Misunderstanding Means Defeat

 An Emoji Devotions for Tues 14th September, 2021

Topic: Misunderstanding Means Defeat

Highlights: 

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:39 KJV

When the Bible says you will love your neighbor as yourself, it's saying you will have to understand your neighbor as yourself. It is not saying you should only look for hungry neighbor and treat them with nice dinner. The most painful thing is when you were being misunderstood. Even little children needs understanding. The key is - 'You need to be understood to understand others'. Okay let us take the love quotes in the Bible and replace the word "love with understanding and see how it looks like"

What if I could speak all languages of humans and even of angels? If I did not understand others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains?

 I would be nothing, unless I understand others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I understand others. Understanding is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.

 Understanding isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Understanding rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Understanding is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.

1 Corinthians 13:1‭-‬7 

Today I bid you to understand people for who they are and do only your best so that you will not be misunderstood. Because Misunderstanding Means Defeat.

Prayer; Dear Lord Jesus Give me the Power of understanding. Give me victory in understanding others according to God's blessed will for me. Amen

Job's trying to be Messiah

 

An Emoji Devotions for Mon 13th September, 2021

Topic: Job's trying to be Messiah.

Highlights:

For I know him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Genesis 18:19 

Job's sons took turns having feasts in their homes, and they always invited their three sisters to join in the eating and drinking. After each feast, Job would send for his children and perform a ceremony, as a way of asking God to forgive them of any wrongs they may have done. He would get up early the next morning and offer a sacrifice for each of them, just in case they had sinned or silently cursed God.

Job 1:4‭-‬5 

Is someone trying to act like a Messiah here? Just in case they had sinned or silently cursed God Job would offer a sacrifice. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. So Job would like to cleanse away his children's sins. Should he teach his children about uprightness, maybe there would be no need for sacrifice. Is someone trying to be a Messiah? The devil will find out from God. 

One day, when the angels had gathered around the Lord, and Satan was there with them, the Lord asked, “Satan, where have you been?” Satan replied, “I have been going all over the earth.” Then the Lord asked, “What do you think of my servant Job? (you see that?) No one on earth is like him—he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil.” “Why shouldn't he respect you?” Satan remarked. “You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere (He is trying to act like a Messiah and you letting him get away with it). Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face.” The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job.” Then Satan left.

Job 1:6‭-‬12.

It is good to pray for our loved ones but We'd better train them in the way of God so that they will not see us a Messiah. Teach them the way of God and to call unto God in time of trouble. Job allowed his children to live their lives the way they want and afterwards pray on their behalf to God. They trust their dad to waive their sins through his self sacrifice But the devil wiped them out. This is to show us that Jobs religious works cannot withstand the devil's hands.

 I am not claiming to be Holy neither do I know all and I am not disputing what Job did. But our efforts cannot take away the guilt of others. If God is giving us grace for acting like a Messiah, the devil may find out one day. Only the righteousness of Jesus can save us from the devil. Only Jesus stand as our Messiah and each and everyone of us will have to personally surrender our lives to Him. Ephesians 2:8-9

This is what the gospel is all about. We must tell our loved ones this truth that only Jesus is our Messiah and Savior in this world and in the world to come. Amen

Jesus answered, “Go away Satan! The Scriptures say: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

Matthew 4:10‭-‬11

Have you yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord today. In what way do you act like Messiah. Accepting Jesus as our sovereign Lord and Savior in faith and righteousness is what will do. Let the people around you especially your family and friends know this truth. John 8:32

Prayer: Lord Jesus I believe that you are the only one that can save us from evil. Please protect and shield me, my family and everything that belongs to us from the evil one in your name Jesus. Amen

Do not worry – rather trust

An Emoji Devotional for Sun. Sept 12, 2021

Topic: Do not worry – rather trust

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: 

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1. Peter 5:7) 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5 – 6)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6 – 7)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25 – 34)

In my corner of the world there was a time, whenever you put on your radio, you heard Bobby McFerrin warble his song: Do not worry – be happy! He did not give a solid ground to trust in, but he found a truth: “In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double! 

The word of God provides us with more and especially with an unwavering solid ground – the trust in the Lord who cares for us. By trusting in the Lord, there is never a situation hopeless. It may take unexpected turns, but it will eventually turn out for the good. God is in no way indifferent to our troubles. Much more he invites us to cast everything upon him and to go on with trusting that whatever is going to happen has a deeper purpose. To put his kingdom and his righteousness above our perceived needs is under the promise that our needs will be magically met. In John 15, Jesus gives us a wonderful parable about the wine and the branches. Jesus is the vine, we as his followers are the branches and his father is the gardener. All we have to do is to stay connected with the wine and accepting the pruning of the gardener and we will bear beautiful grapes. The full connection with the wine is crucial. By staying in Jesus, he will stay in us and the result of that intimate bond is unfailingly fruit. Knowing that we are in God’s hands and that his peace fulfills our hearts is a solid ground that leads to serenity without worries. Brothers and Sisters let us trust the Lord, let us seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and enjoy his blessings the way he is providing them. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to trust you wholly and flood my heart with your peace even if the circumstances of my life appear overwhelming. Help me to stay in you and thank you that you promised to stay in me. Let me bring fruit for your kingdom. Thank you for your unfailing love and care. Amen

