites were about to scurry up the hills and get away. Joshua was not about to let them escape, only to regroup and fight another day. So his faith led him to the only answer: the Sun must hold its position, until the battle is completed. From this stunning story we learn that God is willing and:

Eph. 3:20 …able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

What limits wait to be pushed, by the determined servant of God, who is willing to press in prayer, what must be done, not for his own glory, but for Christ? Success in prayer is determined more by the will of man than the will of God; more by the dauntless faith of prayer warriors, than by the wary insecurities of the cautiously religious.

Dan. 11:32 …the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

The more we know our God and our covenant, the farther beyond the ordinary, we are willing to press in prayer. The less we will need the roadmap of men to guide our praying, and the more we will blaze trails of faith through the covenant Word of God.

More on Prayer tomorrow…so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Tags: A list of devotionals by chronological order, Praise, Prayer & Devotion by Nick Champlin
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