The Righteousness of God

The Motives of the Multitudes

The writer to the Hebrews said this. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Heb 4:12-13 Motives matter to God, beloved. Nothing can be hidden from Him. The Lord God knows the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts. This truth of Scripture is revealed in the motives of the multitudes who saw firsthand the miracles that Jesus did (John 6:2) as well as the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Jesus knew that the people were fixated on the product of the miracle, not The Person Who performed the miracle. The multitudes were fixated on the bread that satisfied their earthly need instead of The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus told the multitude back then and the multitude who may be reading this devotional, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed (John 6:27). Does that mean that Jesus does not care about our daily physical needs? Of course not. Read Matthew 6. Jesus simply does not want us to be neither anxious about them nor covetous for them. Jesus wants our hearts. He does not want anything or anyone to take His place in our heart. The multitudes were craving the miracles from Jesus instead of a relationship and intimacy with Jesus. Can the church fall into the same sin as the multitude? Is it possible that the church or individual Christians can be doing the right things with the wrong motives? In Revelation 2:2&3, we read that the church of Ephesus did many wonderful things, but The Lord Jesus said that they did them with the wrong motives. Listen to Jesus what Jesus Himself said to this church. Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left (not lost) thy first love. Paul had once commended the church at Ephesus for its love for God and others (Ephesians 1:15), but here they are many years later and according to Jesus they were heartlessly going through the motions. They were a very busy church, but they were “serving God” with wrong motives. Beloved, whatever we do “in The Name of The Lord” must be motivated by love for God and for His glory or it is nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble at the Judgement Seat of Christ (1 Cor 13:1-4). Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. My dear church family or my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, motives matter. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Col 3:17). And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ (Col 3:23,24). May God give unto us as a church family the grace that we need to do whatever we do with thankful hearts of worship and praise to our Glorious King. Selah Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com [http://koinoniafellowship.com]

It Is I, Be Not Afraid

Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water reads like this. Matt 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. Jesus walking on the water was another one of the signs that John records in his gospel that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31). The account of Jesus walking on the water and His commanding the storm to cease and delivering the disciples safely to the other side of Galilee is one of the most comforting and encouraging miracles in Scripture, for it clearly reveals His authority over the “laws of nature”, demonic opposition, and faithfulness to keep the promises that He makes to His people. Read again the title for this week’s devotional. Here is the thought that I want you (and myself) to grasp whenever you find yourself in the storms of life in your journey with Jesus. It was the presence of Jesus that dispelled their fears. Let me repeat that beloved: It was the presence of Jesus that dispelled their fears. Storms and trials in life are inevitable and are to be expected, but in and through them all, remember the promises of The Lord Jesus. Matthew 28:20 lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. The apostle Paul said to timid and overwhelmed Timothy, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). John writes in his first letter that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). The love of God IS the perfect love that casts out fear for every believer of Jesus Christ. The one fear that every disciple of Jesus Christ must have in this fallen world of sin, trouble and spiritual warfare is The fear of the LORD. (Prov 1:7; 9:10). It is that reverential fear of God that provides you and I with what Isaiah calls, the perfect peace that casts out fear. Disciples of Jesus do not deny the reality of fear, but we choose to not give it a place of influence in our lives. Beloved, for those who are presently dealing with areas of fear or trouble of difficulty, let God speak for Himself. Isaiah 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. With much love in Jesus. SELAH

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

John 6 is the longest chapter in the New Testament. It provides a rich redemptive-historical perspective on Moses and the central saving act of God in Israel’s history—the exodus. John wants us to see Jesus as the greater Moses and the gospel as the greatest exodus of all. In this chapter, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who offers to mankind the ultimate deliverance, is going to demonstrate the reason why He came. Other than turning water into wine, this is the only miracle that was a “creative act.” Of all the miracles performed by Jesus, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only one recorded by all four gospels. Interestingly, each of the 4 gospels places a different emphasis upon their respective portrayal of this miracle. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the King Who will judge His people. Mark points out the servant’s duty to break the bread of life. Luke portrays the Son of Man’s compassion to meet man’s need. John’s account reveals that Jesus is The Bread of Life. John records only certain miracles, and he calls the miracles signs because signs are for a purpose. You will remember that John said, And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:30–31). This is an important verse because it is not only the key to this entire gospel of John, but to one’s eternal existence as well. There are so many practical lessons that can be drawn from this single miracle, but there are 2 practical things that I want to point out to you, and they are in verse 15. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 1- Jesus, The Son of God, made the time to get away from the crowd and get alone with The Father in prayer. Beloved, if Jesus made it a priority to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and people and ministry, how much more do you and I? 2- They tried to force Jesus to be their king. For all the wrong reasons! The Lord Jesus will never force Himself upon you. Jesus IS not only a King, He is The King of Kings. 1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus does not need us to make Him King. Question for reader and writer alike: Is Jesus Christ The King of Kings of your heart? Your life? Your eternal soul? Jesus is a King Who is to be received as Lord by faith. Receive Jesus today, and crown Him Lord! SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com [http://koinoniafellowship.com]

Loving The Truth

One of the most sobering things Jesus ever said was spoken to deeply religious people. He looked at men who knew the Scriptures outwardly, practiced religion outwardly, and appeared zealous outwardly—and He said, “I know you, that you have not the love of God in you.” That is frightening. These men studied the Bible, talked about God, defended traditions, and yet they completely missed the Messiah standing right in front of them. Why? Because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They wanted religion without surrender. They wanted honor without repentance. Beloved, the issue is still the same today. The real test of whether a person truly loves God is this: what do they do with Jesus Christ? Do they believe He is the Son of God? Do they trust Him alone for salvation? Do they follow Him as Lord? Because salvation is not about religious performance. It is not about trying harder or becoming good enough. If righteousness could come by keeping the law, then Christ died in vain. No, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus said these men rejected Him because they did not have “the love of the truth.” And when people reject the truth, they become vulnerable to lies. That is why our world is so confused today. People reject the Word of God, and then they wonder why darkness fills the vacuum. But there is good news. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He bore the curse we deserved. He rose from the dead. And the Bible says that if you believe on Him, you may know that you have eternal life. So today, don’t harden your heart. Love the truth, and rest in the grace of God that is found only in Jesus Christ. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com [http://koinoniafellowship.com]

The Righteousness of God

My devotional for today addresses the importance of having the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus as the very basis of our forgiveness and right standing with God. The necessity of having the righteousness of God in order to be a child of God is unfortunately oftentimes overlooked when sharing the gospel with others. Most people believe that salvation is a matter of “believing” in Jesus, but granted on the basis of them doing good works or observing religious rituals or sacraments. But The Word of God says. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Note beloved that the gospel that grants salvation is not based upon our good works, but upon faith in the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is Someone, not something. Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. Note once again that it is not our good works that gets us to heaven, but faith in the righteousness of God, which is in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Sin separates man from God. Even the best works that we can do cannot pay that debt of sin. Only the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ can do that. Scripture is equally clear that our righteousness before God is a filth rag (Isa 64:6). Born in Adam, there are none righteous before God, no not one (Rom 3:10). What you and I need to be made right with God is the only righteousness that He accepts which is Christ Himself. 2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Repent and call out to Jesus Christ and receive Gods righteousness. Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com [http://koinoniafellowship.com]