"Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."  James 1: 16-18

Who really decides what is good in this world?  Is it the lawmakers, or maybe even law enforcers?  Or is it those people we consider to be "good" people, like civil rights activists or Mother Theresa?  I mean, surely those people who do "good" things know the difference between what is good and what is bad.  Right?  So why are there so many different ideas about what is good?

The worldly view of "good" is a constantly changing roller coaster of theories and ideals.  Many of the Nazis in Germany thought they were doing "good" by attempting to wipe out the Jews.  But is it ever good to kill off an entire group of people, specifically God's chosen people in this case?  The members of Westboro Baptist Church thought they were doing "good" when they tried to cleanse the nation of a sin and started the "God Hates Fags" movement.  But their movement led to the humanly judgment of sinners, when God alone has the right to judge our sin; and He hates sin, it's true, but He doesn't hate sinners.  In fact, He loves sinners enough to die for the penalty of that sin.

Our worldly view of "good" is often skewed by sociological change, economic status, cultural biases, etc.  It is skewed by the world around us.  But there is nothing of this world that provides anything more than a few short bursts of happiness, often followed by longer periods of hurt and sadness.  Things like promiscuity, pornography, drugs and alcohol, which the world often refer to as "good," usually wind up hurting relationships, lives and, ultimately, ourselves.  

But there is one good that never changes.  It's always been and always will be.  The good that comes from above.  God's good.  When God says something is good, it is always good.  When God created the heavens and the earth, it was good.  When He formed the plants and animals from nothing, it was good.  When He molded man and woman and breathed His life into them, it was very good.  And He is still doing good for us every day.  Through His Word and His presence, He tells us what is actually good.  Because good is only good if it lines up with God.  So the next time you're wondering if something is good, find out what God thinks.  His good should be the standard for our good.

Father, help every "good" in my life to align with Your good.  Help me to have the discernment necessary to tell the difference between Your good and the world's good in the toughest situations, and help me to handle those situations while still shining Your light.  Praise You for Your goodness!  In Jesus' name, Amen.

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father;  and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."  John 10: 13-16

Have you ever felt lost in the chaos of this world?  Not only feeling like you're just a cog in the wheel, but even losing your identity to the world around you?  I'm not sure that it's possible to exist in this world without, at least occasionally, feeling lost in it.  Even with Christ, it's so easy to get caught up in it all and forget who you are.  Fortunately, God is really good at providing reminders.

In John 10, Jesus doesn't just remind us that He laid down His life for us, His sheep.  He stakes His claim for us.  He reminds us that when we believed, we became His own.  We are the property of the Good Shepherd, regardless of the sheepfold we are currently residing.  When we hear His voice, we will know Him and flock to Him.  We recognize Him, and He us, so much so that all we need is to hear His voice.  Whatever you might be going through, whatever trial you're facing, just listen for His voice.  You are a sheep of the Good Shepherd.  You are His. I am His.  We were in debt to sin, but we've been bought, and that debt paid, by the blood of Jesus Christ.  My identity is found in Him.  I am all that He says I am, and He says that I am His own.

All He Says I Am by Cody Carnes

He whispers in my ear
Tells me that I'm fearless
He shares a melody
Tells me to repeat it
And it makes me whole
It reminds my soul

I am all He says I am
I am all He says I am
I am all He says I am
And He says I am His own

I was blinded by scales upon my eyes
Then He came like a light
And burned up all the lies
He set me free
He reminded me

I am all He says I am
I am all He says I am
I am all He says I am
An He says I am His own

Chains are broken
Scales are on the floor
Truth is spoken
I'm no orphan anymore

I am loved
I am new again
I am free
I'm no slave to sin
I'm saint
I am righteousness
I'm alive 

Father, continue to remind us that we belong to You, that Jesus paid for us, and that we are forever Yours.  We follow you Good Shepherd.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'  Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!  Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.  For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  'May they prosper who love you.  Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.'  For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you.'  Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good."  Psalm 122

​I don't think anyone would question that God's chosen people, His first love if you will, were the descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people.  The entire Old Testament, or the Tanakh, is originally written in Hebrew, short of a few select chapters.  Most of the major players in the Biblical stories we know best were of Jewish decent (though not all), including the most important, HaMashiach Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.  God's original covenant was with His people, and He protected them and watched over them, even during times of punishment for their actions.  And, His plan for redemption was fulfilled through His people and the lineage of David.  Even the original followers of Christ were Jewish, who eventually spread the Gospel to the Gentiles and started the first churches.

