Weekly Devotional, Year 5–Week 22, June 2, 2023, By Pastor Donnie Clemons

Hospitality

1 Peter 4:9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

God’s Word teaches us to be hospitable toward one another in a few places; that specifically means our brothers and sisters in Christ. Christians are to be hospitable toward other Christians. That means we are to be friendly, welcoming, and generous with our fellow believers in Christ. Both our door and our heart should always be open to them, and our hospitality should be sincere. True hospitality does not allow for grumbling and complaining about how inconvenient it was to be hospitable.

Hospitality is especially important to Church leaders. Paul says it is a requirement for them. “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach…” (1 Timothy 3:2) But hospitality isn’t reserved for Church leaders only. Paul says all Christians should be “given to hospitality.” (Romans 12:13) So Christians must be hospitable toward one another.

But hospitality has its limits. There is one group we Christians should never be hospitable toward—false teachers. John tells us, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (2 John 1:10-11)

So, consider what God’s Word tells us about hospitality. Be hospitable, especially to your fellow believers, and don’t open your home to anyone who brings in false doctrine.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Whitewashed

Matthew 23:27-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

When it comes to home maintenance you can cover up a lot of problems with a good coat of paint. A freshly painted house might look good on the outside, but it does nothing to fix the bad plumbing, faulty wiring, or leaking roof. You might drive by a house like that and think it looks beautiful from the outside, but inside it’s a mess.

The same is true of people. They try to fix their life by covering up their faults. They might stop doing some of the bad things they used to do and start doing some good things they should have been doing all along, but all of that is just whitewash. It looks good on the outside, but it doesn’t really fix anything on the inside.

Jesus understood. You can whitewash a tomb and make it look nice, but there’s still only rotting flesh and dead men’s bones inside. That’s how He described the false religious leaders of His days here on earth. They looked good on the outside. They said the right things and did the right things, but inside they were two-faced sinners. They looked righteous, but they were rotten on the inside.

It’s really a matter of the heart. Change must be heart-deep change. Just like fixing up a house requires more than a paint job, fixing up your life is more than external. It all begins with a change of heart. Fixing your life requires a new way of thinking, a new way of processing information. It requires a new heart, a heart that only comes to you by way of faith in Jesus Christ. When you truly believe in Jesus He changes your heart, and that changes your life from the inside out. Rather than a coat of whitewash on the outside, you’ll be changed on the inside.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Always Keep Growing

2 Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Peter says, “Beware!” We hear that word over and over in Scripture. In this case Peter warns us to beware that we do not fall from our steadfastness. What does he mean by that? Peter was concerned that Christians would become complacent and take their commitment to follow Jesus for granted. Believers sometimes get lazy in their faith, and when they do, there is a great chance they might be led astray by the errors of wicked people.

How do we combat that? How do we remain steadfast, committed, resolute in our faith? We grow. We continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In that way we will not be led astray. Growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus we will help us remain doctrinally stable and morally sound. It is by grace and knowledge that we are protected from stumbling into evil.

Earlier in this epistle Peter said it is true knowledge of Jesus that leads us to godly living, and it is only by His grace that we can attain that knowledge. So, we cannot stop growing spiritually. We must keep moving forward, pressing toward the goal of the prize, as Paul put it. If we neglect to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we might be led into sin by wicked people, and none of us ever want to do that. So, we must always keep growing.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

God Does Not Change

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The world changes. People change, places change, seasons change…but God never changes. Many people today believe God changes as the world changes, that He makes changes to His moral expectations for us as society makes changes to its moral expectations. Those same people read their Bible and believe the words written there were only meant for certain people who lived at a certain time in history, and they do not apply to people today.

We need to understand; there is no variation with God. Our Father in Heaven does not adjust His moral standards to align with worldly whims. God’s standard for marriage does not change. God’s design concerning gender does not change. God has not changed His mind about murdering children in the womb. There is no variation or shadow of turning with God, no matter what the culture, the government, the courts, or even some churches believe.

Somehow, our culture is under the impression God cares about democracy; that if the majority of people believe something is right God submits to the will of people. Others believe God’s love trumps His demand for justice; that because God loves us He will lower His moral standards to accommodate our sin. Still, others believe God’s moral standards as laid out in Scripture are old-fashioned and in need of an update, but none of that is true because God does not change.

The moral standards God laid out for us in His Holy Word are still in place. His expectations for how His people live are still the standard. So even as the world changes regarding certain cultural issues, understand this—God does not change, and He never will.

Have a God Filled Week.
Brother Donnie

Changed by the Gospel

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Recently, I read an article titled “Gospel Centered” by a respected Southern Baptist leader who chastised churches for replacing the Gospel with “moralistic rules,” that “teach new converts that once they enter into salvation through the Gospel, now they need to start living a moralistic life with a whole new set of rules like; attend church, read your Bible, stay sexually pure…” In his article he separates the saving power of the Gospel from the transformative power of the Gospel, but that is impossible.

The Bible certainly tells us that the Gospel changes a person’s eternal destiny, but the Bible also tells us it transforms a person’s present reality. It is by the transforming power of the Gospel that new converts begin a new life. Yes, that person is eternally saved, but that person is also changed from the inside out by the Holy Spirit who resides in everyone who believes the Gospel.

To say that true faith in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, only provides a way to escape hell and enter Heaven sells the Gospel short. The Gospel does even more than that. The Gospel also changes your mind—your heart—today. When you believe the Gospel you put fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness to death. (Colossians 3:5) You put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying. (Colossians 3:8-9) You put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. (Colossians 3:12-15) Why? Because “you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…” (Colossians 3:9-10) You are changed by the Gospel.

