God’s Grace is a Miracle – Part 3

Ephesians 2:1-9 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins……(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)…….(7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God’s grace is not only a miracle because of to whom it is bestowed or because of what it does in them, but it is also a miracle because of what it will do in the future. God, in the ages to come, will be showing the exceeding riches of that miraculous grace to us through Jesus Christ our savior. We may, from time to time, think that we are underprivileged or poor in this life, but we cannot forget that our father is rich beyond our imagination. We will be astounded when he fully shows us His riches and wealth.

Some day, Jesus Christ is coming back to this world to gather his people and take them home. This is another event for which there is no natural explanation. I cannot present scientific evidence to support this assertion. I can only tell you that the Bible says that it is so. When he comes back, he will be calling forth all people. He will separate his people from the wicked and take his people to their eternal abode in heaven. This comforting message is the one thing to which we look forward. By the grace of God we have a hope beyond this life.

The miracle of God’s grace we have been made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This joint inheritance will be the realization of the riches that God has for us. We will then no longer be hearing the stories of his riches, but we will be experiencing them.

My God grant us the wisdom to praise Him for is grace that is bestowed on us.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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God’s Grace is a Miracle – Part 2

Ephesians 2:1-9 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins……(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)…….(7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Yesterday we spoke of the grace of God as a miracle because it is favor bestowed upon those that naturally do not deserve it. God’s grace can also be considered a miracle in what it does for those upon whom it is bestowed.

It is by God’s grace that dead sinners are taken from a state of death in sin to a state of life in Jesus Christ. By His grace we are translated from total and complete darkness to the marvelous light of salvation. We are quickened as a result of that miraculous change. There is a work done within us that changes us in ways that we cannot fully comprehend or explain. Prior to this miraculous change we are bound by sin. All of our motivations are drawn completely from our carnal nature. Although we may appear to act in righteous ways, our motivations would prove our complete depravity. This change within prepares our soul such that it is a ready place for the Holy Spirit to dwell. As such, we are made spiritually alive in Jesus Christ. This change makes us capable of true righteousness and, thus, liberates us from the bondage of sin.

There is no natural explanation for the changes that occur in one of God’s children when he speaks to their heart and makes them alive in Christ. A leopard cannot change his spots, an Ethiopian cannot change his skin, neither can he that is accustomed to doing evil just change to doing good. Yet, through the miracle of God’s grace, those that were accustomed to evil and bound by sin are freed to live in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Radical changes in our behavior and motivations are possible only by the grace of God.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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God’s Grace is a Miracle – Part 1

Ephesians 2:1-9 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins……(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)…….(7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

What is a miracle? In order for something to be defined as a miracle it must fit one major criterion. A miracle is an event that cannot be explained by the natural laws that God created for our world. It is when God goes outside of those laws and works. God’s grace certainly qualifies. It is perfectly natural for one to love and even make sacrifices for those that treat them kindly or love them in return. However, it is completely against nature that one would love those that do not love them back. Scripture teaches us that God’s grace is not extended to us after we have moved toward him, but rather it is while we are still dead in trespasses and sins that his grace reaches us. Grace, by definition, is unmerited favor. That means it is bestowing favor upon those that have not earned it or would not naturally receive it. Grace, by definition, is always a miracle of God.

So the first thing we see is that God’s grace is a miracle because of to whom it is extended. God’s grace is a miracle because the objects of God’s grace had done nothing at the time they received it to make it natural that this favor would be bestowed upon them. Rather, this grace is bestowed when the object of that grace is still in a state of death in sin. Have you thanked God for his grace to you? If not, then maybe today would be a good day to start.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Take Care of What God Has Given You

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Many times we pray to the Lord that he would send more people into our church. Maybe your church has dwindled in size or monthly attendance. There is nothing wrong with the desire for God to provide growth to that church or for God to provide opportunities for your to share the message of the gospel with those that have a ready mind and heart to receive it. However, before we begin asking God to provide for growth in our church, I think we first must ask ourselves a very basic question.