Knowing all of this, it came as quite a surprise to me when I realized about a year ago that much of the Church today believes that the promises of God to Israel are no longer valid, and that the Church has replaced Israel in those promises.  How did I not know of this replacement theology?  Had I never actually heard anyone speak of it, or was I just so ignorant to ignore it?  Or worse, did I actually believe it and just not realize it because I rarely read my Bible?

The more I read and study the Bible, the more I discover that it is the most cohesive story ever told, from Genesis to Revelation, and it was penned by over 40 different authors over thousands of years.  The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed (Chuck Missler), and all of it by Holy inspiration of God and His Breath (Spirit) (2 Tim. 3:16).  The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and those who love her will prosper (Psalm 122:6).  Not only that, but Paul makes it a point several times to give priority to Israel, as he describes the promises of Christ given first to the Jew and then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16 and many others).  He even writes a whole section of the epistle to the Romans about Israel and her destiny (Romans 9, 10 and 11).  And it's difficult to deny the "Jewishness" of Revelation 5 to the end (i.e. Jesus' titles as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David and the 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel, just as a few examples).

Israel still has a destiny in God's great plan for mankind.  It differs from that of the Church, but we have not replaced them in God's eyes.  In fact, it's possible that they are even more important.  If by Israel's denial of Christ, salvation was able to come to the Gentiles, how much greater would the riches be in the fullness of Israel, if they recognized the Messiah (Romans 11:11-12)?  In fact, I'm thankful for Israel, because without them I would have no Savior and be dead in a life of sin.  My prayer is not only for the peace of Israel and the comfort of the Jewish people, but that more and more of them would come to know that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled not just a few, but all of the Messianic prophecies in their scriptures and that the way to God the Father is by Him alone.

Father, protect Your people and bring peace to the land of Israel.  Watch over Jerusalem, Your Holy city, as they deal with constant violence and destruction from Your enemies.  Bring revelation to the Church and help us all to see the importance of Israel and their role in Your plan for mankind, and remove any antisemitic thoughts.  Help them to recognize Yeshua as the Messiah, so they can bridge the gap to You and experience Your freedom.  In Jesus' great name, Amen.

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  Matt 18: 3-4

I am very fortunate to spend most of my days working from home.  As a result, I have the privilege of having my 2 year old son home with me most days.  And although it can be frustrating at times trying to wrangle and work, I really enjoy watching him growing and molding into what will eventually become, hopefully, the man God made him to be.  But what is interesting to me is how, by watching him, I've started to see more of what God wants from me.   

My son is trusting, almost to a fault.  He believes that I always have what's best for him, and that I will always catch him when he falls and protect him from danger.  Even when I'm sitting in the floor, not looking in his direction, and he jumps off the couch toward me expecting to be caught.  If my child trusts me that much, a flawed man that will eventually miss or mess up, how much more should I trust my Heavenly Father who really does always have my best interests in mind? 

My son loves unconditionally and is forgiving.  It doesn't even matter if I've just had to punish him for something, in 30 seconds or less, he again wants to play with daddy, or give hugs and wrestle.  So often, when something happens in my life, I "blame" God instead of understanding that God loves me unconditionally, even if I needed to be chastised, and I should reciprocate that love.  After all, if it weren't for His unconditional love at the cross, I would have no chance at life.

My son is always happy to be near me.  Even when he just leaves the room for a moment, his excitement and joy is magnificent that I'm still there upon his return.  Sometimes, when he leaves the room, he'll peek out just make sure I'm following.  Why don't I search for God's presence with that much joy and excitement, or expectancy?  His presence is where I get my joy, so I should be so excited for Him to be near that I expect it every moment.

My son is eager to learn, quick to try but quick to release the heavy burdens, sympathetic and unassuming, adventurous, and so many more.  And he is most of these things simply because the world hasn't corrupted him to think otherwise.  He is led by his heart, and his mind follows.  I can only imagine what I would be like if I had only learned from God and His Word, and everything had not been filtered through the world.  But instead of developing my child-like faith as a child and keeping it, now I have to work to get it back.  I am blessed to have an inspirational example of what God wants from me.

Father, thank You for my child, because he not only taught me how to understand a little more about You and Your unconditional love for me, but he is teaching me daily about how seek you without reservation and barrier.  Help me to continue toward a child-like faith in You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.