The Devotional

Papa “J” says

Pictures from volcanic eruptions in Iceland show lightning coming up from the ground as the hot gas hits the cold air! Awesome, God points out Deuteronomy 28:20-25

Every year during Spring break the volunteer fire departments near the University of Connecticut are put on alert. The reason is that these young adults as they prefer to call themselves act like juvenile delinquents. Oh! What an outdated use of words; “juvenile delinquents” are you showing your age, Jess? Okay, I can handle that! But, I thought I might be mild in expressing the actions of these “young adults”! Some, after turning over cars, breaking windows and littering streets, all in the name of spring break fun are bewildered when the police show up to put a stop to their actions. Some get hurt so an ambulance will be called out to take the wounded to the nearest medical facility. During the trip to the hospital the medic will hear things like. “We were attacked by the police, we were just having a good time. Or, no one got hurt until the police showed up! And, well yea, we turned over a couple of cars but no one got hurt until the police hit me with a rubber bullet, can you move that ice pack a little closer to the pain?” When foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, it will not go away when the child becomes a young adult, but will flourish or blossom into a way of life. Proverbs 22:15. If the parent would use the rod, the police would not need to inflect the wrath of the township, or community.

The Gospel of John

John 2:13-22 As the ministry of Jesus increases His Authority is being established. I wonder what He would do today with churches that have these social gatherings to raise money? I suspect that since He is the same, yesterday, today and forever that we would find Him making a whip and driving the people out of the courtyards, too.

A house of merchandise in not where the Body of Christ is. It is nothing more than a business ran by men and women who use God for personal gain or gratification. When Jesus threw over the tables and drove out the animals, the disciples were immediately reminded of Psalm 69:9. In the context of this Psalm, we too have a responsibility to keep the Body of Christ a holy place of worship and not a hangout for corruption.

The sign of His Resurrection should be the only sign visible in and around the church. Every member of the church has that responsibility. When a congregation seeks to profit from the sources of the unbelieving world it is sending a confusing message. Prosperity in the Body of Christ is not by works of human righteousness, but by the outworking of the grace of God. Ephesians 4:7-16.