Roseville Church of the Nazarene

Greetings in Christ,

  The selected scriptures give us something to ask ourselves.  Do we really see our surroundings and consider how majestic God really is?  Do we really consider just how far God is above us and just how much He really loves us?

  “The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.”  The Psalmists declares the wonders of God through these words, and declares God is above all.  We do not know if the psalmist really had first hand evidence of these words, but we can imagine he saw direct results of God at work.  The psalmist had to see the wonders of God’s hand in the creation, heard the stories of how God led the people out of Egypt, and experienced God’s hand of deliverance in his life. 

  I am sure he saw God’s hand at work in other people’s lives as well.  The hand of God at work supplying the needs of others, seeing the joy filling their hearts, and the responses of the people’s heart as they were moved by God.

  There had to be significant evidence God was at work in his life and in the lives of those people, otherwise, the psalmist was writing a lie.  The point here is he noticed what was going on in his life and those around him.  He knew there was something bigger than he could imagine, and it made him curious to know more.

  “You are My witnesses, declares the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen, so you may know and believe Me and understand I am He before Me there was no God formed and there will be none after Me.  I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me.  It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you so you are My witnesses, declares the LORD, and I am God.  Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”  God was making it known through Isaiah there is no god like God. 

  The people had to be reminded God was above all other gods.  They had not taken the time to see the wonders which abounded around them, and you might say they took things for granted.  God had to remind people there was still an awe to consider, and it needed to be studied so they could see the real reason for the existence of the awe and wonder.  God had been silent long enough and He wanted the people to take notice of Him, study His works, study His words, and see His love for them.

  Peter wrote to the people calling for them to long for the pure milk of the word.  He wanted the people to learn from his first hand experiences of Jesus words and wonders.  Peter being one of the ones who spent time with Jesus realized the importance of what he witnessed and experienced.  Peter was reminding of how he was able to see Jesus in action, to witness the healings, to hear the words of wisdom, and to hear Jesus tell the stories of creation.  How the earth was formed, how God breathed breath into Adam’s lungs, and how He shared the love of God with the people. 

  Peter could not put into words all the things he experienced.  He encouraged the people to drink the word so they could be in some way experience the same things he did.  Peter wanted the people to feel God moving in their lives just as he saw and felt Jesus stir his life.  Peter wanted them to know they were part of something bigger.  “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

  Peter knew firsthand the awe and wonder of God as he walked with Jesus.  He wanted others to feel the same way he did, and he was excited to talk about the love he had experienced.

  Johns records the words of Jesus as He spoke to the people, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”  Jesus was trying to get the people to think about all the things they saw take place.  Jesus wanted the people to really think and realize those miracles had to be done by a superior God.  Jesus wanted the people to ponder the words He spoke and to apply them to their lives.  Jesus had been there from the beginning, and He knew the awe and amazement of what God can do.  Jesus was there from the beginning when God breathed breath into Adam’s lungs and gave him life.  Jesus was the image of God, and if the people realized what they saw, they saw God in action in their midst.  Jesus wanted the people to realize just how wonderful God was, and for them not to take for granted all He had done for them.  

  God calls us to look at the things in life and not to take them for granted.  Take another look at the things around us and let’s look for God’s handiwork in them.  Look for God’s handiwork in the lives of others.  Let’s take the time to slow down to be amazed at what God has done for us and to realize just how much He loves us.  Look at the Bible as a love story which has been written just for us by God.   Read the Bible as a love story to know despite all mankind has done to distance between them and God.  God has never stopped loving mankind, and throughout the Bible as God’s love is revealed for mankind.

  Let’s look at the things God has done for us in our lives with a new approach.  Let God stir us in a new way in our lives so we have been awakened spiritually.  Ask God to give us fresh eyes and heart to look at all He has done for us, and realize how much God loves us.

  “Great are the works of the LORD; they are studied by all who delight in them.”  Psalms 111:2

  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”  Psalms 111:10

  “Praise the LORD!  For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming.”  Psalms 147:1

  Lord open our eyes and heart to look at the things You have done and do for us.  Let us be amazed at Your majesty and greatness so we can learn from Your wisdom.  Amen.