For the church to proclaim the whole Gospel, the church must “teach new converts that once they enter into salvation through the Gospel, now they need to start living a moralistic life with a whole new set of rules like; attend church, read your Bible, stay sexually pure…”

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Food Glorious Food

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

I’ve heard it said that one of the symbols of the Baptist Faith is a casserole dish. We Baptist have a reputation for relying on physical food as a part of our ministry. That was not the case with Jesus. The next day after Jesus miraculously fed the five-thousand with just five loaves and two fish He went to Capernaum and the crowds followed Him there, but Jesus knew what was going on.

Jesus knew their hearts. He knew this large crowd had not accepted Him as Lord and Savior. They were only following Him to get more food, more bread and fish. They did not hunger and thirst for righteousness; they just wanted to fill their bellies again. Friends, following Jesus in that manner is useless, and Jesus very pointedly told them so. He said:

John 6:27 “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

If you only follow Jesus because you want Him to meet your physical needs, you have followed Him for all the wrong reasons. Follow Jesus because of the Spiritual food He offers—food that endures and is everlasting. Only Jesus can give you that kind of food. Only Jesus offers you the bread of life—eternal life.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Children

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

This week Beverly and I were blessed to meet our new grandniece, Raelynn, for the first time. We met her at the hospital just a few hours after she was born. It is hard to imagine anything sweeter than holding that little girl in my arms. She is a heritage from God and a reward for her family.

Children are a blessing. Not every person understands that, but it is the truth. God gives children to families as precious gifts. Mothers and fathers are rewarded with children, but their reward comes with great responsibility, and the Bible has a lot to say when it comes to fulfilling that responsibility. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Parents must train their children. That responsibility cannot be transferred to grandparents, day care centers, or schools. Our current government would love to train our children for us and train them in the ways of the world, but Christian parents bear the responsibility to train up their children in the ways of God.

Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right. (Proverbs 20:11) If Christian parents do not train up their children in the ways they should go they will go astray, and when they do their reputation will suffer. Children quickly garner status once they go out in public. They will be labeled good kids or bad kids based on their behavior. No parent wants to be known as the mother or father of a rotten kid, but there is great joy in being the parent of a child who does what is pure and right. So, parents, “Do not withhold correction from a child.” Proverbs 23:13

Parents must set a good example for their children.
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7) You see, children are a blessing to parents, but good parents are a blessing to children.

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Follow Me

John 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Before the Crucifixion Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. After the Resurrection Jesus asked Peter “Do you love Me?” three times. Peter thought his sin made him useless to the Lord, but in the end the Lord restored Peter and then He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus would say the same to each one of us. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but if you love Jesus enough you will repent of your sin and follow Him. Like Peter, you may feel unworthy of His grace. You may believe the sin you have committed is so grievous to the Lord that He could never restore you, but if you truly love Christ, you have the power within you to repent of your sins and follow Him.

Now understand this; following Jesus is never easy. Following Jesus is often difficult. Immediately after saying these things Jesus told Peter there would come a day when Peter would be bound up and taken where he did not want to go. Jesus said these things to signify what kind of death Peter would suffer, and tradition tells us Peter was crucified upside-down on a cross.

No matter how great your sin, Jesus can restore you. You can still follow him, but following Him might come at a price you are unwilling to pay. Still, what good is it if you gain the whole world and lose your soul. He that finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it.

Jesus says, “Follow Me.”

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

Raised From the Dead

Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

This Sunday we celebrate Easter; we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. That is important because Scripture tells us since Jesus was raised from the dead, one day we will be raised to eternal life too. (Romans 8:11) Scripture says if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) But there are other benefits to having faith in the resurrection of Christ.

We need to understand that our new life in Christ began when we first believed Christ was raised from the dead. We do not have to wait until we are dead to enjoy the benefit of our resurrection; we can enjoy a new life now. Our sins died with Jesus on the Cross. As such, we were buried with Christ and raised with Christ. That is what our baptism represents. We were buried with Christ and raised into new life.

So as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection this Sunday, understand the eternal benefit of your faith, but also understand the current benefit. One day you will be raised into eternal life, but today you have been raised into new life. So walk in that new life; live it out daily.

Have a God Filled Week,
And a Happy Easter,

Brother Donnie

Why?

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

When terrible things happen, we must ask why? Why do children and school staff die by the hands of a deranged woman in a private Christian school? When these tragedies happen, people start blaming—blame the politicians, blame law enforcement, blame the system, blame the school, blame the church, blame Christians, blame God… It seems the blame goes in every direction except where it is deserved.

Why did this tragedy happen? Scripture makes it clear; there are evil people in the world who do evil things. This past week a woman with evil in her heart committed an evil act against innocent people, and she deserves the blame. She had a choice. She could have stored up good treasures in her heart and brought forth good things. Instead, she harbored evil treasures in her heart and committed cold blooded murder. Her act was well thought out and premeditated by hatred. Her life was filled with the works and teachings of this crooked and perverse generation, and as scripture promises, “He who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.” (Proverbs 11:19) This woman was like Cain “who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:12)

Why did this terrible thing happen? Because this woman loved darkness rather than the light and her deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

How do we respond to that? Do we rage and repay evil with evil? No, we overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Have a God Filled Week,
Brother Donnie

(This post has been edited to reflect what I now understand to be the shooter’s God given biological gender. The original reports were confusing.)