Are we taking care of what God has already given us?

Many of our churches have several members or close friends of the church that are elderly. Some are home bound, some are of limited mobility, and some are bound to nursing homes. My family and I make regular visits to our local nursing care facility. Sometimes it is a difficult and arduous task, but we have never gone and then wished we had not. There are so many that stand in need of a visitation by someone that will touch their arm and show them they care. A smile here and a kind word there can make a world of difference in the day of someone who may be confined to a nursing home and has no family to visit them. These people (and they are people) are the most vulnerable of our society. Jesus routinely reached out to those that were most vulnerable. We cannot claim to be Christians if we are not going to do the things necessary to be like Christ.

If you have not visited your local nursing care facility or called to check up on some of the members of your church that you do not see at church anymore, let me encourage you to do so now. If God has gifted them to your church, they are now your responsibility to love and to cherish. You may find that they have been gone so long now that they will not want to talk to your. That’s okay, but it is our job to love them.

If we are not taking care of what God has given us, why should we ask him for more. Do you really believe that God would provide us more to neglect?

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Deception is Around Us

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Sin and unrighteousness are always presented to us in the best possible light. Satan does his best to help us justify our participation in their wicked and degrading ways. Sin and unrighteousness always promise to us great joy and a form of hope. As a result, they often seem as though they are the “right” way. But there is path that is wide and well traveled, though it may look promising, it is that path that leadeth to destruction. On that path there is death at every crossroads. That path is littered with the broken lives of God’s people that made very poor decisions in their attempt to walk with the Lord here in this time and thus they have suffered the timely consequences of their actions. We often justify our presence on the wide path by claiming that we had to come this way to evangelize or assist someone else, when in reality the only effective evangelism and the only successful rescue missions are those that are first done by example. You can’t help those that are on the wide path until you make sure you are on the strait path. We cannot help those that are in the way of temptation, if we have put ourselves in that way as well.

There are many things that will “seemeth” right in this life. It is our job, as followers of Jesus Christ and bearers of his name, to discern between those things that only “seemeth” right and those things that actually are right. God’s Holy and divinely inspired word is our standard of right and wrong. One will not be able to adequately discern write from wrong if they are not deeply familiar with the “rules of the house.” We are God’s house, and in God’s house, we need to keep God’s rules. We are in His Church and in His kingdom; we should make sure that we are aware of the rulings and decrees of our king.

What path are you on today? Have you put yourself in the way of temptation, or maybe even the way of sin because you thought it would help you to witness to someone else? Can you see how that such a situation is simply something that “seemeth” right?

We are to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God first. It is at the top of our priorities to be righteous, or to be “right” in our decision making and judgments. May God help us to recognize those things that “seemeth” right but actually only want to deceive us into believing they are right so that they can lead us to death and destruction.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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What does God Want?

God does not want us to just praise him for his grace, but he wants us to become gracious.

God does not want us to just praise him for his mercy, but he wants us to become merciful.

God does not want us to just praise him for his patience, but he wants us to become patient.

God does not want us to just praise him for his holiness, but he wants us to become holy.

God does not want us to just praise him for his righteousness, but he wants us to become righteous.

God does not want us to just praise him for his love, but he wants us to become loving.

God does not want us to just praise him for his faithfulness, but he wants us to become faithful.

Just as a finger that points to the moon is not the moon, the child of God that lives a Godly life is not God, however he/she is the finger that points to God. We can speak Godly all we want, but a life that points to God by its deeds is far more valuable than any words we can utter.

What have you become?

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Damaging Pride

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

When the scripture speaks of pride, it is not talking about that pride which causes us to swell up with joy when we watch our child or grandchild excel at sports or artistic activities. To consider this to be the case is to trivialize and minimize the magnitude of the issue being referred to as pride. This pride is personal and individual pride. It is the pride that that causes one to think himself better than others around him. It is the type of pride that makes us think that we are the only person that understands or does “it” right whatever “it” may be.