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson 

  Psalm 111,112,113,114; Isaiah 43:8-13; 1Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-7

Greetings in Christ,

  What makes a good story believable?  Is it the way it unfolds as you read it, or the way you hear it?  Is it the brevity or the length?  Is it the author or the presenter?  Is it the language or the use of illustrations which drive home the content?  Is it applicable?  Just what drives us to look at the believability in a story which helps us to determine the value or the truth it may carry for us to apply it to our thoughts or to our lives?  What makes us want to tell others we have read or heard a good story?

  We engage in many stories which unfold before our very eyes and ears on a daily basis.  Many grab our attention as we read, hear, and watch the story reveal itself before us in the details of the story line.  There is something in the way the story dispenses its magic which makes us take notice and engages our attention.  It is something which peaks our interest, or it may give us concern in some way.  Perhaps it is the way it grabs our attention even if it is only for a brief moment.

  We all like a good story.  It is something we can allow ourselves to get lost in the story line while it keeps our attention, and when it is a good story we cannot wait till the end of the story is revealed.  Until the story is fully revealed, we are engaged in the story with excitement wanting to know every detail which drives us to be part of the story.  We get lost in the details as they reveal their mystery to us, and when the story has been told we marvel at how well it was orchestrated.

  We all like a good story, but when it comes to the best love story in the world how well does it engage us?  Is it the language or the way it was written?  Is it the use of illustrations, or the illustrator?  Is it because the details are hard to grasp, or are they hard to apply to our situation?  Just what is it about the best love story in the world which makes it hard to pick up and read?

  The Bible is a compilation of many stories which was printed for mankind to read.  It is a story of a Living God who in His vast love and resources decided to create living beings who He could share His love and resources with.  He could not bear the thought He had so much and no one to share it with so He created mankind.  He has provided for mankind from the very beginning giving them the opportunity to partake of His love and resources in many ways.  The Bible already has an ending for us to read and gives us details as the story reveals its mystery of God’s love, but we do not let the ending grab us and shake us to the point we are excited beyond belief.  We have tendency to let worldly stories and their details overshadow the greatest love story ever written.

  Isaiah writes these words, “You are My witnesses, declares the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, so you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.  I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no savior besides Me.
It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses, declares the Lord, and I am God.  Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

  God was reminding the people who He was—the beginning, the present, and the eternal God.  The people had let the other stories of life encroach upon the past actions of God in their lives, and they had forgotten just what He had done for them in the past.  He had to remind them they were looking in the wrong place to understand the details of His story as it was unfolding in their lives.

  John writes these words, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.  And you know the way where I am going.  Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?  Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

  Jesus had to remind the disciples who He was—The Son of God.  They had many stories unfold in front of them while they were with Jesus, but they did not let the details of those stories excite them.  They allowed other stories to have an influence on them and their understanding of Jesus.  They missed the fact Jesus was representing God on earth, and His actions mirrored those of the Father as He revealed details of the greatest love story.

  The Bible—the greatest love story ever written.  It should engage us to the point we never want to put it down.  It should excite us to the point we cannot keep it to ourselves.  It should excite us to the point we live our lives boldly acting in the same love God has for us.  There has not been anything held back to keep us from knowing the whole story of God’s intentions and capabilities for mankind.  The only thing keeping us from acting on it is ourselves.

  The Bible—has it grabbed you with overwhelming excitement lately?

  “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.  His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.  How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;  Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry.  The Lord sets the prisoners free.  The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous; the Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked.  The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.  Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 146

  Lord may we get excited about Your love story as we read it and live it.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 111,112,113,146,147; Isaiah 43:8-13; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-7

Greetings in Christ,

  This selected scripture readings for this devotional reminds us about our purpose to live towards a goal of reaching out to people, and not to walk aimlessly in our Christian life. 

  Jeremiah declares God’s displeasure with the false prophets who are leading the people in the wrong direction.  They were proclaiming false hopes of peace from God; God’s message from the true prophets declared punishment to the people for their acts of disobedience. 

  God called Jeremiah to proclaim His version of the truth and to call out the false prophets.  He was letting the people know if He truly called the false prophets they would really speak what they were told to speak.  “I did not send these prophets, but they ran.  I did not speak to them, but they prophesied.  But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.”

  God wanted the people to know what kind of God He truly was.  “Am I a God who is near, declares the Lord, and not a God far off?  Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the Lord.”  God was letting the people know if they wanted true advice, He was close, in fact so close, He was everywhere.  All the people had to do was call on Him and He would listen to them.  God was reminding them they had a purpose, and it was important they understood how to receive good sound advice before making decisions which affected their lives.

