I have always liked John Bevere’s teachings over the years,
and I have actually already purchased his newest book Good or God a little while back and I just haven’t had the
opportunity to read it yet, so when I saw that there was a devotional plan for
it on the Bible app I jumped right on it. I thought this was a really good
devotional and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new plan to work
on. In fact, the only thing about it that I didn’t like was that, the way it
was written, it was difficult for me to pull a line from the devotional part of
it that impacted me (as I usually do, and then put them in italics right below the list of verses for the day) because it was
written in a way that it all worked together. That’s not really a problem
though, so I guess I shouldn’t say that I didn’t like that. It just made it
more difficult to me to do the thing that I normally do. And that is actually kind of relevant to the
study anyway. So, kudos, Mr. Bevere!
Good or God
Monday
(Proverbs 14:12, Hebrews 5:14, 1 Kings 3:9)
If good is so obvious, why does Hebrews 5:14 say we must have our senses trained to “discern [or recognize] both good and evil”?
It’s true, we so often judge for ourselves what is Godly by making Godly and good synonymous instead of pulling our definition of Godly from the pages of the Bible. What is good oftentimes depends on your perspective: to a child it seems good to have ALL of the candy, but the parent knows that this is not truly a good thing for the child. It’s difficult to see the parent’s perspective until you’re no longer a child. Should we expect the rest of life to be any different? The only way we can hope to discern the difference between what is Godly and what we currently see a ‘good’ is by seeking the answer from God.
Tuesday
(Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3, Psalm 136:1)
The longer she believed God was denying her something good, the more justified her longing seemed.
Why do we think that we know better than God? The same thing which Eve did, we do every day. We struggle to live under the authority of God because we think we know what is best for ourselves. I am just as guilty as anyone else, and maybe more than most. The devotional suggested that I keep Psalm 136:1 at the forefront of my thought today (Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, for His loyal love endures forever.) God is good. We need to live in that knowledge and trust its truth. And if it is true, why would we not live in His Word…
Wednesday
(James 1:16-17, Joshua 1:8, 2 Timothy 3:16)
It doesn’t matter how good or sensible something looks, how happy or successful it makes us, how spiritual it appears, or how accepted it may be. If it is contrary to God’s will, it will bring sorrow to our lives in the end.
How seriously do we take the Bible? Do we seek out the answers to our problems in God’s word? Do we rely on the Word of God, or do we simply say that we do? Often, I think that we give lip service to the Bible but we’re really just going to do what we think is best. I’m guilty of this, I can admit it. This is the lesson: how seriously can we take the Word of God? How can I, today, add steps in my life to take it more seriously?
Thursday
(Philippians 3:14)
We are all single-minded in pursuit of something.
What is the one thing we are driving toward? We’re here in a devotion so, hopefully, my answer isn’t money/fame/power or anything like that. It’s OK to want those things for the right reasons, but the shouldn’t be the biggest desire of our heart. My biggest goal (the thing my GPS should be set on) should be to be Jesus to everyone who encounters me today (every day).
Friday
(Hebrews 11:24-26, Exodus 33:1-3, Exodus 33:15, James 4:8)
Moses’s reply is mind-boggling. In essence, he tells God, “If I have to choose between Your presence and Your blessing, I’ll take Your presence.”
God told Moses that the Israelites were ready to go to the Promised Land, but while God was going to send an angel to go with them and drive out all of the inhabitants of the land before them, He wasn’t going to go with them Himself. Moses had the opportunity to go and for the people to view him as the hero, and Moses said that he would rather stay in the wilderness (where the people couldn’t stand him) and stay in the presence of God, than go to the land flowing with milk and honey and lead a people who would adore him if it was without God’s presence. Could we make that sacrifice? Do we love God’s presence enough to sacrifice what seems so good in the natural? Do we even know that that feels like? This is what I should seek out today!
Saturday
(James 4:5, 1 John 2:15-16, 1 John 5:21, Colossians 3:1-2)
When people hear warnings about “the world,” they often fall prey to legalism.
This is a good point, if you build up rules in your life to create boundaries so that you don’t fall prey to sin, how do you not fall victim to legalism at the same time? How do you live a set apart life without coming up with barriers which set yourself apart from the world? The trick, I think, is to constantly have God in your sights. I know, easier said than done. Hebrews 12:1-2 suggests that we fix our eyes on Jesus, and in so doing we get an example of how we should live. That, again, isn’t as easy as just saying it is, but it’s a start. Seek to know Jesus and you’ll be moving down the right pathway.
Sunday
(Hebrews 12:14)
I believe a healthy understanding of holiness can transform everything about our lives. It is the difference between fulfilled life and unsatisfying existence.