Talking in Unknown Tongues

 

Topic: Talking in unknown tongues …

By Pastor H.U. Wenger

Highlights: Acts 1:8

Since the day of Pentecost this is a theme, which has occupied, unified and divided the Christian community all over the world. Before Jesus ascended to the heavens he promised several times the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, latest in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And then on the day of Pentecost it happened: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

 This was a sensation as Jews from all over the world were present in Jerusalem and each of them heard the gospel preached in his own language. Peter finally cleared the situation with his Pentecost-Sermon in Acts 2:14ff.

 The disciples were promised to be empowered with the Holy Spirit in order to be witnesses for Christ. In this original situation the gift of tongues, which is often combined with the gift of prophecy, made the greatest possible impact. Later on several charismatic oriented Christian began to declare that speaking in tongues would be the sure sign that a follower of Christ has received the Holy Spirit. 

As not everybody receives the gift of tongues, charismatic movements have encouraged praying first for the gift.  Then they should open their mouth and make sounds, till it somehow begins to flow like a language. Please understand that this practice does not lead to the gift of tongues, but to a kind of childish gibberish that does not make any sense. The gift of tongues has always to do with a language that is somewhere spoken and can be understood. 

Paul has been aware that the church in Corinth had many questions and misuses of the gift of tongues and he therefore brings clarity to it in Chapters 12 to 14 of his first epistle to the Corinthians. It is crucial that you read through these chapters to understand what I am trying to say here. 

1. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1. Corinthians 12: 4 – 7)

None of the spiritual gifts is the sure sign of being filled with the holy spirit. If there is a sure sign for that it is a life of holiness and humility in Christ likeness.

2. In verses 8 to 10 Paul lists the different power-working gifts and concludes in vers 11: All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

3. The church is the body of Christ. Everybody has many cells and organs and every part has an important task. No part in the body has all the gifts, no part is without gift and we better just fill the part the spirit has given us, lest we are paralyzing the body. Paul encourages us to earnestly covet the best gifts, but tells us at the same time that the most excellent way is to bring love to the same perfection as God loves us. (1. Corinthians 12; especially 12,31 and all of Chapter 13)

4. We are all supposed to follow the way of love and charity. (1. Corinthians 14:1) As it comes to the gifts, Paul wants us to foremost covet the gift of prophecy. With prophecy is not meant that we should tell what will be going to happen in the world. It is again bound to the body of Christ. Prophecy convicts, it reveals what has been covered up. Prophecy has the potential to heal the body by showing what has to be changed, where we erred from the sound path and it convicts unbelievers and brings them to a turn around. (Compare Chapter 14, verses 24, 25)

5. If you have received the gift of tongue, use it for yourself as it will strengthen you, and use it in the church, when there is somebody present who can interpret. It is just crucial that the rules Chapter 14 gives us are followed. Paul uses the prayer in tongues intensely (Vers 18) and gives the credit to the Lord. Now event of the church is to serve the gifts of the spirit, but the gifts of the spirit are to best serve every event of the church for the call to faith, for the sanctification of the saints and for the outreach to the unsaved.

Some conservative Christians believe that the gifts mentioned in 1. Corinthians 13:8 do not exist anymore today and consider them therefore as an ensnarement of the enemy. They believe that with the completing of the New Testament Canon, the completeness mentioned in Chapter 13:10 has arrived. The argument is for me too week, as it is not confirmed by scripture in any way.

 Nevertheless I am convinced that the gifts of the spirit are a huge battlefield for Satan today. We should not forget that he can well appear as an Angel of light. It is therefore crucial that we double check our gifts. Nothing should be attributed to the Holy Spirit that does not come from the Holy Spirit. If you are unsure about your gift, talk with your elders.  Implore God together with them to confirm your gift or take it away, if he is not the giver of it. 

Prayer: Lord God, I do thank you that you have made me a member in the body of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for all the gifts you have entrusted me with. Let me faithfully fulfill the part you have assigned to me, lead me to proficiency in love and bestow me with every gift with which I can be of help for the body of Christ and for your Kingdom. Help me to live in humility and holiness. Amen   

The God who sees me is alive and well

 

An Emoji Devotional for Fri 19th Sept, 2021

Topic: The God who sees me is alive and well

by Pastor H. Wenger

Going through difficult times is a challenge for everybody and often times we are assuming in such situations that the Lord God has forgotten about us. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach us that God knows us and sees us in our brokenness and affliction. His love never fails; he will never put to shame whoever trusts in him. 