  Paul was writing to the Corinthians about his endeavors to be all things to all people.  He was trying to let them know it takes effort to be effective for Jesus Christ.  He had to take the time to get to know the people he was trying to reach.  He took the time to understand their beliefs, and why they believed what they believed, but Paul did not stop there.  Paul did his homework and had the right answer for their misunderstandings.

  Paul was comparing his approach to his work as if he was running or boxing.  “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air.”  Paul was giving them examples they easily understand.  They were aware and knew people ran to a certain point in a race.  They followed a path which led to somewhere and produced results.  A boxer did not enter into the ring just to box the air, but rather to knock out his opponent.  The boxer wanted his blows to hit their mark so not to waste his effort and strength.  He wanted every move to count towards winning the fight.  Paul did not want to waste his energy and strength.  He wanted every moment, every word, and every action to count so he could lead people to Christ.

     Mark wrote about Jesus telling the people if they truly want to follow Him they must pick up their cross.  “And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  Although Jesus did not go into details about picking up the cross, He knew the people were aware of a crucifixion on the cross.  They knew about carrying the cross through the town before reaching the final destination.  They knew everyone would be looking at them seeing how they react to the insults and the throwing of stones.  Jesus knew it was not a pretty sight and carrying a cross would have it difficulties, but it was something which had to be done.

  Jesus also went on to say, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”  Jesus wanted them to hold their heads high as they carry their cross and not be ashamed of what others may think or say.   They must remain faithful to call on the One who can save their soul.   “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?  For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

  God’s desire is for everyone to establish a relationship with Him.  He has some good advice to share with those who call upon Him.  He has provided mankind with many opportunities to recognize Him as the one true God.

  Paul understood what it took to reach the many people as he proclaimed the truth of Jesus.  He modeled the very same thing God proclaimed in Jeremiah as he established a relationship with those he was trying to reach.  He became all things to all people in order to tell them what he knew.   

  For those of us who have chosen to pick up our cross and to carry it, we represent Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us.  He knows there will be many difficult times as we carry our cross, but He will make it worth it in the end as we reach our final destination. 

  There are times it takes an effort to proclaim God’s plan of salvation, but in the end it will be worth it.  If we are truly infected with God, we will be affected by God, and we will be effective for God.    

  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”  Psalms 118:8

  “The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.”  Psalm 118:18

  “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”  Psalms 145:3

  “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”  Psalms 145:18

  Lord help us to see with Your eyes and reach with Your heart so the we can be effective for You.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 118, 145; Jeremiah 23:16-32; 1 Corinthians 9:19-27; Mark 8:31-9:1

Greetings in Christ,

  How well do we remember all the good things God has done for us?  Is it hard to recount all the things God has done in our lives?  Some of us may journal those good times and memories on paper, and have them stored in a box somewhere.  How often are those journals revisited?  When was the last time we went down memory lane and thought about all the things God has done for us in our lives?  We have a tendency to focus on the present, remember only the recent past, and once in a great while reflect on the past good things in our lives which have transpired.  We have many memories some good and some bad, and if we are like most humans we tend to lean towards the negative side in our recollection of memories.  The selected scriptures look at the history of those who failed to remember the good things God had done for them.

  Joshua records the words of Joshua as he has called all the people of Israel to gather together for one last bit of instructions before they take possession of the Promised Land.  Joshua spoke of the goodness of God as he goes into the history of how God had worked in Abraham’s life telling him he would be the father of many nations, the birth of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau.  Joshua spoke of the Israelite’s deliverance from Egypt, the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, and their living in the wilderness for forty years.  Joshua spoke of the Israelites how they overcame the people who were occupying the Promise Land and how God drove out the Amorites, Perizzite, Canaanite, Hittite, Girgashite, Hivite, and the Jebusite.  In all the accounts of God working in their lives for their behalf, they still hung onto idols and worshiped them.  They chose to ignore the goodness of God, and they focused on the things which could only produce negative results for their lives.  They took their focus off God and focused on what they thought was more important.