Scripture tells us that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Two things in this life are certain. He who gets caught up in personal pride is heading down a path that will certainly cause them great harm, and he who raises himself on a pedestal is heading for a mighty fall. God giveth grace to the humble, and he resisteth the proud.

This type of pride comes directly out of the heart of man. (Mark 7:21:22) It flows from inside us and is a result of that natural man that is not removed when we are born again. Everybody, even the child of God, is vulnerable to pride. Pride is a serious matter because it will harden the mind (Dan 5:20), leads to destruction (Prov 16:18), keeps us from seeking God (Psa 10:4), and clouds our judgement (Jer 43:1-3). Thankfully there is a solution to the problem of pride. The solution is actually quite simple. First we need to humble ourselves. Many people wait for God to humble them, but the Bible teaches us to humble ourselves (1st Peter 5:6). Second, we need to take on the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5). By taking on this mind we take on a humble mind. Since humility and pride are so opposed to one another that they cannot coexist, then humility is the answer to pride. Humbling ourselves before the Lord is the key to defeating pride in our life.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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From Every Stormy Wind That Blows

From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat;
’Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

Oh, let my hand forget her skill,
My tongue be silent, cold, and still,
This bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget the mercy seat!

In spite of all the storms, both natural and physical, that blow in our lives, we still have a mercy seat to which to escape. There is no storm strong enough to shake the very foundation of our lives, that being the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. In these troubling times, we are reminded of how important it is to lean not on our own understanding, but to lean on the our Lord.

May God bless all those on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana that are currently in the path of the mighty Rita and all those that have already been affected by the mighty Katrina. No matter how mighty these storms may be, God is mightier still.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Priority of Prayer

1st Timothy 2:1-3 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

In his instructions to the young preacher, Timothy, Paul instructs Timothy to “first of all” pray. Of all the Christian disciplines, the first priority is prayer. Prayer should be the first words to fall from our lips when we rise in the morning to a new day and should be the last thing in our heart when before we lay ourselves down to sleep at night. Prayer should permeate out entire day in between as well. The priority of prayer in our life is clear. It should be at the top of our list. It is through prayer that we communicate and commune with our God and father.

The objective that we should pray for is that we might lead quiet and peaceable lives, but not just that. We should pray that those quiet and peaceable lives may be lived in all godliness and honesty. The quality of our prayer life had a direct impact on the quality of our service to God. A person with a poorly executed prayer life will have a poorly executed Christian walk. Once cannot walk with God if they do not talk with God. Our lives are to be a reflection of godliness and honesty. It is interesting to note that the very specific virtue of honesty is here placed directly along side the general virtue of godliness. One would think that being godly would necessarily make one honest, and certainly it would. So why word it as it is? It just shows what a high premium God places on a life lived in honesty. An honest person is one that can be trusted. Without honesty all other godly virtues carry very little meaning at all.

Lastly, we are told that prayer is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. As human beings with depraved natures, we do so many things that are unacceptable to God that it is good to know that there is one thing that we can do that is acceptable. Prayer is one thing that we can do within which we know we will find acceptance.

Did you end yesterday with prayer? Did you begin today with prayer? Are you praying while you read this?

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Jesus, Our God

Hebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows

Notice here that God the father speaks to the Son and says “Thy throne, O God…” How much clearer could scripture be that Jesus is God? Even God the father declares him to be so. Further, he says that the throne of Jesus is for ever and ever. Jesus’ reign as our king shall never end. Jesus stands today as the victorious savior never to be dethroned. We are told that the sceptre of his kingdom is a sceptre of righteousness. Jesus rules his kingdom in righteousness. There is no error in his rule. Everything he does or decrees to be done is good and right. Further, we are told that he loves righteousness. This is a gentle reminder that Jesus is pleased when we act in righteousness as well. We are also reminded that he hates iniquity. Hate is a strong word, but here it is used in relation to sin. There are no words strong enough to describe Jesus’ utter disdain for iniquity. This is a not so gentle reminder that our sins grieve him.

