Based on “The Millennium and the New Heaven and New Earth” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
12/29-30/07, Message #3428; Daily Devotional #4 - “Boys Will Be Boys”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. (Revelation 20:7-8)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): I know I’m getting old when I start thinking about “kids today!” Something happened recently with the children of a friend, and I thought to myself, why can’t the child understand what he’s doing is wrong? One of the suggestions the infamous Dr. Spock (not of Star Trek fame) gave for discipline was to help the child understand why his or her behavior is wrong. Then I think about an episode of a British science fiction series, Torchwood. It involved some rather gruesome deaths in a very small village. Normally the show tends more towards the US show The X-Files, but this particular episode didn’t. The answer the killer gave when asked why he did it: “Because it made me happy!” he said. As Pastor Mark reminded us in the message this weekend, we aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. We aren’t merely deceived on a superficial level--we’re rotten to the core. We are all born with a sin nature. Even those born in what will be the nearest thing to Paradise on Earth will be deceived, because they’re rotten to the core. Maybe they’ll be jealous of those with glorified bodies. Maybe they’ll resent the lack of “freedom” of Christ’s rule. Maybe the rebellion will just make them “happy.” There, but for the grace of God, go I. I’m just as rotten at the core. Too bad I need to be reminded of that too often. I’m saved by grace, but I’m still a sinner. I still mess up. I still blow up when I shouldn’t. I still get annoyed with children who run amok, or with their parents for letting them do so. I fail to realize that boys will be boys, girls will be girls, and sinners will be sinners.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response):
- Do you still find yourself thinking that, because you’re a Christ Follower, you’re above temptation and deception?
- Do you think everything should go the way you think it should go?
- Do you, like I, still have a problem letting go of the reins of control and letting God do what’s best? His ways are always best!
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Romans 8:20-39; Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 45:9
jgs
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673 All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted. New King James Version = NKJV, King James Version = KJV.