Holiness is what we are called to. I honestly don’t understand why so many Christians reject holiness because of the grace given them. Anyone who knows me could probably guess at this. To my understanding, we were afforded grace because Jesus died for our sins. Jesus, the guy who once told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more, after He had shown her grace by forgiving her. Yes, were sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom 5:20). But, does that mean that we should continue on sinning just so grace can keep abounding? Certainly not! (Rom 6:1) We don’t need to keep proving that grace is there and present in our lives. We are called to set ourselves apart. We’re not setting ourselves apart to gain salvation, we’re setting ourselves apart because that’s what we should be compelled to do as a thank you to God for granting us the grace He has given us. We don’t seek holiness to gain salvation, we seek holiness because we are saved!
Monday
(Ephesian 1:3-4, 1 Peter 1:14-17, 2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
We can settle much of the confusion about holiness by understanding that it has two aspects. One deals with our position in Christ. The other deals with the behavior that results from it.
Holiness isn’t about legalism, it’s about love. It’s easy to fall into legalism if you’re obeying the commands of Jesus, but as long as we keep our eyes focused on Him we won’t fall victim to legalism. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to live a holy life.
Tuesday
(2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Peter 1:2-3)
…we’re still frustrated by our inability to live the way God wants us to. We’ve been born again in Christ, so why do we keep falling?
Today’s devotional was about grace, and its power and strength, not just its forgiveness. Admittedly, my guard goes up when we talk about grace. Not because I don’t believe in grace, but because so much of the Christian church has used grace as an excuse to bring the unholy inside of what should be holy. But I love, and am for grateful for, the grace which the Father has given me through Jesus, our Messiah. And I do love John Bevere’s teaching on grace. I’ve heard it before and I judge it to be foundational to a healthy walk with Christ. Go didn’t provide His grace just so we could have our sins blotted out. God granted us grace so that we could be empowered to not sin going forward. It is the grace of God that enables us to live a holy, set-apart life. I still fail daily, but most days are better than previous days. I still fall down, but God’s grace picks me back up and keeps me on the right track.
Wednesday
(Ephesians 1:19, Ephesian 2:10, Ephesians 3:20-21, Romans 5:17)
My friend, you are not limited by your past, family background, education, or anything else in the natural. God’s grace defines who you are and what you can do. Your potential is immeasurable. The only thing that can limit you is your faith.
This final day of the plan is entitled “The Good Life” and I got a little concerned that this was going to go into some “prosperity gospel” teaching. Thankfully, it didn’t really go there. Through the grace of God we have been given the ability to walk righteously, but God’s grace is also a power within us which empowers us to overcome any obstacle. If we have the faith to believe that God’s kingdom can be built around us, we can be the tools which God uses to build it!
Good or God
Monday
(Proverbs 14:12, Hebrews 5:14, 1 Kings 3:9)
If good is so obvious, why does Hebrews 5:14 say we must have our senses trained to “discern [or recognize] both good and evil”?
It’s true, we so often judge for ourselves what is Godly by making Godly and good synonymous instead of pulling our definition of Godly from the pages of the Bible. What is good oftentimes depends on your perspective: to a child it seems good to have ALL of the candy, but the parent knows that this is not truly a good thing for the child. It’s difficult to see the parent’s perspective until you’re no longer a child. Should we expect the rest of life to be any different? The only way we can hope to discern the difference between what is Godly and what we currently see a ‘good’ is by seeking the answer from God.
Tuesday
(Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3, Psalm 136:1)
The longer she believed God was denying her something good, the more justified her longing seemed.
Why do we think that we know better than God? The same thing which Eve did, we do every day. We struggle to live under the authority of God because we think we know what is best for ourselves. I am just as guilty as anyone else, and maybe more than most. The devotional suggested that I keep Psalm 136:1 at the forefront of my thought today (Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, for His loyal love endures forever.) God is good. We need to live in that knowledge and trust its truth. And if it is true, why would we not live in His Word…
Wednesday
(James 1:16-17, Joshua 1:8, 2 Timothy 3:16)
It doesn’t matter how good or sensible something looks, how happy or successful it makes us, how spiritual it appears, or how accepted it may be. If it is contrary to God’s will, it will bring sorrow to our lives in the end.
How seriously do we take the Bible? Do we seek out the answers to our problems in God’s word? Do we rely on the Word of God, or do we simply say that we do? Often, I think that we give lip service to the Bible but we’re really just going to do what we think is best. I’m guilty of this, I can admit it. This is the lesson: how seriously can we take the Word of God? How can I, today, add steps in my life to take it more seriously?
Thursday
(Philippians 3:14)
We are all single-minded in pursuit of something.