As a result of Jesus’ love for righteousness and hatred of iniquity, God the father has anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows. This early part of the book of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is greater than the angels, higher than Moses, and more faithful than Abraham. We should never forget that Jesus is our God, and he is a most excellent God. I believe that there is also a lesson here that when we act in righteousness, God the father will anoint us with the oil of gladness as well. True happiness is not found in financial wealth or personal health, but is found in righteous living before our God. There is not greater joy than that joy that comes from the father. When we are blessed with that sense of joy that comes from feeling that we are at peace with our God, we will find that there is no greater happiness in anything that this world has to offer.

May the praises and glory go to Jesus who is our God.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Are you listening?

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The first order of business in the book of Hebrews is to emphasize the change that has taken place with the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. The writer tells us that God used to speak to the Jewish fathers by the prophets, but now things are different. God now speaks to us by his son. This is not to say that God does not use circumstances, other people, the preached word, the written word, and other means through which to speak to us, but rather to say that no matter what God speaks through it is by his Son. It is circumstance, preachers, people, and other things mingled with the presence of Jesus in our heart, for without Jesus in our heart, we would not be able to hear anyway.

Does God talk to you? If you answered “No”, I think you need to reconsider the answer. Is it possible that God is talking to you, but you are not hearing him? We live in an extremely busy world. It seems that there is always something else that needs to be done, or another project to complete. There seems to be so much noise in our lives. Everything has to happen now. We have fast food, convenience stores, instant coffee, microwave lunches, etc, etc. God generally is not known to raise his voice when he talks to his people. God’s usual way is to speak in a small still voice. If we do not take the time to listen, we will not hear him. I believe that God still routinely speaks to his people. Do you believe a father could be considered a good father if he did not speak to his children? I certainly do not.

Every child of God needs to make time to spend with their father. I challenge you to make that time and listen to him. I think you will find that he will speak to you through his Son just as indicated in these precious words from the book of Hebrews.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments, questions, or request for addition or removal from this email distribution can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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The Rare Word

1st Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

In this scripture, it is said that the word of the Lord was precious. Unfortunately, that is not a positive statement. We use the word precious in two different ways. First, we use the word precious in the sense that it applies to a new born baby or a puppy that captures our heart. In this case, we mean that is cute, helpless, and special. This is not the sense that precious is used in 1st Samuel. Secondly, we use the word precious in the sense that it applies to diamonds, emeralds, gold, silver, and platinum. In this case, precious means rare.

The problem being pointed out in 1st Samuel 3:1 is that the word of the Lord was rare in those days. In spite of the faith of Hannah and some others in the land of Israel, the priesthood was corrupt and as a result, the word of the Lord was rare in the land. It is generally true that people will not rise above their leadership. Most churches will be no more dedicated to the word of God than their pastor. Most families will be no more dedicated to the word of God than the father in the house. Pastors and fathers need to keep in mind that they bear a huge responsibility as leaders.

I would challenge your to examine your life to see if the word of God is rare. If it is, spend some time with God in his word. You will find that God will speak to you a great deal if you take the time to listen.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments or questions can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Bless the Lord

Psalm 134:1-3 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. (2) Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. (3) The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

Several years ago, my family and I learned a pretty little song that really “stuck” with us. It was a song with a very pleasing tune that was simple and easy for the whole family to sing. Text of the song went like this:

Come bless the Lord
All ye servants of the Lord

Which stand by night
In the house of the Lord

Lift up your hands
In the house of the Lord

And bless the Lord
And bless the Lord

Maybe you have heard and sung this song yourself at some point. Our problem was that after not singing it for a while, we had forgotten the words. Just a few days ago, we were riding in the van and started trying to sing this song, and could not. We all remembered bits and pieces, but we all had different words at different spots. While reading, I came across the 134th Psalm and realized that the song that we had learned was pulled directly from this passage. I had never made the connection before. As a result, I now recall the words to this little song again. My heart has been made to rejoice on this day that I can again bless him with these words in open song of praise.

