Tuesday Devotional: Philippians 2

Read Philippians 2:1-11

This is not about you. Unity with Christ means that the spirit of extreme selflessness has taken up residence in your life and in your spirit. This is the frontline in the battle between your sinful nature and the spirit of the living God. We would rather talk about the things we want to talk about. We would rather engage in the activities that we are most interested in. We would rather eat the food that most pleases our palate. We would rather put our self first–all the time, every time.

But this is not about you. Counting the cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ means that you have signed your name on the spiritual dotted line of the New Covenant that agrees and declares this is no longer about you.

The blessings of Jesus follow after complete submission to the name of Jesus. How can we think that we can receive the blessings of Jesus while living completely in contradiction of the spirit of the very same Jesus? Delusional. Deceived. This is not about you.

Jesus did not come as a conquering King to rescue you. He came low and disgraced so that he could pay the debt of your sin to forgive you. Jesus is the living embodiment of selflessness and submission. This is Jesus and this is his Gospel. This is not about you.

HE forgave you. HE dwells in you. It is all about him. He is the Christ. He is the Lamb. He is Jesus. Jesus is now your meaning of life. Jesus is now your passion. Jesus is now your prize. Jesus is now the center of your everything. This is not about you.

Beware of the spirit in you that attempts to credit, glorify or promote the self. This is not of God and this is not worthy of Jesus. There is nothing about the Christian life that elevates the self. He must become greater and we must become less. Anything different is not the Gospel and must be revealed and rebuked for what it is. A lie. Your life is now hidden in Christ, the light of the world. Hidden. Unseen. Unnoticed. This is not about you.

Tuesday Devotional: Ephesians 4

Devotional

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

The body of Christ is ONE body. There is no other. Standing side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder with your sister and brother in Christ, you are united as ONE body. This is no easy task, but with God all things are possible. Our sin desires to be independent. Our sin desires to be one notch above the rest, one step further than the whole. Sin deceives us into thinking that certain parts of the one body hold special significance and priority over other parts. Sin will deceive us into thinking that our gift or position is of more importance to the body than the rest. This spirit of division is the antithesis to the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is humility, unity and love. The Spirit of Christ in us seeks unity in spite of our own comfort, desires and pride.

The Christian is called to a life of unending and comprehensive sacrifice. Nothing about sacrifice is easy. Why should we think that our union and fellowship with other believers would be any different? It’s not. Our relationships with each other in the body of Christ are often the things used by God to refine us the most. Without the tension and challenge of seeking unity in the Church there would be no growth, no transformation and thus no life. We need each other. We need this tension. We need the sacrifice. The sin in us will turn from the challenge and seek to find any available opportunity to blame-shift, judge, criticize and reject those around us in the Church. Seek unity. Seek Jesus. By the blood of the Lamb we were saved from eternal condemnation and that same blood is the only chance we have to finding unity in the body of Christ. Allow our Lord to sharpen you. Allow him to reveal what is in you. Allow him to teach you. Find your place at the foot of the Cross and welcome your brother and sister to join you there and only there. This is not friendship. This is fellowship, and fellowship of the deepest kind, bought at the highest price. We have all been saved. We have all been forgiven. We are all beloved by our heavenly Father. These are the ligaments that bind us together and nothing else. Unity is not an option, it is the result of living in Christ, for Christ and with Christ.

Mobile Word on Youtube!

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We are excited to unveil the latest branch of our Mobile Word Ministry for 2017! This new ministry is a youtube channel called, The Daily Word.

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On this channel we will post a new video every day for the next 365 days! The videos will be short 5-6 minute devotional videos with an ESL/EAL teaching component attached.

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Check out this sample video and look forward to new videos every day alongside all of our devotionals on mobilewordministry.com.

If you like the videos remember to click subscribe and like.

Thanks for all of your support!

-Nathan

Tuesday Devotional: Galatians 4

Devotional

bible Read Galatians 4

“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.” (Galatians 4:18)

Christian, what is your passion? What drives the work of your hands? What motivates you to work tirelessly, sacrificially, painfully and at times unceremoniously? What are you zealous for? Is it for your glory or His? Is it for the name of Jesus, the beloved son, or yours? Is your zeal for the Lord dependent on the circumstance or social setting? Is your zeal for the Lord present when no one else is? Does your zeal for the Lord need anything other than the Gospel for it to manifest in your life? Christian, do you know where you were before Christ? Do you know that you were lost but that by the stripes and wounds of Jesus Christ you have since been found? Do you know what you were saved from? Without Jesus you were destined to never know love, to never know joy, to never know peace and rest. You were slaves before Christ, choosing to obey and serve your sinful nature, but in the name of Jesus you are now free! You are free in Christ never to experience slavery and bondage ever again. Is that enough for you to be zealous? Is that the Gospel to you? Upon knowing this Gospel, why would you ever want to go back? What does that former life have to offer you? Have you forgotten the bondage? Have you forgotten the hopelessness before Christ? As a Christian, Jesus must become your everything because before him you had nothing. There was nothing of any enduring worth or value before Jesus. In Jesus, your Savior, you are now truly alive. Don’t go back without an honest reflection of your life before Jesus. Don’t move forward without an honest reflection of your motivation and purpose for serving in the name of Jesus. The Gospel declares that you are alive because of Jesus and therefore everything you do is so that his name, the only name, can become greater while yours continually becomes less. There is no other way. This is the way.

