Today Brother Bob will share several blessed devotionals that lift up our Lord Jesus. First, pictured above we see the great commission stated by our Lord Jesus at Matthew 28:18. Jesus said All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Now notice we see a prerogative, program, and a promise in Jesus' great commission. Jesus first stated His prerogative or right as the captain general of the army of angels by saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Then Jesus stated his program to have His saints disciple, baptize, and teach saying Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And finally, Jesus stated His promise to the saints saying and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Wow, what a setup; All the world before us; all power behind us; and the All Powerful one with us always. Remember the great commission is a command all saints must obey. Jesus wants us to go and teach all nations that Jesus is God, died on the cross, was buried, and rose again. And Jesus wants us to save lost souls by telling everyone all over this earth to repent and turn from their sins to live daily with our Lord Jesus. Friend reading this anywhere don't waste your life by being selfish and winning no souls to Jesus. Give purpose to your life and win lost sinners to Jesus rejoicing with the angels over any sinner that repents and gets saved. The bible says that there is joy in the presence of angels over just one sinner that repenteth.
Finally, notice the two lost words of to observe in the great commission listed above. Matthew 28:20 reads Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; not teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Today many saints teach about Jesus, but fail to tell people to observe and do Jesus' commandments.
We have a lot of hearers but few doers of the Word. James 1:22 tells us But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein (constantly meditates memorizes and looks at the Word of God daily), he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Friend anywhere reading this remember that Jesus told us to be doers of the Word and said at Matthew 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest. Are you out in the field of this world reaping and winning souls to our Lord Jesus or are you just out on the sidelines grumbling and complaining? Remember James 5:20 tells us when we convert a sinner from the error of his ways, we save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Make something of your life and win souls to our Lord Jesus; the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.
OK, for our next devotional, Brother Bob will tell you a story about the Troy General Store pictured above that became dilapadated and about to go out of business. The floor was unswept, the windows unwashed, the goods in disorder, the proprietor careless and untidy; But one day the king of the country visited this little shop. After the king saw the wretched condition of the general store, he told the shopkeeper, if you do as I say, I will let you put over the store's door a sign Approved By The King.
The store's owner gladly consented and changed everything; the floors were swept, the windows were washed, the goods were put in order, and the keeper cleaned himself up. Soon customers began to visit the Troy General Store from everywhere because the sign on the shop's door said Approved By The King and the till or money drawer of the shop became full.
Neighbor reading this anywhere like the shopkeeper of the Troy General Store, let King Jesus be Lord over your life and clean up your house. People all over this earth in many nations will see that you have been Approved By King Jesus. Right now say this prayer: Lord Jesus I long to be perfectly whole; I want thee forever to live in my soul; Break down every idol, cast out every foe; Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let King Jesus take over the little shop of your life where you win many souls to become faithful customers who freely receive the blessings of our Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes what happens when someone makes Jesus King and Lord of their life saying Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. Jesus said at John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Learn this lesson about the power of fellowship and togetherness. When people pray and agree together, their prayers are more effective and powerful. I need you and you need me. We need each other. Deuteronomy 32:30 says How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. One ant can push a crumb, but ten ants can move the crumb away faster with more power. Jesus said at Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Crooked sticks seem to straighen each other out when tied in a bundle. And a singing congregation sounds fine but I wouldn't want to hear them one at a time.
Now read what a magazine editor wrote to a little girl who was afraid because of this troubled world. The magazine editor told the little girl that there is no hiding place. But according to the picture above, the magazine editor was wrong because Psalm 91:2 says I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in Him will I trust. Psalm 18:2 also says The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn of my salvation and my high tower. And Proverbs 18:10 says The name of the Lord (Jesus) is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
When the people during Isaiah's life made their hiding place lies and falsehoods saying at Isaiah 28:15 we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves, God responded at Isaiah 28:17 and made hail to sweep away their refuge of lies, and waters to overflow their falsehood hiding places.
And during the great tribulation sinners will try to make mountains and rocks their hiding place from the great wrath of God. But sinners can't run and they can't hide from the Lord Jesus. Sinners will learn that the only way to hide from Jesus' presence is in Jesus' presence. The Lord Jesus said at Jeremiah 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord; Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. Amos 8:2 also says Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them.
Friends everywhere, our refuge and hiding place is only with the Lord Jesus. Colossians 3:3 says For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Psalm 32:7 also speaks about Jesus saying Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
How comforting to know that with Jesus there is a hiding place and refuge from the pride of man and from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20 promises this by saying Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Finally notice two things stated by the prophet Isaiah proving that Jesus is the saints hiding place from the troubles of this world. Isaiah 32:1 promises Behold a king shall reign in righteousness (Jesus) and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man (Jesus who is both man, King, the Son of God, and God) shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest (shelter from the storm); as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Finally Isaiah proclaimed that the Lord Jesus is the Rock of Ages so saints can joyfully sing Rock of Ages cleft for me; Let me hide myself in thee. Isaiah 26:3 reads Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; Trust in the Lord forever; For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (notice in Hebrew strength is defined as Rock). Hallelujah, Jesus is the Lord Jehovah and is an everlasting Rock of Ages. Jesus is our hiding place and refuge forevermore.
It is a blessing to write these bible studies that I pray in Jesus name bless and strengthen multitudes in many nations. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Until we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.