Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

 

An Emoji Devotions for Tue 11th May, 2021

Topic: Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

Highlight: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1:21-25

In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 11: 27 – 28) only, we read about a very short, but nevertheless utterly important event. Jesus is preaching to the crowd and a woman who must have been deeply touched by his teaching suddenly exclaims:  “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” As a woman she may have felt the rightful pride and thankfulness of Mary, to call Jesus her son. In his answer Jesus confirms her excitement, but corrects it at the same time. The Greek word that Jesus uses here is mainly used in answers and can be translated with “yes, but much more …”   He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” The exclamation of the woman aims to fleshly human specifics, whereas the response of Jesus gives emphasis to the attitude of the heart. 

It is no coincidence that Mary serves as well as an example with regard to that. When the angel tells her that she will get in trouble with society, by carrying a child from God without being married, she shows a very obedient reaction.  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38) Not what we are called to do, not what we have done or missed doing is important. We are blessed, we are to be praised when we are servants who willingly hear the word of God and do our best to obey, to live it out in our everydays life.

 “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17

Yes Mary is blessed and to be praised, but although she was the mother of Jesus, she has no special stand among the followers of Jesus. She is not to be praised due to her motherhood, but due to her attitude of heart. If you and I are hearing the word of God and do our best to shape our lives in obedience to the very word, we are to be blessed and to be praised in the same way. Only the obedience to the message of Jesus makes us to salt of the earth and to the light of the world. With regard to history, most of us are insignificant little people, but we all live in an environment in which we are important and significant to some people around us. By obeying the word of God, God lifts us out of our smallness and makes us to a destination boards and to a force that works against rottenness and decomposition. As a follower of Christ, you are a VIP, a very important person and an upholder for the society in which you live.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, let me look away from fleshly privileges and concentrate on the attitude of my heart. Do not let me forget that being obedient to you is the way to true greatness. Teach me your word and make me a professional in living it out in my everyday routine. Amen   

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

An Emoji Devotions for 10th of May, 2021

Topic: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

By H.U. Wenger

Highlights: 

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17, 3)

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1, 15 – 20)

The fear of the Lord has nothing to do with anxiety or being intimidated. Fear of the Lord means much more the acceptance or the acknowledgment that the Lord God is the origin of all existing life and the creator of heaven and earth. True wisdom and truth can only be found in him. Proverbs 1:7 therefore states: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” By searching for him, by listening to his revelatory word, I can gain true insight in the functioning of the world and the human soul and accumulate some wisdom. If I am getting lost in the philosophies of the world, in theories about fake origins, like the evolutionary development of life from the spontaneous and random convergence of proteins into a single celled organism and from there upwards to complicated and intelligent life forms, I remain a fool.

 Everything I can produce from there is only an always new level of ignorance. Wisdom comes from the LORD and from the LORD alone. He does not only give wisdom and understanding as the bearer of GOD’s fullness, but he presents himself also as the redeemer for us as human beings. God is totally and unchangeably good for all of his creation. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve did not stick to this axiom and got alienated from God. Life in the fallen creation got heavy on them and together with Satan they became enemies of God, accusing him for the misery they got us all into. Christ paid our guilt and transgressions through his blood shed on the cross and offers now everybody who comes to him life eternal. All he wants from us is to learn from him and to change ourselves more and more into his character and image. He tells us that the same way he has been sent by the Father to show us how good, how gentle, how long suffering, how humble of heart and how forgiving the Father is, we are sent from him to show the world around us all this wonderful attributes he has revealed to us. For this we need discipline. Without disciplined following him, we remain fools and betray ourselves. By following in his footsteps we will be people of knowledge and wisdom. 

Prayer: God, I do accept that you are totally and unchangeably good for my life, no matter what. To you belongs all glory. “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O LORD my GOD, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. Turn to me and have mercy on me.” (Psalm 86:11 – 13; 16a) Amen  

 

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s guidance

 

An Emoji Devotions for Sun 9th May 2021

Topic: Thanksgiving for the Lord’s guidance

By H.U. Wenger

Highlight: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)

The highlight is the very last verse in Psalm 66. It is an exclamation of a person who has experienced the Lord’s guidance in the midst of hard and inconvenient circumstances. “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you — vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.” (Verses 10 – 14) In such testing times we are often afflicted by the devil with thoughts like, God has forgotten me, my guilt is way too big that he would save me from the dire circumstances. He does not love me, his punishment is upon me, and so on. We might even get angry at him, as did the Israelites facing the read see in front of them and the Egyptians behind them. Why could we not die in Egypt? Why that tedious journey, just to be slaughtered in the desert? But Moses was among them, and Moses was a man who believed God according to his word through the Holy Ghost, who was in him. 

Believers in the New covenant have all received the Holy Ghost and can count on the word of Jesus in John 7:38: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” He obeyed God and he made the impossible happen. The biggest danger turned into the biggest victory, orchestrated by God alone. 

It is therefore not astonishing that Psalmist exclaims: “Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot — come, let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations — let not the rebellious rise up against him. 

Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. (Verses 1 – 9) You may say: “How can I praise him as I am in the midst of troubles, crying out for his help and he does not seem to care?” You can do it by faith! “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:23) Jesus makes in Mark 11 clear that he, who has faith in God will eventually see, what he has believed: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” 

Psalm 66 gives us just one warning. God does not hear us, when we live in sin: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (Verses 18 – 20)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to praise you with Psalm 66. I am confessing to you all my conscious sin and I ask you to search my heart for everything that is not dedicated to you. Thank you for your abundant love to me and for the gracious acceptance of my prayer. I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

Sing unto the Lord

An Emoji Devotions for Sat 8th May, 2021

Topic: Sing unto the Lord

Highlights: I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise. Psalm 104:33

Singing is known to fill us with intense feelings of pleasure. When you sing unto God with intention to please him is a great thing to do. You don't need to be an artist or musically inclined to sing unto the Lord. All you need is to just sing words pleasing unto him. 

