JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Saturday, November 23, 2024 - November 23rd 2024 One Way

(Matthew 21:43)  “Therefore I tell you that The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
 
In Matthew chapter 21, Jesus told two parables or stories about “submission and obedience”… to an audience of religious Jews.
 
After the parable of the father and his two sons... one whom was obedient the other whom was dishonest… Jesus went on to tell another parable.
 
He told of a landowner/developer who planted and developed a state of the art vineyard with its own winepress, and protective wall with a watchtower to defend it from marauding bands of thieves.
 
Then he rented/leased the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
 
When it came time to harvest the crops, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his rent.
 
But the tenants seized the servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
 
This parable is filled with prophetic metaphors depicting Jesus and His work of redemption for you and I who once were strangers to the covenants of promise to the Jews.
 
Jesus clearly painted a picture of God the Father (the landowner), the Jewish nation (the vineyard), and the servants (the prophets of old).
 
But the Jews rejected their messages and even killed them for it!
 
And then Jesus prophesied what they were about to do to Him (Matthew 21:37-39)… “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.  Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
 
Last of all… He (God the Father) sent His son (Jesus Christ) to them… for He trusted them to respect Him.
 
But when the tenants (the religious leaders) saw Him (Jesus), instead of respecting and honoring him, they refused to recognize Him for who He was.
 
They rejected His teachings.
 
And, in fact, they were so hostile towards Him that they plotted to kill Him just as they had done to the others".
 
So after sharing this parable with His followers... Jesus asked, “when the owner of the vineyard returns… what should he do with those tenants”?
 
Again the religious leaders responded correctly… in essence casting judgment on themselves.
 
They answered by saying the landowner has a right to bring those betrayers and killers to a wretched end.
 
He can then rent the vineyard to other tenants.
 
These “other tenants” are the Gentiles, and any other person willing to repent of their sin… and believe in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
 
Jesus concluded this parable or story by telling them that “The Kingdom of God” would be taken away from them… (the Jewish religious leaders)… and given to another people,
 
We are the people He was referring to.
 
Gentiles and anyone else who would receive it… “The Gospel of Jesus Christ” that brought about Gods grace and mercy for those whom would believe it and receive it.
 
Why? 
 
Because the religious leaders refused to believe.
 
Instead of Jesus being a stepping stone of faith… they stumbled over Him and His message of salvation.
 
God’s “just judgment” would fall on them… and every other non-believer!
 
Matthew tells us in (Matthew 21:45), that when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’s parables… they knew He was talking about them.
 
But instead of humbling themselves before Him in repentance and confession of faith… they again rejected Him and looked for a way to arrest Him.
 
Unfortunately…  it’s the same today.
 
People still reject the truth about Jesus… and some try to ignore Him by avoiding His people and gatherings in His name.
 
Others do everything they can to try to stop and destroy and kill His message, by perverting it and making it what they want it to be.
 
They want to clear their conscience and go on living their lives in rebellion and sin.
 
But there will come a day when they must face the truth.
 
And unless they face that truth and repent while there is still time… they will face the just judgment of God for eternity.
 
They will forfeit Heaven by their rejection of Jesus… and miss all that God’s mercy and love has to offer.
 
Not so with those who have chosen to repent and live for God through His Son… Jesus Christ!
 
Those who refuse God’s gift of His Son will face eternal judgment and separation!
 
There is only “one way” to Heaven… though Satan and this world would like you to believe differently.
 
“That way”… is through Jesus Christ the Son of God.
 
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 
Time is short.
 
Jesus is ready and willing to reap His harvest. 
 
What is it that God is asking you to do for Him today?
 
And why are you reluctant?
 
Place your faith and trust in Him.
 
He will never leave you or forsake you!
 
You have every thing to gain and nothing to lose!
 
Good Day!

Friday, November 22, 2024 - November 22nd 2024 A Way Which Seems Right

(Proverbs 14:12) “There is a way which seems right to a man… but its end… is the way of death” 
 
The Bible tells us that there is a way that “seems right” to man… but in the end it leads to destruction.
 
God says “my ways are not your ways… my thoughts are higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8)
 
Unlike those bumper stickers that we see that say, “God is my Co-Pilot”… we need to move over and allow God to be “The Pilot” of our lives.
 
In total and full control… leaning upon Him for our every need and care.
 
In the medical field related to “mental health”… there is a condition that is called “co-dependency”… something that is seen as a weakness and a hindrance to an individual?
 
It’s a miss guided and unhealthy attachment to another person, thing or even chemical?
 
I agree… that kind of dependency is not a healthy thing,
 
However I must speak to one thing?
 
This is how God… in His wisdom… made each and every one of us!
 
God has made us with a need to be “co-dependent” on one thing.
 
HIM!!!... and Him alone!!!!
 
And we know that none of us could ever make it in this world without HIM!!!

Thursday, November 21, 2024 - November 21st 2024 Fulfilled Dreams

Genesis 45:11) "I will provide for you."

