Monthly Archives: September 2020

Devotional, Nathan Dooley

What Is Discipline

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We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 John 4:16

You might have noticed a theme to these “What Is…” devotionals. I’ve stayed around the subject of Judas Iscariot because the relationship between Judas and Jesus reveals the love of God for His enemies; that’s paramount. But it also reveals the authority that is given the Son of Man to remove the restrainer that protects against the lawlessness of Satan (2 Thes 2:7).

God loves us as a Father that disciplines His children (Heb 12:7-11). We can see that happening as Judas exercises miracles, authority over demons, preaches the kingdom at hand (Mat 10:5-8) and even eats the morsel received from Jesus at the passover (Jhn 13:26). So if God loved Judas, why would Satan be permitted to enter into him? Let’s look at this from another angle. Remember when Jesus calls out Peter saying, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luk 22:31-32). What was going on with Peter that Jesus would say this to him? My observation (and Peter please forgive me for where I might be wrong) is his desire to lead by acting on Christ’s behalf, his ambition manifests through insecurities wanting to prove himself. And it looks like Satan was eating that up inside Peter because it wasn’t that Peter wanted to deny Christ, but his zeal was clouding his judgment about what Christ meant regarding thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Luk 22:30); possibly felt an erratic jolt of emotions for such a position, not to mention what came next, and didn’t know how to react or respond other than to get ampt. Next thing you know he cuts off a dudes ear and starts cursing… can you relate?! Shoot, I feel like I can!

But what do we make of Satan? This issue of sin dates back to the seed of Adam and is written in our DNA because Adam was not deceived when eating that fruit (1 Tim 2:14, Gen 3:6). And so we were living in the lie of evil because we are of our father the devil (Jhn 8:44) choosing to believe in ourselves rather than the truth of the Word of God (Gen 3:7), which is what Peter was doing by cutting off the right ear of a chief priests’ slave at the arrest of Jesus (Luk 18:10) and then denying Jesus for fear of his own life because it was time for the hour of darkness (Luk 22:53) in fulfillment of scripture. Notice what Jesus said to Simon (Peter), …but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; …” Jesus said that He prayed for Peter. And why if Peter has no choice to his faith? After all, God is the one that hardens the heart, and Judas is the one to betray Jesus. So what glory is there to marvel at if God creates His vessels to do what they have no power over? We would be robotic in nature, without option but to marvel. Jesus prayed to His Father who gives us our faith that will either condemn or save us based on the condition of our hearts. And we are either using the faith of God to become hardened like Judas to an illegitimate father (Satan 1 Cor 5:5, 2 Thess 1:9)); or receiving salvation as promised like Peter through a relationship with the love of our heavenly Father (Jesus (Mat 18:14, 1 Tim 2)). Because faith is obeying by believing that Jesus did come in the flesh, and is Son of God, that grants us our promise into the kingdom of God (Jhn 14:6).

The last significant detail about these words of Jesus to Simon is, …and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” . There is an obvious mediation going on here by the data revealed about Simon’s heart. Jesus is confident that Simon will be turned again to Peter (Mat 16:18) for the responsibility of His office. But it’s through his portion of faith (Rom 12:3-6) to trust in the seal of the Holy Spirit (Jhn 3:33-36, 2 Tim 2:19-26).

Devotional, Nathan Dooley

What Is Justice?

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“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Matthew 26:13

Indeed… This gospel is being preached in the whole world! But why is it that this woman will be remembered for what she did? This devotional is something special to me because of what this woman did, and I hope it will prove the same for you. Because it might be that you are troubled by this idea of value; value as—your faith in Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord, and Savior, who took away your sin—wondering whether you are worthy of such an anointing of salvation (1 Jo 2:27) by thoughts and feelings of past issues and present sins? How value is weighed and measured from a human or carnal perspective is costly because it’s deceptive. God is patient toward the activity of sin in this world for you, right now, reading this, because even the most unworthy can hear and believe this good news if their willing to receive it. But put this memory of the woman in your heart and mind as we learn just how worthy you are to God through what Jesus Christ did.

When Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Notice how all the disciples became indignant or angrily suspicious at this treatment because their focus was in the value of the perfume, instead of Jesus. And one disciple in particular became so twisted in the heart giving root to that emotion of indignation sought the opportunity to betray Jesus (Matt 26:14-16) through the temple priests already conspiring how to kill Jesus (Matt 26:1-5); Judas Iscariot became the how to for the priests already under the influence of evil; the invisible work of the devil uses the justice and love of God to manipulate the human perception, in this case, the minds of the temple priests and the heart of Judas Iscariot.

Justice is the law of God that Jesus Christ fulfilled and still proclaims today (Mat 5:17, Mat 12:18); which means the continued sacrifice of lambs, the temple building and priests, have no longer been necessary for the forgiveness of sins; the death and burial of Jesus Christ is the passing of the old covenant, while the new covenant is born in His bodily resurrection (a new body). And the reason this woman anointed Jesus with the costly perfume is because she perceived the significance of the burial. The perfume represents you and the fragrance of you is a soothing aroma to God. Your faith is that fragrance of Jesus Christ to God that produces salvation in you as your sin dies and is buried forever by believing that your sin was taken away to the cross of Jesus Christ. It is buried in history. You are free! Now that we believe with confidence that Jesus was raised from the dead, we too are raised from the dead by grace through faith, having a clean conscience before the throne of God (a new body). Your sin has no power over you. So turn from your sin, and have eternal life in Jesus Christ (the Son of Man).

The featured image is from The CHOSEN season 1 episode 8 and it turns out that this series is reaching the world with the gospel just as this verse with words in red indicate would happen. And no, this is not a paid mention for The Chosen or any favor. This is just information, and hope, for reaching the world with the gospel that preaches Jesus Christ.

Devotional, Nathan Dooley

What Is Truth?

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Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

John 18:38

Can you feel that question… “What is truth?…” If I may, please let me challenge you to ask that question for yourself without bias, don’t assume to know. Ask yourself, “What is truth?” For me that question causes thoughts about how I’ve come to know my truth. Questions immediately stir about my birth into this world (born into the Dooley family, Warrensburg Missouri—USA 1988, brought up in the Christian faith), but also… “How was it that I could comprehend two plus two equals four and why?” That question did actually come to mind, but more than that though, “…what does the value of truth mean and my relationship to that value?” This is quite the labor that will take some serious work to peel away the layers of life and indoctrination to discover what is truth. But when we do, it’s sooo worth it!

Pilate was in a position to crucify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And if he knew the truth of what he was doing, do you think that he would have crucified Jesus? Pilate thought that he had the power to release Jesus (Jhn 19:10), but what did Jesus say? “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” So who then delivered Jesus to Pilate? Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” (Jhn 13:26-27). When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (Jhn 14:6)—Jesus answered our question to this devotional.

Truth is not determined by angels or people because the authority to determine what truth is, belongs to the Son of God—the Word of God through Jesus Christ. Notice what command Jesus gave to Judas after Satan had entered him, Jesus told the fallen angel that we know as Satan to follow through the desire of Judas’ heart. And the truth about the heart of Judas was to betray Jesus for money (Mat 26:14-16). And so this is why it is so unwise to act as though you believe in Jesus while yet holding onto the idea of disbelief for the sake of gain. Do not wait for the opportunity to sell your confidence in Jesus for “money” and Satan to possess your heart. Check yourself before you enter into your future. Don’t feel ashamed to wonder about the condition of your heart, trust in Jesus Christ.