Today is the Lord’s day. It is the day that we have set aside to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you are one of his, then God is expecting you to “Come bless the Lord….In the house of the Lord.” Are you prepared to bless him? You do know that is why we make the sacrifices we do to be at the Lord’s house, correct? We are there to bless him, not to be blessed. Worship is an act of giving, not taking. We are to give of ourselves so that we might bless him. If we happen to get blessed in the process, then praises be his holy name. If not, then that is okay, because we have done as we should and given up our time and resources to “Come bless the Lord.”

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments or questions can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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Our Common Adversary

As I study the story of the ten lepers and their healing in Luke 17:11-19, I cannot help but be struck by the fact the Jesus makes a point of declaring that the one leper who returned to give him thanks and to praise God was a Samaritan and a stranger. I can find no other reason for making this distinction other than to conclude that the other nine were Jews. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be ignorant of true religion, yet when healed, it is the Samaritan that praises God. However, there is another lesson that can be derived from the knowledge that these ten lepers were composed of nine Jews and one Samaritan.

It was not common place for Jews to associate with Samaritans. Samaritans were so despised by the Jews that a respecting Jew would not even travel through Samaria. However, Jesus finds these ten lepers together. In spite of the fact that one of these lepers is a Samaritan, the Jewish lepers do not shun him. What is it that causes these nine Jews to ignore the fact that this one man is a Samaritan? It is leprosy. In spite of their differences, the leprosy that they have in common now binds them together. As children of God, we can learn that it is our common adversities that bind us together.

A lot of time and energy is spent on examining differences. It is these differences that divide the family of God. We should spend more time realizing that we all have a common adversity. When we see our common adversity, which is the sin that infects us like leprosy, then we can often set aside our insignificant differences and walk together in peace. I am not suggesting that we should “throw caution to the wind” and no longer keep up certain standards in the house of God, but I am suggesting that we have often allowed minor differences to divide us when we should have been more focussed on those things that bind us together.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastor’s Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments or questions can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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For whom did Christ die?

I would like for you to take a few moments and ponder the question that is the title of this short devotional. For whom did Christ die? Pause right here before reading on and answer this question. If you are reading this devotional as a part of family worship, let each person answer the question before continuing.

What answers did you come up with? I am sure that among the answers are things such as “the elect”, “the children of God”, “those whom God chose”, etc. From a scriptural perspective, they are all very good answers. But consider this. Did anybody say “me?” Did anybody answer, “Jesus died for me?”

In 1st Timothy 1:15, Paul says “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Notice the personal nature of this statement. Paul does not just stop by saying that Jesus came to save sinners. He goes on to make that statement extremely personal by declaring himself to be the chief of those sinners. Salvation will never be real to you or precious to you until you make it personal to you.

On Mount Zion I stand,
And it is Calvary I see.
For on that wooden cross,
It was Jesus who died for ME.

So, ask yourself the question again. For whom did Christ die? Now answer that question with a resounding “Me!” It will change your perspective of what Jesus did on the cross. Making it personal will make the joy of Jesus’ victory all the sweeter to your soul.

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Footnote: Pastoral Notes is a devotional and spiritual series published by Elder Marty Hoskins, pastor of the Zion Primitive Baptist Church of Brunswick, Georgia. This series is published on a sporadic basis expressing thoughts that may be useful for devotionals or family worship. These devotionals and articles may be freely distributed so long as they are distributed in their entirety and this footnote is attached. These devotionals can also be read in the Pastors Journal at http://zionpbc.org. Any comments or questions can be directed to Elder Marty Hoskins at pastor@zionpbc.org.
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