We all have dream’s/desires that we want to see fulfilled in our lives and (Psalm 37) affirms that God will give us the desires of heart and He will fulfill our dreams… if we have the right attitude.
 
(Psalm 37:1-6) “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong… for like the grass they will soon wither… like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good… dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord… trust in Him and He will do this…
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn… your vindication like the noonday sun”.
 
The dream that God gave Joseph was not about feeling good because he was now the number-two guy in Egypt… but about “positioning him” to feed his family and the world in time of famine.
 
Don’t miss the point here.
 
When God gives you a dream… grants your desires… it will bless you… yes it will… but its also meant to bless others as well.
 
What I mean is God wants to use you… to meet the needs of others… be a catalyst to help fulfill the dreams and the prayers of others.
 
The Bible says, “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).
 
Never forget that Gods plan… is “the world”.
 
God’s plan is not to make you an icon unto yourself…  but an instrument to fulfill His will.
 
And His will is that “all would come to repentance through Jesus Christ our Lord” (2^nd Peter 3:9)
 
Yes… He loves you… Yes… He delights in you!
 
But never forget that He has the same delight and the same love for the rest of the world around you.
 
From Joseph’s family would come “The Redeemer of the world”… but his family was being threatened with extinction.
 
So God put a plan in place that involved Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and being elevated to the 2cnd highest ranking official in Egypt… so that His plan… Gods plan… could be accomplished.
 
And here’s another thought.
 
Joseph’s story proves that a God-given dream will change your attitude toward others… including those who mistreat you.
 
It will make you more gracious, loving, and forgiving.
 
Remembering how they betrayed him… Joseph’s brothers trembled as they stood before him realizing he held their fate in his hands.
 
But he refused to retaliate or even utter a word about what they had done.
 
Listen to what he told them: “I will provide for you.”
 
Instead of revenge… Joseph wanted relationship.
 
He looked beyond their actions and saw God at work in all he had been through… “You meant evil against me… but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day” (Genesis 50:20).
 
How you treat others… especially when you’re in a position of strength… determines how God will treat you.
 
So today… Lets pray that God will allow us each… more grace, more mercy, more compassion… realizing that others around me and others around you, are just as important to God as myself… and yourself.
 
There’s is an old and cute little Sunday school song that we used to sing that says; “when we all pull together, together, together, when we all pull together how happy we will be”.
 
There is so much truth in that little chorus… and its my prayer that I can develop more of that quality in my life.
 
What about you?
 
Good Day!

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - November 20th 2024 Its Ok To Stumble

(Psalms 37:23-25) “The steps of a good man are established by the Lord… and he delights in His way…)
 
One of my favorite scriptures from the bible is the 37^th Psalm of David.
 
It is filled with so much assurance, hope and encouragement that I am given the desire and the passion to want to lay my life down for the sake of the Gospel and to serve God with all my heart…even in the midst of my imperfections and failures.
 
Of course the only thing that hinders that passion… is having to live in this world with all of its hiccups, deception, confusion, temptations and wickedness.
 
But still… in the midst of all of these stumbling blocks… there is a promise from the heart of God for those of His children that do their best to walk in His obedience.
 
And the beautiful thing I have learned is that God is not looking for my perfection in obedience… but he is looking for my heart of willingness… humbleness… and humility in His sight.
 
In Psalm (37:23-25) there are three promises that I can hold to that give me the desire to continue in my walk with God.
 
Promises that give me hope for the future… comfort for today and a peace that passes all understanding.
 
#1) The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and he delights in His
way…
 
I can be confident about my future and my eternity, as well as the very life I am living… because 

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 - November 19th 2024 All Things Work Together For Good

(Romans 8:28) "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord."
 
No experience is ever wasted if you use it wisely.
 
God can, and He will use the experiences you’ve been through and are going thru right now, to develop you into the person He intended you to be.
 
Look at Moses… He grew up in a foster home!
 
As the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter… he spent forty years learning the language and ways of the Egyptians. ?
 
What better preparation for understanding your enemy than being raised among them?
 
But Moses needed to learn a few personal lessons too… ?so God took him into the desert for another forty years to tend sheep. ?
 
The grandson of Pharaoh… became a lowly shepherd.
 
Nothing will humble you like having to take a job for which you’re “overqualified", especially when your own failure put you there.
 
But during those years on the poor side of town… God taught Moses how to identify with hurting people.
 
Finally, at eighty years old, he was ready to fulfill his calling… “God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:4).
 
At this most unlikely place, God revealed to Moses his calling as Israel’s deliverer.
 
And even though Moses was afraid, made excuses, and raised objections, he ended up doing a brilliant job.
 
The point is this: Moses’ eighty years in training weren’t wasted!
 
Forty years in a palace prepared him to deal with Pharaoh, and forty years as a shepherd prepared him to lead God’s people through the wilderness to their destiny.
 
So even though you’d rather be someplace other than where you are right now remember… God never wastes an experience.
 
