This post is one of the entries from Jody’s upcoming book, “Come Follow Me,” a year-long devotional based on her popular video podcast of the same name, to be released in the fall of 2016 by Two Worlds Press. 

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” ~ I Peter 5:10

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Advancing through different stages of maturity is an ongoing theme in the scriptures.  The aged Apostle John, toward the end of his life and ministry, spoke to three distinct categories of believers: little children, young men, and fathers.(I John 2:12-14)  Little children need to know, and grow in the love of the Father.  Their focus needs to rest on all that was accomplished for them at salvation.  Young men, in need of endurance, must focus on overcoming the evil one; growing in all aspects unto Him, by the power of the Word of God abiding in them.  For fathers—it’s about knowing and being known by God.  Intimacy is the result of living  and walking from the life of the Indwelling Spirit.

God’s intention is to grow us through each of these stages as ‘sons’.  When He invites us into relationship, He desires to train us as ‘sons’.  He is also a God of the process, and takes up residence within—bearing His fruit through us.

Question: Do you see evidence of these three stages of believers around you?  Why is having all three around a sign of a spiritually healthy church?

This post is one of the entries from Jody’s upcoming book, “Come Follow Me,” a year-long devotional based on her popular video podcast of the same name, to be released in the fall of 2016 by Two Worlds Press. 

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” ~ James 1:16

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There are three significant strategies of the evil one that have impacted the people of God for multiple centuries.  These strategies are so aligned with his wicked nature that his names correspond to each activity.  Satan is the ‘accuser’, and we are usually aware when he is whispering a charge against us.  He is also the ‘tempter, actively pursuing us with bait in hand.  We tend to recognize both of these attempts to war against us.  But with the third strategy, we are consistently oblivious to the manner of infiltration that the ‘deceiver’ has made in our lives.  When you are accused, you know it.  When you are tempted, you know it.  When you are deceived, you don’t see it, or it wouldn’t be a deception.  When we consider the topic of deception, we tend to focus on what comes out of our mouths, rather than what goes into our hearts.  Our focus on deception has been on what goes out rather than what goes in; when we are lying rather than when we are being lied to.

If we acknowledge the potency of deception, we tend to regard it as an INFECTION.  We know that it exists all around us, that we can be personally influenced, but that we can overcome.  Just like germs can introduce a virus into our systems, we believe lies only last for a season and we can easily escape their snare.  The reality is, that deception is much closer to something being IMBEDDED (cancer-like), and built into our very framework.  Deception is designed to lurk like a hidden IED (improvised explosive device), and explode with devastating consequences, at an unforeseen moment.

Jesus came to us as The Way, The Truth, and the Life.  He longs to lead us in these days by a narrow way that leads to Life.

Question: List three deceptions that are influencing the very foundation of our culture (these may not seem evil).

This post is one of the entries from Jody’s upcoming book, “Come Follow Me,” a year-long devotional based on her popular video podcast of the same name, to be released in the fall of 2016 by Two Worlds Press. 

“Thy way O God is holy; What God is great like our God?  Thou art the God who workest wonders; Thou hast made known Thy strength among the peoples.  Thou hast by Thy power redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.”

~ Psalm 77:13-15

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The wilderness was a time of testing and trial for Israel.  Born into slavery in Egypt, they were unaccustomed to the ways of the Lord.  The Father needed to reorient His people to Himself.

The stories of Israel’s forty year sojourn have numerous lessons for us today.  “For I don’t want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.  Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.  Now these things happened as examples for us; that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved…” (I Corinthians 10:1-6)

Hidden within the story of deliverance from Egypt, and the journey to the Promised Land, is our own redemption story.  There is a saying that goes:  The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.  When we read them, it is similar to the way we put a large puzzle together…continually looking for places that match.  The wilderness story is when God begins to retrain His people to ‘be led.’

Question: How has the Lord taught you to trust Him in the midst of a trial?