Highlights: But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:5 – 6)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

In Psalm 73 Asaph’s feet almost lost their ground as he considers how well the ungodly people live and how he is ceaselessly afflicted and every morning he perceives new punishments. In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah complains how unfairly he feels treated by the Lord and he concludes that his hope is gone. After having slept with Abram, Hagar got pregnant, felt superior to her master and fled from her. All of them were in big distress and could not see a way out. For all of them the affliction lead eventually into an encounter with the presence of God. Asaph ended up in deep worship when he exclaimed: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Jeremiah pauses after he has poured out his complaints and experiences a growing inner conviction that the Lord will remember him and eventually bursts out in praising the goodness of God: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentation 3:21 – 26)

Hagar finally is found by the angel of the Lord at a well in the desert and he revealed to her part of the future and gently told her to go back to her Master. No longer did she have complaints; no longer did she want to run away.  She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16, 13)

God sees you! If you are tired, afflicted or disappointed today, bring your complaints before the God who sees you and your perceived misery can change to worship and to a well of joy and satisfaction.

Prayer: Dear God, please show me your perspective of my situation, which I see hopeless and helpless. I need a fresh encounter with your goodness. I want to worship you. Deep in my heart I know that you have not forgotten me and that you will never ever forsake me. Align my thinking with what I am knowing to be true about your unfailing love and goodness.  

Sowing Mercy And Grace

 

An Emoji devotional for Thu, 9th Sept, 2021

Topic: Sowing mercy and grace

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: 

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land— he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. (Psalm 41:1 – 2)

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7) 

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:31) 

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:12 – 13)

We are living in a world within which self-assertiveness is required. When you apply for a job, you are expected to show that they miss out on the best opportunity, if they do not hire you. It gives us a feeling of superiority when we know that we are better in a discipline than most others. Unfortunately it makes us often times haughty and we forget that we are only as good because our Maker has gifted us. As a boy I had many problems with orthography, but it did not bother me much, because I was still in the upper third. Looking down on those in the lower two thirds worse off, made me still feel quite strong. The feeling of superiority is dangerous because it makes us easily judgmental, unforgiving and merciless. 

In the Lord’s prayer Jesus thought us to say: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The quality of my forgiveness, of my mercy and grace determines the quality of what I am going to receive. The story of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21ff) and the sermon of Jesus about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 underline the truth:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:40 and 45) It is so easy and it happens so quickly to feel superiority and to look down on those we perceive as weak. Although I know that I have to look at my fellow human beings with a higher esteem than I have for myself, I have so often to repent because I catch myself belittling a fellow car driver, somebody who cannot follow an explanation I am giving, somebody who has difficulties with a task at hand, I deem trivial and easy and so on.

Brothers and Sisters the Lord is about to come back for the snapping away of his church. Let us therefore encourage one another to sanctify ourselves and to live out his character as good as ever possible. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrew 12:14) Peter tells us:  In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1. Peter 5:5 – 6)

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me my tendency to so often feel superior. You have always truly been superior, but you humbled yourself and sowed grace and mercy. Help me to follow your footsteps. Always remind me that I do not possess anything that you have not given me. Help me to be fruitful for your kingdom and let me belong to the sheep that have served you in your weakest brothers and sisters. Amen  

At the threshold of the Glory Land

 

An Emoji Devotions for Wed, 8th September, 2021

Topic: At the threshold of the Glory Land

By Pastor H. Wenger

Highlights: The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. (Deuteronomy 2:7)

Jesus says to Peter: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1 – 4)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20 – 21)

In Deuteronomy 2 the people of Israel has 40 years of travelling through the desert behind it. In those 40 years all the people, who were adults when they left Egypt, had died except for Joshua and Caleb. Forty years ago they got a chance to conquer the land from the south, but unbelieve and disobedience leads them astray. Consequently they lost a battle and the Lord punished them by decreeing that none of them should enter the Promised Land, but die in the desert. 

We have now a new generation, people who do not have much memory of Egypt, but people who are tired of travelling and long to settle down.

 They are motivated to conquer the land and God shows them how he will them give victory, by defeating Sihon, the king of Heshbon and Og, the king of Bashan before them. All they have to do is to trust the Lord and follow his lead. In almost no time, they can conquer two kingdoms together with their cities and their livestock. 

The New Testament church is also on a journey through the desert. She has no home here, but is searching for the city of God in heaven. After Israel is back in the Promised Land and so many signs and fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies, the body of Christ is also shortly before its wandering through the desert  of sin and affliction. Jesus has showed his followers that a life of victory. He disarmed the powers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

As the Israelites stood at the threshold of the Promised Land then, we, as the followers of Christ stand shortly before the entry into the Glory Land. It is crucial that we lay everything down that could possible stand between us and our Lord and Savior, so that we will prepared for the move, when we will be snapped away from this earth and be transferred to the heavenly home, the wonderful inheritance God has prepared for us. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I belong to you and to you alone. Please reveal everything to me that might be standing between and you and me. I want to wholeheartedly follow you and I pray, let me be among the wise virgins. I repent of all my sins and transgressions and I thank you for cleansing me with your life giving blood. Amen.