Never!
 
He will use it all… for your good… and His glory.
 
Good Day!

Monday, November 18, 2024 - November 18th 2024 Let Them Go And then Pray For Them

(Jeremiah 32:33) "They would not listen or respond"
 
Notice what God said about the Israelites: “Though I taught them again and again… they would not listen or respond.”
 
Unfortunately there is a truth that I have come to realize over the years that has left me very frustrated at times.
 
That truth is?
 
There are people you can’t help… at least not right now.
 
And as frustrated as I get with being unable to see change growth and maturity in those that I can’t help…  imagine the frustration that God must experience when people fail to respond to His help.
 
Let’s look at these people who usually can’t be helped:
 
(1) People who keep making excuses.
 
Excuses are a crutch for “lack of commitment” and a smokescreen for self-justification.
 
You can’t help someone until they’re willing to take responsibility for their life and apply the solutions of scripture.
 
If they won’t listen to God… there’s not much difference your opinion will make?
 
All you can do is live your life before them consistently… allowing them to see your faith your confidence and your trust in God… no matter what the situation or circumstances are… and then leave them to their own devices.
 
Sometimes people have to be flat on their backs looking up before they finally come to their senses.
 
(2) People who move in the wrong circles.
 
The Bible says, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1st Corinthians 15:33)
 
One bad apple can spoil the barrel!
 
Paul talks to the early church in Galatia about the influence of bad character and false doctrine and how it can hinder and tear down others around you.
 
“A little leaven that leavens the whole bunch” (1^st Corinthians 5:6) (Galatians 5:9)
 
There are people who simply don’t belong in your life… and you can’t move forward until you break the link that connects you to them.
 
The company you keep will  “influence” your conduct and character… and those two things will have an impact on your future.
 
(3) People who blame God for their problems.
 
When trouble comes, they ask, “Why did God allow this to happen to me?”
 
The fact is, you’ll never see God as your solution… until you stop seeing Him as your problem.
 
God laid it on the line for His people: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing… therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
 
The fact is that there are some thing’s you just cannot do for others.
 
Each and every person must come to the place where they make the choice to allow God to be involved in… and be part of their lives.
 
They… and you… can only blame others for so long… before they/you have to wake up to your own failures and inconsistencies in life.
 
You can only blame others for so long.
 
There are times when we must leave them in Gods hands and move on.
 
But that doesn’t mean we totally reject them nor forget them.
 
We must be willing to forbear… support and pray for them… till they come to their senses as it were.
 
But during that time we must let them go… and leave them in the hands of the living God to deal with them as He sees fit… and while that is happening… stay out of Gods way!
 
This particularly is a message for those of you who have wayward children.
 
Love them but let go of them… and let God do what He does best.
 
The story of the prodigal son is an excellent example of tough love.
 
The prodigal son made his demands… his father complied but stood in the shadows waiting and watching… and when the prodigal finally came to his senses and realized what was waiting for him back at home… there was his father watching for him… waiting to welcome him back home into the family.
 
If you want to keep from getting discouraged… love people and pray for them…  but spend your time with those who are willing to be helped and pray for those that you can not seem to make progress with.

Sunday, November 17, 2024 - November 17th 2024 A Class Act

(3rd John 12) "Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone… and even by the truth itself."
 
When people speak well of you… it means you have acceptance.
 
But when the truth speaks well of you… it means you have class!
 
Demetrius had it.
 
Do you?
 
Paul told Timothy, “Set an example…in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity…give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1st Timothy 4:12-15).
 
Following are some timeless words on class by columnist Ann Landers: “Class is just confidence dressed in humility… It keeps its word, its temper, and its friends.
 
It has a steady eye, a steady nerve, a steady tongue, and steady habits.
 
It is silent when it has nothing to say, thoughtful when it judges, and is always first to make amends when it’s wrong.
 
Class doesn’t run scared.
 
It is surefooted and committed and handles whatever comes along.
 
Class has a sense of humor.
 
It knows that a good laugh is often the best lubricant for oiling the machinery of human relations.
 
Class never makes excuses.
 
It takes its lumps, learns from its mistakes, and becomes wiser.
 
Class knows that courtesy and good manners are nothing more than a series of small sacrifices.
 
It bespeaks an aristocracy that is not dependent on ancestors or money.
 
A blue blood can be totally without it, while the son of a coal miner may ooze it out of every pore.
 
Class can walk with kings yet still keep its virtue… talk with crowds yet still maintain the common touch.
 
Everyone is comfortable with a person who has class… because they are comfortable with themselves.”
 
A classy person is a person whom has earned distinction through an attitude of humbleness and humility.
 
They know their position as a Kings kid, (a child of God)… but not arrogant and demanding expecting to be served by others.
 
And a class act knows what it’s like to serve and forbear others.
 
O by the way… these are all attributes that are found in the “fruit of the spirit”,
 
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”(Galatians 5:22-23)
 
Today… show some class!
 
Good Day!