What is the one thing we are driving toward? We’re here in a devotion so, hopefully, my answer isn’t money/fame/power or anything like that. It’s OK to want those things for the right reasons, but the shouldn’t be the biggest desire of our heart. My biggest goal (the thing my GPS should be set on) should be to be Jesus to everyone who encounters me today (every day).
Friday
(Hebrews 11:24-26, Exodus 33:1-3, Exodus 33:15, James 4:8)
Moses’s reply is mind-boggling. In essence, he tells God, “If I have to choose between Your presence and Your blessing, I’ll take Your presence.”
God told Moses that the Israelites were ready to go to the Promised Land, but while God was going to send an angel to go with them and drive out all of the inhabitants of the land before them, He wasn’t going to go with them Himself. Moses had the opportunity to go and for the people to view him as the hero, and Moses said that he would rather stay in the wilderness (where the people couldn’t stand him) and stay in the presence of God, than go to the land flowing with milk and honey and lead a people who would adore him if it was without God’s presence. Could we make that sacrifice? Do we love God’s presence enough to sacrifice what seems so good in the natural? Do we even know that that feels like? This is what I should seek out today!
Saturday
(James 4:5, 1 John 2:15-16, 1 John 5:21, Colossians 3:1-2)
When people hear warnings about “the world,” they often fall prey to legalism.
This is a good point, if you build up rules in your life to create boundaries so that you don’t fall prey to sin, how do you not fall victim to legalism at the same time? How do you live a set apart life without coming up with barriers which set yourself apart from the world? The trick, I think, is to constantly have God in your sights. I know, easier said than done. Hebrews 12:1-2 suggests that we fix our eyes on Jesus, and in so doing we get an example of how we should live. That, again, isn’t as easy as just saying it is, but it’s a start. Seek to know Jesus and you’ll be moving down the right pathway.
Sunday
(Hebrews 12:14)
I believe a healthy understanding of holiness can transform everything about our lives. It is the difference between fulfilled life and unsatisfying existence.
Holiness is what we are called to. I honestly don’t understand why so many Christians reject holiness because of the grace given them. Anyone who knows me could probably guess at this. To my understanding, we were afforded grace because Jesus died for our sins. Jesus, the guy who once told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more, after He had shown her grace by forgiving her. Yes, were sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom 5:20). But, does that mean that we should continue on sinning just so grace can keep abounding? Certainly not! (Rom 6:1) We don’t need to keep proving that grace is there and present in our lives. We are called to set ourselves apart. We’re not setting ourselves apart to gain salvation, we’re setting ourselves apart because that’s what we should be compelled to do as a thank you to God for granting us the grace He has given us. We don’t seek holiness to gain salvation, we seek holiness because we are saved!
Monday
(Ephesian 1:3-4, 1 Peter 1:14-17, 2 Corinthians 5:9-10)
We can settle much of the confusion about holiness by understanding that it has two aspects. One deals with our position in Christ. The other deals with the behavior that results from it.
Holiness isn’t about legalism, it’s about love. It’s easy to fall into legalism if you’re obeying the commands of Jesus, but as long as we keep our eyes focused on Him we won’t fall victim to legalism. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to live a holy life.
Tuesday
(2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Peter 1:2-3)
…we’re still frustrated by our inability to live the way God wants us to. We’ve been born again in Christ, so why do we keep falling?
Today’s devotional was about grace, and its power and strength, not just its forgiveness. Admittedly, my guard goes up when we talk about grace. Not because I don’t believe in grace, but because so much of the Christian church has used grace as an excuse to bring the unholy inside of what should be holy. But I love, and am for grateful for, the grace which the Father has given me through Jesus, our Messiah. And I do love John Bevere’s teaching on grace. I’ve heard it before and I judge it to be foundational to a healthy walk with Christ. Go didn’t provide His grace just so we could have our sins blotted out. God granted us grace so that we could be empowered to not sin going forward. It is the grace of God that enables us to live a holy, set-apart life. I still fail daily, but most days are better than previous days. I still fall down, but God’s grace picks me back up and keeps me on the right track.
Wednesday
(Ephesians 1:19, Ephesian 2:10, Ephesians 3:20-21, Romans 5:17)
My friend, you are not limited by your past, family background, education, or anything else in the natural. God’s grace defines who you are and what you can do. Your potential is immeasurable. The only thing that can limit you is your faith.
This final day of the plan is entitled “The Good Life” and I got a little concerned that this was going to go into some “prosperity gospel” teaching. Thankfully, it didn’t really go there. Through the grace of God we have been given the ability to walk righteously, but God’s grace is also a power within us which empowers us to overcome any obstacle. If we have the faith to believe that God’s kingdom can be built around us, we can be the tools which God uses to build it!
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