Tuesday Devotional: 2 Corinthians 8

Devotional, Uncategorized

bible Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

A reborn spirit is a giving spirit. The spirit of Jesus gave everything he had to the point of death. Therefore, with the spirit of Jesus living in us as a new creation, we are aligned with and we manifest his sacrificial love in our own lives. Christian giving can be reduced to doctrine and it is indeed a requirement for a Christian to give. However, the giving heart and the Christian life need more than doctrine.

Just as the law was merely an instrument used to teach Paul that he was a sinner because he could never follow the commandments, so is the doctrine of the gospel to us. Rebuke the religious spirit that reduces the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to simple dos and don’ts. Jesus shows us the way but only by the power of the Holy Spirit in us can we ever manage to follow the way laid out for us. Christian, you give because God gave everything to you. He gave his son, for you. Christian, you give because in Jesus you have an eye for need. You seek out need and you desire to see a need fulfilled. You have been abundantly blessed and you rejoice in the blessing of others. Christian, you give because what you own or possess is not your own. No matter how hard you have worked for it. Ultimately, your possessions are investments. They are anointed and Holy loans. God has given you what you have so that you can reinvest in the kingdom of God. Not the kingdom of you. Christian, you give what you have with confidence that God knows your heart. He knows how much and how little you have. He knows how much is easy and how much hurts. He knows how much you promised to give and how much you are recalculating and reassessing not to give. Christian, remember that you are working with God. Not against him. You are working toward a beautiful investment and profit for you and the eternal kingdom of our living God and to the name of Jesus. Remember that when you pray in confidence that the sovereignty of God over your unpredictable future is good, so is His sovereign goodness over your finite and often limited amount of money and things.

Tuesday Devotional: 1 Corinthians 6

Devotional

Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

“Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” (1 Cor.6:7-8)

What do you think you deserve? What do you think you’re entitled to? What do you think people, society or the world owes you? In knowing our sinfulness by claiming unity with Christ, how dare we Christians assume such self-importance. Jesus warns us to count the cost of becoming a disciple and a Christian and part of that cost includes being wronged, cheated, persecuted and killed. This is our lot. This is our portion.

But in the end, this is not about you. This is never about you. This is about him and his name is Jesus. You weren’t wronged, you were convicted and by the grace of God, forgiven. He was wronged. The only perfect man of all creation, the beloved son of the living God was wronged. Your suffering is real and Jesus never taught that living in this world would be easy. However, your suffering is not like his suffering. It will never be like his suffering. To know Jesus is to first identify with his death as payment of the debt and death you deserved and deserve. He saved you. Not because you were owed it or deserved it. You are justifiably pronounced guilty and deserving of death without the blood of Jesus. You are not owed anything except the just penalty for your daily sins. However, thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. It is because he was wronged, cheated, persecuted and murdered so that you never have to live as a slave to such things.

You will experience all that Jesus did but never to the extent he did. Being wronged and cheated is not fun, easy or something that will ever lose its sting. But in Jesus the sting will no longer feel like death. In Jesus the sting of death has been overcome forever. Have you been wronged? Have you been cheated? Look unto the Christ. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look unto his suffering and be united with him in the suffering that he took upon himself for you. You have Jesus. Nothing in this world is of any more worth than him and you can never lose him. He is eternally yours and therefore in your time of suffering ask our Father to give you the faith that proudly proclaims that you will choose to lose ALL things in this world for the name of Jesus.

