DEVOTIONS

Monday, June 6 – “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are luke-warm – neither cold nor hot – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) These are the words of Jesus.  He is expressing a very strong sentiment, not only about the church in Laodicea, but also about you and me.  The goal is to be hot, on fire for Jesus.  But Jesus prefers that you be cold as opposed to being luke-warm.  Jesus would rather you pay him no attention at all.  As opposed to knowing who he is, what he has done, what he offers, and not living your life like you do. 

Tuesday, June 7 – “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) God has always been a consuming fire.  Why?  Because fire refines and cleanses.  God desires to refine and cleanse your life.  Where the jealousy fits in is when you, who deep down knows that you need to be cleansed and refined, make the choice to seek another source for your refining and cleansing.  God won’t make you seek his presence for your cleansing and refining.  But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t jealous when you seek out someone else or something else to provide what he is freely offering. 

Wednesday, June 8 – “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49) These are the words of Jesus.  Being God in human form, Jesus was also a consuming fire.  His purpose was to cleanse and refine.  Here we have an insight into the frustration that Jesus experienced in relationship with all of us.  Oh, how he wished that the fire had already been started, before he arrived on the scene.  But, alas, it wasn’t.  So, he needed to start a fire from scratch.  It’s always easier to keep a fire going, as opposed to starting one from nothing.    

Thursday, June 9 – “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) Can you experience love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit?  Yes.  Can you be all of these things without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit?  No.  The choice is yours.  Are you satisfied merely sometimes experiencing all of these things?  Or would you like to be all of these things, every single moment of your life? 

Friday, June 10 – “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.” (Colossians 3:16) You can’t do this following Jesus thing all alone.  You must do it in community.  Thus, the church.  In your relationships with other followers of Jesus, you are instructed to “teach and admonish one another”.  You are called to be better and to help all those around you to also be better.  None of us truly learn anything until we teach it to someone else.  What are you learning and teaching through the living of your life? 

Saturday, June 11 – “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13) The UPS driver came into the church and asked me where Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church was located.  I did know where the church was located, so I gave him the directions.  As he left he smiled and said, “I knew you would know, because they are your competition.”  Sadly, this is exactly the same way many followers of Jesus see each other – competition.  Jesus didn’t die in order to create competition!