  Paul writes to Timothy calling for him and others to act as Christians.  Paul is concerned the people are falling back into their old practices and traditions.  They had been treating each other rudely and ignoring the widows and orphans.  Paul called for them to remember what Jesus had done for them by remembering His death on the cross and the promise of the Holy Spirit.  They were not to return to their old negative practices and to listen to every word spoken by those who claimed to be speaking the truth and to live according to the faith given to them and let the Holy Spirit be their guide.  They were to realize God had created all things to be good and nothing in their lives was to be rejected if it was received with gratitude.  They had to change their focus from negative to positive as they lived a Christian life. 

  Matthew records the parables of the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, and the leaven.  The wheat and tares parable correlates with our lives here on earth.  We want to fill our lives with good things, but bad things creep in and seem to take over.  Instead of focusing on the bad things reflect on the good things.  The good things have value, and will bring hope for the future.  The mustard seed correlates to our faith which seems so small at times, but can develop into something which is great and mighty.  The leaven correlates with life.  If we fill up our lives with the good things, the good things will overtake the bad things. 

  While the scriptures give us a glimpse of what others have done in the past, we have the tendency to do the same things today.  We hold onto the wrong things and do not embrace the right things.  We focus on our troubles and how they impact us, but forget to remember how God has worked in our lives in the past.  We do not take the time to fill our lives up with the good things so the bad things will fade away. 

  Take some time and remember what God has done in your life.  Spend time in the word and in prayer.  Take the focus off yourself and focus on God.  It will not take long for the good things make the bad things fade away resulting in hope.  It is in hope faith will take hold and the future will look bright. 

  “I Will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”  Psalms 34:1-3

  “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.  Thy throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting.’  Psalms 93:1-2

  “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.  Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”  Psalms 96:1-6

  Lord may we focus on the things You have done for us.  May we remember Your faithfulness to us and all You do.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson                   

  Psalm 34,93,96; Joshua 24:1-28; 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Matthew 13:24-34a

Greetings in Christ,

  No one likes to be wrong.  The thought process which goes through everyone’s mind makes them want to believe they are right in their thinking and beliefs.  Arguments have been going on for many hundreds of years because people believe they are right and everyone else is wrong.  It happens at work, home, church, with family, with friends, and with anyone who will argue back.  

  We want to believe as we process information we have all the facts, truth, memories, and whatever data we need to come to a conclusion making us form the belief we do.  We are willing to stand our ground to make sure we are right and the other person is wrong.  Depending on how strong we feel, we will argue our point till we drop dead or proven wrong, and then we still do not back down easily. 

  People have quit talking to each other over simple arguments which one thinks they are right and the other is wrong.  The ending result is not good for anyone involved, and it usually creates a bad atmosphere for everyone else who may be connected to those people.

  In order for peace to be established between the two parties, there must be some compromise which takes place.  Someone has to be willing to say they are wrong and the other person is right.  There has to be humility which surfaces between both parties before real peace can be established.  What would have happened if both approached the situation with humility in the very beginning?

  Paul writes these words about Jesus in Romans, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  These words made me think about how helpless we really are here on earth.  We want to believe we have all the answers and we are willing to argue our point at times, but we are all under the illusion we have control on our lives.  We want to make the right decisions, do the right things, and we pursue with our thoughts and beliefs with blind ambition.

  The other underlying factor in Paul’s words is the fact Jesus humbled Himself to die for us.  There was nothing Jesus did on this earth which was for His own cause.   Jesus did not act on His own thoughts and decisions while living here on earth.  Everything He did was based on what God the Father asked Him to do.  The only times Jesus knew He was right was when God the Father backed Him on His thoughts.  Jesus knew God the Father was the only one who had control. 

  We sometimes want to argue with God about who is right and who is wrong.  We want to believe we are right and He is wrong.  We cannot know all the details, the facts, and have all the memories God has for Him to make decisions.   Our decisions are based on limited information, and it will get us into trouble if we base our decisions on the limited information.   We must remember we do not have control, but we must rely on the One who has control—God.  We must approach God with humility knowing we are helpless.  It is in the humbleness before God we will receive the right information to make the right decisions.

   “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure.  They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness.”  Psalms 111:7-8

  “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”  Psalms 146:1-2

  “The Lord will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to all generations.  Praise the Lord!”  Psalms 146:10

  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:14

   Lord as we approach with humbleness give us the knowledge to make the right decisions in life so we may honor You.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 112,112,113,146,147; 1 Samuel 14:36-45; Romans 5:1-11; Matthew 22:1-14