Tuesday Devotional: Romans 6

Devotional, Uncategorized

Read Romans 6:1-14

A new creation is not the same thing as a new chance. A new life is not an enhanced or slightly modified version of your old life. New is completely new. To be a new creation is to carry within you the spirit of Jesus Christ. His nature confronts and aggressively opposes the sinful nature of your old self. A new creation does not seek justification for sin nor does it seek to provide refuge for it. The new creation hates sin! Do you hate sin? Are you ready and willing to fight the recurring temptations of the sinful nature of your old self? Or, are you apathetic and quick to celebrate the benefits of Christ’s grace and forgiveness for you before lifting a finger to oppose what you naturally should, if indeed you are a new creation? The new creation is not subtle. The new creation is of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit and therefore is one of power. Do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit warring with your old self? Do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit lifting your weak and feeble spiritual arms in order for the battle to carry on, allowing victory to be proclaimed for you and for Christ? Is there power in your faith? A new creation cannot be without it. The lack of power in your walk with Jesus Christ begs the question, “Do you know that your savior liveth?” To know that Jesus has saved is to know that your sinful nature has been uncovered and pronounced guilty, but by the grace of God has fallen on the head of the savior, Jesus Christ. To know that Jesus lives is to know that the nature of your old self has no more power over you. You no longer serve the flesh but Jesus. You are no longer mastered by sinful desires, for your Master has liberated you from the oppression of the old self, inaugurating the way of righteousness, truth and holiness in the name of Jesus Christ. Cry out to God for newness!

Tuesday Devotional: Acts 8

Devotional

Read Acts 8:26-40

A relationship with Jesus is one of ongoing inquiry and curiosity. We are repeatedly confronted with questions concerning his sacrifice, his teaching, his person. Yet, it seems that for as many questions with comfortable solutions, more questions arise, and our search to know more continues.

The Christian’s pursuit of knowing does not arise out of a desire to arrive at a singular conclusion, thus completing our search. Our pursuit is a result of looking upon something that we cannot look away from. The glory of pursuing the living God is unlike anything we’ve ever known. It surpasses what we know to be beautiful and forces us to redefine the word beautiful itself. Love is redefined. Peace is redefined. Hope is redefined. Victory is redefined. You think you know, and you think you know, but then you realize that you will never fully know until you are with him, made like him in a place where there is nothing but him.

Protect and defend this childlike nature that persistently asks why and how. We were designed to learn, but we were ultimately designed to learn about all things in order to increase our love for our creator. To learn with any other motive or objective leaves us with information that we cannot take with us when we part from this world. Any knowledge but this will, over time, wither and fade just as the grass and the flowers of the fields. Knowledge is of this world, but truth is eternal. Open up the scriptures seeking to behold the glory of the Son. Seek to know truth and the truth will set free: not because it is moral, virtuous or logical, but because truth itself is embodied in the physical manifestation of the living God in Jesus Christ himself.

Tuesday Devotional: John 9

Devotional, Uncategorized

Read John 9

John 9:31

“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.”

Why does God engage with us? When we are so are egregiously out of line in our defamation of His holy name. When we are so frustratingly obstinate in our refusal to obey his will. When we so easily dismiss the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ in order to justify our own self-righteousness and promote our own self-worship. Why does God continue to engage within us? What does a Holy God have to do with sinners?

Bacteria and a sterile environment cannot coexist. Darkness cannot mingle with the light. Sinfulness is a direct affront to holiness. Why does God engage with us? What the healed blind man spoke is true. God in his righteous majesty is not expected or required to listen sinners like us. Yet he does. Why? He listens to THE godly man who does his will. And who has ever done his will in a way that honors the holiness of the living God? None but Jesus. Without the sacrificial lamb you have no chance. There is no hope. It is finished resulting in your eternal separation from the Father. Yet, because of his wounds and by his blood it is finished resulting in an entirely different and far more miraculous way. The condemnation of your sins is finished. The punishment for your iniquities is finished. The fear of death is finished. Hallelujah! It is by Jesus you have been saved, transformed, healed, welcomed back. There is none but Jesus.

Tuesday Devotional: Luke 17

Devotional, Uncategorized

Read Luke 17:4-10

The commands of Jesus are sweet but they must always bring us to cry out to God, “Increase our faith!” The commands of Jesus are beyond what we are capable of achieving. His ways are higher than our ways. The commands of Jesus are not comfortable and they do not fit nicely and neatly with our way of life. The way of Jesus is Holy and we are sinful. These two natures are incompatible and contradictory to one another. This is what we face when we read the words of Jesus and receive His proclamation over our lives. We are called to enter the narrow gate. We are called to count the cost. We are commanded to die to self. We are commanded to repent and submit our lives to the authority of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are commanded to be reborn and to be transformed in the likeness of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to leave everything and to lose everything of this world in order to receive and possess the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. We are instructed to believe that with faith in Jesus even the most daunting and impassable obstacle in your life can be moved. Believing that we can live the life Jesus commands us to live requires a faith that can only be revealed through faith in Jesus and by receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Beware of living a life following Jesus where you never utter the words, “Increase our faith.” We cannot follow Jesus without pleading every day for God to increase our faith in Jesus Christ. Christians who are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled require faith and more of it that in Jesus all things are possible. Heavenly Father, increase our faith!