God loves doing a new thing and renewing our body, soul, and spirit. When we sing Him a new song we are worshiping and praising Him but at the same time we are renewing our minds and souls by remembering the great things He has done.

The Bible never says, let those who have beautiful voices sing, as if natural talent were required to praise God. The Bible just says “Sing!” Over and over, dozens of times, we are commanded to sing: sing to the Lord, sing praises, sing joyfully, sing a new song. Come into God's presence with singing.

The takeaway. Research has shown that singing can be good for you on many levels. It may help lower stress, boost immunity and lung function, enhance memory, improve mental health, and help you cope with physical and emotional pain. Singing unto God is definitely great thing to do.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

Hint: Sing a song unto the Lord today.

Prayer: Dear Lord please fill me with the Spirit of Praise to you. Thank you Lord for what you have done for me. Help me to sing new songs to you. Amen.

How do I center my focus on God

 An Emoji Devotions for Thu 6th May 2021

Topic: How do I center my focus on God? Highlight: Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Psalm 119:164 Happy new month to you from where you are! I wish all readers of Emoji Devotions glorious manifestations in spiritual awakenings this month. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. When Jesus said "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness". He is pointing to honourable worship and reverence to God. It is Most honourable way to live;- Let me show you something; when you have plans, who do you tell first? The most honourable way is to tell God first about it. By telling God first about your plans in secret shows you have refevence for Him. Note that I do not talk about the things you need*. I say it's most honourable to tell your plans to God first! "Seek ye first the kingdom..." means seek God's approval first before you *do* it. Have you ever prayed like this? "Dear heavenly father, these are my plans for today." As a child of God, our maker is our father and he deserves to truly know what is going on in our lives. Some will say, "is He not God who knows all things?" But If God says " is she not my daughter who has sharp eyes to see, she does not need my help" . Which is more justified? Remember, When God left Job for Satan to handle?, see what happened to him within an hour: Job 1:14b-18 "....They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you (Job)!” If what you are planning is really important then you need to tell God first so you can be justified when you are enjoying the reward. If you do not learn from Job, you can learn from Jesus. Matthew 6:33 That is how to center focus on God. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Prayer Exercise: Give thanks to God for his support and protection. Tell Him about your plans for today, repeat same exercise each day. Write down the transformation you observe at the end of each week?

Travail

 

An Emoji Devotions for Wed 5th May 2021

Emoji Devotional for Friday 20th November

Topic: Travail

Highlights: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?". Matthew 27:46

Women engage in painful and laborious effort during childbirth that is why we need to remember all travailing women in our prayers. Psalms 48:6 "Fear took hold upon them there, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail."

With travail there is pain and there are struggles, there is trial and there maybe tribulation. But travail is a positive thing that happens to people in pursuit of righteousness, freedom and Justice because after travail, good things happen and it's a child birth. "And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins [were] in her womb." Genesis 36:27

Are you currently facing a travailing situation in your spiritual life, business, health or even psychologically? In Exodus 18:8 "And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them."

If you are travailing right now, do not give up, your child (reward) is on its way.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." Psalms 34:19

Remember that "Creation may travail in pain but it cannot escape its destiny."

My advise for you is this; when you Travail in life, make sure you travail in righteousness and not for vain conceit. I will leave you with these two Bible verses to ponder on then we'll pray.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17

Let us Pray: Father Lord change my story to your glory. Strengthen me when I pass through difficult times and stay with me in good times. Please Lord, Do not forsake me in Jesus name. Amen.

What Transpired on The Cross

An Emoji Devotions for Mon 3rd May, 2021

Topic: What Transpired on the Cross 

Highlight:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18

Jesus knows how to do the right thing and why the whole of heaven trust him to go on His mission. The papyrus fragment includes a quote from Matthew 3:16-17, and was the earliest witness to the text of the New Testament when it was discovered. What was found in Matthew 3:16-17  was - "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” This shows confidence in heaven on what Jesus could do. Like a football fans chanting "This is the best team in the world."

Jesus indeed delivered up to expectations as he did not disappoint heavens by accepting to die. Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” John 7:42 so what transpired on the Cross? Jesus and Archangel Michael went to the realm of the dead in hell to take away Moses's body from the devil as a sign of salvation to humanity. Zechariah 3:1-3 confirmed it :  "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.  The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. This was later confirmed in Jude 1:9 and 23 "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Why was redemption for Moses body important. At the Mount of Transfiguration according to Luke 9:29-32 Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus in glory. Likewise in Matthew 17:12  Jesus said "But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22.

Jesus on the Cross, and the angels held their peace till his blood was spilled. The Armies of heaven were not allowed to fight. "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").  Matthew 27:46,. Jesus the Messiah was taken as sacrificial lamb to bring salvation to humanity and afterwards the angels began to rejoice.

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.” Revelations 5:9-10

It is very important for a Christian to remember that on the same Cross a thief was saved in the physical and a Moses body was redeemed in the Spiritual to show the power in the blood of Jesus as a reminder to the Devil that their sins have been forgiven and hell is not people's home. If you are not born again, You must go to Jesus for the Cleansing power in His blood. All is empowered by Grace of God.

Prayer: Thank You Lord Jesus for your Grace and for healing blood on the Cross. I plea your blood in confirmation that I am redeemed by grace and hell is not my home. Amen.